Thursday, April 30, 2009
Timeline
The Abbasid Khilafah
752 CE, 134 A.H Beginning of Abbasid Khilafah.
755 CE, 137 A.H Revolt of Abdullah bin Ali. Murder of Abu Muslim.
756, 138 A.H Abdul Rahman founds the Umayyad state in Spain.
763 CE, 145 A.H Foundation of Baghdad. Defeat of the Abbasids in Spain.
767 CE, 150 A.H Khariji state set up by Ibn Madrar at Sijilmasa.
786 CE, 169 A.H Haroon Rashid becomes Khalifah.
792 CE, 175 A.H Invasion of South France.
800 CE, 184 A.H Scientific method is developed. Algebra is invented by Al-Khawarizmi.
805 CE, 189 A.H Campaigns against the Byzantines. Capture of the islands of Rhodes and Cypress.
809 CE, 193 A.H Death of Haroon Ar-Rashid. Accession of Amin.
814 CE, 198 A.H Civil war between Amin and Mamun. Amin killed and Mamun becomes the Khalifah. Bayt-ul-Hikmat is founded in his time.
900 CE, 287 A.H Pendulum developed by Yunus Al-Masri.
976 CE, 365 A.H Muhammad bin Ahmad introduces the number Zero.
1000 CE, 390 A.H Al-Haytham discovers that white light consists of various rays of colored light. The building of the Great Mosque of Cordoba is completed.
1005 CE, 395 A.H Mahmood Ghaznavi captures Multan and Ghur.
1055 CE, 447 A.H Baghdad is conquered by the Seljuk Turks. Abbasid-Seljuk rule starts, which lasts until 1258 when Mongols destroy Baghdad.
1085 CE, 477 A.H Christians get Toledo (in Spain).
1091 CE, 484 A.H Normans capture Sicily, ending Muslim rule there.
1095 CE, 488 A.H The first crusade takes place.
1099 CE, 492 A.H Crusaders capture Jerusalem. They mercilessly slaughter everyone inside its walls.
1100 CE, 493 A.H Muslims introduce negative numbers.
1144 CE, 538 A.H Imam-ud Din captures Edessa from Christians. Second crusade takes place.
1187 CE, 583 A.H Salahuddin captures Jerusalem from Christians in the most peaceful way possible. Third crusade takes place in which Christians only get Acre after months of bloodshed.
1194 CE, 590 A.H Muslims occupy Delhi, India.
1236 CE, 633 A.H Christians conquer Cordoba (in Spain).
1258 CE, 656 A.H Mongols sack Baghdad. Thousands of people killed and great libraries burned. Fall of Baghdad. End of Abbasid rule
Stephen George
Islamic Golden Age
During the Abbasid Period:
*They held to a Qur'anic hadith that "the ink of scientists is more holy than the blood of martyrs."
*The muslim world became a melting pot of culture and they began the process of collecting and advancing knowledge from around the world which included Roman, Chinease, Indian, Persian, Greek, and Egyption influences.
*The Calisphates established a "House of wisdom" in Baghdad, which became the intellectul center of science, philosophy, medicine and education.
*Muslim and non-muslims were attempting to gather all of the worlds knowledge and transfer it into Arabic.
Last of all in the area of Science the Calisphate recovered much of the ideas of Alexandrian Mathmatics, geometric and astonomical knowledge and enhanced these ideas with Arab scholars.
The advances of math, astronomy, knowledge, Philosophy, and literature in this period is why its called the Golden age of Islam.
Algebra was pioneered by Persian scientist Muhammad ibn Musa al-Khwarizmi, from a text called, "Kitab al-jabr wal- mugabala," and this is where the term Algebra came from. Muhammad Khwarizimi is considered the father of Algebra because he introduced all sorts of new mathmatical concepts he created:
Algorisms, algorythms, Arabic numerals, and the Hindu-Arabic numeral system.
Medicine advances:
Over 800 doctors in the Arab World
understanding of anatomy and diseases
the diffrence between Measles and small pox was discovered
and many authors produced medical encyclopedias that influenced many later Wetern European cultures during the Rennisance period.
Matthew Morton
The great wealth made the Abbasids able to support learning and arts. Muslims believed long before Columbus's time that the earth was round. They invented algebra. They wrote the first accurate descriptions of measles and smallpox. They had clean hospitals. They built the Bayt-al-Hikmah (House of Wisdom) in which scholars from different lands came and studied. It served as a museum, library, translation office, school, and meeting center. Books about mathematics, meteorology, optics, mechanics, astronomy, philosophy, medicine, etc. were translated into Arabic from Hebrew, Greek, Persian, Syriac, and other languages. Al-Razi, Ibn Sina, Al-Biruni, and Al-Khwarizmi were some of the famous scholars of that time. Muslims collected writings of the schools of Alexandria and the best philosophical works of ancient Greek. There were special departments under qualified professors for promotion and prosecution of special branches of study. Astronomical observations were made in Mamun's reign. Among these equinoxes, eclipses, the apparitions of comets and other celestial bodies was most important. The size of the earth was calculated from the measurement of a degree on the shores of the Red Sea. At this time, Europe was asserting the flatness of the earth. Abul Hassan invented the telescope. The telescope was improved and used in the observatories of Maragha and Cairo with great success. The first observatory of Islam was made in Mamun's reign at Shamassia on the plains of Tadmur. Afterwards several more were created.
Stephen George
Stephen George
Baghdad became the new capital of the Caliphate under the Abbasid's and thus became the intellectual capital as well.
*Astronomical observitories in Baghdad included one at the famous "House of Wisdom" and the second in the Shammasiya section of the Tigris river.
*Astronomer al-khwarizmi (850) is the father of the Algorythm which the name comes from his name.
Mamun-
The Abbasid Caliph responsible for creating the "House of Wisdom" in Baghdad that become a science, astronomy, philosophy, religous and cultural center of the Arab world.
*He was also responsible for the translation of greek words into arabic and this allowed an influx of new information gathered from the hellenistic, roman, european, chinease, and Byzantine civilizations to be translated as well.
The diffrent technologies that were founded under the Abbasid Caliphate:
1) Paper Making: the muslim's advanced the Chinease paper making technology and developed paper and pulp mills as well as saw mills.
2) Industrial advances: Hydro power, wind power, and fossil fuels such as petroleum.
3) Pharmaceuticals, astronomical instraments, glass, clocks, agra-business advances such as the windmill, and the mining of lead, sulfer, and iron.
Matthew Morton
*Astronomical observitories in Baghdad included one at the famous "House of Wisdom" and the second in the Shammasiya section of the Tigris river.
*Astronomer al-khwarizmi (850) is the father of the Algorythm which the name comes from his name.
Mamun-
The Abbasid Caliph responsible for creating the "House of Wisdom" in Baghdad that become a science, astronomy, philosophy, religous and cultural center of the Arab world.
*He was also responsible for the translation of greek words into arabic and this allowed an influx of new information gathered from the hellenistic, roman, european, chinease, and Byzantine civilizations to be translated as well.
The diffrent technologies that were founded under the Abbasid Caliphate:
1) Paper Making: the muslim's advanced the Chinease paper making technology and developed paper and pulp mills as well as saw mills.
2) Industrial advances: Hydro power, wind power, and fossil fuels such as petroleum.
3) Pharmaceuticals, astronomical instraments, glass, clocks, agra-business advances such as the windmill, and the mining of lead, sulfer, and iron.
Matthew Morton
Pre-Islamic tales of poetry were very popular in the Abbasid kingdom and poets from all over gathered in Baghdad to write new epic tales of their ancestors.
These poets included:
Bashar ibn Burd- an erotic poet of sorts
Abbas ibn Ahnaf- wrote "Power of Love" to debase lewd poetry.
Abu Nuwas- The greatest bacchic poet and had an infatuation with love, scandal, and blasphemies.
The most well known book from the Abbasid period was, "The book of 1001 Nights. (Arabian Nights) This book was a collection of Arabian folk tales and includes such famous characters as Aladdin, Ali Baba, and Sinbad the Sailor. Stories from the arabian nights book have been included in film, book form, television, and video games.
For example, the early 1990's Aladdan films and 1001 Rabbit tales of Looney toons fame are loosley based upon the Arabian Nights tales of Aladdin and Ali-Baba.
1001 Nights tales include:
Aladdin and the wonderful lamp
The seven voyages of sinbad the sailor
Ali-baba and the fourty thieves: famous for the words "Open simsim" or also translated as open sesame.
The fisherman and the jenni
1001 Nights
The Angel of death with the proud and the devout man
Story of Larrikin and the cook
The sleeper and the walker
The Three Calanders tales,
and many more...
Matthew Morton
These poets included:
Bashar ibn Burd- an erotic poet of sorts
Abbas ibn Ahnaf- wrote "Power of Love" to debase lewd poetry.
Abu Nuwas- The greatest bacchic poet and had an infatuation with love, scandal, and blasphemies.
The most well known book from the Abbasid period was, "The book of 1001 Nights. (Arabian Nights) This book was a collection of Arabian folk tales and includes such famous characters as Aladdin, Ali Baba, and Sinbad the Sailor. Stories from the arabian nights book have been included in film, book form, television, and video games.
For example, the early 1990's Aladdan films and 1001 Rabbit tales of Looney toons fame are loosley based upon the Arabian Nights tales of Aladdin and Ali-Baba.
1001 Nights tales include:
Aladdin and the wonderful lamp
The seven voyages of sinbad the sailor
Ali-baba and the fourty thieves: famous for the words "Open simsim" or also translated as open sesame.
The fisherman and the jenni
1001 Nights
The Angel of death with the proud and the devout man
Story of Larrikin and the cook
The sleeper and the walker
The Three Calanders tales,
and many more...
Matthew Morton
Architecture
During this period, a distinctive style emerged and new techniques were developed that spread throughout the Muslim realm and greatly influenced Islamic art and architecture. In Samarra’, a new way of carving surfaces, the so-called beveled style, as well as a repetition of abstract geometric or pseudo-vegetal forms, later to be known in the West as "arabesque," were widely used as wall decoration and became popular in other media such as wood, metalwork, and pottery.In pottery, Samarra’ also witnessed an extensive use of color in decoration and, possibly, the introduction of the technique of luster painting over a white glaze. Admired for its glittering effect reminiscent of precious metal, luster painting, the most notable technical achievement at the time, spread in the following centuries from Iraq to Egypt, Syria, Iran, and Spain and eventually also contributed to the development of ceramic decoration in the Western world.Following the capture of Baghdad by the Buyids (932–1062) and Seljuqs (1040–1194) in 945 and 1055, cAbbasid caliphs retained little more than moral and spiritual influence as the heads of Orthodox Sunni Islam. The cAbbasid realm witnessed a brief revival under caliphs al-Nasir (r. 1180–1225) and al-Mustansir (r. 1226–42), when Baghdad once again became the greatest center for the arts of the book in the Islamic world and the Mustansiriyya Madrasa (1228–33), the first college for the four canonical schools of Sunni law, was built. However, this burst of artistic vitality came to a temporary halt with the sack of Baghdad by the Ilkhanid branch of the Mongols in 1258.
Stephen George
Stephen George
Economy
As the capital of one of the world's greatest empires at the time, Baghdad during the Abbasid Empire quickly became the economic capital of the world. The Caliphs raised revenue mainly through taxes and military raids (especially into Byzantine territories). However, it was trade that played the most important role in the prosperity of the empire and its residents. The markets (suqs) of Baghdad sold numerous goods from lands as far as Russia, Africa, China, and Europe. Baghdad was built so that every occupation had its own market (suq) or street in the city, enabling buyers and sellers to interact efficiently. Baghdad was the first place west of China to produce and sell large quantities of paper; Baghdad was also the cradle of modern day financial institutions and services such as banks, checks, and currency exchange markets.
Baghdad's economy relied on taxes, and wealth generated by trade and manufacturing. The empire was rich in gold, silver, copper, and iron and used them in trade. Farmers grew dates, rice, and other grains. In addition, the Abbasids introduced new breeds of livestock. They also spread cotton. Traders from Scandinavia to Africa came to Baghdad for the products of its industries too. Leather goods, textiles, paper, metalwork, and perfumes were sold in the city. The Abbasids developed something very similar to the banking system. They did not have bank buildings but business people invested in long distance trade and goods were bought on credit. They also had a postal system. Muslim rule unified the eastern world. They introduced a uniform coinage system that made commerce easier. The Abbasids treated non-Muslims well. In their time, there were 11000 Christian churches, and hundreds of synagogues and fire temples.
Stephen George
Baghdad's economy relied on taxes, and wealth generated by trade and manufacturing. The empire was rich in gold, silver, copper, and iron and used them in trade. Farmers grew dates, rice, and other grains. In addition, the Abbasids introduced new breeds of livestock. They also spread cotton. Traders from Scandinavia to Africa came to Baghdad for the products of its industries too. Leather goods, textiles, paper, metalwork, and perfumes were sold in the city. The Abbasids developed something very similar to the banking system. They did not have bank buildings but business people invested in long distance trade and goods were bought on credit. They also had a postal system. Muslim rule unified the eastern world. They introduced a uniform coinage system that made commerce easier. The Abbasids treated non-Muslims well. In their time, there were 11000 Christian churches, and hundreds of synagogues and fire temples.
Stephen George
The first was a military revolution begun by his brother, al-Mu'tasim. The constant
revolutions and the deep division in Islamic society convinced al-Ma'mun that he needed
a military force whose only loyalty was to him. So his brother, who would later become
caliph (833-842 / 218-27), assembled a military force of slaves, called Mamluks. Many of
the Mamluks were Turkish, who were famous for the horsemanship. But the Mamluk
military also consisted of Slavs and some Berbers. By the middle of al-Wathiq's reign,
the Mamluk army had completely displaced the Arabian and Persian army under the
caliph. This army, and al-Mu'tasim's abandonment of Baghdad for Samarra, caused bitter
resentment among Muslims and would irreperably sever the protective bond between the
Islamic sovereign and the Islamic people. It also introduced a new ethnic group in the
Islamic world, the Mamluks, who would eventually play a powerful role in the drama of
power and decline in medieval Islam.
The first Muslim military attack on an Indian kingdom was in response to attacks on Muslim sea traders which began in 711. An army under Muhammad ibn Qasim conquered the kingdom of Sind on the western coast of India. The kingdom was temporarily added to the Umayyad Empire. Populations of conquered territories were treated as people of the book and granted religious toleration of their Hindu beliefs in return for payment of the poll tax on non- believers. Most of the administrative elite of conquered territories continued to serve new Muslim masters. The Muslims continued to recognize the Brahmin caste system. Little conversion of conquered populations was attempted.
Abu Muslim al Khorasani
-abbasid general – son of a Persian Zoroastrian
-Gained fame by defeating a peasant rebellion led by a leader of a fused shia/mazdakite cult
-led the abbasid armies which overthrew the umayyads in 750
-He was beloved as governor of Khorasan for his conciliatory policies toward shias , sunis, Christians , jews , Zoroastrians.
Trevino
revolutions and the deep division in Islamic society convinced al-Ma'mun that he needed
a military force whose only loyalty was to him. So his brother, who would later become
caliph (833-842 / 218-27), assembled a military force of slaves, called Mamluks. Many of
the Mamluks were Turkish, who were famous for the horsemanship. But the Mamluk
military also consisted of Slavs and some Berbers. By the middle of al-Wathiq's reign,
the Mamluk army had completely displaced the Arabian and Persian army under the
caliph. This army, and al-Mu'tasim's abandonment of Baghdad for Samarra, caused bitter
resentment among Muslims and would irreperably sever the protective bond between the
Islamic sovereign and the Islamic people. It also introduced a new ethnic group in the
Islamic world, the Mamluks, who would eventually play a powerful role in the drama of
power and decline in medieval Islam.
The first Muslim military attack on an Indian kingdom was in response to attacks on Muslim sea traders which began in 711. An army under Muhammad ibn Qasim conquered the kingdom of Sind on the western coast of India. The kingdom was temporarily added to the Umayyad Empire. Populations of conquered territories were treated as people of the book and granted religious toleration of their Hindu beliefs in return for payment of the poll tax on non- believers. Most of the administrative elite of conquered territories continued to serve new Muslim masters. The Muslims continued to recognize the Brahmin caste system. Little conversion of conquered populations was attempted.
Abu Muslim al Khorasani
-abbasid general – son of a Persian Zoroastrian
-Gained fame by defeating a peasant rebellion led by a leader of a fused shia/mazdakite cult
-led the abbasid armies which overthrew the umayyads in 750
-He was beloved as governor of Khorasan for his conciliatory policies toward shias , sunis, Christians , jews , Zoroastrians.
Trevino
Cuture
1. Baghdadis' diet chiefly comprised of grains (wheat, barley, and to an extent, rice), and meat from domesticated animals.
2.Meats consumed included mutton, beef, poultry, fish, and camel. Of these, mutton was by far the most preferred - it is said that the Prophet himself favored the shoulder and forelimbs of a freshly slaughtered sheep. Poultry was less common, though not unknown, as was beef, which was looked down upon as food for the poor.
3.Camels were only consumed at times of great need or on special occasions, as they were beasts of burden and played a vital role in transport and trade. Their livers and udders were especially prized.
4.In general, middle and upper class family households had their own domestic kitchens, while less fortunate families had to make do with communal kitchens.
5.The `Abbasid kitchen was equipped with two main appliances - the tannur, or oven, and the mustawkad, or stove. The tannur, which was used for baking, resembled a large overturned pot. Charcoal was added via a hole in its side and lit, after which the food to be baked was introduced.
Whitney Mitchell
2.Meats consumed included mutton, beef, poultry, fish, and camel. Of these, mutton was by far the most preferred - it is said that the Prophet himself favored the shoulder and forelimbs of a freshly slaughtered sheep. Poultry was less common, though not unknown, as was beef, which was looked down upon as food for the poor.
3.Camels were only consumed at times of great need or on special occasions, as they were beasts of burden and played a vital role in transport and trade. Their livers and udders were especially prized.
4.In general, middle and upper class family households had their own domestic kitchens, while less fortunate families had to make do with communal kitchens.
5.The `Abbasid kitchen was equipped with two main appliances - the tannur, or oven, and the mustawkad, or stove. The tannur, which was used for baking, resembled a large overturned pot. Charcoal was added via a hole in its side and lit, after which the food to be baked was introduced.
Whitney Mitchell
Clothing
1.The government bureaucracy was filled with Persian officials who would inspire high society with vogue trends. An example of this Persian influence is provided by the popularity of the caftan, which is a robe with sleeves that button down the front. This Persian article of clothing was introduced during the Abbasid period and was soon popularly used throughout the Arab world.
2.Just as celebrities of modern times tend to create fashion fads, the Abbasid caliphs and the women of the harem were also key trendsetters during the ancient Islamic era. The caliph Mu`tasim (r. 833-842) was notable for his desire to imitate Persian kings by wearing a turban over a soft cap. The populace emulated their ruler by adopting this headgear, calling it "Mu`tasimi" in his honor. Additionally, one of the most notable female trendsetters was Zubayda (d. 831), the wife of the caliph Harun al-Rashid (r. 786-809). She was the first to introduce the fashion of wearing sandals embroidered with gemstones.
3.textile production was a major industry during the period. Clothing was extremely costly in comparison with other common goods. Fine outfits for men in Iraq during the Ninth Century varied in price from five to thirty dinars. (In comparison, a skilled laborer at the time was paid between one half and one and a half dinars per month). Textiles and garments were imported to Baghdad from foreign lands.
4. The caliph would often present a robe of honor, called a khil`a, to a man that the government wanted to esteem. The practice of giving robes of honor is described in many books from the time period, notably in the popular Thousand and One Nights. Members of the royal entourage wore the special robes of honor on official occasions.
5.Black became the official color of the Abbasid people, who were acknowledged in China and Byzantium as the "black-robed ones." High-ranking military officers were clothed in every kind of black. Instead of using dissimilar colors, the men were distinguished by the style of military belt and sword that they wore. Honorific garments, royal flags, and official document cases were all black, and usually made of silk.
6.The clothing of the working class was commonly shorter than the clothing of members of the court.
7.There is less recorded information about the attire of the general populace than there are descriptions of elegant and courtly dress.
8.written by Abu al-Tayyib Muhammad al-Washsha (d. 936) who described clothing worn by fashionable people in his book On Elegance and Elegant People. Washsha provided detailed information about elements of fashion and vogue attire. Elegant people should not wear clashing hues or distasteful colors, such as saffron. It was improper to wear dirty outfits, new clothes together with washed ones, or linen with certain cottons. Fashionable men wore clothes perfumed with scents such as powdered musk or rosewater solution. They should never smell of ambergris, the perfume of slave girls. Men's shoes and sandals could be made of various leathers and have different colors and designs. Examples of footwear included East African sandals, thick shoes from Cambay in India, Yemeni furry shoes, and Hashimi boots. Elegant women would not wear black, green, pink, or red, except for fabrics that were naturally those colors, such as red silk. Women's clothing would be perfumed with musk, sandalwood, hyacinth or ambergris, but no other scents. Footwear included furry Cambay shoes, boots of the style of Persian ladies, and curved shoes.
1.required that Christians, Jews and Zoroastrians wear yellow shawl-like head-cloths, called taylasans, and a distinguishing belt, called a zunnar. If they wore turbans, then those were also required to be yellow in color. The slaves of non-Muslims also had to wear identifying clothing.
2.during the Abbasid period, the notion of fashion as an indicator of class and status was significant. Clothes served as a marker of social position, whether distinguishing between Muslims and non-Muslims, courtly elite and commoners, or the rich and the richer.
3. fashion was a thriving industry during the Abbasid period that was also strictly regulated either by law or through the accepted elements of style.
Whitney Mitchell
2.Just as celebrities of modern times tend to create fashion fads, the Abbasid caliphs and the women of the harem were also key trendsetters during the ancient Islamic era. The caliph Mu`tasim (r. 833-842) was notable for his desire to imitate Persian kings by wearing a turban over a soft cap. The populace emulated their ruler by adopting this headgear, calling it "Mu`tasimi" in his honor. Additionally, one of the most notable female trendsetters was Zubayda (d. 831), the wife of the caliph Harun al-Rashid (r. 786-809). She was the first to introduce the fashion of wearing sandals embroidered with gemstones.
3.textile production was a major industry during the period. Clothing was extremely costly in comparison with other common goods. Fine outfits for men in Iraq during the Ninth Century varied in price from five to thirty dinars. (In comparison, a skilled laborer at the time was paid between one half and one and a half dinars per month). Textiles and garments were imported to Baghdad from foreign lands.
4. The caliph would often present a robe of honor, called a khil`a, to a man that the government wanted to esteem. The practice of giving robes of honor is described in many books from the time period, notably in the popular Thousand and One Nights. Members of the royal entourage wore the special robes of honor on official occasions.
5.Black became the official color of the Abbasid people, who were acknowledged in China and Byzantium as the "black-robed ones." High-ranking military officers were clothed in every kind of black. Instead of using dissimilar colors, the men were distinguished by the style of military belt and sword that they wore. Honorific garments, royal flags, and official document cases were all black, and usually made of silk.
6.The clothing of the working class was commonly shorter than the clothing of members of the court.
7.There is less recorded information about the attire of the general populace than there are descriptions of elegant and courtly dress.
8.written by Abu al-Tayyib Muhammad al-Washsha (d. 936) who described clothing worn by fashionable people in his book On Elegance and Elegant People. Washsha provided detailed information about elements of fashion and vogue attire. Elegant people should not wear clashing hues or distasteful colors, such as saffron. It was improper to wear dirty outfits, new clothes together with washed ones, or linen with certain cottons. Fashionable men wore clothes perfumed with scents such as powdered musk or rosewater solution. They should never smell of ambergris, the perfume of slave girls. Men's shoes and sandals could be made of various leathers and have different colors and designs. Examples of footwear included East African sandals, thick shoes from Cambay in India, Yemeni furry shoes, and Hashimi boots. Elegant women would not wear black, green, pink, or red, except for fabrics that were naturally those colors, such as red silk. Women's clothing would be perfumed with musk, sandalwood, hyacinth or ambergris, but no other scents. Footwear included furry Cambay shoes, boots of the style of Persian ladies, and curved shoes.
1.required that Christians, Jews and Zoroastrians wear yellow shawl-like head-cloths, called taylasans, and a distinguishing belt, called a zunnar. If they wore turbans, then those were also required to be yellow in color. The slaves of non-Muslims also had to wear identifying clothing.
2.during the Abbasid period, the notion of fashion as an indicator of class and status was significant. Clothes served as a marker of social position, whether distinguishing between Muslims and non-Muslims, courtly elite and commoners, or the rich and the richer.
3. fashion was a thriving industry during the Abbasid period that was also strictly regulated either by law or through the accepted elements of style.
Whitney Mitchell
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