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The Middle and Late Abbasid Era. Chapter 7 (1 of 4). A Pain in the Abbasid. Abbasid caliphs spent lavishly (remember the marble palaces), ruining empires finances and upsetting the masses. There was constant political divisions and turmoil, often over the succession of caliphs. - PowerPoint PPT Presentation
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The Middle and Late Abbasid Era
Chapter 7 (1 of 4)
A Pain in the Abbasid
Abbasid caliphs spent lavishly
(remember the marble palaces), ruining empires
finances and upsetting the
masses
There was constant political
divisions and turmoil, often
over the succession of
caliphs
Abd al-Rahman al-Mahdi
al-Mahdi3rd Abbasid caliph
775-785
Lived lavish lifestyle
Failed in attempt at peace with
Shi’ites
Had many sons but never picked a successor, leading to
major problems
Harun al-Rashid (786-809)
Son of al-Mahdi
His death set of civil war over succession
Over next 10 years, 4 caliphs were murdered
Lived in extreme luxury, hurting empire’s finances
Harun was one of al-Mahdi’s sons, emerged as caliph
Most famous Abbasid caliph
Caliphs Hire Slave Armies for Protection
1
Potential caliphs hire big armies of Turkic nomads
for protection
2
Abbasids can’t afford to pay the slave armies
3
Slaves are leading cause of social unrest amongst the people, start revolts
4
Slaves become so strong they kill the caliph in 846
and replace him with slave as caliph
50 Years Later…Abbasids Finally Control Slaves by end of 800s
To pay for it, Abbasids
raised taxes
Cost a fortune
to do this
Paid local
chiefs to
control
slaves
Chief CorruptionWhile some helped,
most chiefs took advantage of people
Little money coming in, needed irrigation
projects not built
People fled to avoid the corrupt chiefs and
heavy taxes
Peasant Had Enough!
Die from
disease, famine
flood, violence
Many flee to
surrounding kingdoms
Others revolted,
often Shia sects
Women’s Status
The Harem and the
Veil
Women were secluded and kept at home
Harem – many women that men had at home
Concubines – slave women kept by men(part of harem)
Slaves often better educated, caliphs spent more time with them than with wives
Concubines could gain freedom if bore healthy son
Abbasid elite in cities had huge # of slaves – got through conquest over non-MuslimsThe
Harem
At 1st only applied to city elites, but spread to towns and the countryside
Interestingly, concubines usually didn’t
Veils show how women (wives) losing status
Thought was women had insatiable lust, so needed to be veiled and secluded at home
Also thought that men could not resist lures of women, so veil needed
Women had to wear veils in publicThe Veil
By end of Abbasid Era,
rights women had in early Islam gone
Rich women not allowed a
career
Poor women could farm or weave clothes
Married young (9 years old),
expected to be homemakers
Women could plot to enhance
son’s political career
Due to internal problems, caliphs can’t prevent loss of land – parts of empire break away and nomadic groups begin to gain control
Oh Buyid, Abbasids in Trouble
Buyid – Rebel group in Abbasid empire,
able to conquer Baghdad in 945 and
gain control
Allowed Abbasid caliphs to remain, but
they were figureheads (no
power), real Buyid rulers called sultans
Seljuk Turks Gain Control of Abbasid Empire
Buyids couldn’t prevent Abbasid
empire from continuing to fall
apart
Seljuk Turks conquered Buyids
and took control of Abbasid empire in
1055
Seljuk Turks – nomads from
central Asia who invaded via Persia
The Seljuk Turks Rule Abbasid Empire
Seljuk Turks were Sunni, and got rid of Shi’ite, who rose to power
under Buyid control
For a time, the Seljuk Turks stabilized the Abbasid empire
(stopped threat from Shia Egypt)
Beat Byzantines, who attacked b/c thought Abbasid empire weak b/c
of infighting, got Asia Minor (would become Ottoman Empire)
Umayyads (661)
Abbasid (750)
Buyid (945)
Seljuk Turks (1055)
Note: Buyid and Seljuk Turks ruled over what was still considered Abbasid Empire
THE CRUSADES
THE CRUSADES
Shortly after the Seljuk Turks come to power,
Christian crusaders attack
There were 8 Crusades (Christians attack to gain control of holy land) the
first in 1096
For the next 200 years, European Christians control the region
In 1099, Christians gain control of the holy city of Jerusalem, slaughtering
Muslims and Jews
SaladinIn 1190, Saladin united Muslims
and began driving out Christian
Crusaders
In 1291, the last Christians kingdom in the region (Acre)
is defeated
Crusades Impact
Europeans much more
than they did Muslims
Middle Eastern Goods in Demand
Damascene swords
Rugs and Textiles adorned wealthy Europeans homes
Games like chess began to be played in Europe
Europeans Impacted in Art and ScienceRegained
lost ancient learning
(preserved by Arabs)
Europeans learned
Arab math and science
advances
Europeans used Arabic numbers +
decimal system
Richard the Lionhearted
preferred Arab
doctors
Some Arab and Persian words begin to be used in Europe
Europeans got all of this not only
through the Crusades, but the years of trade that
followed
Muslim culture not affected much by the Crusades
The trade was one-sided –
Muslims were not very interested in European goods
and culture
Click here for brief video on impact of the Crusades
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