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Message:: [QUOTE="Sallent, post: 2488968, member: 76194"]Last week we visited the remains of the Second Great Islamic Caliphate in their Iberian homeland, the Umayyads of Spain. This week we shall briefly examine the Third Great Islamic Caliphate, the Abbasids; and we will do so so by briefly examining some of the highlights of Abbasid rule such as the Shi'ite Uprising, the conquest of Tabaristan, and the Islamic Golden Age. 1) Who were the Abbasids and how did they come to power? The Abbasids were a rival clan to the Umayyads. The Umayyads were famous for spearheading the era of Islamic Conquest, capturing North Africa from the Byzantines, destroying the great Sassanian Empire and conquering Persia, and destroying the Visogothic Kingdom and conquering almost all of Iberia. However, the Umayyads were cruel and divisive, and as Sunni Muslims they heavily oppressed their Shia subjects. By the 740's Shia discontent with Umayyad rule boiled over and let to a caliphate wide revolt known as the Shia Uprising. The Abbasids, probably Sunni themselves, played on the ambiguity about their religious affiliations and passed themselves as Shia (or at least Shia friendly) and took advantage of the situation to expel the Umayyad rulers and push them all the way into Iberia. In 750 AD, they created the Abbasid Caliphate. [ATTACH=full]526479[/ATTACH]Maximum Extent of Abbasid Caliphate (Circa 850 AD) 2. Conquest of Tabaristan. Although the Umayyads had conquered North Africa, Iberia, and most of Persia, one area of Persia remained independent from Islamic rule. This area was known as Tabaristan. The armies of Tabaristan managed to defy the odds and maintain and independent kingdom throughout the Era of the Islamic Conquest. It wasn't until the Abbasid armies marched against Tabaristan that the remnants of Persia finally fell uner the flag of Islam, thus completing the Islamic Conquests.  Below you can see a coin  of Tabaristan shortly after being brought into the fold of Islam by the Abbasids. * Coin is mine, those fingers are not! Credit for the fingers go to [USER=42773]@John Anthony[/USER] <img src="styles/default/xenforo/clear.png" class="mceSmilieSprite mceSmilie8" alt=":D" unselectable="on" unselectable="on" /> [ATTACH=full]526481[/ATTACH]Tabaristan, Umar B. al Ala, 771-780 AD.AR Hemidrachm, 1.84 gm; 24 mm, Tapuistan (Tabaristan) year:127.Phrase "APD" at 4 oclock, Phrase "arun" at 7 oclock; phrases "GDH" and "Apzut" behind the crown; Sasanian style bust imitating Khosrau II right.Fire altar flanked by attendants; Tapuistan, year:12Reference: H.M. Malek, "The Dabuyid Ispahbads of Tabaristan," AJN 5-6 (1993-4), 42 [ATTACH=full]526493[/ATTACH]Map of Tabaristan 3. Islamic Golden AgeThe Abbasids created a climate of intellectual learning. They encouraged the copying of Greek texts, and thanks to them today we can still read Greek plays and works that would have otherwise been lost to the passage of time. They created great universities and centers of learning, and during the 10th and 11th century Baghdad became the global leader in science, mathematics, and technological research. The most influential ruler in the creation of the Islamic Golden Age was Caliph Harun al-Rashid. No one did more to advance human progress and knowledge during the end of the 8th century and the beginning of the 9th as he did. You can see a coin of his below...this is also the newest coin in my collection.[ATTACH=full]526483[/ATTACH]Abbasid Caliphate. al-Rashid. 170-193/786-809. AR dirham (23.4 mm, 2.61 g, 2 h). Madinat al-Salam, A.H 187. Album 219.2. EF.Ex Elwood Rafn collection. Harun al-Rashid built great libraries, constructed universities, sponsored scientific research, and sent explorers throughout Asia and Europe to gather scientific, cultural, and literary knowledge, thus establishing Baghdad as the premier center for scholarship in the entire world. He even opened dialogue with European rulers, and received embassies from the European kingdoms of the era.  Thanks to his efforts, the Islamic world would outshine Europe for the next 200 years. [ATTACH=full]526490[/ATTACH]Abbasid manuscript painting (Circa 9th century)[/QUOTE]

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