XII Government of Kerala DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT) Kerala 2015 1 Significant Learning Outcomes • Familiarizes the establishment of Abbasid Khilafath. Major Concepts • Explains political and administr- ative achievements. • Polity and administration of Abbasids. • Analyses the contribution in the • Scientific and literary progress field of Medicine, Philosophy, Mathematics, Historiography, • Development of theology, Islamic law and fiqh Astronomy, Alchemy and Theo- • Social life logy, • Develops sense of beauty and • Art and Architecture enjoyment through the analysis of • Abbasid culture and its features art and architecture. • Baith ul Hikma. • Familiarises the literary contri- • Downfall of the Abbasids bution • Identifies the social life and its peculiarities. • Explains the causes of decay and downfall. Islamic History - XII Observe BBC documentary on Abbasid culture and scientific progress. This chapter deals with the history of civilization during the medieval age. The medieval world under Abbasids excelled in both scientific and literary field. Hence it can be called a period of enlightenment eventhough the westerners, whose contributions were less in those days, referred it as dark age. The reign of Abbasid was the era of greatest splendor of Arabs. The age of conquest has passed; that of civilisation has commenced. Abul Abbas (750 -754 CE) who earned the title “Assafah” (blood shedder) was the founder of the most celebrated and long lived Arab dynasty for the establishment of caliphate. Abul Abbas got the assistance of great persons like Abu Muslim Khurasani, Abu Salma, Abdulla Bin Ali, Sulaiman Bin Ali, Khalid Bin Barmak etc. Ambar was the capital of Abul Abbas. The Persian office of Wazier was adopted by Abbasids. Abu Salma was the fist wazir. Abu Jafar (754 -775 CE) was the brother and successor of Abul Abbas. He assumed the title “Al Mansur” (the victorious). Abu Jafar faced many revolts but suppressed all the disorders. His uncle Abudulla Bin Ali, the Abbasid governor of Syria rebelled but failed and was killed treacherously. The Khurasani leader Abu Muslim also faced the fate of Abdulla. Abu Jafar Abu Muslim He founded a new capital named Baghdad on the western bank of Tigris in 762 CE. Al Mansur was succeeded by his son Al Mahdi (775 -785 CE) and Mahdi was followed by his son Hadi. After a short rule of one year Hadi died in 786 CE. 8 The Abbasid Khilafath the Cosmopolitan Empire Battle of Nasbin and the threat of Abu Muslim The uncle of caliph rebelled in Syria. Abu Jafer appointed Abu Muslim to face the threat. Abdullah Bin Ali and Abu Muslim fought at Nasbin. Abdullah Bin Ali was caught as prisoner and kept in royal custody. Abu Muslim, the greatest general of the age became more prominent with this victory. He could crumble the Abbasid power with his popularity and with his troops. Conduct a discussion on Baghdad. Baghdad – Madeenathussalam – The garden of peace. Harun Al Rashid (786 -809 CE) the brother of Hadi was saluted as the next khalifa who appointed his teacher and advisor Yahya Bin Barmak as wazir (Minister). The legacy of the age is depicted in various books. Thousand and One Nights (Arabian Nights) is the best example for it. The Barmakids were an influential family from Bactria with great political power under the Abbasids of Baghdad. Barmak leader Khalid became the Minister of finance under Al Saffah, the first caliph of the Abbasid dynasty. His son Yahya was the teacher of Harun Al 9 Islamic History - XII Rashid and rose as the most powerful man in the empire under Harun al Rashid. The Barmakids were remarkable for their majesty, splendor and hospitality. They are mentioned in some stories of the Arabian Nights. It is believed that the Barmakids were priests of Buddist before converting to Islam.The Barmakid family was early supporters of the Abbasids.They were highly educated, respected and influential throughout Arabia, Persia and Central Asia. In Baghdad, the Barmakid court became a centre of patronage for the poets,Ulema and scholars. Khalid ibn Barmak Khalid ibn Barmak occupied distinguished positions under first two Abbasid Khaiphs. He had risen to be the Wazir, following death of Abu Salma. Khalid was on such intimate terms with al-Saffah that his daughter was nursed by the wife of the Khalifa. Likewise, Khalifa’s daughter was nursed by Khalid’s wife. His son, Yahya ibn Barmak, at one time Governor was entrusted by Caliph al-Mahdi with the education of his son, Harun, the future Khalifa. Under Abbasid regime Khalid rose to the headship of the department of Finance (diwan al-Kharaj) This department was concerned with Taxation and Land Tenure. Genuine budgets began to be drawn up for the first time and offices sprang up for various departments. The extensive staff of officials engaged in correspondence with the provinces and prepared estimates and accounts. An influential stratum of officialdom, the Irano-Islamic class of secretaries, was formed which considered itself as the main support of the state. In 765, Khalid ibn Barmak received the governship of Tabaristan and he crushed a dangerous uprising. During his governorship , Khalid, through a mix of firmness and justice, brought the province quickly into order and effectively curbed the unruly Kurds. Yahya’s sons occupied high offices under al Rashid. Many Barmakids were great patrons of sciences, which greatly helped the propagation of Indian science and scholarship into the Islamic world of Baghdad and beyond.They patronized scholars and also credited with the establishment of the first paper mill in Baghdad. The power of the Barmakids in those times is reflected in the book of Thousand and One Nights. In it the Wazir Ja’far appears in several stories, as well as a tale that gave rise to the expression “Barmekide feast” We know of Yahya ibn Khalid al-Barmaki (d. 805) as a patron of physicians and, specifically, of the translation of Indian medical works into both Arabic and Persian. In all likelihood however, his activity took place in the orbit of the caliphal court in Iraq , where at the behest of Hârûn Al-Rashîd (786-809) CE, such books were translated into Arabic. Thus Khurasan and Transoxiana 10 The Abbasid Khilafath the Cosmopolitan Empire were effectively by passed in this transfer of learning from India to Islam, even though, undeniably the Barmaki’s cultural outlook owed something to their land of origin, northern Afghanistan, and Yahya al-Barmaki’s interest in medicine may have derived from no longer identifiable family tradition.” Disgrace and fall In 803 CE the family lost favour in the eyes of Harun al-Rashîd, and many of its members were imprisoned. The popularity and prestige of Barmakids by the time held supressed ever. Historians Al-Tabari and Ibn Khaldun are of the opinion that their decline was gradual and not sudden. Their hypotheses are: The Barmakids’ extravagance in spending to the extent that they overshadowed Hârun al-Rashid. It has been said that Jafar ibn Yahya built a mansion that cost twenty million dirhams and that his father, Yahya ibn Khalid, had gold tiles on the wall of his mansion. Harun became upset on trips around and whenever he passed an impressive house or mansion, they told him it belonged to the Barmakids. Fadl-ibn- Rabi, an Abbasid loyal civil servant very close to Hârun and a rival of the Barmakids, poisoned the ear of Harun to assign spies to watch them, and that is how he found Jafar as a threat to Abbasids. The Barmakid Army: Although technically this army was under the Abbasids, in reality, the soldiers gave allegiance to al-Fadl Ibn Yahya al- Barmaki, Ja’far’s brother; it numbered 50,000 soldiers. During their last days, al-Fadl ordered twenty thousand of them to come to Baghdad and claimed to create a legion under the name of the Karnabiya Legion. This made Harun very wary of their intentions. The Governor of Khurasan at the time sent a letter to Harun reporting about the unrest in his province and blaming Musa ibn Yahya, another brother of Ja’far, for it. The Yahya Ibn Abdullah Al-Talibi incident: In AH 176, Yahya Ibn Abdullah went to Persia and called for rule by himself in place of Hârûn. Many people followed him, and he became strong enough to cause unrest for the Abbasids. Harun managed to capture him and ordered that he be confined to house arrest at al-Fadl’s house in Baghdad. However, al-Fadl, rather than making sure he would not escape, gave him money and a ride and let him leave Baghdad. The Abbasids considered that a treason. 11 Islamic History - XII A number of canals, mosques and other public works owe their existence to the initiative and munificence of the Barmakids. Al Fadl, son of Yahya, bin Barmak is credited with being the first to introduce the use of lamps in the mosques during the holy month of Ramadan. They are also credited with the establishment of the first paper mill in Baghdad. Ja’far, another son of Yahya acquired great fame for eloquence, literary activity and pen-manship. P.K.Hitti argues that chiefly because of him, Arab historians regard the Barmakids as the founders of the class designated as Zumurrud Khaton tomb in Bagdad ‘people of the pen’ (ahl al-qalam). The long neck which Barmakids possessed is said to have been responsible for the introduction of the custom of wearing high collars. Collect the important features of Abbasid period under Harun al Rashid and make a note after observing the vedeo, ‘Zindbad - the Sailor. ‘ A pictorial representation of the story of Arabian Nights Thousand and One Nights (The Arabian Nights) Thousand and One Nights is a collection of west and South Asian stories and folk tales compiled in Arabic during the Abbasid age. It is often known in English as the Arabian Nights, from the first English language edition (1706 CE), which rendered the title as The Arabian Nights’ Entertainment. 12 The Abbasid Khilafath the Cosmopolitan Empire The tales themselves trace their roots back to ancient and medieval Indian ,Arabic, Persian, Egyptian and Mesopotamian folklore and literature. In particular, many tales were originally folk stories from the Khalifath era, while others, especially the frame story, are most probably drawn from the work of Pahlavi Persian Hazâr Afsân ( A Thousand Tales) which in turn relied partly on Indian elements.The main stories of The Nights are “Aladdin’s Wonderful Lamp”, “Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves”, and “The Seven Voyages of Sinbad the Sailor”. The tales include historical tales, love stories, tragedies, comedies, poems, burlesques and various forms of erotica. Numerous stories depict jinns, ghouls, apes, sorcerers, magicians, and legendary places, which are often intermingled with real people and geography, not always rationally; common protagonists include the historical Abbasid caliph,Harun, his Grand, Jafar al-Barmaki, and the famous poet Abu Nuwas, despite the fact that these figures lived some 200 years after the fall of the Sassanid Empire in which the frame tale of Scheherazade. Harun al Rashid defeated Byzantine emperor and recaptured the island of Cypress and Read the stories of Arabian nights and prepare a note on the life of Abbasid age. 13 Islamic History - XII Rhodes.Abbasid reached the zenith of its glory under al Rashid. The country became prosperous and the court marked a lavish style of living. Bagdad was the greatest commercial centre of the age and seat of learning and culture in the world. Harun Al Rashid divided the empire between the sons and nominated Al Amin as the khalifa and assigned the region of Kurasan for Al Ma’mun. This aroused the struggle for power between Al Amin and Mamun which ended in the defeat of Al Amin and his assassination in 813 CE. Though Al Ma’mun crowned as khalifa he spent his days at Merv. His absence in the capital created disorder in different parts of the khilafath. In 819 CE. Al Mamun reached Baghdad with the instigation of his friend and adviser Ali Al Riza (the Shiah Imam). Before his death, Al Mamun declared his brother Al Muhthasim as his successor. Al Muathasim was followed by his son Al Watiq. The period of Abbasid glory ended with him. Compare the disorder of the Mamun’s period with the civil war of Syria and Iraq. Ali Ibn Musa Al-Ridha , also called Abu Al-Hassan, is commonly known as Ali Al-Ridha the eighth Imam of Shiite faction.The Khalifa Mamun nominated Al al-Ridha as his successor.Al-Ma’mun even changed the black Abbâsid flags to green, the traditional colour of Shiites. Al-Ma’mun meant to appease the Shiite factions by these actions. He also ordered to mint coins with names of both Al-Ma’mun and Ali al-Rida.Nomination of Ali Al Riza by Ma’mun gave rise to many troubles in the Khalifath. THE ABBASID ADMINISTRATION In Abbasid administrative structure the apex body was Khalifa and he possessed supreme power. Under the first five Khalifaths of Abbasids, the government continued more or less autocratic just like the Umayyads. In the period of great khalif Al Ma’mun, the government by the will of one man gave way to semi democratic one. A regular council of the state Conduct a discussion on the administration of the Abbasids and the modern states. Compare the representation of people in the khilafath under early Abbasids and under the Pious caliphs 14 The Abbasid Khilafath the Cosmopolitan Empire representing every community owing allegion to the khalif was introduced. The representatives of the people enjoyed perfect freedom of expression. The Khalifa was assisted by a number of royal officials in the affairs of the state and day-to-day life of the palace. Provinces of Abbasid Khilafath Locate the major cities and the extent of Abbasid caliphate in an outline map of Eurasia. Next to Khalifa stood the wazir which had a Persian origin. Grand wazir was practically the lieutenant of the khalifa and controlled the whole affairs of the state. He presided over the council of heads of various departments of the state. The internal peace was maintained by the department of Sahibu Shurtha (Police). Khilafath was divided into several provinces. Each provice was under an officer called Amir (governor) who was appointed by Khalifa Though the postal department was designed to serve the state it also handled private correspondence. Each provincial capital was provided with a post office. Imperial capital was linked to provincial capitals with convenient roads. The system of relay covered the route which conceded horses, camels and mules in many places. Pigeons were trained and used as letter carriers. Sahibul Barid was the post master of the province. He not only superintended the work of postal department but also kept Khalifa informed of all important provincial matters. Postal department also worked like the intelligence department. 15