ASSIGNMENT NO : 03

SUB : ISLAMIC STUDIES

ROLL NO # FA22-BCS-232

SECTION : (D)

SUBMITTED TO

FURQAN MEHMOOD
The Abbasid Caliphate: 8 Achievements from
the Golden Age
The Abbasid Caliphate emerged from the collapse of the Umayyad dynasty in
750. Many great achievements took place under his rule, sending Islamic
civilization into its golden age.

In 750, the Abbasid clan, led by Abu-Al-Abbas A-Saffah, with the help of the
Hashimiyya movement and Shiite Muslims, brutally overthrew the Umayyad
Caliphate.

Here is a list of the 8 major achievements made under the Abbasid Caliphate

1. The Abbasid Caliphate created an inclusive society:

The non-Arab population was among the main supporters of the Abbasid
dynasty. While the Abbasids themselves were descendants of the Arab clans of
Mecca, their policies were careful to give importance to converts from other
ethnicities and religious minorities.

In this spirit, in 762 the capital was moved from Damascus in Syria to
Baghdad in Iraq. The aim of this move was to keep the Abbasids close to their
Persian base of support. In addition, the Caliph's court was open to all the
Muslim ethnicities that made up the empire. In this regard, it is worth noting
that the bureaucracy was given to the Persians who were inspired by the
Sassanid Empire to reshape the government of the Islamic Empire.

Promoting inclusiveness has greatly contributed to internal peace and

stability. Such a policy allowed the development of a strong military, good
education and, most importantly, encouraged the spread of trade relations
with other major powers. Baghdad thus became a major trade center that
attracted merchants from as far as Western Europe, China and the Horn of
Africa.
Over time, these inclusive policies extended to non-Muslims, and many
Christians, Jews, and Zoroastrians rose to high positions in politics and
business.

2. The construction of Baghdad

In addition to creating an inclusive society, the Abbasid dynasty oversaw
numerous impressive architectural projects. One such project was the
construction of the Caliphate's new capital: Baghdad.

The project was started by the second ruler of the Abbasid Caliphate, Al-
Mansur. He decided to build a city on the Tigris River to be a crossroads for
caravans following the Silk Road from North Africa and Europe to China.

Construction began in the summer of 762 and lasted five years. The project
mobilized more than 100,000 workers, including architects, masons and
builders. The city was given a circular shape and was fortified with two walls
that surrounded the city. Baghdad is said to have been the first round city of
its kind in the Middle East.

Soon after its completion, the new capital fulfilled Al-Mansur's ambitions and
became a major center of trade, culture and science. At its height, Baghdad
had a population of over 1.5 million.

3. Supremacy over the Silk Road

The Silk Road was a network of trade routes that connected China with
Europe. Most of these routes were through the Middle East. Already at the
time of the Rashidun Caliphate, this rich network was in the hands of Muslims.
However, the lack of stability during the Umayyad Caliphate did not allow the
development of important trade centers in the Islamic Empire.

The Abbasids changed that by building Baghdad at the center of the Silk Road.
This central location enabled the new caliphate to attract merchants from
China, the Frankish lands, the Byzantine Empire, India and Ethiopia. This large
influx of trade brought large tax revenues that greatly contributed to
numerous public works and the development of a strong regular army,
enabling the Abbasid Caliphate to defend the heart of the Silk Road. By the
time of Al-Ma'mun's rule in the early 9th century, the Abbasid Caliphate was
one of the richest and most developed empires in the world.

4. Translation of the writings of ancient Greek

philosophers
The Abbasid rule also saw the emergence of great intellectuals such as Al-
Kindi, Al-Farabi and Ibn Sina, better known in the West as Avicenna. One of
the main contributions of these intellectuals is the translation of the writings
of Greek philosophers into Arabic. Later, these translations were used by
Western intellectuals and contributed to the European Renaissance in the
14th, 15th, and 16th centuries.

But Islamic scholars did not limit themselves to translations of foreign

documents. They contributed significantly to the development of later schools
of thought such as existentialism, based on a very progressive and daring
reading of the Qur'an and religious texts. The convergence of ancient
philosophy with Islamic religious teachings was one of the key challenges for
Muslim philosophers.

The same philosophers made significant contributions to other fields such as

medicine, mathematics, physics, and chemistry. In the 14th century, most of
their treatises were translated into European languages.

5. Main contributions to science

The Abbasid caliphs were patrons of several scientists who made significant
contributions to technology, mathematics, chemistry, and physics.

Al-Khawarizmi's Compendious Book on Calculation by Completion and

Balancing is an important discourse on algebra. Al-Khawarizmi's work also
contributed to popularizing the use of Arabic numerals throughout the world.
It has been said that the term "algorithm" is derived from his name.
Ibn Al-Haytham, known in the West as Alhazen, made significant
contributions to the field of optics. He is also known for his approach to
experimentation.

Medicine occupied a prominent place in Islamic society. At its height,

Baghdad is said to have had more than 800 doctors. Known for his
philosophical work, Avicenna is also revered as a great physician who
produced two encyclopedias in the field: the Canon of Medicine and the Book
of Healing. Moreover, Al-Kindi, another philosopher, is also known as one of
the first physicians to distinguish between "bodily diseases" and "mental
diseases".

Finally, the Golden Age of Islam produced many astronomers such as Al-
Battani who improved the measurement of the precession of the Earth's axis.
Muslim scholars further developed the Greek astrolabe and contributed
significantly to modern navigation.

6. Literature in the Abbasid Caliphate

Scheherazade and Sultan Schariar, the main protagonists of One Thousand
and One Nights. Painting by Ferdinand Keller, via Culture Trip

Contact with China introduced paper to the Islamic empire. Arabs, fascinated
by this technology, built the first paper mill in Samarkand, present-day
Uzbekistan. This factory was then moved to Baghdad, where books and
literature flourished. The capital of the Abbasid Caliphate was famous for its
thriving paper industry and libraries.

Arabic poetry and literature reached its peak during the era of the Abbasid
Caliphate. The five centuries of Abbasid rule were a time of great works of
fiction such as The Thousand and One Nights (also known in English as the
Arabian Nights).

In addition to this collection of stories, poetry was incredibly popular during

the Abbasid Caliphate. Under the patronage of the caliphs and governors,
numerous poets established themselves in the courts of Baghdad and in the
capitals of the provinces. Among them we count Abu Tammam, Abu Nawas
and Al-Mutanabbi.

7. Major technological advances

Navigation was another area of specialization for the Muslims of the Abbasid
Caliphate. Arab navigators ruled the seas from the Mediterranean to the
Indian Ocean. Arab ships were considered the pinnacle of navigational
technology. The island of Hormuz in the Persian Gulf was an important
location for navigational technology and was at the center of trade sea routes
connecting the Middle East to India and beyond.

8. Baghdad House of Wisdom: The Jewel of the Abbasid

Caliphate
During the reign of Caliph Al-Mansur in the 8th century, a large library was
built in the middle of Baghdad. This library, known as the Baghdad House of
Wisdom, continued to develop and enrich with books and scientific works
until the end of the 9th century.

This library contained books of all origins, from ancient Greek treatises and
stories to texts from India, China, and Ethiopia. Moreover, this library covered
fields like philosophy, medicine, mathematics, astronomy and so on. During
the time of Caliph Al-Ma'mun, diplomatic missions were tasked with collecting
books from various countries for translation at the House of Wisdom in
Baghdad.

The development of the library came to a halt during the time of Caliph Al-
Mutawakkila at the end of the 9th century, when stricter religious movements
began to replace the progressive Mutazilites who deeply supported this
scientific and cultural growth. But despite the caliphs slowly turning away
from knowledge, the Baghdad House of Wisdom remained the primary focus
of scholars throughout the known world until its destruction.In 1258, the
library was burned as a result of a storm in Baghdad by the Mongol troops of
Hulagu Khan, grandson of Ghengis Khan. Along with the burning of the Great
Library of Alexandria, the destruction of the Baghdad House of Wisdom is
considered a great tragedy in the history of science.