Chapter 9.
Abbasid period
The Abbasids belonged to the family line of Abbas Ibn Abdul Muttalib, the paternal
uncle of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). With the support of those who were
hostile to the Umayyads, they defeated the Umayyads in 132 AH (AD 749) and
came to power. The Abbasid period was the golden age of Islamic civilization with
great progress in the fields of science, literature, and art.
Abul Abbas Assaffah was the first Abbasid ruler. Assaffah means butcher. This is
an epithet given by history because he came to power after shedding a lot of blood
in the war with the Umavis. Assaffah's reign was four years (132-136 AH).
The Abbasid Caliphate had two phases of rise and fall. There were 21 caliphs
during the Abbasid period, including ten in the ascendancy and eleven in the
decline. Harun al-Rashid is the most famous ruler of the Abbasid Caliphs
Abu Ja'far Al Mansoor
After the death of Abul Abbas Assaffah, the founder of the Abbasid Caliphate, Abu
Ja'far al-Mansur came to power. Mansur's reign was twenty-two years from 136 to
158 AH.
The foundation of the Abbasid Caliphate was secured by Abu Ja'far al-Mansurah.
He behaved justly even to common people and led a simple life.
The chief architect of the city of Baghdad, Iraq is Abu Ja'far Mansur. Later, Baghdad
grew into a major city in the world. Skilled workers, poets, artists, scientists, and
intellectuals flocked to Baghdad. Mansur was succeeded by his son Muhammad
Mahdi (H:158-169/AD 775-785).
Haroon Al Rasheed
After the Mahdi, his son Musa Hadi, who became the caliph, died after ruling for
only one year. Then his brother Haroon Al Rasheed took over. He was 22 years old
then. He turned the country into a welfare state during his 23-year rule. Haroon
Rasheed once saw a cloud moving away and said: "O cloud, go wherever you want,
wherever you go, it will rain in my kingdom." His empire was so vast.
Harun al-Rashid, who was strict in religious matters, used to perform many
Sunnah prayers daily and give alms of one thousand dirhams to the poor. He used
to go for Hajj every alternate year. In the year he goes for Hajj, he will take one
hundred scholars with him and in the year, he does not go, he will send three
hundred scholars for Hajj at his own expense.
He was unfazed by his critics. Instead, mistakes would be made. One day, Harun
al-Rashid asked consultation to the great man Ibn Masiq. He said:
"Fear Allah. Be sure that tomorrow you will have to go there you will have to choose
between Paradise and Hell." Hearing this, Rasheed could not stop crying. His long
beard was soaked with tears.
Mamoon Rasheed
Ma'mun Rashid was the seventh Abbasid Caliph. His father Haroon Al Rashid
divided the kingdom into two and gave it to his sons Ma'mun Rashidin and Amin
Rashid. However, the two fought each other for power and Amin was assassinated.
Ma'mun Rashid's reign was from 198 to 210 AH. Ma'mun, who had memorized the
Qur'an, lived a simple life. He tried to solve the problems of the people directly and
appointed messengers to know everything that was going on in the country.
A person filed a case against Khalifa Mamun Rasheed in the court of Baghdad and
the court summoned the Khalifa. When the Khalifa arrived at the court, the people
spread carpets for the Khalifa to walk on. The judge stopped it. It was ordered that
'everyone is equal in court. No one has special rights.” The people removed the
carpet, and the Caliph was pleased with the justice of the judge.
The fall of the Abbasids
The main reason for the downfall of the Abbasids was that the caliphs who lacked
administrative skills and religious piety were in power. The power of the Abbasids
began to wane from the time of Munta Sir Billahi, who came to power in 247 AH.
Infighting for power also facilitated the downfall of the Abbasids.
It is said that for every high there is a low. The same thing happened with the
Abbasid Khilafat. After the reign of Allahi in Mutawak (232-247 AH, 844-861 AD)
Abbasid power declined. The rulers who came after him were very weak. During
this time some small principalities broke away from the Abbasid Caliphate. New
regimes were established everywhere. The last Abbasid rulers did not have the
kelp to deal with this fragmentation.
The Abbasid period can be divided into two. By the end of the period of rise from
132 to 247 AH (AD 750-861) and period of decline from 247 to 656 AH, the kingdom
had become nothing more than a nominal one. The two centuries of Abbasid rule
came to an end when the Tartars, the descendants of the Mongolian war hero
Chengis Khan, conquered and destroyed the city of Baghdad, known as Madinah
Salaam or the City of Peace, upon this ending the two centuries of Abbasi Khlafath
Practice
1. The Abbasids is …………... belong to the family line.
2. “Assaffah” means that …………….
3. Founder of Abbasid Caliphate ……………...
4. The fall of the Abbasid Caliphate begins. Since the reign of ………...
5. The city of Baghdad capital of the Abbasid Caliphate was built by …………….
6. What was known as the 'City of Peace' is..........
Write a note.
1. The Abbasids 2. Haroon Al Rasheed
