The Abbasid Empire Chapter 6 (part 5 of 5)

Arab Empire Becomes More Islamic Abbasid more righteous in their Sunni Islam Turn on Shia, who had helped them gain power Move capital from Damascus to Baghdad

The Baghdad Bureaucracy Increased power over empire (increased taxes) Caliphs kept separated from public Abbasid lived even more lavishly than Umayyad

An executioner followed the caliph around At a moment’s notice, the caliph would order a person murdered Wouldn’t shy away from killing important Muslims to show Abbasid caliph in charge of the religion

Abbasid Start Converting People Treated converts as equals (no jizya) Now incentive to convert, most do Persians take full advantag e and gain power

Economic Boom Merchant class grew under Abbasid rule (Afro-Eurasian trade revived) Traded with Tang and Song dynasties in China Muslim merchants worked with Jewish and Christian merchants Dhows – triangular Arab sailing ships, influenced later European ships

New handicraft production led to new workshops opening, and cities growing Products made by Muslims under the Abbasid caliphate included: Artisans mostly poor, but not slaves (owned own tools) Skilled artisans formed guilds (like labor unions) Furniture Carpets Glassware Jewelry Tapestries

Slaves Used by wealthy for domestic service and on public works Slaves could advance in status and buy freedom

Others in Abbasid Empire Ayan Wealthy elite class that arose in the countryside under Abbasid rule Peasants Most did not own land, instead worked as sharecroppers on estates

Islamic Art and Architecture Mostly focuses on building mosques

Math and Science At 1 st uneducated, mostly preserved ancient learning Through trade, Arab merchants spread learning Indian number system brought by Arabs to Europe (why it’s called Arabic) Eventually Arabs start creating math and scientific discoveries on their own

Abbasid Decline By 800s, Abbasid began losing control of huge empire Non-Arab Muslims in empire began setting up own kingdoms (like Turks)

Great Achievements of the Arab Empire Nobody thought that “backwards” camel nomads could build an empire so large and so quickly Successfully used religion (Islam) as political power Arab dominance began a period in time when nomads dominated much of the world