When Baghdad ruled the Muslim world : the rise and fall of Islam's greatest dynasty

From a rebellion planned in a remote desert town to the founding of Baghdad in AD 762, the rule of the Abbasid dynasty was looked back on as the golden era of the Islamic Conquest. The Muslim world was ruled by a single sovereign, who waged war against the Byzantines and protected the holy cities of Mecca and Medina. For the last time in history, a mighty empire was based on the ancient Mesopotamian heartland that had once supported the Sumerians, Babylonians and Assyrians. Every element of his story is drawn from the original Arabic texts: 'the writers of the ninth and tenth centuries knew their rulers had their fair share of human frailties and were quite happy to describe them. To produce a sanitized and whitewashed version of history does no service to our understanding'. The rise and fall of the last great empire centred on the Tigris and Euphrates should be as well known as the histories of Ancient Greece or Rome. Presents A History Of The Abbasid Dynasty, The Founders Of Baghdad, And Discusses The Politics, Military Conquests, Court Life, Palace Bureacracy, Culture, And Arts Which Characterized The Era. Revolution -- Mansūr And His Legacy -- Hārūn Al-rashīd: The Golden Prime -- The War Between The Brothers -- Poetry And Power At The Early Abbasid Court -- Landscape With Palaces -- The Harem -- Ma'mūn To Mutawwakil -- Abbasid Court Culture -- High Noon In Sāmarrā. Hugh Kennedy. Originally Published As: The Court Of The Caliphs. London: Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 2004. Includes Bibliographical References (p. [313]-316) And Index. The "golden age of Islam" in the eighth and ninth centuries was as significant to world history as the Roman Empire was in the first and second centuries. The rule of Baghdad's Abbasid Dynasty stretched from Tunisia to India, and its legacy influenced politics and society for years to come. In this deftly woven narrative, Hugh Kennedy introduces us to the rich history and flourishing culture of the period, and the men and women of the palaces at Baghdad and Samarra-the caliphs, viziers, eunuchs, and women of the harem that produced the glorious days of the Arabian Nights Contents 5 Acknowledgements 6 Illustrations 7 Map list 9 Timeline 16 Foreword 19 I Revolution 27 II Mansür and his Legacy 37 III Hârûn al-Rashïd: the Golden Prime 77 IV The War between the Brothers 111 V Poetry and Power at the Early Abbasid Court 138 VI Landscape with Palaces 156 VII The Harem 186 VIII Ma’mün to Mutawwakil 250 IX Abbasid Court Culture 293 X High Noon in Sämarrä 311 Notes 347 Bibliography 363 Index 367 In about the year 720, a wandering perfume seller was doing the rounds of the small villages in the semi-desert areas of southern Jordan.