1. From`Abbasid Baghdad to Umayyad Cordoba, 750-1000

2. 750: Abbasids overcome Umayyads Al-Mansur and after –Taxation: Fiscal centralization took money from provinces to capital, Baghdad Reform over time; constant source of friction –Military: Kurasani military elite based in Baghdad, rewarded with property Troops used mainly to control provinces, collect taxes Al-Mu`tasim developed private army, Turkish slaves. This group would create problems as time went on. –Administrative network: Separate branches of Government (diwans) with secretaries Head of administration: visir Chamberlain, personal assistant to caliph Continuous line of caliphs source of strength

3. Harun al-Rashid (786-809) and after Cultural Revival –Thousand and One Nights –“Microcultures”: religious and literary, development of specialized disciplines –Adab: “polite education”; compare to Greek term Paidaea –Exemplary stories Barmakids –Dominant family, ran most of the government –Successfully oversaw centralization of tax system –803: al-Rashid had them destroyed Royal women –Less powerful than Merovingian queens –Had wealth and personal administrations

4. Controversies In the Sunni Tradition: Basis for Islamic Law (Shari’a) –Legislation: by precedent –Reasoning from Qu’ran: by principles –Expanded literary sources: by tradition (hadith) –By 900: “Closing of the gate of independent reasoning” Applies to Islamic law, but not legal practice. What’s the difference? Authority of Qu’ran –Word of God, part of God –Part of created order –Al-Ma’mum: wanted caliph to have more power –Former position prevailed, leading to lessening of caliph’s authority

5. Breakup of Abbasid Empire; Al-Andalus Breakup of Caliphate: –Reasons? Al-Andalus –How does it resemble the rest of the Islamic world? –How does it maintain ties with its Visigothic past? –How does it resemble other western European states?