Events within a fifteen-year period in mid-eighth century Eurasia included the Abbasid revolution, An Lu-shan’s Rebellion in Tang China, and the collapse or emergence of empires from Frankish Europe to Tibet to the kingdom of Srivajaya.
Tremors in the Web of Trade: Complexity, Connectivity and Criticality in the Mid-Eighth Century Eurasian World
December 7, 2013 By
How to Invade Iraq: The Mongol Way
August 20, 2013 By
‘Even a brief mention of it would be terrible to hear – how much worse its recapitulation in detail! Things happened which I shall not record, imagine them and do not ask for a description!’
Vikings raided monasteries to feed demand for eunuchs in the east, historian finds
July 31, 2013 By
In Byzantium and the Abbasid Caliphate there was great demand for eunuchs – a new study suggests this demand was being met by the Vikings raiding monasteries in northwestern Europe.
The Possible Reasons for the Arab-Khazar Wars
April 28, 2013 By
From the middle of the 7th century until the second half of the 8th century, the Arab-Khazar wars were fought by the Umayyad, and later by the Abassid Caliphate against the regional power, the Khazar Khaganate.
Comparing Harems: Abbasid and Ottoman Harem Organization
April 26, 2013 By
The following research delves into the organizational structures of the luxurious harems of Medieval Abbasid and Ottoman Empires; comparing the two different empires’ harems within the political, economic, and social spheres that the royal women lived in.
To Be A Prince In The Fourth/Tenth-Century Abbasid Court
February 24, 2013 By
This paper explores one aspect of the personal world that constituted the fourth/ tenth century caliphal court by focusing on the life and career of the Abbasid prince Abu al-ʿAbbas, eldest son of the caliph al-Muqtadir (AH 295–320/CE 908–932).
A Tale of two cities and the Abbasid Caliphate 132- 656 / 750 – 1258
December 1, 2012 By
Examining the role of Baghdad in the development of the Abbasid Caliphate.
Singing Slave Girls (qiyan) of the Abbasid Court in the Ninth and Tenth Centuries
November 25, 2012 By
The category of slave in the Middle East encompassed a number of different duties and positions: eunuch, chattel, domestic servant, sexual subject, infantryman, concubine, entertainer, laborer, and sometimes a trusted and valued member of the household.
Byzantium and the Arabs from the VIIth to XIth Century
October 22, 2012 By
During the seventh and the eighth centuries, the Arabs built their own empire within the eastern and western boundaries of the Byzantine Empire, obliging the two powers to coexist through war and in peace. How did they live together, or near each other?
Irrigation and taxation in Iraq 6th to 10th Century
October 20, 2012 By
Water management was crucial for agriculture in Iraq. The delicate ecological balance that allowed high soil productivity could be seriously threatened by irresponsible land administration.
The Romans as Viewed by Arabic Authors in the 9th and 10th Centuries A.D.
September 15, 2012 By
The reason why Muslims authors of the 9th and 10th century A.D. dealt with the history and culture not only of
the Romans but also of other ancient and contemporary nations is related to the social, political and cultural
circumstances of their age.
The Mediterranean Muslim Navy and the Expeditions Dispatched against Constantinople
September 13, 2012 By
The aim of this paper is to present an account of the information we find in various Arabic sources of the early period of Arabic historiography on the preparation of a military naval force and the expeditions launched against Constantinople during the period of the early expansion of the Muslim Arabs
Slave girls under the early Abbasids
September 6, 2012 By
Every one in Abbasid society who could compose poetry, good or bad, composed about slave-girls or at least made mention of them.
Singers and Soldiers: Slavery in Early Abbasid Society
April 11, 2012 By
Individuals of slave descent led significant households in Baghdad and Samarra, the capitals of the Abbasid caliphate, the second great empire of the Muslim world.
Muslim City Life during the Era of the Great Caliphs
February 8, 2012 By
Baghdad and many other cities in this Islamic world were international melting pots that attracted entrepreneurs and intellectuals of many languages, ethnicities, and faiths, including Jewish astrologers and Christian doctors.
An Unknown Aspect in the Life of Al-Jahiz
October 9, 2011 By
Women before the qāḍī under the Abbasids
September 5, 2011 By
Women before the qāḍī under the Abbasids By Mathieu Tillier Islamic Law and Society, Vol. 16 (2009) Abstract: In this article, I examine the appearance of Muslim women before the judge during the Abbasid period (132-334/750-945), both in theory and practice. The cases involving women found in law books suggest that they came freely to […]
Narrative, Gender and Authority in ‘Abbāsid Literature on Women
September 5, 2011 By
Narrative, Gender and Authority in ‘Abbāsid Literature on Women By Pernilla Myrne (ORIENTALIA ET AFRICANA GOTHOBURGENSIA, 2010) Abstract: The ‘Abbāsid dynasty came to power after a revolution in 750, and ruled the vast Muslim empire until the 930s and 940s. This period has often been dubbed the golden era of Islam, due to its prospering […]
Portrayals of the Later Abbasid Caliphs: The Role of the Caliphate in Buyid and Saljūq-era Chronicles, 936-1180
April 15, 2011 By
While the caliphs lacked military power during the Buyid and Saljūq eras, they were not mere hostages of the secular powers in the eyes of the chroniclers.
The role of the ‘ūlamā during the ‘Abbāsid caliphate: with special reference to the period of Hārūn al-Rashīd and Al-Māʻmūn
January 18, 2011 By
The role of the ‘ūlamā during the ‘Abbāsid caliphate: with special reference to the period of Hārūn al-Rashīd and Al-Māʻmūn By Ismail bin Haji Bakar PhD Dissertation, University of Aberdeen, 1987 Abstract: A clearly significant objective of political Islam is to assist Muslims to establish a lawful government or caliphate which is in turn capable of […]
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