The Abbasid Empire free essay sample

The Islamic Empires like many other empires rose to become and influence on future societies. The Islamic Empire expanded far beyond its Arabian homeland, bringing Sasanid Persia and parts of the Byzantine Empire into its society. Muslim conquerors adapted Persian methods of government and ways to control their land. In the later centuries Muslims drew methods from Greek and Indian traditions as well. They transformed the cultural traditions that they took in into their own. While being influenced by other societies the Islamic Empire ultimately formed a political structure for trade and diplomacy over a vast amount of land. Furthermore many lands of various cultural backgrounds became part of a large society which was the lands under Islamic rule. The Abbasid Empire was established after the fall of the Umayyad. The main reason for the Abbasids wealth and power came from trade. This helped establish political, cultural, and economic characteristics. The Abbasids differed from many empires in its political view because it was not a conquering dynasty. Only slightly the Abbasids expanded their empire by conquest. Instead of conquering new lands the Abbasids were focusing on creating a government that would be able to rule ethnic and cultural groups. The caliphs built a new city called Baghdad were all central authority came from. The Islamic culture had a formal education that stresses the study of the Quran and the Sharia. The caliphs maintained a standing army, and they established bureaucratic ministries in order to keep in charge of taxation, finance, coinage, and postal services. In addition they also maintained a system of roads which helped trade and uphold the connection between the bureaucrats and the caliphs. During the time of rule by Harun al-Rashid the empire flourished with wealth. Baghdad became a center of banking, commerce, crafts, bad industrial production. Furthermore he provided support for writers and artists. In the 1220s the Mongols, united with their war commander, Chinggis khan Turko-Persian kingdoms and when he died his grandson invaded the Islamic civilization in the 1250s. In 1258 the Abbasid capital at Baghdad was taken by the Mongols. Baghdad never was able to reestablish itself from the Mongol invasions. The culture of the Abbasid Empire influenced many other areas and societies of the world. The Quran has served as the base of Islamic society since the seventh century C. E. Still today Muslims regard to the Quran as the only reliable scripture. Muslim missionaries spread the message of Allah and the teachings from the Quran. Muslim theologians and jurists went to the Quran to create moral guidelines for the society. Under this religious law code there was a cultural unity for the lands of the Islamic world. Education also helped endorse Islamic values. Many mosques preserved schools that provided an education and religious instruction. Going back to how the Islamic culture was adapting Persian methods, Persian was the main language of history, poetic musings, and mystical revelations. For many centuries that covered the period of Abbasid rule, Islamic civilization surpassed all other civilizations in scientific discoveries, new techniques of investigation, and new technologies. Other accomplishments consist of corrections to the algebraic and geometric theories of the Ancient Greeks. New findings and advancements resulted in medicine. Diseases became curable and people became healthier. Before Muhamads time, Arab women enjoyed rights unlike other women in many other societies. They were able to legally inherit property, divorce husbands, and engage in business ventures. However the Quran emphasized male dominance. The notion of male control soon started to be a sign in Islamic law. This stared to hold back many privileges and rights of women. The culture of the Islamic society became wide spread. The Islamic culture became an influence of today’s modern world and the people living in it. The economic characteristics of the Islamic world were a major aspect to the success and thriving of the society. Like other lands the creation of large empires had immense economic insinuations. The Abbasid Empire created a region of trade, exchange and communication extending from India to Iberia. Trade was a chief characteristic that benefited the economy greatly. Trade routes linked quite a few parts of the world. Banks were one of the many establishments that also helped the economy greatly. Credits were established for merchants and this reduced crime. Banking continued to help the economy because investments were put in and the exchanging of currencies was made as well. Soldiers, merchants and administrators traveled across the empire to make new discoveries of plants, agricultural techniques and animals. Discoveries of new crops were a major change for their economy because the introduction of these crops led to the healthier lives of people and a greater earning for them. Crops such as cotton were discovered as well thrived as part of the textile industry in the Abbasid Empire. Jobs became available to the people and this increased the pay for the common person. The economy provided the wealth of the city. Further down the money was supplied to build architectural structures, such as mosques, religious schools and bath houses. The flourishing economy also invested in Medicine so that it would become greatly progressed in its features. The Abbasid Empire had a thriving political, cultural, and economical features that preserved there religion for such a numerous amount of time. The Abbasid Empire was considered as a golden age for reasons that were most definitely accomplished during that period of time. The wealthy empire prospered so well that its methods and its culture became one of the most world wide spread societies.