Caliphs, Scholars and Collapse: the 'Abbasids from al-Mansur to the Mongols

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Al-Mansur, the second 'Abbasid caliph, founded Baghdad in 762 as the new imperial capital, shifting power east into Iraq.

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Abu Muslim had commanded the Khurasani army that won the 'Abbasid Revolution, making him powerful enough to threaten al-Mansur's throne.

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The height of 'Abbasid wealth, trade and culture, with Baghdad as a major world city — though he purged the Barmakid viziers and split succession between his sons, sowing future conflict.

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Al-Ma'mun won a civil war against his half-brother al-Amin in 813, after Harun al-Rashid had divided succession between them.

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A major Baghdad institution, founded under al-Ma'mun, for translating and studying Greek, Persian and Indian scholarly texts.

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An inquisition-like religious test imposed by al-Ma'mun to enforce Mu'tazilite theology on scholars, causing conflict with the Ulama.

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Al-Khwarizmi (mathematics — founded algebra) and al-Razi (medicine — clinical observation and hospital care).

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Political stability, trade wealth, and deliberate state patronage of scholars, building on translated Greek/Persian/Indian knowledge.

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Turkic slave-soldiers the caliphs relied on for their armies grew so powerful that their commanders began appointing and deposing caliphs themselves.

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The Fatimid Caliphate in Cairo (from 909) and the Umayyad Caliphate of Spain, both claiming to be legitimate leaders of the Muslim world.

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Hulagu Khan's Mongol army besieged and sacked Baghdad, destroyed the House of Wisdom, and executed the last 'Abbasid caliph in Iraq, al-Musta'sim.

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Under Harun al-Rashid the caliph directly ruled a wealthy, unified empire; by 1258 real power lay with Seljuk sultans and provinces had broken away, leaving the caliph a figurehead before the Mongols ended the dynasty entirely.