The Abbasid Caliphate (750–1258 CE) was the third Islamic caliphate and is widely celebrated for ushering in the Islamic Golden Age.
Descended from Abbas ibn Abd al-Muttalib (an uncle of the Prophet Muhammad), the Abbasids rose to power by capitalising on internal unrest to overthrow the Umayyad Caliphate in 750 CE.
A defining feature of the Abbasid rise was the strategic decision to move the imperial capital from Damascus to the newly constructed metropolis of Baghdad in 762 CE.
This shifted the empire’s geopolitical focus away from the Mediterranean and deep into the heart of the former Persian territories.
Unlike the Umayyads, who heavily favoured an Arab ruling aristocracy, the Abbasids fostered a cosmopolitan empire.
They integrated non-Arab Muslims—particularly Persians—into the military, administrative elite, and the newly established imperial bureaucracy overseen by a vizier (prime minister).
Under legendary caliphs like Harun al-Rashid and al-Ma’mun, Baghdad evolved into the intellectual capital of the world.
Centred around the famed House of Wisdom (Bayt al-Hikma), scholars gathered to translate classical Greek, Persian, Sanskrit, and Syrian texts into Arabic.
This period saw monumental breakthroughs in science, philosophy, medicine, astronomy, and mathematics—including the foundation of algebra.
By the mid-10th century, the caliphate’s centralised political authority began to fracture.
Subordinate regional governors (Emirs and Sultans) carved out independent dynasties across North Africa, Persia, and the Middle East, reducing the Caliph to a purely spiritual figurehead.
The empire met its definitive end in 1258 CE when the Mongol forces, led by Hulagu Khan, sacked Baghdad, destroying its vast libraries and executing the final reigning caliph.