The Abbasid Revolution: An overview

 The Abbasid Revolution: An Overview

The Abbasid Revolution (750 CF) was a major turning point in Islamic history.  the end of the Umayyad Caliphate means when the Umayyad rulers lost power, and the rise of the Abbasid Caliphate refers to when the Abbasid rulers gained control and became the new leaders.

Dissatisfaction with Umayyad rule, characterized by corruption and favour towards Arab elites, fuelled the Abbasid movement.

Led by the Abbasid family and their allies, including disaffected non-Arab Muslims, the revolutionaries overthrew the Umayyads after a decisive victory at the Great Zab River.

1. The Abbasid Dynasty: A Brief Introduction

• The rule of the Abbasids lasted for over five hundred years from 790 to 258 CE
• The Abbasid dynasty is among the longest lived Muslim dynasties of the islamic history.
• The Abbasid rule may be divided into two main periods
• The first period, which may be called the period of the early Abbasid, lasted for 195 years from 750 to 945 C.Ε.
• The second period may be called the period of the later Abbasids lasted for 313 years from 945 to 1258 C.E.

2. The Main Causes of Abbasid Revolution

The following were the major causes which contributed to the downfall of the Umayyad dynasty on one hand and the rise of the Abbasid dynasty on the other hand:

1 Incompetency of the Umayyad Caliphs,

2 The arrogance and the betrayal of the Umayyad Ministers and Soldiers

3 The Absence of a Definite Law of Succession;

4- The Discrimination against the Non-Arab Muslims;

5. The Coalition of the Shi'ite, Khurasanian and the Abbasid Forces

2.1 Incompetency of the Umayyad Caliphs

• With the exception of a few Caliphs like Mu'awiyah Ibn Abu Sufyan (RA) Abdul Malik, Walid-I, Umar Ibn Abd al-Aziz, and Hishan, the history of the Umayyad dynasty presents few really able rulers.
• Most of them were addicted to wine, woman and music and bad little love for the Qur'an and state affairs.
• A member of the Marwan's family said:
• "We gave pleasure at the time when it was our duty to devote to public affairs. The heavy burdens we imposed on the people, isolated them from our rule, Our domains became uncultivated and our treasures empty. But our Ignorance of the public affairs was one of the principal causes of the fall of our empire.

2.2 The Arrogance and the Betrayal of the Ministers and Soldiers

• The selfishness of the Umayyad ministers and the disloyalty of the Umayyad soldiers also brought about the downfall of the Umayyad dynasty
• The Umayyad rulers generally trusted their ministers and relied on them to  manage the affairs of the state.
• Still, the ministers sacrificed their duty at the altar of their selfish aims and ambitions and conducted the administration at their own will
• The result was chaos and confusion in the empire.
• The army that was paid by the state and whose pay was always in arrears, sidel with the enemy in the hour of danger and difficulty.

2.3 The Absence of a Definite Law of Succession

• Of the fourteen Caliphs, only four had their sons as immediate successors 
• The complicated problem became more complex when Marwan- I nominated his son Abdul Malik as his successor, to be followed by his other son abdul Aziz During his rule, Abdul Malik tried to divert the succession from brother to this son, al-Walid.
• At the same time he pointed out his other son Sulayman as the second nominee.
• Al-Walid made an unsuccessful attempt to deprive his brother of the throne is favour of his own son.

2.4 The Discrimination against the Non-Arab Muslims

• During the lifetime of Prophet Muhammad (SAW) and the Khulafae Rashidun, the basis of the Islamic empire were equality and fraternity but this very idea of equality and fraternity was rejected in latter days of the Umayyad rule
• The non-Arab Muslims in general, and the Persian Muslims in particular, who fought for Islam were not given the social and economic equality with the Arah Muslims.
• They certainly received pay and the share of the spoils of war (Mal-e Ghanemah) but not a regular pension.
• The result was that they isolated themselves from the Umayyad rule and begin to seek opportunity to throw off the Umayyad dynasty.

2.5 The Alliance of the Shi'ite, Khurasanian and the Abbasid Forces

• The coalition of the Shi'ite, Khurasanian and the Abbasid forces was another
• major cause of the downfall of the Umayyad dynasty.
• The coalition was headed by Abul Abbas, a great-grandson of Al-Abbas (RA)

• On June 9. 747 C.E., the revolt broke out under the leadership of Abu Muslim Khurasani and spread throughout the length and breadth of the whole empire

The cry for the overthrow of the Umayyad rule began to resound is the air sod within a short period of time the sun of the Umayyad dynasty 

3. Establishment of the Abbasid Dynasty: Abul Abbas As-Saffah

■ On the fall of the Umayyads, Abul Abbas the leader of the Abbasids became the Khalifah.

■ He claimed descent from Hadhrat Abbas (RA), an uncle of the Prophet (SAW).

■ After accession, Abul Abbas referred to himself as As-Saffah the Blood Shedder, and this became his sobriquet.

■ The idea was to terrorize the people into submission, and make them understand that the Abbasids would rule through force, and would not tolerate any opposition.

■ To consolidate their rule, the Abbasids followed the policy of blood and iron

• Thousands of persons were held up in prisons on the charge of rebellion thousands lost their heads on the charge of the partisanship towards the Umayyads, and the people in general were terrorized into submission 
• The Umayyads had their capital at Damascus, but the abbasids did not make Damascus their capital.
• Abul Abbas began his rule at Kufa
• Most of the people of Kufa had a soft corner for the Shi'as.
• The Abbasids, therefore, did not find the atmosphere at Kufa congenial to their rule.
• As-Safah accordingly shifted his capital from Kufa to Anbar
• At the outset of their rule, the abbasids had to face revolt in various parts Of the country 
• These revolts were sponsored by the partisans of the Umayyads, the Shi'as and the Khawrijites.
• The partisans of the Umayyads rose against the abbasids in Damascus, and Palestine.
• These revolts were put down with a stern hand.
• There were revolts in support of the Alids in Kurasan, Armenia, and sind
• These revolts were also crushed ruthlessly.
• The Khawarij were critical of the abbasids.
• When the Abbasid forces marched against the Khawarij, the latter went underground.
• As-Safah did not live long to enjoy the Abbasid triumph over the Umayyads He was carried away by small pox in 754 CE. after a short rule of 4 years.
•  In spite of his ruthless and blood and iron policies, As-Safah assumed the role of a religious leader.
• He used to lead the Friday prayers, and on such occasion, he donned the mantle of the Prophet (SAW)
• In private life he had pleasant manners and was generous
• He had only one wife, and led a pious life.