The ʻAbbāsid Caliphate in equilibrium / translated and annotated by C.E. Bosworth.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Ṭabarī, 838?-923.

Contributor:

Bosworth, Clifford Edmund, translator, contributor.

Series:

Ṭabarī, 838?-923. English ; Tārīkh al-rusul wa-al-mulūk. v. 30.

SUNY series in Near Eastern studies

The history of al-Ṭabarī = Taʼrikh al-rusul wa'l mulūk ; v. 30

Bibliotheca Persica

SUNY series in Near Eastern studies.

Bibliotheca Persica (Albany, N.Y.)

Standardized Title:

Tārīkh al-rusul wa-al-mulūk. Selections. English

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Islamic Empire--History--750-1258.

Islamic Empire.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (394 p.)

Place of Publication:

Albany : State University of New York Press, [1989]

Language Note:

English

Summary:

This volume of al-Ṭabarī's History covers nearly a quarter of a century, and after covering the very brief caliphate of al-Hādī, concentrates on that of Hārūn al-Rashīd. During these years, the caliphate was in a state of balance with its external foes; the great enemy, Christian Byzantium, was regarded with respect by the Muslims, and the two great powers of the Near East treated each other essentially as equals, while the Caucasian and Central Asian frontiers were held against pressure from the Turkish peoples of Inner Eurasia. The main stresses were internal, including Shī'ite risings on behalf of the excluded house of 'Alī, and revolts by the radical equalitarian Khārijites; but none of these was serious enough to affect the basic stability of the caliphate.Hārūn ar-Rashīd's caliphate has acquired in the West, under the influence of a misleading picture from the Arabian Nights, a glowing image as a golden age of Islamic culture and letters stemming from the Caliph's patronage of the exponents of these arts and sciences. In light of the picture of the Caliph which emerges from al-Ṭabarī's pages, however, this image seems to be distinctly exaggerated. Al-Rashīd himself does not exhibit any notable signs of administrative competence, military leadership or intellectual interests beyond those which convention demanded of a ruler. For much of his reign, he left the business of government to the capable viziers of the Barmakīd family—the account of whose spectacular fall from power forms one of the most dramatic features of al-Ṭabarī's narratives here—and his decision to divide the Islamic empire after his death between his sons was to lead subsequently to a disastrous civil war. Nevertheless, al-Ṭabarī's story is full of interesting sidelights on the lives of those involved in the court circle of the time and on the motivations which impelled medieval Muslims to seek precarious careers there.A discounted price is available when purchasing the entire 39-volume History of al-Ṭabarī set. Contact SUNY Press for more information.

Contents:

Front Cover ; The History of al-Tabari: Editorial Board; The History of al-Tabari: Vol. XXX; Copyright; Preface; Table of Contents; Abbreviations; Translator's Foreword; Genealogical Tables and Maps; Genealogical Table of the 'Abbasids; Genealogical Table of the Barmaki Family of Secretaries and Viziers; Map 1. Egypt, Syria, Iraq, and the Eastern Provinces during the Reigns of al-Hadi and al-Rashi; Map 2. The Arab-Byzantine Marches during This Period; The Caliphate of Musa al-Hadi; The Events of the Year 169 (cont'd) (July 14, 785 - July 2, 786)

The Succession of Musa al-Hadi as Caliph on His Father al-Mahdi's Death and His New Administrative AppointmentsMusa al-Hadi's Repression of the Dualist Infidels; The Remainder of the Events of This Year; The Revolt and Killing of al-Husayn b. 'Ali; Idris b. 'Abdallah b. Hasan's Escape to the Maghrib and His Foundation of the Idrisid Dynasty in Morocco; More Accounts of the Battle of Fakhkh and Its Aftermath; Various Items of Information; The Events of the Year 170 (July 3, 786 - June 21, 787); The Reason Why al-Khayzuran Had Ordered the Slave Girls to Kill al-Hadi

The Time of al-Hadi's Death, the Term of His Life, the Extent of His Rule and (the Names of) Those Who Led the Worship over HimMention of His Children; Some of the Historical Events Involving Him and Some Aspects of His Behavior; The Caliphate of Harun al-Rashid; The Events of the Year 170 (cont'd) (July 3, 786 - June 21, 787); Harun's Assumption of the Caliphate on Musa al-Hadi's Death; Harun's Official Appointments and Dismissals; The Events of the Year 171 (June 22, 787 - June 10, 788); TheEvents of the Year 172 (June 11, 788 - May 30, 789)

The Events of the Year 173 (May 31, 789 - May 19, 790)The Death of Muhammad b. Sulayman and the Confiscation of His Fortune; The Time of al-Khayzuran's Death and Her Burial; The Events of the Year 174 (May 20, 790 - May 9, 791); The Events of the Year 175 (May 10, 791 - April 27, 792); The Reasons for al-Rashid's Exacting Allegiance to Muhammad al-Amin as Heir; The Events of the Year 176 (April 28, 792 - April. 17, 793); Yahya b. 'Abdallah b. Hasan's Uprising and His Role in These Events; Yahya b. 'Abdallah al-'Alawi's Altercation with Bakkar b. 'Abdallah al-Zubayri

Al-Rashid's Repudiation of Yahya b. 'Abdallah's Guarantee of Safe-ConductMore Accusations from the Zubayri Family against Yahya b. 'Abdallah al-'Alawi; The Internecine Strife [fitnah] among the North and South Arabs in Syria; The Reason behind al-Rashid's Appointment of Ja'far al-Barmaki over Egypt and the Latter's Appointment of 'Umar b. Mihran (as His Deputy) over It; The Events of the Year 177 (April 18, 793 - April 6, 794); The Events of the Year 178 (April 7, 794 - March 26, 795); Harthamah b. A'yan Restores Order in Ifriqiyah

Al-Fadl b. Yahya's Governorship in Khurasan and the Poetic Eulogies of Him

Notes:

Translation of extracts from: Tārīkh al-rusul wa-al-mulūk.

Includes index.

Bibliography: pages [337]-349.

Description based on print version record.

ISBN:

0-7914-9719-4

0-585-14800-7

OCLC:

1475788729