HIST 277A 1st EditionExam # 2 Study Guide Lectures: 1 - 8Lecture 1 (September 29) Who are these individuals and define the following terms:- Al-Safah was the first caliph of the Abbasid Caliphate. With the help of the Khurasan governor named Abu Muslim, he was able to take over the Umayyad and ended the dynasty.- Al-Mansur was the brother of al-Safah and the next Abbasid caliph. His contributions to the Abbasid Dynasty included building Baghdad (nicknamed the Round City). He also ironically killed two immediate members of the family prophet despite the Abbasid’s claim that they fought and stood for the prophet’s family. - Harun al-Rashid was also one of Abbasid’s caliphs. Under his reign, Baghdad experienced a prosperous times, called the Golden Age. - Al-Ma’mun was Harun al-Rashid’s second son who was appointed to govern Khurasan. However, due to the pressure exerted by his wazir, he went against his older brother, al-Amin, to take over Baghdad as a caliph even though al-Amin was already appointed by their father. During this time, a civil war broke out. He also started the Mihna Inquisition,which stemmed from a highly tensed disagreement between the Rationalists and the Traditionalists on the creation of Qur’an. - Iqta was a land system adopted by al-Ma’mun to pay governors and military chiefs for their services. This was the opted system because there was a lack of revenues in the dynasty, which was caused by loss of Abbasid territories that resulted in decrease of income. - Hajib is a chamberlain or court official that serves the caliph. Al-Amin, al-Ma’mun’s brother, had a hajib who influenced him to take over Khurasan.- Wazir is a council who is a link between caliph and citiziens. Al-Ma’mun’s wazir also influenced him to take over Baghdad, which resulted in a civil war. - Baghdad was the capital city of the Abbasid Caliphate.What did the Abbasid claim at the beginning to rally people around them?The Abbasid claimed that the Umayyads were godless people that were not qualified to rule. They also claimed that they were the descendants of the prophet (came from the uncle of the prophet, Abbas) and therefore had the right to take over the caliphate. Name 5 Abbasid CaliphatesAl-Safah, Al-Mansur, Harun al-Rashid, Al-Ma’mun, and Al-Mahdi. Al-Mahdi was Harun al-Rashid’s father. Under his rule, the persecution of the prophet’s family stopped and the policy regarding tha family changed. He, in fact, appointed them as governors and guards. Name at least two similarities about the policy of the Abbasid and the Umayyad.Despite the Abbasid’s claim to stand for the prophet’s family, in the end they also persecutedthe prophet’s family, much like the Umayyads. The Abbasid Dynasty also claimed that hereditarysuccession was not the correct way to appoint the rightful caliph. But in the end, hereditary succession was still preserved in the Abbasid period. What was different about the policy of the Abbasid toward their subjects, which was differentthan the Umayyad?The discrimination against non-Arabs stopped. The Abbasid now allowed Khurasanians (or Persians) to be appointed as officials in the government courts, military officials, as well as political leaders. The Abbasids also embraced non-Arab Muslims and taxed them as Muslims. Name the contribution of Harun al-Rashid.He built the famous House of Wisdom (Dar al-Hikma), supported poetry, literature, philosophy, and sciences. Under his rule, he made Baghdad the center of intellect, knowledge, and trade. Islamic law also started to be recorded in his time, and Islamic theology and commentaries on the Qur’an as well as philosophy also began to take shape. Translations of different works that came from different languages (i.e. Persian and Greek) also began to take place. Harun al-Rashidalso became the second caliph to leave a surplus in the dynasty’s treasuries. Name two events occurred during the time of Al-Ma’mun which he was involved in directly?Al-Ma’mun was in a way responsible for the civil war that broke out between him and his older brother, al-Amin, who was appointed caliph by their father, Harun al-Rashid. Due to pressures exerted by their hajib and wazir, they gave in and as a result fought against each other in a civil war. In the Battle of al-Rayy, Al-Ma’mun killed al-Amin and took over Baghdad as caliph. Al-Ma’mun was also involved in the heated debate between the Traditionalists and the Rationalists. The Traditionalists believed the Qur’an was part of God, that it was an internal creation. The Rationalists, on the other hand, believed that the Qur’an was created. Al-Ma’mun shockingly took side of the Rationalists and had religious clerics to create a document that said the Qur’an was created. He imprisoned and tortured those who did not sign to this document. Thus, the Mihna Inquisition began. Four months after the start of the inquisition, Al-Ma’mun unfortunately passed away. How was al-Ma’mun’s policy different from his predecessors towards Shi’a Muslims?Unlike his predecessors, Al-Ma’mun did not appoint his sons as his successors. He, surprisingly, appointed Ali al-Ridas his successor for the caliphate. Ali al-Rida was a Shi’a Imam and came from the family of the prophet. This sparked controversy and tension. Eventually, Ali al-Rida waspoisoned. During which caliph’s time we see the decline of the Abbasid?Al-Mamun’s. Lecture 2 (October 1) Who are these individuals and define the following terms:- Al-Muta’sim was Al-Ma’muns younger brother who introduced the first slave soldiers into the Muslim world. He also founded the new capital of the Abbasid caliphate in Samarra, north of Baghdad.Who is al-Mutawwakil and what were some of his contribution?Al-Mutawwakil became caliph in 847 – 886. He ended the Mihna Inquisition that was started by al-Ma’mun. In addition, he also commissioned the building of the Great Mosque of Samarra. Unfortunately, there was so much tension and revolts during his rule. This tension mainly came from the Turkish slaves and the natives. The Turkish slaves that were introduced earlier as slave soldiers were outsiders and did not trust any one. Al-Mutawwakil heavily depended on them and even granted the sustainability they asked for. However, in the end, the Turkish soldiers grew very suspicious of Mutawwakil and ended up assassinating him. What are some of the contributions of al-Mutasim?He introduced the system of slave