Caliphate - what is it? The Arab Caliphate, its emergence and disintegration. History of the Caliphate

Among the world's religions, the youngest is Islam, whose birth dates back to the 7th century and is associated with the name of the Prophet Muhammad, who professed monotheism. Under his influence in Hajiz, in the territory of Western Arabia, a community of coreligionists was formed. Further conquests by Muslims of the Arabian Peninsula, Iraq, Iran and a number of other states led to the emergence of the Arab caliphate - a powerful Asian state. It included a whole series of conquered lands.

Caliphate: what is it?

The very word "caliphate" in translation from Arabic has two meanings. This is the name of the huge state created after the death of Muhammad by his followers, and the title of supreme ruler under the authority of which were the countries of the caliphate. The period of existence of this state formation, marked by a high level of development of science and culture, went down in history as the Golden Age of Islam. It is conventionally considered to be its borders of 632-1258.

After the death of the Prophet Muhammad, the history of the caliphate has three main periods. The first of them, which began in 632, is due to the creation of the Right Caliphate, led by the four Caliphs, whose righteousness gave the name to the state they govern. The years of their rule are marked by a number of major gains, such as the capture of the Arabian Peninsula, the Caucasus, the Levant and much of North Africa.

Religious disputes and territorial gains

The emergence of the caliphate is closely connected with the disputes about his successor that began after the death of the Prophet Muhammad. As a result of numerous debates, the close friend of the founder of Islam, Abu Bakr al-Saddik, became the supreme ruler and religious leader. He began his reign from the war against the apostates who had departed from the teachings of the Prophet Muhammad immediately after his death and who had become followers of the false prophet Musailima. Their forty-thousandth army was defeated in the Battle of Arkaba.

The subsequent righteous caliphs continued to conquer and expand the territories under their control. The last of them, Ali ibn Abu Talib, became a victim of rebellious apostates from the main line of Islam, the Kharijites. This put an end to the election of the supreme rulers, since, by force, Muawiya I, who seized power and became Caliph, at the end of his life appointed his son the successor, and thus a hereditary monarchy, the so-called Umayyad caliphate, was established in the state. What it is?

The new, second form of the caliphate

The title of this period in the history of the Arab world is due to the Umayyad dynasty, whose origin was Muawiya I. His son, who inherited his supreme authority from his father, further spread the borders of the caliphate, gaining high military victories in Afghanistan, Northern India and the Caucasus. His troops captured even part of Spain and France.

Only the Byzantine emperor Leo Isaurus and the Bulgarian Khan Tervel were able to stop his victorious offensive and put an end to territorial expansion. Europe, however, owes its salvation from the Arab conquerors primarily to the outstanding commander of the eighth century, Karl Martel. The army of the Franks led by him defeated the hordes of invaders in the famous Battle of Poitiers.

Perestroika of soldiers' consciousness to a peaceful way

The beginning of the period associated with the Umayyad caliphate is characterized by the fact that the position of the Arabs themselves in the territories they occupied was unenviable: life resembled the situation in a military camp in a state of continuous combat readiness. The reason for this was the extremely religious zeal of one of the rulers of those years of Umar I. Thanks to him, Islam acquired the characteristics of a militant church.

The emergence of the Arab caliphate gave birth to a large social group of professional soldiers - people whose only occupation was participation in the invasive campaigns. To prevent their consciousness from being reconstructed into a peaceful way, they were forbidden to take possession of land and acquire a settled way of life. By the end of the dynasty, the picture has changed a lot. The ban was abolished, and, becoming landowners, many yesterday's warriors of Islam preferred the life of peaceful landlords.

Calabat of the Abbasid dynasty

It is fair to note that if in the years of the Right Caliphate for all of its rulers political power in its significance gave way to religious influence, but now it has taken the leading position. According to its political greatness and cultural flourishing, the Abbasid caliphate deservedly gained the greatest fame in the history of the East.

What is this is known today by most Muslims. Memories of him until now strengthen their spirit. The Abbasids are a dynasty of rulers, who gave their people a whole galaxy of brilliant statesmen. Among them were generals, and financiers, and true connoisseurs and patrons of art.

Caliph - patron of poets and scientists

It is believed that the Arab caliphate under Harun al Rashid, one of the most prominent representatives of the ruling dynasty, reached its peak. This statesman went down in history as the patron of scientists, poets and writers. However, devoting himself to the spiritual development of the state he headed, the Caliph turned out to be a bad administrator and absolutely useless commander. By the way, it is his image that is immortalized in the century-old collection of oriental fairytales "A Thousand and One Nights".

"The Golden Age of Arab Culture" is the epithet most deserved precisely by the Khalifat headed by Harun al Rashid. What this is, you can fully understand, only acquainted with the layering of Old Persian, Indian, Assyrian, Babylonian and partly Greek cultures, which contributed to the development of scientific thought during the reign of this enlightener of the East. All the best that was created was the creative mind of the ancient world, he managed to unite, making the basic basis for this the Arabic language. That is why our expressions include "Arab culture", "Arab art" and so on.

Trade Development

In the vast and at the same time orderly state, which was the Abbasid caliphate, the demand for products of neighboring countries increased significantly. This was a consequence of the increase in the general standard of living of the population. Peaceful relations with the neighbors at that time allowed them to develop barter trade with them. Gradually, the circle of economic contacts expanded, and even countries that were at a considerable distance began to enter it. All this gave impetus to the further development of crafts, art and navigation.

The disintegration of the caliphate

In the second half of the 9th century, after the death of Harun ar Rashid, the political processes of the caliphate were marked by processes that eventually led to its disintegration. In 833, the ruler of Mutasim, who was in power, formed the Praetorian Turkic guard. Over the years, it became such a powerful political force that the ruling caliphs became dependent on it and practically lost the right to make independent decisions.

By the same period, the growth of national self-consciousness among the Persian - controlled Caliphate, which was the reason for their separatist sentiments, which subsequently caused the break-up of Iran, also applies. The general disintegration of the caliphate accelerated and due to separation from it in the west of Egypt and Syria. The weakening of centralized power made it possible to declare its claims to independence and a number of other previously controlled territories.

Strengthening of religious pressure

The caliphs, who lost their former authority, tried to enlist the support of the faithful clergy and take advantage of its influence on the masses. The rulers, beginning with Al-Mutawakkil (847), with their main political line, made a struggle with all manifestations of free-thinking.

In a state weakened by the undermining of the authority of the authorities, an active religious persecution of philosophy and all branches of science, including mathematics, began. The country was steadily plunged into the abyss of obscurantism. The Arab caliphate and its disintegration were a clear example of how beneficial the impact of science and free thought is on the development of the state, and how disastrous their persecution.

End of the era of the Arab caliphates

In the tenth century, the influence of the Turkic military leaders and emirs of Mesopotamia grew so strong that the powerful caliphs of the Abbasid dynasty turned into small Baghdad princes, the only consolation of which were the titles left over from former times. It came to the point that the Shiite dynasty of the Buids, which had risen in Western Persia, having collected a sufficient army, seized Baghdad and actually ruled it for a hundred years, while the Abbasid representatives remained nominal rulers. Greater humiliation for their pride could not be.

In 1036, a very difficult period for the entire Asia began: the Seljuk Turks began an unprecedented campaign of conquest during those times, which caused the destruction of Muslim civilization in many countries. In 1055, they drove out of Baghdad the Buids who ruled there and established their rule. But also their power came to an end when in the beginning of the XIII century the entire territory of the once powerful Arab caliphate was captured by countless hordes of Genghis Khan. The Mongols finally destroyed everything that was achieved by the Eastern culture in the preceding centuries. The Arab caliphate and its disintegration have become now only pages of history.