The Great Caliphs

by Amira K. Bennison

In this accessibly written history, Amira K. Bennison contradicts the common assumption that Islam somehow interrupted the smooth flow of Western civilization from its Graeco-Roman origins to its more recent European and American manifestations. Instead, she places Islamic civilization in the longer trajectory of Mediterranean civilizations and sees the 'Abbasid Empire (750-1258 CE) as the inheritor and interpreter of Graeco-Roman traditions. At its zenith the 'Abbasid caliphate stretched over the entire Middle East and part of North Africa, and influenced Islamic regimes as far west as Spain. Bennison's examination of the politics, society, and culture of the 'Abbasid period presents a picture of a society that nurtured many of the civilized values that Western civilization claims to represent, albeit in different premodern from urban planning and international trade networks to religious pluralism and academic research. Bennison's argument counters the common Western view of Muslim culture as alien and offers a new perspective on the relationship between Western and Islamic cultures.

Genres: History, Islam, Nonfiction, Middle East, Religion, Medieval, Historical

256 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2009

About the author

Amira K. Bennison became interested in the Middle East and North Africa while studying for her BA Hons in History and Arabic and Cambridge. After graduating, she went to live in Cairo for a year before studying for a Masters at Harvard University and a PhD at the SOAS.

Reviews

[Mesoscope · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bennison's study of the 'Abbasid Caliphate is a useful survey of the history and culture of one of the great periods of the Islamic world. She offers an admirable if conventional account of the various peoples, events, and ideas that shaped this pivotal moment in world history. My favorite parts were the early sections focusing directly on historical events, and some of the later discussions dragged a bit.

The book was marred somewhat by Bennison's obvious tendency to read Muslim history in the best possible light at every occasion. One can certainly understand why a specialist in this area working in these times would feel defensive, but here we are, reading this book, after all. Her actual audience probably doesn't need common disclaimers to the effect of "If you think what the Muslims were doing in these times was bad, you should see what the Christians down the way were doing." The tone is at times somewhat didactic, and I ultimately had no choice but to question her objectivity.

The book concludes with the observation that "all those who insist upon the irreconcilable division between the 'West' and 'Islam' would do well to step down from their soap boxes to read a little history." I should say the author might have stepped down from her soap box to write a little.

[Fadi · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Great Calips was a superb read. The scope does not focus on the caliphs themselves as much as it does on the Golden Age of the Islamic world. A world in which Abbasid Baghdad functioned as the political, religious and cultural nucleus, Bennison guides us through the different layers of society, even referring to and citing examples from the peripheral Umayyad caliphate, surviving as an Iberian emirate, the rival Fatimids, the various Berber dynasties and the Turkic mercenaries-turned-masters.

This handbook to classical Islamic society gives us a concise rundown of the rise of Islam and its intrigues right through to the Crusades and death of the caliphate as an entity and effective institution. As we're guided around the major cities of the empire, we're reminded of the various ethnic groups that made up the citizenry, educated class, soldiery and even ministries of the caliphs. A noteworthy mention is the relative power and influence humble slave girls and concubines had as they found favour amongst caliphs and even bore the future rulers.

Although the exhausted Eastern Roman and Sasanian Empires lost significant territory or collapsed altogether, the society they'd built continued relatively unscathed as the Arab conquerors invested in the infrastructure of existing cities, absorbed their skilled workers and intellectuals and even improved the trade networks, connecting the Mediterranean and Central Asian trade routes into one. This vast network not only attracted merchants and raiders from Scandinavia to China, it laid the foundations for revolutionary banking practices and created a new class of wealthy mercantile patrons that permeated the intellectual revolution. Assyrians, Persians, Jews and other groups found employment in the royal courts and under wealthy patrons who competed to produce literary works ranging from Hellenic philosophy to medical and astronomical treatises.

The simultaneous atrophy and collapse of Umayyad and Abbasid authority and power, similar to that of the Eastern Romans in Constantinople, witnessed European enthusiasm in embracing Arabic literature and translating it for circulation throughout the continent. The caliphates' contribution to the sum of human knowledge contributed greatly to Europe's advances towards the Renaissance and Age of Enlightenment.

[Omar Amer · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great introduction into the Abbasid empire, Amira dispels many negative stereotypes which is all too common in 'Western' literature.

Amira starts right from the Prophet Muhammad's death (peace be upon him) right the way to the fall of Islamic Iberia and the European renaissance in little over 200 pages.

I highly recommend this book as a general read for those interested in early Islamic civilisation.

[Naz Hassan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Incredible book covering a vast swath of Islamic and intellectual history.
It is tough to shove all that in into 200 pages but Bennison does adequately.
While it's not ground breaking in anyway, it is a must read for any wishing to
understand the cultural and the political innovation of the Abbasids, the jewel
of Islamic dynasties.

[John Daly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short book that reminds us that the Caliphate in its Golden Age (mid 7th to mid 13th centuries) helped save the knowledge of the ancient world, added to it, and left a heritage people all over the world enjoy today. I wished I knew more when I read the book, in order to learn more from it. Still, this short book told me a lot about something important.

Here is my review of the book: http://j.mp/1ACY3bA

Here is the discussion of the book by my book club: http://j.mp/19l0cmT

[Elliot Gates · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this book with the hope of understanding the military successes (and subsequently,the defeats) that enabled the Abbasids to thrive in a post-Umayyad world. However, this book focuses entirely on the cultural and scientific changes that came about as a result of the "translation movement". The author does a good job of listing the achievements attributed to the most prominent of these individuals.

Interesting read, but some points could have been summarised. 3.5/5

[Zeeshan Javed · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book to read. Tells you more about mistakes and to have experience where things went really wrong.

[Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really good. I'm going to buy this in hard copy so I can refer to it and come back to it.

[Peter Fox · Rating 3 out of 5]

I asked for this book for Christmas following my listening to Khalid Winter's podcast, Excavate. The Caliphs are an area of history I only really know from general reading and more in-depth reading about the Byzantines. So this made a nice change.


What struck me was the level of difference across the world of Islam, whilst at the same time, the amount of cultural homogeneity. This made for quite a contrast. This book is quite comprehensive and instead of concentrating on political events (and a sea of sects), it is wide ranging and you come away having learnt quite a bit about a broad swathe of society. However, for all of that, once it moved away from the politics, I didn't find it quite as interesting and this was a book that I never felt compelled to carry on reading.

[Aine Violet · Rating 3 out of 5]

Definitely a useful and comprehensive survey of Abbasid/middle-Islamic history. What I found most compelling, however, was Bennison’s placing of the Abbasid caliphate into the historical line of succession with Greece, Rome, etc.

[AskHistorians]

A more modern survey of the 'Abbasid period which is extremely useful for discussing not only the reign of the Caliphs, but the great developments that the Islamic world underwent during this "golden age" of Islamic endeavor (science, philosophy, history, law, etc) Extremely readable and highly recommended.

[Badrul Aini Sha'ari · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pening kepala baca pergolakan demi pergolakan yang berlaku selepas satu demi satu dinasti bertukar tangan sesama Muslim.