Dynasty·Abbasid
Abbasid Caliphate Established
- Date
- 750 CE132 AH1,276 years ago
- Place
- Kufa, then Baghdad
- People
- Abu al-Abbas al-Saffah, Abu Ja'far al-Mansur
Abu al-Abbas al-Saffah, a descendant of the Prophet's uncle Abbas, was proclaimed caliph in Kufa in 750 CE after the defeat of the Umayyads. He took the title al-Saffah, meaning the bloodshedder, and ruled for only about four years. His brother Abu Ja'far al-Mansur succeeded him in 754 and later founded Baghdad. The Abbasid caliphate ruled from Baghdad for roughly five centuries.
Why it matters
The Abbasid state moved the political center to Iraq and drew heavily on Persian administrative traditions.