Caliph·Abbasid
Al-Mansur Becomes Caliph
- Date
- June 754 CE136 AH1,272 years ago
- Place
- Kufa and Baghdad
- People
- Abu Ja'far al-Mansur, Abu al-Abbas al-Saffah
Abu Ja'far al-Mansur succeeded his brother Abu al-Abbas al-Saffah in 754 CE (136 AH). Al-Mansur faced revolts from Alid claimants and from supporters of the Umayyads, and he defeated them. He strengthened the state and built a new administrative center. He used a network of agents and provincial governors to keep control. He ruled until 775.
Why it matters
His centralized rule gave the Abbasid state a stable base and the administrative structure that later caliphs used.