Author Archives: Ruth

Back to Baghdad: Writing Arabic

Posted on December 3, 2021 by Ruth

During the Abbasid Caliphate’s Golden Age, the Arabic script was reformed. The Abbasids moved their capital from Damascus, a Semitic (Aramaic) language center, to Baghdad in Persia. Arabic became a second language for most of its speakers in Baghdad, people … Continue reading →

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Charlemagne’s Actual Trip to Spain, 777-8

Posted on December 2, 2021 by Ruth

In the “Song of Roland,” the first premise is that Charlemagne has spent seven years campaigning across Spanish Andalusia, taking back territory from the perfidious Saracens. The famous battle in which Roland loses his life takes place in the mountain … Continue reading →

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The Song of Roland, 950

Posted on December 2, 2021 by Ruth

We’re jumping ahead by two centuries just for a moment, to touch on literature. The “Song of Roland” was the most popular epic of its time. Composed by a Frankish minstrel named Turoldus, the poem first appeared in written form … Continue reading →

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The King in the North, 751-71

Posted on December 2, 2021 by Ruth

While Abd al-Rahman was a fugitive in North Africa, power shifted decisively in Europe. The last major Germanic barbarian invasion came from the east and had settled in the Italian Alps with a capital at Pavia. The Langobards, or Lombards, … Continue reading →

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The New Emir of Al-Andalus, 755-79

Posted on December 2, 2021 by Ruth

Prince Abd al-Rahman had traveled into North Africa by 755, with his servant Bedr. The governor of Ifriqiyah then was a great-grandson of Uqba, the original rapid conqueror during the earliest Umayyad years. His given name was the same as … Continue reading →

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Building Baghdad, 762

Posted on December 2, 2021 by Ruth

The city was designed to be a visual representation of the Koran’s idea of Paradise. By the time it was founded, the Empire was at its peak size and vast sums of tribute flowed into the Caliph’s coffers, so money … Continue reading →

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Caliph al-Mansur and the Shi’ites, 762-5

Posted on December 2, 2021 by Ruth

The descendants of Ali had been living quietly in Medina all this time, building up a legacy of scholarship that by the 700s amounted to a private university. Law and theology were the main subjects, but they included the observational … Continue reading →

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Caliph al-Mansur, 754-75

Posted on December 1, 2021 by Ruth

Caliph al-Saffah’s brother became known as al-Mansur, the Victor. He ruled almost twenty years, so it was really his hand that established the dynasty. During his early years, an old Persian fashion came back at court. It was a very … Continue reading →

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Abbasid Caliph al-Saffah, 750-4

Posted on December 1, 2021 by Ruth

The Abbasid Caliphs needed to work a little harder to remind people that their right to rule was legitimate. Perhaps for this reason, they began a tradition of ruling not in their own given names, but by their laqab name. … Continue reading →

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Massacre and Escape at Resafa, 750

Posted on December 1, 2021 by Ruth

In societies that lack procedure for peaceful power transfer—which was nearly everyone in the 8th century—it’s important to move fast to cement your new power. It’s even better for the people, who probably have little contact with the rulers. If … Continue reading →

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