This paper will discuss the developments in the Arab Empire with the Abbasid caliphate, which began in 750 A.D. The first part of the paper will describe the Umayyad caliphate and the resentment felt by the masses of people within the Empire. The second part of the paper will briefly examine the revolt itself. The third part of the paper will discuss the characteristics of the Abbasid caliphate and the changes which occurred with the establishment of the Abbasid dynasty.
Between 661 and 750, the caliphate was controlled by the Umayyad family. The Umayyad dynasty began with the victory of Mu'awiya, the governor of Syria, over 'Ali, the caliph. 'Ali's authority had largely rested upon the fact that he was married to the daughter of Muhammad, the Prophet. The Ummayads had backed a rival of 'Ali's as successor to Muhammad and had revolted when 'Ali assassinated this individual. After achieving victory, Mu'awiya established the practice of hereditary succession, ensuring that his family would control the caliphate for the nearly one hundred years (Peretz 25).
Under the Umayyads, the Arab empire became secularized as the family stressed the importance of the political and economic organization of an expanding empire. The empire took on more of the appearance of a Persian and Byzantine successor state than an Arab state, with administrative posts held largely by Syrian Christian and Persian Zoroastrians. The highest social caste, however, was occupied by Arabs and was accessible only through birth into the right families. At the same time, continued military success resulted in the largest muslim empire which ever existed (Shaban, Islamic History vol. 1, 168-69).
But the loss of religious direction eventually led to widespread corruption in both the government and the military. Taxation rose precipitously, Arab tribes fought with each other, and non-Arab minorities grew to hate the Umayyads, who claimed racial superio...