The Rise and Fall of the Abbasid Caliphate

A new dynasty of caliphs—the Abbasids—first brought unity and then, in their decline, fragmentation to the Islamic world as regional rulers took over. Local traditions based on religious and political differences played an increasingly important role in people’s lives. Yet, even in the eleventh century, the Islamic world had a clear sense of its own unity, based on language, commerce, and artistic and intellectual achievements that transcended regional boundaries.