Baghdad as the capital of the Abbasid islamic world (8th- 11th centries) - Research Paper Example

Since the capital made trading possible due to numerous entry points to and from different parts of the Asian, European and African continents, the city flourished and prospered, thus, making it possible for the caliphate to establish centers of learning such as schools and libraries (Majeed 1486). This made the Abbasid Empire able to create numerous advancements such as in agriculture, architecture, literature and other knowledge pursuits, which they are able to disseminate to all the parts of the empire, and even the world via the European scientific revolution.

Many of the breakthroughs that the Muslim scholars were able to make were highly significant because of the information being applicable to many aspects of science, literature and economics. The open-mindedness of the Muslim scholars during the Abbasid Empire made it possible for them to not only accept new information from other cultures such as Greeks and Romans, but also to create some improvements in them as well (Maziak 1416). Also, the impact of the knowledge revolution instigated by the Abbasid caliphate is highly significant because if the Muslim Empire was not able to expand its territories, possible transfer of information from the Middle East to the European continent via Islamic Spain may not have been possible, and the scientific revolution around the 17th century would not have taken place.

The Importance of Establishing Baghdad as the Capital While most of the buildings built during the Abbasid empire were destroyed during the invasion of the Mongols, many narratives remained that were able to establish how it was to live in Baghdad during its height of glory (Micheau 224). The splendor of the city as written down by many earlier historians was made well known not just for trade but also for learning and knowledge. The early caliphs proved that it was possible to make Baghdad a famous city once they were able to properly begin its construction.

After the rise of the Abbasid dynasty around 750 A.C.E., Muslim power shifted from Syria to Iraq, and the caliphs moved the capital from Damascus to Baghdad. Al-Mansur, one of the earliest caliphs established Baghdad as the empire’s capital, and had it surrounded by a circular wall (Robinson 255). This made the Sasanian tradition alive and well, and was properly scattered in most of the nearby parts of the empire. It was also important that it was along the established trade routes, making the place generate additional revenue for buildings (Syed 2).

Another is that Baghdad is near to large rivers such as the Tigris and the Euphrates Rivers, which are essential in sustaining growth and development of the place (Micheau 222). Because of the proximity to major trade routes and large rivers, the establishment of human settlement in Baghdad was possible, and more people came in for work. To accommodate them, it was decided that the walled city must be finished as soon as possible, and in order to do so, numerous engineers, architects and skilled craftsmen were hired from different regions.

This did not just transform the city but also started its assimilation of knowledge from different cultures, since most of the workers were hired from vast places (Denoix 131). The urbanization was very successful that it was possible to establish many places where further pursuits of knowledge can be done, not just