Category Archives: Islam History C: the Abbasids

Another Ismaili split: Nizaris, 1095

Al-Hakim’s son ruled after him, then his grandson al-Mustansir. Caliph al-Mustansir ruled for sixty years in Cairo, starting when he was only an infant. His reign was the longest among Muslim rulers, but he controlled only Egypt, rather than an … Continue reading

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Toledo and the Proto-Crusade, 1085

Before the First Crusade to the Holy Land, the idea of religious war was tried out in Spain. The Christian kingdoms in the north were, from west to east (left to right): Galicia with two Atlantic borders; Castile and Leon, … Continue reading

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Church vs. State Rivalry in Europe

We traced earlier how the rise of the Pope’s power was tied to the military support of Charlemagne’s family. But after the land of the Franks broke up for the last time in an inheritance distribution, separate branches of the … Continue reading

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Pilgrims in the Holy Land

In the century before the First Crusade, a number of regions had adopted Christianity: Norway, Hungary, Poland, Russia, Bulgaria. During this same time, an abbey of Benedictine monks at Cluny, in Aquitaine, encouraged many people to go on pilgrimages. The … Continue reading

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Turkish Syria and the Battle of Manzikert, 1071

In 1055, Seljuk Turks took over governance of Baghdad. The Abbasid Caliph was still technically alive but powerless. Seljuk rulers spoke Turkish, Persian and sometimes Arabic, and often they used Islamic names like Muhammad. However, the old Arabic titles of … Continue reading

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The East-West Church Schism, 1054

By the beginning of the Middle Ages (6th cent.), Christians had a general understanding that all theological disputes should be solved by representatives of the five major Christian regions: Jerusalem, Antioch, Alexandria, Constantinople and Rome. After the fall of the Roman … Continue reading

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The New French Capet Dynasty and Anne of Kiev, 1051

Hugh Capet, who was descended from Charlemagne, was elected King of the Franks in 987. Although they were still Carolingians, his descendants are known as the Capets, who continued to rule for centuries. Hugh’s son Robert II ruled for 35 … Continue reading

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Norman Anti-Semitism

Before the year 1000, there’s no clear evidence of anti-Jewish actions. A small community of Jews had settled along the Rhine River in Roman days; there were some other small historic communities in parts of Roman France. Most of Europe’s … Continue reading

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Normans Capture Sicily, 1038

You’ll remember that one of the early steps to pacifying the North was the deal the Franks made with Rollo the Dane to have land in exchange for peace. The Northmen who settled in Normandy were probably warriors who took … Continue reading

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Ideology Becomes More Divisive, 1009-56

After about 950, the nature of the Muslim world began to change profoundly. Each region had its own type of change. In Persia, there were nomadic Turks moving in, converting, ruling various regions, and often moving on toward the Middle … Continue reading

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