Abbasid Revolution

The Abbasid Revolution (Arabic: الثورة العباسية) was the overthrow of the Umayyad Caliphate by the Abbasid Caliphate between 747 and 750 CE. It began in Khorasan under the leadership of Abu Muslim al-Khorasani, who raised the black banners of the Abbasids. The revolution ended Umayyad rule and established Abbasid power, marking one of the most important turning points in Islamic history.^[1][2]

The Abbasids claimed descent from al-Abbas ibn Abd al-Muttalib, the uncle of the Prophet Muhammad. They gained support among non-Arab Muslims (mawālī), Persians, and discontented Arabs who opposed Umayyad rule. Khorasan was chosen as the center of the revolt because of its mixed population and distance from Umayyad power in Syria.^[3]

The revolution began in 747 when Abu Muslim al-Khorasani raised the black banners in Khorasan and called for the overthrow of the Umayyads. His forces defeated the Umayyad governor Nasr ibn Sayyar and advanced westward. In 749 the Abbasid army entered Kufa, where Abu al-‘Abbas al-Saffah was proclaimed the first Abbasid caliph. In early 750 the decisive Battle of the Zab was fought in northern Iraq, where the Abbasid forces crushed the army of Caliph Marwan II. Marwan fled to Egypt but was pursued and killed, bringing an end to Umayyad rule. The Abbasid victory was marked by widespread violence, purges of Umayyad supporters, and the consolidation of Abbasid authority across the Islamic world.^[4][5]

The Abbasids moved the capital from Damascus to Baghdad, which was founded in 762 and became the new center of power. The revolution shifted authority away from the Arab elites of Syria to a broader base that included Persians and Central Asians. It marked the beginning of a new era in Islamic history, with the Abbasids ruling for centuries until the Mongol conquest of Baghdad in 1258. The Abbasid Revolution also reshaped the social and political order of the Islamic world, giving greater prominence to non-Arab Muslims and integrating diverse populations into the caliphate.^[6]