The Great Caliphs by Amira K. Bennison

The Great Caliphs by Amira K. Bennison is an accessible history of the 'Abbasid Empire at its height, the period often called its golden age. Rather than treating the Islamic world as separate from the story of Western civilisation, Bennison places the 'Abbasid Empire, which flourished from 750 to 1258 CE, within the longer trajectory of Mediterranean civilisations, showing it as an inheritor and interpreter of Graeco-Roman traditions as well as a civilisation in its own right.

At its zenith, the 'Abbasid caliphate stretched across the Middle East and part of North Africa, and its influence reached Islamic regimes as far west as Spain. This book examines the politics, society and culture of the 'Abbasid period, and presents a picture of a society that nurtured many of the values that Western civilisation claims to represent, in different premodern forms — from urban planning and international trade networks to religious pluralism and academic research.

Key themes explored in this book include:

• The 'Abbasid Empire at its height, 750-1258 CE, and its golden age
• The 'Abbasids as inheritors and interpreters of Graeco-Roman traditions
• Politics, society and culture of the classical Islamic world
• Urban planning, trade networks, religious pluralism and scholarship
• The 'Abbasid world and its place in Mediterranean and world history

Who should read it: Readers interested in Islamic history, the medieval Middle East, and the shared history of the Mediterranean world will find this a clear and rewarding introduction to one of the great civilisations of the past.

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