Periodization of Islamicate history
Key dates to the Abbasid period:
- c. 570 Birth of the Prophet Muhammad in Mecca
- c. 610 Qur'anic revelations begin.
- 622 Prophet transfers to Madina (start of Hijri calendar). First Muslim community.
- 632 Death of the Prophet. al-Khulafa' al-Rashidun ("Rightly-guided caliphs") rule from Madina. Conquest of Syria, Palestine, Egypt, Iran, Afghanistan. Rise of musical patronage.
- 661 Mu'awiyah establishes the Umayyad Caliphate and transfers the imperial capital to Damascus. Conquest of most of Spain. Much musical patronage.
- 750 Abbasid dynasty, based at Baghdad. "Golden age of Arabic literature"; Bayt al-Hikma translation movement (Caliph Ma'mun, 830), Caliph Harun al-Rashid. Influence from Hellenic and Near Eastern cultures. Musical treatises. Power dissipates in 10th century; Baghdad is sacked by the Mongols in 1258.
- ‘Abd al-Rahman ibn Mu‘awiya escapes Abbasids to al-Andalus establishing the Umayyad Marwanid dynasty of Cordoba (756-912).
- 912 Abd al-Rahman III, takes power in al-Andalus, establishing competing caliphate. Golden age of Andalusia flourishes.
- 969 The Fatimids conquer Egypt and establish Cairo as the center of yet another Caliphate.
- 11th century: conquest of Arabic-speaking dynasties by Turkic and Berber groups. First Crusades.
- 1254. Mughals (Mongols) destroy Baghdad, formally end Abbasid caliphate
- 16th c: rise of Ottoman and Safavid power.
