The Abbasid caliphate was one of the most influential Islamic empires, ruling from 750 to 1258. This timeline highlights key events during their reign, including the Abbasids’ political call and their defeat of the Umayyad caliphate. We explore the reigns of notable caliphs such as Abu’l-Abbas al-Saffah, Harun al-Rashid, and al-Muʿtasim, as well as significant historical moments like the founding of Baghdad and the conquest of Sicily. Learn about the rise and fall of the Abbasid caliphate, as well as the political and cultural developments that defined their era.
743-744: The Abbasids start their political call (daʿwa). Abu Muslim represents the Abbasid Ibrahim al-Imam in Khurasan.
749: The Abbasid forces conquer Kufa and defeat Marwan II, the last Umayyad caliph, in northern Iraq at the battle of Zab.
750-1258: Reign of the Abbasid caliphate (reigning caliphs in bold).
750-754: Abu’l-Abbas al-Saffah.
754-775: Abu Jaʿfar al-Mansur.
756: Abd al-Rahman b. Muʿawiya b. Hisham b. al-Malik escapes to North Africa and founds the Umayyad emirate of Spain.
762: The Alid Muhammad al-Nafs al-Zakiyya revolts in Medina.
762-763: al-Mansur founds Baghdad as the Abbasid capital.
772: al-Mansur constructs the city of al-Rafiqa near Raqqa.
775-785: al-Mahdi.
778: The Palace of Ukhaydir is built.
783: al-Mahdi’s son, Harun, leads an army against the Byzantine empress Irene and reaches the Bosporus.
785-786: al-Hadi.
786-809: Harun al-Rashid.
786: The Great Mosque of Cordoba is constructed.
789-926: The Idrisids take control of the Maghreb.
797: al-Rashid sends gifts to Charlemagne.
798: The Abbasids and the Khazars reach a truce.
800-812: Ibrahim b. al-Aghlab, governor in North Africa, establishes the Aghlabid emirate that rules until 909.
802: al-Rashid establishes a covenant of succession between al-Amin and al-Maʾmun in Mecca.
803: The Barmakids fall.
800: Charlemagne is crowned emperor of the Franks.
808: The city of Fez is founded by the Idrisids.
809-813: al-Amin.
811-813: The war of succession between al-Amin and al-Maʾmun.
813-833: al-Maʾmun.
813-819: al-Maʾmun rules the caliphate from Marw.
816-837: Revolt of Babak al-Khurrami.
817: al-Maʾmun designates Ali b. Musa al-Rida as his successor.
821-873: The Tahirids are autonomous governors of Khurasan.
827: The Aghlabids begin the conquest of Sicily (Palermo taken in 831, and Syracuse in 878). Crete is conquered separately.
831: al-Maʾmun’s patronage of the Muʿtazila school of speculative theology (kalam) accelerates.
833: The caliph imposes the Mihna (“trial”) against hadith scholars.
833-842: al-Muʿtasim.
836: al-Muʿtasim founds the city of Samarra as the new Abbasid capital.
842-847: al-Wathiq.
844: The Vikings raid Seville through the Guadalquivir river.
847-861: al-Mutawakkil.
848-852: The Great Mosque of Samarra is constructed.
850: al-Mutawakkil drafts succession plans amongst his children, al-Muntasir, al-Muʿtazz, and al-Muʾayyad.
848: al-Mutawakkil ends the Mihna Program,and accepts the view of Ahmad b. Hanbal’s followers as the new orthodoxy.
926 The Fatimids take control of North Africa, founding their
capital at al-Mahdiyya.
929 Abd al-Rahman III proclaims himself caliph of the
Umayyad emirate of Spain.
932–934 al-Qahir.
934–940 Ar-Radi.
935 The Buyids establish their power over Iraq.
944 The Qarmatians sack Mecca, stealing the Black Stone.
945 The Buyids capture Baghdad and depose ar-Radi.
946 The Abbasids recognize the Buyid ruler, Muʿizz al-Dawla.
948 The Fatimids conquer Egypt, founding Cairo as their
capital.
950–967 al-Muttaqi.
955 The Byzantine emperor Constantine VII sends an embassy to the caliph.
961 The Hamdanids of Mosul declare independence from the
Buyids.
965–969 John Tzimisces recovers Crete and Cyprus from the
Arabs.
967–974 al-Muqtadir (second reign).
969 The Fatimids conquer Egypt and build Cairo as their
capital.
969–973 al-Muʿtadid (second reign).
973–974 al-Mutiʿ.
974–991 al-Taʾiʾ.
976–977 The Fatimids invade Syria, capturing Damascus and
Aleppo.
980 The Qarakhanids conquer Bukhara.
983–991 The Fatimids invade Syria again, capturing Damascus
and Aleppo again.
991–1031 The rule of al-Qadir (longest Abbasid reign).
994 The Buyids capture Baghdad again.
1005–1006 The Turkish Ghaznavids invade India.
1010 The Fatimids conquer Jerusalem.
1011 Mahmud of Ghazna sacks the city of Rayy.
1013–1055 The Seljuk Turks come to power in Iran.
1016–1021 The Fatimids invade Palestine and Syria.
1031 The collapse of the central Abbasid authority.
1037 The Seljuks capture Baghdad.
1055–1063 al-Qaʿim.
1064–1075 The Turks capture Jerusalem.
1071 The Byzantine emperor Romanus IV Diogenes is defeated by the Seljuks at Manzikert.
1075–1094 al-Muʿtamid.
1096–1099 The First Crusade.
1118–1135 al-Mustarshid.
1147–1149 The Second Crusade.
1153–1160 al-Muqtafi (second reign).
1163–1179 al-Mustadi.
1187 Saladin captures Jerusalem from the Crusaders.
1192 The Treaty of Jaffa ends the Third Crusade.
1258 The Mongols capture and sack Baghdad, ending the
Abbasid caliphate.
