750 CE
A year defined by the Abbasid revolution, which overthrew the Umayyad Caliphate and established the Abbasid dynasty, shifting the center of the Islamic world from Damascus to the east.
Conflict & Security
- The Abbasid revolutionary movement, drawing support from disaffected groups in Persia and Iraq, defeated the Umayyad Caliph Marwan II at the Battle of the Zab River in January, effectively ending Umayyad rule.
- The Abbasids systematically hunted down and killed members of the Umayyad family, with one notable survivor, Abd al-Rahman, escaping to the Iberian Peninsula where he would establish an independent Umayyad emirate in Cordoba.
Geopolitics & Diplomacy
- Abu al-Abbas al-Saffah was proclaimed the first Abbasid caliph, founding a dynasty that would rule the Islamic world for over five centuries.
- The Abbasid revolution drew heavily on Persian support and administrative traditions, reflecting a shift in the Islamic empire's center of gravity from the Arab-dominated Umayyad model toward a more cosmopolitan, Persian-influenced civilization.
- The Abbasids would soon move the caliphal capital from Damascus to the newly founded city of Baghdad, which became one of the largest and most culturally vibrant cities in the world.
Climate & Environment
- Atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration was approximately 277 parts per million, as later confirmed by ice core analysis.
Culture & Society
- The estimated world population was approximately 240 million.