TY - BOOK AU - Berkel,Maaike van TI - Crisis and continuity at the Abbasid court: formal and informal politics in the caliphate of al-Muqtadir (295-320/908-32) T2 - Islamic history and civilization. Studies and texts SN - 9789004252707 AV - DS38.6 .C75 2013 U1 - 909/.0976701 PY - 2013/// CY - Leiden, Boston PB - Brill KW - Muqtadir Billāh, KW - Abbasids KW - HISTORY / World KW - bisacsh KW - Islamic Empire KW - History KW - 750-1258 KW - Court and courtiers N1 - Includes bibliographical references and index; Preliminary Material --; Introduction --; 1. The Reign of al-Muqtadir (295–320/908–32): A History; Hugh Kennedy --; 2. The Caliph; Letizia Osti --; 3. The Vizier; Maaike van Berkel --; 4. The Bureaucracy; Maaike van Berkel --; 5. The Military; Hugh Kennedy --; 6. The Chamberlains; Nadia Maria El Cheikh --; 7. The Harem; Nadia Maria El Cheikh --; 8. Culture, Education and the Court; Letizia Osti --; General Conclusion --; Appendix: Baghdad at the Time of al-Muqtadir; Judith Ahola and Letizia Osti --; Maps --; Bibliography --; Index of Names and Technical Terms; Available to subscribing member institutions only N2 - The reign of al-Muqtadir (295-320/908-32) is a crucial and controversial epoch in the history of the Abbasid empire. Al-Muqtadir’s regime has traditionally been depicted as one of decline, when the political power of the caliphate and the lustre of its capital began to crumble. This book not only offers a substantial investigation of the idea and reality of decline, but also provides new interpretations of the inner workings of the court and the empire. The authors, four specialists of Abbasid history, explore the formal and informal power relationships that shaped politics at the court, involving bureaucrats, military, harem, courtiers and of course al-Muqtadir himself. A study of the topography of Baghdad completes this vivid picture of the court and its capital UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.1163/9789004252707 ER -