In the 750's the Abbasid Caliphs controlled an immense empire extending from the Atlantic Ocean to Central Asia, but by 950 this state had vanished. It was replaced by a large number of independent secular states, most of which recognized the Caliph as their religious authority. This process occurred in three distinct phases.

Around 800, during the height of Abbasid power, three major outlying provinces asserted their independence: the Idrisids in North-Western Africa, the Aghlabids in North-Central Africa, and the Tahirids in Central Asia. The North-African territories of the Aghlabids and the Idrisids were occupied by the shiite Fatimids in the early 900's (and in 909 AD the leader of that group declared himself Caliph), but, before this happened, the Aghlabids had added the important island of Sicily to the Islamic world. A smaller group, the Dulafids, asserted control over a section of Persia around 825 AD.

The power of the Caliphs declined precipitously in the late 800's. The beneficiaries of this decline were the Tulunids in Egypt and Syria, the Sajids in Azerbaijan, the 'Alids in Tabaristan, the Saffarids in eastern Iran and Afghanistan, the Samanids further north into Uzbekistan, the Banijurids in northeastern Afghanistan, and the Rassids in Yemen

The Caliphate revived around 900 AD and recovered Egypt from the Tulunids and Iran from the Saffarids, but it declined again just three decades later. In the final collapse, the center of the Caliphate in Iraq and Iran was taken over by the Buwayhids and, to a much lesser degree, by the Hamdanids. Somewhat later, a small group known as the Hasanwayhids took control of part of the Buwayhid's territory and the Marwanids part of the Hamdanid's. Egypt and Syria went to the Ikhshidids, but they were conquered by the Fatimids in 969AD. The Fatimids' original territories in North-Western Africa went to the Spanish Umayyads and their successors (see previous section). During the Ikhshidid's downfall, a radical group known as the Qarmatids briefly controlled part of their territory. Tabaristan went to the Ziyarids, Afghanistan to the Ghaznavids and Uzbekistan to the Ilak Khans or Qarakhanids, who replaced the Samanids around 1000 AD.

The coins of this period show very little originality. All were strictly caligraphic, though some Fatimid coins omited the inscriptions in the center and placed them in concentric circles. The range of denominations increased, especially in Afghanistan, where the silver coins ranged from tiny fractions to giant multiples of the dirham. The inscriptions tended to become longer as the names of overlords and caliphs were added to that of the primary issuer.

TO SUMMARIZE...


Before 825 AD

Idrisids
Aghlabids
Tahirids
Dulafids

Circa 860-900 AD

Tulunids
Sajids of Azerbaijan
'Alids
Saffarids
Samanids
Banijurids

After 925 AD

Buwayhids
Hamdanids
Hasanwayhids
Marwanids
Ikhshidids
Qarmatids
Fatimids
Rassids of Yemen
Ziyarids
Ghaznavids
Ilak Khans