107 / 166
Tyrants of the Tigris & euphrates
241
‘Abbasid Caliphate
Gold Dinar, AH 157
temp. al-Mansur, ‘Abbasid Caliph, AH 136-158/AD 754-775
SICA-3, 65-67; A 212. Nearly Mint State.
Mintless early type. Kalima at center, Qur’an 9:33 in margin; Reverse, continuation of Kalima, date
formula in margin.
Al-Mansur (AH 136-158/ AD 754-775) was the second ‘Abbasid caliph. al-Mansur founded the imperial
capital Baghdad on the site of a village with the same name. The village of Baghdad had been named
after an ancient king of Persis called Baghadadan or Baghadad. The new city was designed as a circular
enclosure following the Sasanian model for cities such as Darabjird, Firuzabad and Shiz. The transfer of
the capital from Damascus to Baghdad, only 20 miles north of the ancient Persian capital of Ctesiphon,
signaled the ascendancy of Persian traditions and a new phase of Islamic cultural development and
expansion.
242
‘Abbasid Caliphate
Gold Dinar, AH 165
temp. al-Mahdi, ‘Abbasid Caliph, AH 158-169/AD 775-785
SICA-3 105 (pellet above reverse center, same die), Lavoix 680. A 214. Superb Extremely
Fine.
Mintless early type. Kalima at center, Qur’an 9:33 in margin; Reverse, continuation of Kalima, date
formula in margin.
During al-Mahdi’s reign (AH 158-169/ AD 775-785), Baghdad flourished and became a major urban
center, attracting people from all over the empire. Al-Mahdi created a system of governmental agencies
or departments called “diwans” which were modeled after the Sasanian empire’s administration. The
diwans managed finance, agriculture and other needs of the growing caliphate.