Al-Zab Battle 132H/750AD According to the view of the Orientalist Daniel Dennett

Abstract

Daniel Dennett's thesis, "Marwan ibn Muhammad: The End of the Umayyad Caliphate," offers a comprehensive study of the Battle of the Zab. This battle is considered one of the most influential events in Islamic history, marking the fall of the Umayyad Caliphate in 132 AH/750 CE and the rise of the Abbasid Caliphate.

Dennett points out that the end of the Umayyad Caliphate was not merely a change in rule but rather the result of accumulated political, social, economic, and cultural factors. All these elements contributed to weakening the state and creating the conditions for the triumph of the Abbasid Call.

Dennett's thesis is considered one of the early Western studies that addressed the transitional period between the Umayyad and Abbasid caliphates in a scientific and analytical manner. It analyzes the Battle of the Zab as a pivotal turning point in the change of the caliphate.

This research aims to introduce the orientalist Daniel Clement Dennett, an American historian specializing in Islamic history, his works, and his methodology in presenting historical events, including his historical sources and the extent of his commitment to critical methodology in dealing with Islamic narratives from Arabic sources. The research also discusses the circumstances of the Abbasid Revolution and the Battle of the Zab, which represented the effective end of the Umayyad state.