Registration for this course is closed. In the year 750 AD, there was a revolution which, over the next five centuries, profoundly transformed the Islamic world in such diverse areas as politics, theology, law, philosophy, and more. The leaders of this far-reaching transformation were a ruling dynasty called the Abbasids. This lecture course on Zoom will introduce you to them, their history, and some of the amazing people and events that occurred under their rule. Along the way we will investigate the early history of Islam and a number of related issues, including the Sunni-Shi’a division, the rise of Shari’a and the schools of the law, and the surprising role of Western philosophy in the development of Islamic thought. No prior background in this subject is needed. Detailed lecture notes will be provided, and questions are always welcome.