Messianic beliefs and imperial politics in medieval Islam

"Messianic Beliefs and Imperial Politics in Medieval Islam analyzes the role of Muslim messianic and apocalyptic beliefs in the development of the Abbasid Caliphate to highlight connections between charismatic authority and institutional developments in the early ninth century. Hayrettin Yucesoy studies the relationship between rulers and religion to advance understanding of the era's political actions and more specifically to illustrate how messianic beliefs influenced Abbasid imperial politics and contributed to the reshaping of the caliphate under al-Ma'mun (809-33 A.D.) after a decade-long civil war."--BOOK JACKET.