Abbasid Decline and the Spread of Islamic Civilization to South and Southeast Asia

Succession Disputes

•Al-Rashid's death led to the first of many civil wars over the succession. •The sons of the winner, al-Ma'mun, built personal retainer armies, some including Turkic nomads, to safeguard their futures. •The armies became power centers, removing and selecting caliphs. •Their uncontrolled excesses developed into a general focus for societal unrest.