Editing Abbasid Caliphate (section)

===Abbasid Revolution (747–750)===
{{main|Abbasid revolution}}
The Abbasid caliphs were descended from [[Abbas ibn Abd al-Muttalib]], one of the youngest uncles of [[Muhammad]] and of the same [[Banu Hashim]] clan. The Abbasids claimed to be the true successors of Muhammad in replacing the Umayyad descendants of [[Umayya ibn Abd Shams|Banu Umayya]] by virtue of their closer bloodline to Muhammad.

The Abbasids also distinguished themselves from the Umayyads by attacking their moral character and administration in general. According to [[Ira Lapidus]], "The Abbasid revolt was supported largely by Arabs, mainly the aggrieved settlers of [[Merv]] with the addition of the Yemeni faction and their [[Mawali]]".{{sfn|Lapidus|2002|p=54}} The Abbasids also appealed to [[Ajam|non-Arab]] Muslims, known as ''mawali'', who remained outside the kinship-based society of the Arabs and were perceived as a lower class within the Umayyad empire. [[Mohammad ibn Ali Abbasi|Muhammad ibn 'Ali]], a great-grandson of Abbas, began to campaign in Persia for the return of power to the family of Muhammad, the [[Banu_Hashim|Hashemites]], during the reign of [[Umar II]].

During the reign of [[Marwan II]], this opposition culminated in the rebellion of [[Ibrahim al-Imam]], the fourth in descent from Abbas. Supported by the province of [[Greater Khorasan|Khurasan]] (eastern Iran), even though the governor opposed them, and the Shia Arabs,<ref name=":11" />{{sfn|Dupuy|Dupuy|1986|p=233}} he achieved considerable success, but was captured in the year 747 and died, possibly assassinated, in prison.

On 9 June 747 (15 Ramadan AH 129), [[Abu Muslim]], rising from Khurasan, successfully initiated an open revolt against Umayyad rule, which was carried out under the sign of the [[Black Standard]]. Close to 10,000 soldiers were under Abu Muslim's command when the hostilities officially began in Merv.{{sfn|Lewis|1995|p=102}} [[Qahtaba ibn Shabib al-Ta'i|General Qahtaba]] followed the fleeing governor [[Nasr ibn Sayyar]] west defeating the Umayyads at the Battle of Gorgan, the Battle of Nahavand and finally in the Battle of Karbala, all in the year 748.{{sfn|Dupuy|Dupuy|1986|p=233}}

Ibrahim was captured by Marwan and was killed. The quarrel was taken up by Ibrahim's brother Abdallah, known by the name of [[Abu al-'Abbas as-Saffah]], who defeated the Umayyads in 750 in the [[Battle of the Zab|battle near the Great Zab]] and was subsequently proclaimed [[caliph]].<ref name="EB1911">{{Cite EB1911|wstitle= Abbasids|volume=1|page=10}}</ref> After this loss, Marwan fled to Egypt, where he was subsequently killed. The remainder of his family, barring one male, were also eliminated.{{sfn|Dupuy|Dupuy|1986|p=233}}