Editing Basra (section)

===Abbasid Caliphate and its Golden Age: 750–1258===
In the late 740s, Basra fell to [[as-Saffah]] of the [[Abbasid Caliphate]].  During the time of the Abbasids, Basra became an intellectual center and home to the elite [[Grammarians of Basra|Basra School of Grammar]], the rival and sister school of the [[Grammarians of Kufa|Kufa School of Grammar]].  Several outstanding intellectuals of the age were Basrans; Arab [[polymath]] [[Alhazen|Ibn al-Haytham]], the [[Arabic literature|Arab literary]] giant [[al-Jahiz]], and the [[Sufi]] mystic [[Rabia Basri]]. The [[Zanj Rebellion]] by the agricultural slaves of the lowlands affected the area. In 871, the Zanj sacked Basra.<ref name=AndreWink>Andre Wink, ''Al-Hind: The Making of the Indo-Islamic World'', Vol.2, 17.</ref> In 923, the [[Qarmatians]], an extremist Muslim sect, [[Sack of Basra (923)|invaded and devastated]] Basra.<ref name=AndreWink />

From 945 to 1055, the Iranian [[Buyid dynasty]] ruled Baghdad and most of Iraq. Abu al Qasim al-Baridis, who still controlled Basra and [[Wasit]], were defeated and their lands taken by the Buyids in 947. [['Adud al-Dawla|Adud al-Dawla]] and his sons [[Diya' al-Dawla]] and [[Samsam al-Dawla]] were the Buyid rulers of Basra during the 970s, 980s and 990s.  Sanad al-Dawla al-Habashi ({{circa|921}}–977), the brother of the Emir of Iraq [[Izz al-Dawla]], was governor of Basra and built a library of 15,000 books.
[[File:Basra in a drawing by the Portuguese late 16th century .png|thumb|Basra designed by the Portuguese at the end of the 16th century, according to the representation of the "Lyvro de plantaforma of the fortresses of India" codex of São julião da Barra]]

The Oghuz Turk [[Tughril Beg]] was the leader of the Seljuks, who expelled the [[Shiite]] Buyid dynasty. He was the first Seljuk ruler to style himself Sultan and Protector of the Abbasid Caliphate.

The Great Friday Mosque was constructed in Basra. In 1122, [[Imad ad-Din Zengi]] received Basra as a fief.<ref>Penny Encyclopedia</ref> In 1126, Zengi suppressed a revolt and in 1129, Dabis looted the Basra state treasury.
A 1200 map "on the eve of the Mongol invasions" shows the Abbasid Caliphate as ruling lower Iraq and, presumably, Basra.

The [[Order of Assassins|Assassin]] [[Rashid ad-Din Sinan|Rashid-ad-Din-Sinan]] was born in Basra on or between 1131 and 1135.