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Abbasid Caliphs 8th to 13th century. (Post 162)

Abbasid rule began in 750 and ended when sacked by Mongols in 1258. Abbasids moved the Capital from Damascus to Baghdad and it grew to a population of about 2 million under their rule. Most of the caliphs were enlightened, valued scholarship and spend heavily on the  institutions of learning and education. It is estimated that their expenditure on education in relation to their revenue was much higher than the governments of the most advanced countries spend on education today. This was a major factor that led to the golden age(8th to 13th century). 
Below is a link to a discussion on Abbasid Caliphate on a BBC rodio 4 on program called "In Our Times".
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CoAzjRSqBN0&t=589s

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