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Abstract
This dissertation is an analysis of the political culture of the Abbasid court in Baghdad in the late third century A.H./tenth century C.E., and the early fourth century A.H./tenth century C.E., with particular emphasis on the reigns of the caliphs al-Mu'tadid (279-289/892-902) and al-Muqtadir (295-320/908-932). The general goal is to understand the methods by which people at court competed for power. Each member of the court had a specific social position, which entailed particular opportunities and limitations for acquiring and maintaining power. The primary focus of this analysis is to examine how individuals developed strategies for manipulating opportunities and maneuvering within restrictions in pursuit of their own interests. These strategies formed patterns of behavior and interaction that made the Abbasid court a coherent socio-political system.
