16 - The Anarchy at Samarra: Decline of the Caliphate

From the hieght of its power, the Abbasid Caliphate was to begin a slow decline, with caliphs reduced to virtual figureheads.  Yet during this time, some of the greatest achievements of Islamic civilization would come.  In this episode, we look at what happened to a caliphate that seemed to be riding high, and how this long period of decline began.