Abbasids ruled the Islamic Empire from 750 to 1258. The Abbasids were a dynasty of caliphs. The caliphate was the office of the successors to Muhammad in the leadership of the Muslims after the death of the prophet. The Abbasids modified the concept of the caliphate. They claimed that a descendant of the Prophet's family must hold the office. During the 800s the Abbasid caliphs began to lose control of the government. In the 9th century provincial governors seized temporal power and increasingly washed away the caliph. Samanids proclaimed allegiance to the Abbasid caliphate. The loss of control over Khorasan was a major blow to the caliphs' power. Khorasan had been the main source of troops for the Abbasid armies. The caliphs then turned to the Turkish mamelukes. The mamelukes were military slaves who served Muslim rulers. Over time the mamelukes assumed power. During the mid-10th century military commanders...