pre-release info New Civ Game Guide: Abbasid

[Paisley_Trees]

I would have gone with a Waqf, personally

That would have been such a great word for it!

 

[Boris Gudenuf]

Alim Units:

• Al-Jāḥiẓ - 8th c. polymath known for writing on literature, zoology, philosophy, and linguistics
• Al-Khwārizmī - 8th c. Persian polymath who was greatly influential in the realms of mathematics and astronomy; father of Algebra
• Ibn Sina - Also known as Avicenna; pre-eminent philosopher and physician in the 10th-11th c.
• Al-Maqdisi - 10th c. geographer know for his descriptions of the Islamic World and Syria in particular
• Al-Farghānī - Also known as Alfraganus; famous 9th c. astronomer who built off of the writings of Ptolemy
• Al-Farabi - Also known as Alpharabius; 10th c. father of Islamic Neoplatonism and Political Philosophy
• Rabia of Basra - 8th c. female poet, Sufi mystic, and influential religious figure
• Al-Shaybani - 8th c. jurist; father of Islamic international law
• Al-Jazari - 12th c. inventor and mechanical engineer and designer of automata;
• Ibn Fadlan - 10th c. traveler who served as an ambassador of the Abbasid caliph to the Volga Bulgarians

Very interesting list, obvious ties to the Cultural/Scientific emphasis.

I'm sure they did far more research into these than I did, but I'd love to know why a couple were left out:

Abu Yusuf Ya qub ibn Ishaq as-Sabbah al-Kindi, Alkindus
Arab polymath, active in philosophy, mathematics, medicine, and music theory (!). Was in charge of Greek translations at the House of Wisdom for a while, helped introduce the 'Hindu' numbers to the Arabs, is considered one of the fathers of Cryptography and his writings are among the earliest evidence for the distillation of wine into stronger alcoholics. - So many ways they could have gone with him, especially the natural tie-in to the Wonder.

Abu al-Qasim Khalaf ibn al-Abbas al-Zahrawi, Albucasis
Arab physician, wrote a 30-volume 'medical encyclopedia' around 1000 CE. His volumes on surgery became the standard work on the subject for the next 500 years. Sometimes called the "Father of (modern) Surgery" - specially pioneered new surgical instruments, cauterization techniques, and clinical obstetrics.
- Happiness? Health? Population Growth? Again, so many ways to go with him.

 

[Eagle Pursuit]

Speaking of yields... We don't have Faith yield this time around right?

Happiness is the yield of religious structures now.

 

[Boris Gudenuf]

Happiness is the yield of religious structures now.

Do I hear an obvious 'Opiate of the Masses" quote coming on?

 

[Lord Lakely]

We don't yet have a leader with that shade of green. Soft confirms a middle-eastern leader?

 

[Zaarin]

Abu al-Qasim Khalaf ibn al-Abbas al-Zahrawi, Albucasis
Arab physician, wrote a 30-volume 'medical encyclopedia' around 1000 CE. His volumes on surgery became the standard work on the subject for the next 500 years. Sometimes called the "Father of (modern) Surgery" - specially pioneered new surgical instruments, cauterization techniques, and clinical obstetrics.
- Happiness? Health? Population Growth? Again, so many ways to go with him.

He seems like a better candidate for an Umayyad great person.

 

[Bonyduck Campersang]

Very interesting list, obvious ties to the Cultural/Scientific emphasis.

I'm sure they did far more research into these than I did, but I'd love to know why a couple were left out:

Abu Yusuf Ya qub ibn Ishaq as-Sabbah al-Kindi, Alkindus
Arab polymath, active in philosophy, mathematics, medicine, and music theory (!). Was in charge of Greek translations at the House of Wisdom for a while, helped introduce the 'Hindu' numbers to the Arabs, is considered one of the fathers of Cryptography and his writings are among the earliest evidence for the distillation of wine into stronger alcoholics. - So many ways they could have gone with him, especially the natural tie-in to the Wonder.

Abu al-Qasim Khalaf ibn al-Abbas al-Zahrawi, Albucasis
Arab physician, wrote a 30-volume 'medical encyclopedia' around 1000 CE. His volumes on surgery became the standard work on the subject for the next 500 years. Sometimes called the "Father of (modern) Surgery" - specially pioneered new surgical instruments, cauterization techniques, and clinical obstetrics.
- Happiness? Health? Population Growth? Again, so many ways to go with him.

Obviously they will be the Abbasid-assoiciated leaders

 

[Paisley_Trees]

View attachment 707110

We don't yet have a leader with that shade of green. Soft confirms a middle-eastern leader?

At the top left we see two mosque-like buildings, one with a courtyard plan, another with a round base, gold dome, and minaret. Which one is the actual mosque? I'm really confused about the gold domed building - looks like dome of the rock, which is NOT a mosque and should not have a minaret. Am I missing some other building it is referencing?

 

[FishFishFish]

One other thing which annoys me is that Civ is going to be yet another piece of pophistory which shall teach nonsense that Abbasids were flourishing civilization in the 13th century where "Islamic science" was dealt massive blow by evil Mongols - Jesus Christ, no
- Abbasids were a decaying vassal failed state since late 10th century, after awesome 100-150 years

It had become normal throughout the Islamic world for locally based warrior sultans to rule in the place of the universal caliph, who had been reduced to a symbol for a lot of Muslims outside of their core territories. But at the same time, I dislike the narrative that the Abbasids were a doomed failed state in the 13th century.

During al-Nasir's reign the Abbasids were making a serious comeback. al-Nasir had clawed back some real power and extricated himself from Seljuks clutches. On the political front he managed to ally himself with the rulers of Khwarazm in Transoxania and kill the last Seljuk sultan, Tughril, and then avoid Khwarazmian "protection" by making an alliance with the Ghurids. Having achieved some freedom of political action, he set about restoring the authority of the caliphate by developing an integrative version of Sufism. He gave his religious programme an institutional framework in the form of the futuwwa, a term literally meaning "young men" but used in this era for groups of men bound by a common moral or honour code and loyal to a particular master or leader. In some contexts futuwwa were little more than urban gangs or militias, but al-Nasir reformed the organization, took over its headship himself, and made it into an empire-wide hierarchy, a military order in the service of the Caliph.

Anyways, I would say the Abbasids weak point was from when al-Muqtadir took power to when al-Nasir broke free from the Seljuks. The last years of the Abbasids was far from a failed state, but obviously it doesn't compare to their peak.

 

[Daigotsu Max]

Civ 5: you get one unique unit OR structure
Civ 6: you get one unique unit AND structure!
Civ 7: ALL THE TREATS

Love the scientific vibe of this one. Really seems like Specialists are going to be a big thing again.

 

[Bonyduck Campersang]

While it had become normal throughout the Islamic world for locally based warrior sultans to rule in the place of the universal caliph, who had been reduced to a symbol for a lot of Muslims outside of their core territories. But at the same time, I dislike the narrative that the Abbasids were a doomed failed state in the 13th century.

During al-Nasir's reign the Abbasids were making a serious comeback. al-Nasir had clawed back some real power and extricated himself from Seljuks clutches. On the political front he managed to ally himself with the rulers of Khwarazm in Transoxania and kill the last Seljuk sultan, Tughril, and then avoid Khwarazmian "protection" by making an alliance with the Ghurids. Having achieved some freedom of political action, he set about restoring the authority of the caliphate by developing an integrative version of Sufism. He gave his religious programme an institutional framework in the form of the futuwwa, a term literally meaning "young men" but used in this era for groups of men bound by a common moral or honour code and loyal to a particular master or leader. In some contexts futuwwa were little more than urban gangs or militias, but al-Nasir reformed the organization, took over its headship himself, and made it into an empire-wide hierarchy, a military order in the service of the Caliph.

Anyways, I would say the Abbasids weak point was from when al-Muqtadir took power to when al-Nasir broke free from the Seljuks. The last years of the Abbasids was far from a failed state, but obviously it doesn't compare to their peak.

al-Nasir is an Abbasid leader I would love to see (besides al-Saffah, who would be the grim baddie preying on decadent empires)

 

[Alexander's Hetaroi]

At the top left we see two mosque-like buildings, one with a courtyard plan, another with a round base, gold dome, and minaret. Which one is the actual mosque? I'm really confused about the gold domed building - looks like dome of the rock, which is NOT a mosque and should not have a minaret. Am I missing some other building it is referencing?

It's hard to tell if it's on the same tile as the other building. Maybe it could be the House of Wisdom wonder?

 

[Lord Lakely]

I suspect the UQ name "Ulema" and the UA name "Medina" are somehow mistakenly switched, since to my knowledge "Ulema" never refers to a building or an establishment (it means Islamic scholars), while "Medina" literally means "city."

This is correct. Medina and Ulema should be switched.

He seems like a better candidate for an Umayyad great person.

But if you don't have Umayyads, might as well include a few relevant sages. Same reason why several of Han's Civilians are of the Zhou dynasty.

At the top left we see two mosque-like buildings, one with a courtyard plan, another with a round base, gold dome, and minaret. Which one is the actual mosque? I'm really confused about the gold domed building - looks like dome of the rock, which is NOT a mosque and should not have a minaret. Am I missing some other building it is referencing?

From what I can discern:

 

[Zaarin]

It's hard to tell if it's on the same tile as the other building. Maybe it could be the House of Wisdom wonder?

I think the House of Wisdom is the building with the circular walls just behind the mountain in the foreground. If I had to guess, the gold-domed building is the mosque and the square building with the riad is the madrassa.

But if you don't have Umayyads, might as well include a few relevant sages. Same reason why several of Han's Civilians are of the Zhou dynasty.

Difference being we may get the Umayyads later. Whereas we're very unlikely to get the Zhou.

 

[Paisley_Trees]

This is correct. Medina and Ulema should be switched.


But if you don't have Umayyads, might as well include a few relevant sages. Same reason why several of Han's Civilians are of the Zhou dynasty.



From what I can discern:View attachment 707111

Interesting thanks! Just one correction, that isn't the gate of all nations - I only have this one screenshot on hand i'm sure others have better ones

 

[FishFishFish]

al-Nasir is an Abbasid leader I would love to see (besides al-Saffah, who would be the grim baddie preying on decadent empires

I prefer the Abbasid leader to be from their early times. al-Mu'tadid is the last leader I would want (his son is too sickly and didn't really do much. al-Muqtadir starts his reign afterwards).

I actually don't want al-Saffah. He might of been the first Abbasid Caliph, but he only reigned a short while before dying of natural causes. al-Mansur is the one I give credit to stabilizing the Caliphate after the revolution.

 

[Krikkit1]

This is correct. Medina and Ulema should be switched.

I would disagree,
Ulema=Islamic scholars are what you get when you put the mosque and the madrassa together, that quarter is now populated by Islamic scholars

Wheras
Medina=City... is a Gold bonus for urbanizing (getting specialist population in) a city

 

[moysturfurmer]

This is correct. Medina and Ulema should be switched.


But if you don't have Umayyads, might as well include a few relevant sages. Same reason why several of Han's Civilians are of the Zhou dynasty.



From what I can discern:View attachment 707111

The "Persian Wonder" is a palace, and the "Abbasid Palace" is a University

And the "Gate of All Nations" is probably a Pavillion

 

[Alexander's Hetaroi]

I think the House of Wisdom is the building with the circular walls just behind the mountain in the foreground. If I had to guess, the gold-domed building is the mosque and the square building with the riad is the madrassa.

That would explain why it looks like a bigger version of the standard library.

 

[Paisley_Trees]

I would disagree,
Ulema=Islamic scholars are what you get when you put the mosque and the madrassa together, that quarter is now populated by Islamic scholars

Wheras
Medina=City... is a Gold bonus for urbanizing (getting specialist population in) a city

Medina is soo generic.. so is mosque, so is ulema... none of these are "Abbasid" coded, so even though we're not getting a generic "arabia" like we did in civ 6, it still feels that way on first glance. Maybe with a deeper look into this new reveal (like at the actual abilities), I will change my first impressioni. Also, while waqf is kind of generic as well, now I can't unsee it as the best word for this concept of a quarter!