Migration of Basran Scholars and Its Social, Political, Religious, and Cultural Reflections in Baghdad (8th–11th Centuries CE)

Abstract

The migration of Basran scholars to Baghdad between the 8th and 11th centuries CE constituted one of the fundamental factors in the formation and flourishing of the scientific, religious, and cultural life of the Abbasid Caliphate. Basra, known in the early Islamic centuries as the birthplace of hadith, jurisprudential, theological, and literary schools, transferred part of its intellectual capital to Baghdad as a result of social and political transformations. This migration not only strengthened Baghdad’s status as the scientific and cultural center of the Islamic world but also facilitated the transmission of diverse intellectual traditions and expanded interactions among various intellectual currents. Upon their arrival in Baghdad, Basran scholars played a pivotal role in the establishment and consolidation of theological schools such as Muʿtazilism, in the advancement of literary sciences such as grammar and linguistics, and in the promotion of jurisprudence and hadith studies. Moreover, their connections with the Abbasid court and involvement in sectarian disputes had profound repercussions for the shaping of Baghdad’s religious identity. Relying on historical and narrative sources, the present article examines the social, political, religious, and cultural consequences of this migration and demonstrates how the transfer of Basran scholars to Baghdad represented a turning point in the history of Islamic science and culture.