A historical case of multiculturalism: Scientific translations in the Early Abbasid Era

In this study, an examination of the early period multiculturalism of the Abbasid Empire, which expresses an important experience of historical multiculturalism and constructed a governance mechanism inspired by Persian and Greco-Roman experiences in many ways is made. In the study, as a result of the analysis made within the framework of the hermeneutic and comparative method, it has been found out that the Abbasid Dynasty which took over the rule of the Islamic Empire as a result of a revolution that constituted an important turning point in Islamic history gives an important example of multiculturalism by establishing a tolerant and libertarian empire structure on the basis of the rejection of Umayyad tribalism in its early period (750-833). The egalitarian universal understanding of Islam formed the basis of this multicultural system, and the support and incentive policy given by the Early Abbasid caliphs, their rulers and all segments of the people to scientific-translation activities without any discrimination made a significant contribution to the development and strengthening of this multicultural system. At the end of the research, it has been evaluated that the scientific-translation activities emerging out with the egalitarian universal teachings of Islam and as a result of the facilitation and encouragement of these teachings were the primary factors in transformation of the early Abbasid period, which is considered to constitute an important example of historical multiculturalism, into a multicultural face.