Final answer:
The Islamic empires, notably the Abbasids, Fatimids, and Seljuks, experienced internal tensions stemming from succession issues, the distribution of power, and the incorporation of foreign military forces, contributing to their weakening and fragmentation.
Step-by-step explanation:
Tensions Between Military Elite and Absolutists in Islamic Empires-
The Islamic empires, including the Abbasids, Fatimids, and Seljuks, faced significant internal tensions between their military elite and absolutist rulers. This strife often arose from conflicts over succession and the distribution of wealth and power. In the Byzantine Empire, for instance, the failure to establish a reliable system for orderly succession led to a continuous power struggle, with military strength being the primary means of seizing control. Historically, this pattern of strife is exemplified in the rise of the Mamluk dynasty.
The Abbasid Caliphate faced tensions as a result of incorporating non-Arab elite and Greek speculative thought into their rule, alienating the traditional Arab elites. Their use of Mamluks furthered this divide and made the government appear weak and corrupt. These internal conflicts weakened the Abbasid's hold and allowed for the emergence of rival states and caliphates, exacerbating the fragmentation within the Islamic world.
In all three empires, the push for economic and military consolidation created tensions and conflicts among the ruling classes, as seen with the Seljuks and Fatimids. The Seljuks suffered from infighting and external pressure from rivals such as the Fatimids, while Fatimid power was threatened due to their reliance on foreign military forces, unsettling the established Amazigh cavalry. All these factors, compounded by other religious and political divides, such as the split between Sunni and Shi'ite Muslims, contributed to these empires' eventual decline and their vulnerability to the Crusades and other external threats.