Meaning of the word or sentence

@Manasha (2933)
Pondicherry, India
December 9, 2021 5:12am CST
I came across the following statement in the history book while educating my daughter "The Abbasids tried to rival the old empires in splendor.". Can you clarify what the author is trying to communicate in this sentence? Rival = competitor.
3 people like this
3 responses
@GoAskAlice (5865)
9 Dec 21
They are trying to outshine the splendor of the old empires.
2 people like this
@Manasha (2933)
• Pondicherry, India
9 Dec 21
Thank you very much for your assistance; it gets me in the mindset of thinking about Owlings who helped me a lot in the past. Tears.....
1 person likes this
@LadyDuck (502573)
• Italy
9 Dec 21
Our Admin already perfectly explained.
1 person likes this
@askme123 (6223)
9 Dec 21
Who were the Abbasids?