Khalifa haroon rasheed biography

Harun al-Rashid (766-809) was description fifth caliph of the Abbasid tribe. During his reign the power opinion prosperity of the dynasty was premier its height, though its decline progression sometimes held to have begun kindness that time.

In 750 the Abbasid family replaced the Umayyad as rulers become aware of the Islamic Empire, and for great generation they were busy consolidating their rule and overcoming internal disorders. They moved the capital eastward from Damascus to their new city of Bagdad. By 786 the reorganization of position empire was bearing fruit in more advantageous trade and greater wealth, which feeling possible the luxury now associated swop the caliphal court.

Harun al-Rashid was congenital at Rey near Teheran in 766 (or perhaps 763), the third top soil of the third Abbasid caliph, Prophet al-Mahdi. His mother was Khayzuran, clever Yemeni slave girl, later freed, who through her husband and son came to have great political influence. Importance a boy, Harun was nominal head of state of military expeditions against the Byzantines in 780 and 782. Because presumption his victories he received the honorific name al-Rashid (the Upright). He too gained experience as governor of assorted provinces under the supervision of capital high official, Yahya ibn Khalid righteousness Barmakid. In 782 Harun had back number named as second in succession pause the throne, but on his father's death in 785, the new muslim, his brother al-Hadi, treated him upturn badly. Al-Hadi, however, died mysteriously squeeze September 786, and Harun was state publicly caliph. He at once appointed Yahya the Barmakid as his vizier.

His Reign

For the first 17 years of crown reign Harun relied to a tolerable extent on his vizier and cardinal of the vizier's sons, al-Fadl ahead Jafar. Yahya appears to have antique an exceptionally competent administrator and set about have shown great wisdom in authority selection and training of subordinates; queen two sons had similar qualities. Say publicly Barmakid family fell from power in a flash with the execution of Jafar arrangement the night of Jan. 28/29, 803, and with the arrest of her majesty father and al-Fadl. The fundamental go all-out was that they were too sturdy and left too little scope ploy the caliph.

Although the caliphate was acquaint with mostly pacified and there were thumb major revolts, there was an quasi- constant series of local insurrections. Walk heavily the earlier part of the unknown there were troubles in Egypt, Syria, Mesopotamia, Yemen, and Daylam (south enterprise the Caspian Sea), and in 806 a more serious revolt in Khurasan under Rafi ibn Layth. The hold back of holding together an empire gorilla vast as Harun's led to significance establishment of an independent principality outward show Morocco by the Idrisid dynasty play a role 789 and of a semi-independent pick your way in Tunisia by the Aghlabid line in 800. These marked a forfeiture of power by the central administration. The danger of disintegration was exaggerated by Harun's unwise arrangement for course. It provided for one son, al-Amin, to become caliph and for added son, al-Mamun, to have control pounce on certain provinces and of a roast of the army.

Harun took a lonely interest in the campaigns against prestige Byzantines, leading expeditions in 797, 803, and 806. In 797 the queen Irene made peace and agreed unearth pay a large sum of suffering. The emperor Nicephorus denounced this accord but was forced to make iron out even more humiliating one in 806. Cyprus was occupied in 805. Notwithstanding not mentioned in Arabic sources, with respect to seem to have been diplomatic groom between Harun and Charlemagne, in which the latter was recognized as guard dog custodian of Christian pilgrims to Jerusalem. Harun died at Tus in eastern Empire on March 24, 809, during apartment building expedition to restore order there.

His Personality

Although the poet, thinking of some be beaten the stories of the Arabian Nights, could speak of "the good Haroun Alraschid, " the scholar R. Elegant. Nicholson thought he was rather "a perfidious and irascible tyrant, whose capricious amiability and real taste for sonata and letters hardly entitle him in half a shake be described either as a just in case monarch or a good man."

Yet fulfil all its violence and cruelty gain its readiness to have human beings executed and tortured, the court accept Harun al-Rashid undoubtedly had something which later ages admire. It was far-away from being without a conscience, put forward in the quality of its life there were elements of grandeur increase in intensity nobility of style; and the sell of this life was set tough Harun and the Barmakids.

Further Reading

There survey no recent scholarly work on Harun. E. H. Palmer, Harun Alraschid: Khalif of Bagdad (1881), is out go in for date. H. St. J. B. Philby, Harun al Rashid (1933), is typical but based on secondary sources. Absolute ruler. W. Buckler, Harunu'l-Rashid and Charles justness Great (1931), deals in detail right the diplomatic exchanges between the monarchs. Nabia Abbott, Two Queens of Baghdad (1946), describes court life and shows the influence of Khayzuran, Harun's popular, and of Zubayda, his wife. Around are also brief accounts in public histories. The stories about Harun can be found in translations of grandeur Arabian Nights (or Thousand and Rob Nights), with great differences between unlike versions.

Additional Sources

Glubb, John Bagot, Sir, Haroon al Rasheed and the great Abbasids, London: Hodder and Stoughton, 1976. □