Harun al-Rashid
Harun al-Rashid (also spelled Haroun ar-Rashid, Harun al-Raschid or Haroon al Rasheed) was the fifth Abbasid caliph. He and his fabulous court at Baghdad are immortalized in The Thousand and One Nights.
Born to the caliph al-Mahdi and the former slave-girl al-Khayzuran, Harun was raised at court and received the bulk of his education from Yahya the Barmakid, who was a loyal supporter of Harun's mother. Before he was out of his teens, Harun was made the nominal leader of several expeditions against the Eastern Roman Empire; his success (or, more accurately, the success of his generals) resulted in his earning the title "al-Rashid," which means "the one following the right path" or "upright" or "just." He was also appointed governor of Armenia, Azerbaijan, Egypt, Syria and Tunisia, which Yahya administered for him, and named second in line to the throne (after his older brother, al-Hadi).
Al-Mahdi died in 785 and al-Hadi died mysteriously in 786 (it was rumored that al-Khayzuran arranged his death), and Harun became caliph in September of that year. He appointed as his vizier Yahya, who installed a cadre of Barmakids as administrators. Al-Khayzuran had considerable influence over her son until her death in 803, and the Barmakids effectively ran the empire for Harun. Regional dynasties were given semi-autonomous status in return for considerable annual payments, which enriched Harun financially but weakened the power of the caliphs. He also divided his empire between his sons al-Amin and al-Ma'mun, who would go to war after Harun's death.
Harun was a great patron of art and learning, and is best known for the unsurpassed splendor of his court and lifestyle. Some of the stories, perhaps the earliest, of The Thousand and One Nights were inspired by the glittering Baghdad court, and King Shahryar (whose wife, Scheherazade, tells the tales) may have been based on Harun himself.
Important Dates
Becomes caliph: Sept. 14, 786
Died: March 24, 809
From Your Guide
Iraq: Historical Setting
This online text is from a larger work on the country of Iraq produced by the Library of Congress; edited by Helen Chapin Metz; from research completed in May, 1988.Abbasids
This article from the 1911 Encyclopedia provides a concise overview of the Abbasid dynasty.
On the Web
Haroun al-Raschid
This fairly extensive biography at Wikipedia focuses primarily on Harun's dealings with the Byzantine empire.Baghdad in the Time of Harun Al-Raschid
Brief description at the Freethought History Newsletter.Harun al-Rashid
Concise bio at Infoplease.
In Print
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Biographical
Harun Al-Rashid and the Age of a Thousand and One Nights
by Andre Clot; translated by John HoweHaroon al Rasheed and the great Abbasids
by John Bagot GlubbReinterpreting Islamic Historiography: Harun al-Rashid and the Narrative of the Abbasid Caliphate
by Tayeb El-Hibri
Background
History of the Arabs, Revised
(10th Edition)
by Philip HittiTwo Queens of Baghdad
by Nabia Abbott
Related Resources
Islam
History and modern day culture of the Islamic religion and Muslim people, maintained by About.com Guide Huda.Medieval Islam
Sites covering the origins and development of Islam through the Middle Ages.
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