HARUN AL-RASHID Biography - Royalty, Rulers & leaders

 
 

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HARUN AL-RASHID

Born: c. 766 Reyy, Persia Died: c. 809 Tus, Persia Persian caliph                     
                                                                                     
Harun al-Rashid became the fifth caliph (religious and political leader of an         
Islamic state) of the Abbasid dynasty (ruling family) in September 786 at the         
age of twenty. During his reign the power and prosperity of the dynasty was at       
its height, though it has also been argued that its decline began at that time.       
                                                                                     
Harun al-Rashid was born at Reyy near Tehran, Iran, in 766. He was the third son     
of the third Abbasid caliph, Mohammed al-Mahdi and his wife Khayzuran, a former       
slave from Yemen. Harun was raised as a prince in the court at Baghdad, Iran. At     
the age of sixteen he was named second heir after his older brother, Musa al-Hadi.   
                                                                                     
Rashid's instructor and aide during his early youth was Yahya ibn Khalid the         
Barmakid (a powerful Persian family). Yahya continued to advise Rashid when he       
was named the leader of military expeditions against the Byzantines at age           
fourteen. The Byzantines were inhabitants of Byzantium, the seat of the               
Christian Empire. Rashid was rewarded for the success of these campaigns by           
being named governor of Ifriqiyah (Tunisia), Egypt, Syria, Armenia, and               
Azerbaijan Province in Iran. The honorific, or title, of al-Rashid (the Upright)     
was added to his name.                                                               
                                                                                     
Rashid's father died in 785 and his brother al-Hadi assumed the throne. Al-Hadi,     
however, died mysteriously in September 786. His death was said to have been the     
result of a court conspiracy or plot. Rashid was proclaimed caliph. He at once       
appointed Yahya as his vizier, or primary minister.                                   
                                                                                     
Rashid, for the first seventeen years of his reign, relied to a great extent on       
his vizier and two of the vizier's sons, al-Fadl and Jafar. Yahya appears to         
have been an exceptionally good administrator. He is known for showing great         
wisdom in selecting and training his staff. His two sons had similar qualities.       
However, they fell from favor suddenly on the night of January 28, 803, when         
they were imprisoned and had their lands taken from them. The basic reason for       
this action was that the Barmakid family had become too powerful.                     
                                                                                     
By this time Rashid was finding it difficult to hold his vast empire together.       
There was an almost constant series of local uprisings. An independent territory     
was established in Morocco by the Idrisid dynasty in 789. The following year, a       
semi-independent territory was established in Tunisia by the Aghlabid dynasty.       
These events marked a significant loss of power by Rashid's central government.       
                                                                                     
The danger of breaking up the government was further increased by Rashid's           
unwise arrangement for succession. One son, al-Amin, was to become caliph and         
another son, al-Mamun, was to have control of certain provinces and of a section     
of the army.                                                                         
                                                                                     
The seat of the Christian Empire was Byzantium (Constantinople). Rashid took a       
personal interest in the campaigns against the Byzantines. He led expeditions         
against them in 797, 803, and 806. In 797 the Byzantine empress Irene made peace     
and agreed to pay a large sum of money. Her successor, the emperor Nicephorus,       
later denounced this treaty. In 806 he was forced to make an even more               
humiliating treaty, which required paying annual tribute to Baghdad.                 
                                                                                     
Though it is not mentioned in Arabic sources, there seem to have been diplomatic     
contacts between Rashid and Charlemagne (c. 742–814), the most famous European     
ruler of the Middle Ages. Rashid recognized Charlemagne as protector of               
Christian pilgrims to Jerusalem.                                                     
                                                                                     
Rashid died at Tus in eastern Persia in 809, during an expedition to restore         
order there.