Hārūn al-Rashīd | Abbasid Caliph & Legendary Ruler

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border-right-sm border-left-sm open"> <div class="drawer d-flex flex-column open"> <div class="left-rail-section-content"> <div class="topic-left-rail-header text-truncate bg-gray-50 position-relative text-right d-flex align-items-center"> <div class="tlr-title px-20 py-15 text-left"> <em class="material-icons text-gray-400 d-lg-none" data-icon="toc"></em> <a class="font-serif font-weight-bold text-black link-blue" href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/Harun-al-Rashid">Hārūn al-Rashīd</a> </div> <button aria-label="Close" class="js-sections-close-button btn-link btn-sm btn d-lg-none position-absolute top-0 p-10 right-0" > <em class="material-icons font-26" data-icon="close"></em> </button> </div> <div class="section-content pl-10 pr-20 pl-sm-50 pr-sm-60 pl-lg-5 pr-lg-10 pt-10 pt-lg-0 bg-gray-50 clear-catfish-ad"> <div class="toc mb-20"> <div class="font-serif font-14 font-weight-bold mx-15 mb-15 mt-20"> Table of Contents </div> <ul class="list-unstyled my-0" data-level="h1"><li data-target="#ref1"><div class="pl-25"><a class="link-gray-900 w-100" href="/biography/Harun-al-Rashid">Introduction</a></div><div class="ml-40 toc-drawer sub-toc-drawer"></div></li><li data-target="#ref3043"><div class="d-flex align-items-center"><div class="ml-25"></div><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/biography/Harun-al-Rashid#ref3043">Family and early life</a></div><div class="ml-40 toc-drawer sub-toc-drawer"></div></li><li data-target="#ref3044"><div class="d-flex align-items-center"><div class="ml-25"></div><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/biography/Harun-al-Rashid#ref3044">ʿAbbāsid wealth under Hārūn</a></div><div class="ml-40 toc-drawer sub-toc-drawer"></div></li><li data-target="#ref3045"><div class="d-flex align-items-center"><div class="ml-25"></div><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/biography/Harun-al-Rashid/The-fall-of-the-Barmakids">The fall of the Barmakids</a></div><div class="ml-40 toc-drawer sub-toc-drawer"></div></li></ul> <a class="toc-extra-link link-gray-900" href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/Harun-al-Rashid/additional-info">References & Edit History</a> <a class="toc-extra-link link-gray-900" href="/facts/Harun-al-Rashid">Quick Facts & Related Topics</a> </div> <div class="mb-30 tlr-student-links"> <div class="text-gray-900 p-5 font-serif font-14 font-weight-bold mx-10 mb-10"> For Students </div> <div class="imagelink-with-image-on-the-side card card-horizontal tlr-img-with-side-link ml-15 link-gray-900 mb-10" > <div class="position-relative card-media" style="flex: 0;"> <a class="ilf-image position-relative" href="/summary/Harun-al-Rashid"> <img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn.britannica.com/mendel-resources/3-130/images/shared/default3.png?v=3.130.14" class="default " height="200" width="200"/> </a> </div> <div class="card-body ilf-content"> <a class="font-weight-semi-bold d-block mb-5 font-16 ilf-title" href="/summary/Harun-al-Rashid" >Hārūn al-Rashīd summary</a> </div> </div> </div> <div class="mb-30 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Author of <i>Muhammad: Prophet and Statesman; Muslim Intellectual: A Study of al-Ghazālī; </i>General Editor of <i>Islāmic Surveys.</i></div> </a> <div data-popper-arrow></div> </div> <span class="btn btn-link editor-link p-0 qa-byline-link gtm-byline font-12 byline-contributor text-decoration-underline"> William Montgomery Watt</span></div> <div class="font-serif font-12 text-gray-700"> <span class="qa-fact-checked-by">Fact-checked by</span> <div class="editor-popover popover p-0"> <a class="d-block p-20 font-12" href="/editor/The-Editors-of-Encyclopaedia-Britannica/4419" > <div class="editor-title font-16 font-weight-bold">The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica</div> <div class="editor-description font-12 font-serif mt-5 text-black">Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors.</div> </a> <div data-popper-arrow></div> </div> <span class="btn btn-link editor-link p-0 qa-byline-link font-12 "> The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica</span></div> <div class="last-updated font-12 font-serif"> <a class="byline-edit-history" href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/Harun-al-Rashid/additional-info#history" rel="nofollow">Article History</a> </div></div> </div> <button class="d-flex d-lg-none btn btn-outline-blue border rounded-sm shadow-sm mobile-toc-button gtm-mobile-toc-inline-button d-none d-sm-block js-sections-inline-button module-spacing btn d-lg-none"> <em class="material-icons mr-5 ml-n10 my-n5 md-icon" data-icon="toc"></em> Table of Contents </button> <div class="d-flex d-sm-none flex-row"> <button class="d-flex d-lg-none btn btn-outline-blue border rounded-sm shadow-sm mobile-toc-button gtm-mobile-toc-inline-button js-sections-inline-button module-spacing"> <em class="material-icons mr-5 ml-n10 my-n5 md-icon" data-icon="toc"></em> Table of Contents </button> <button class="ai-ask-button btn border-2 ai-ask-button btn border-2 module-spacing btn-sm js-inline-ai-ask-button btn-outline-red-400 border-red-400 p-10 ml-5"> Ask the Chatbot a Question </button> </div> <div class="js-qf-module qf-module px-40 px-sm-20 py-15 mx-auto module-spacing font-14 bg-gray-50 rounded"> <div class="qf-title font-weight-bold font-14 mb-10 text-center"> Quick Facts</div> <div class="facts-list mt-10"> <div class=""> <div class="js-fact mb-10 line-clamp clamp-3"> <dl> <dt>In full: </dt> <dd>Hārūn al-Rashīd ibn Muḥammad al-Mahdī ibn al-Manṣūr al-ʿAbbāsī</dd> </dl> <button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-gray-50" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"> <em class="js-content link-blue">(Show more)</em> </button> </div> </div> <div class=""> <div class="js-fact mb-10 line-clamp clamp-3"> <dl> <dt>Born: </dt> <dd>February 766/March 763, <a href="/place/Rayy">Rayy</a>, <a href="/place/Iran">Iran</a></dd> </dl> <button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-gray-50" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"> <em class="js-content link-blue">(Show more)</em> </button> </div> </div> <div class=""> <div class="js-fact mb-10 line-clamp clamp-3"> <dl> <dt>Died: </dt> <dd>March 24, 809, Ṭūs (aged 43)</dd> </dl> <button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-gray-50" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"> <em class="js-content link-blue">(Show more)</em> </button> </div> </div> <div class=""> <div class="js-fact mb-10 line-clamp clamp-3"> <dl> <dt>Also Known As: </dt> <dd>Hārūn al-Rashīd</dd> <dd>Hārūn al-Rashīd ibn Muḥammad al-Mahdī ibn al-Manṣūr al</dd> </dl> <button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-gray-50" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"> <em class="js-content link-blue">(Show more)</em> </button> </div> <div class="text-center"> <a class="btn btn-sm btn-link p-0" href="/facts/Harun-al-Rashid"> See all related content </a> </div> </div> </div> </div><span class="marker before-article"></span><section data-level="1" id="ref1"><span class="marker PREMOD1 mod-inline"></span><p class="topic-paragraph"><strong><span id="ref175485"></span>Hārūn al-Rashīd</strong> (born February 766/March 763, <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Rayy" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">Rayy</a>, Iran—died March 24, 809, Ṭūs) was the fifth <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/caliph" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">caliph</a> of the <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Abbasid-caliphate" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">ʿAbbāsid dynasty</a> (786–809), who ruled <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Islam" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Islam</a> at the zenith of its empire with a luxury in <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Baghdad" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Baghdad</a> memorialized in <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/The-Thousand-and-One-Nights" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true"><em>The Thousand and One Nights</em></a> (<em>The Arabian Nights Entertainment</em>).</p><span class="marker MOD1 mod-inline"></span></section> <span class="marker h2"></span><section data-level="1" id="ref3043"><h2 class="h1">Family and early life</h2> <span class="marker PREMOD2 mod-inline"></span><p class="topic-paragraph">Hārūn al-Rashīd was the son of al-<span id="ref175486"></span><a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/al-Mahdi-Abbasid-caliph" class="md-crosslink ">Mahdī</a>, the third ʿAbbāsid caliph (ruled 775–785), and al-<span id="ref175487"></span><a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/al-Khayzuran" class="md-crosslink ">Khayzurān</a>, a former slave girl from <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Yemen" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">Yemen</a> and a woman of strong personality who greatly influenced affairs of state in the reigns of her husband and sons. The elder prince, al-<span id="ref175488"></span><a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/al-Hadi-Abbasid-caliph" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Hādī</a>, was four when Hārūn was born. The princes were brought up in the court at Baghdad and educated in the <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Quran" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Qurʾān</a> (the holy book of Islam), poetry, music, <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off mw" data-term="anecdotes" href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/anecdotes" data-type="MW">anecdotes</a> about the Prophet <a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/Muhammad" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Muhammad</a>, early Islamic history, and current legal practice. Hārūn had as tutor <span id="ref175489"></span><a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/Yahya-ibn-Khalid" class="md-crosslink ">Yaḥyā the</a> <span id="ref175490"></span><a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Barmakids" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Barmakid</a>, a loyal supporter of his mother. In 780 and 782 Hārūn was <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off mw" data-term="nominal" href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nominal" data-type="MW">nominal</a> leader of expeditions against the <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Byzantine-Empire" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">Byzantine Empire</a>, though the military decisions were doubtless made by the experienced generals accompanying him. The expedition of 782 reached the <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Bosporus" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Bosporus</a>, opposite Constantinople, and peace was concluded on terms favourable to the Muslims. For this success Hārūn received the honorific title of al-Rashīd, “the one following the right path,” and was named second in succession to the throne and appointed governor of Tunisia, Egypt, <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Syria" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">Syria</a>, Armenia, and Azerbaijan, with his tutor Yaḥyā acting as actual administrator. These moves were presumably engineered by al-Khayzurān and Yaḥyā. The two are even said to have induced al-Mahdī to make Hārūn his immediate successor, but al-Mahdī died in August 785 without officially changing the succession. Al-Hādī became caliph and Hārūn <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off mw" data-term="acquiesced" href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/acquiesced" data-type="MW">acquiesced</a>. When <a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/al-Hadi-Abbasid-caliph" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">al-Hādī</a> died mysteriously in September 786, rumour suggested that al-Khayzurān was behind the death, because he had resisted her domination.</p><span class="marker MOD2 mod-inline"></span> <span class="marker PREMOD3 mod-inline"></span><p class="topic-paragraph">Hārūn al-Rashīd thus became caliph on Sept. 14, 786, succeeding to the rule of an empire reaching from the western Mediterranean to India. He made Yaḥyā the Barmakid his <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/vizier" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">vizier</a>, or chief minister. With Yaḥyā were associated his sons al-Faḍl and <span id="ref175491"></span><a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/Jafar-ibn-Yahya" class="md-crosslink ">Jaʿfar</a>, for the vizier at this period was not only an initiator of policy but also had attached to himself a corps of administrators to carry out his decisions. Al-Khayzurān had a considerable influence over the government until her death in 789. Thereafter until 803 the <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Barmakids" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Barmakids</a> largely controlled the empire, but the caliph was not wholly dependent on them, since certain offices of state were held by other men.</p><span class="marker MOD3 mod-inline"></span> <span class="marker PREMOD4 mod-inline"></span><p class="topic-paragraph">The reign was one of much internal trouble. At various times there were revolts for local reasons in Egypt, Syria, Yemen, and several eastern provinces, but the central government was strong enough to quell these and restore order. Ifrīqīyah (or Tunisia), after having had a series of incompetent governors, was given in 800 to Ibrāhīm ibn al-Aghlab, who agreed to make a substantial yearly payment to Baghdad in return for semi-independent status. This was immediately advantageous to Hārūn financially but was the beginning of the loss of power by the caliphs, for the Aghlabid family continued to rule the province for over a century without interference from Baghdad, and similar status was granted to other regional <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off mw" data-term="dynasties" href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dynasties" data-type="MW">dynasties</a>. Though the revolts fill the pages of the historians, much of the empire was peaceful most of the time. This led to a great development of industry (textiles, metal goods, paper, and so forth) and to an expansion of trade. The resulting prosperity made possible the concentration of vast wealth in the hands of the caliph and leading men and women of the empire.</p><div class="one-good-fact-module"> </div><span class="marker MOD4 mod-inline"></span></section> <span class="marker h3"></span><section data-level="1" id="ref3044"><h2 class="h1">ʿAbbāsid wealth under Hārūn</h2> <span class="marker PREMOD5 mod-inline"></span><p class="topic-paragraph">The fabulous descriptions of Hārūn and his court in <em><span id="ref175492"></span><a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/The-Thousand-and-One-Nights" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">The Thousand and One Nights</a></em> are idealized and romanticized, yet they had a considerable basis in fact. Untold wealth had flowed into the new capital of Baghdad since its foundation in 762. The leading men, and still more their wives, vied in <a href="https://www.britannica.com/money/conspicuous-consumption" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">conspicuous consumption</a>, and in Hārūn’s reign this reached levels unknown before. His wife <span id="ref175493"></span><a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/Zubaydah" class="md-crosslink ">Zubaydah</a>, herself a member of the ʿAbbāsid family, would have at her table only vessels of gold and silver studded with gems. Hārūn’s palace was an enormous institution, with numerous eunuchs, concubines, singing girls, and male and female servants. He himself was a <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off mw" data-term="connoisseur" href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/connoisseur" data-type="MW">connoisseur</a> of music and poetry and gave lavish gifts to outstanding musicians and poets. The brilliant <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off mw" data-term="culture" href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/culture" data-type="MW">culture</a> of the court had certain limits, however, since, apart from philology, the <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off mw" data-term="intellectual" href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/intellectual" data-type="MW">intellectual</a> <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off mw" data-term="disciplines" href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/disciplines" data-type="MW">disciplines</a> were in their infancy in the Arabic world. There was also a rougher and more sombre side. Instead of listening to music, Hārūn might watch cocks and dogs fighting. As caliph he had power of life and death and could order immediate execution. In the stories of his nocturnal wanderings through Baghdad in disguise, he is usually accompanied by Masrūr the executioner as well as friends like Jaʿfar the Barmakid and <a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/Abu-Nuwas" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">Abū Nuwās</a>, the brilliant poet.</p><div class="module-spacing"> </div><span class="marker MOD5 mod-inline"></span></section> <span class="marker end-of-content"></span><span class="marker after-article"></span></div> <div id="chatbot-root"></div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="ai-dialog-placeholder"></div> </div> </div> <aside class="col-md-da-320"></aside> </div> </div> </div> </div> </article></div> </div></div> </div> </main> <div id="md-footer"></div> <noscript><iframe src="//www.googletagmanager.com/ns.html?id=GTM-5W6NC8" height="0" width="0" style="display:none;visibility:hidden"></iframe></noscript> <script type="text/javascript" id="_informizely_script_tag"> var IzWidget = IzWidget || {}; (function (d) { var scriptElement = d.createElement('script'); scriptElement.type = 'text/javascript'; scriptElement.async = true; scriptElement.src = "https://insitez.blob.core.windows.net/site/f780f33e-a610-4ac2-af81-3eb184037547.js"; var node = d.getElementById('_informizely_script_tag'); node.parentNode.insertBefore(scriptElement, node); } )(document); </script>  <script> window.ap3c = window.ap3c || {}; var ap3c = window.ap3c; ap3c.cmd = ap3c.cmd || []; ap3c.cmd.push(function() { ap3c.init('ZO4siT4cLwnykPnzZWJtd3Byb2Q', 'https://engage.email.britannica.com/'); ap3c.track({v: 0}); }); ap3c.activity = function(act) { ap3c.act = (ap3c.act || []); ap3c.act.push(act); }; var s, t; s = document.createElement('script'); s.type = 'text/javascript'; s.src = "https://engage.email.britannica.com/app.js"; t = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; t.parentNode.insertBefore(s, t); </script> <script class="marketing-page-info" type="application/json"> {"pageType":"Topic","templateName":"DESKTOP","pageNumber":1,"pagesTotal":2,"pageId":256252,"pageLength":841,"initialLoad":true,"lastPageOfScroll":false} </script> <script class="marketing-content-info" type="application/json"> [] </script> <script src="https://cdn.britannica.com/mendel-resources/3-130/js/libs/jquery-3.5.0.min.js?v=3.130.14"></script> <script type="text/javascript" data-type="Init Mendel Code Splitting"> (function() { $.ajax({ dataType: 'script', cache: true, url: 'https://cdn.britannica.com/mendel-resources/3-130/dist/topic-page.js?v=3.130.14' }); })(); </script> <script class="analytics-metadata" type="application/json"> {"leg":"B","adLeg":"B","userType":"ANONYMOUS","pageType":"Topic","pageSubtype":null,"articleTemplateType":"BIO_PAGINATED","gisted":false,"pageNumber":1,"hasSummarizeButton":false,"hasAskButton":false} </script> <script type="text/javascript"> EBStat={accountId:-1,hostnameOverride:'webstats.eb.com',domain:'www.britannica.com', json:''}; </script> <script type="text/javascript"> ( function() { $.ajax( { dataType: 'script', cache: true, url: '//www.britannica.com/webstats/mendelstats.js?v=1' } ) .done( function() { try {writeStat(null,EBStat);} catch(err){} } ); })(); </script> <div id="bc-fixed-dialogue"></div> </body> </html>

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Hārūn al-Rashīd | Abbasid Caliph & Legendary Ruler | Britannica