Harun al-Rashid

(766-809) was the fifth Abbasid Caliph.

History and legend unite together to establish the most brilliant period of Baghdad that was the reign of Haroon al Rashid.(pk Hitti)

Hārūn was born in Rey, then part of Persian Iraq in the Abbasid Caliphate, in present-day Tehran Province, Iran.
He was the son of al-Mahdi, the third Abbasid caliph (ruled 775 – 785), and al-Khayzuran,
a former slave girl from Yemen, and a woman of strong personality who greatly influenced affairs of state in the reigns of her husband and sons.
Hārūn was strongly influenced by the will of his mother in the governance of the empire until her death in 789.
Al-Rashid ruled from 786 to 809, during the peak of the Islamic Golden Age.
Hārūn became caliph when he was in his early twenties.
Before that, in 780 and again in 782, he had already nominally led campaigns against the Caliphate's traditional enemy, the Byzantine Empire.
The latter expedition was a huge undertaking, and even reached the Asian suburbs of Constantinople.
On the day of accession, his son al-Ma'mun was born, and al-Amin some little time later:
He began his reign by appointing very able ministers, who carried on the work of the government so well that they greatly improved the condition of the people

scientific,cultural progress

His time was marked by scientific,cultural, and religious prosperity.
Islamic art and music also flourished significantly during his reign.

He invited Scholars from India , Iran and got translated all works into Arabic.

All branches of art and science were patronized.

He established the legendary library Bayt al-Hikma ("House of Wisdom") in Baghdad in present-day Iraq, and during his rule Baghdad began to flourish as a center of knowledge, culture and trade.

Harun was intellectually, politically, and militarily resourceful, his life and his court was splendid.

Galaxy of Learned men in Court:

Under Haroon court was filled with poets, historians theologians,jurists,musicians,physicians ,artists and scientists.
Shafi,Ibn Idrisi,Gebrail the physician were the renowned men of his age.


Development of Hanafi School of thought:

Hanifiya school of muslim Jurisprudence of Fiqh acquired a systematic shape in his reign under chief Qazi Yusuf.
Hanafi school of thought took a definite shape under guidance of Qazi al Quzat Abu Yousuf.
”Principle of Ijma emerged as a source of muslim Jurisprudence”
Sports:Introduced Chess

Baghdad:The Greatest seat of Learning and Culture:

It was under Hārūn ar-Rashīd that Baghdad flourished into the most splendid city of its period.
Tribute was paid by many rulers to the caliph, and these funds were used on architecture, thearts and a luxurious life at court.
Haroon spent lavishly on culture , learning ,public works and art.
at the time of his death treasurry contained 900 Million Dirhams.
Baghdad became rival to Byzantine in wealth and splendour.

Arabian Nights:

The stories of Arabian nights have lent a special charm to his illustrious reign.
It throws sufficient light on the court life of Haroon ,his generosity and his patronage of worthy men.
Because of the Thousand-and-One Nights tales, Harun al-Rashid turned into a legendary figure obscuring his true historic personality.
The elaborately plotted stories , filled with intrigue, are folkloric in origin.

Three of the best known are the History of
Alladin and the Wonderful Lamp,
The History of Sinbad, the Sailor and
The History of Ali Baba and The 40 Thieves.

Patronage of Music:
He paid 10000 Dinars for a single song He was first to elevate music into a noble profession establishing degrees and Honours as in sciences and literature.”

His Brilliant Court:
His court life was indeed brilliant.
Audienced chamber adorned with richest fabrics of east.
Colourfull life of Haroon court andless pleasures and luxury.
Persian influence waas supreme.

Foreign embassies

Foreign embassies from emperor of China and Frankish king Charlemagne.
Franks returned home with gifts from Haroon included elephants,monkeys,bronze ,.
Water clock was contrived that when hour struck as many horsemen as the hour came out of a door.

Social Services :
Schools,Mosques,Hospital,Irrigation Canals.
Lower Iraq became affluent.
Treasurry was filled with millions of Dirhams.
Shift of Capital
In 796, he moved his court and government to Ar-Raqqah at the middle Euphrates in present-day Syria.
Here he spent 12 years, most of his reign.
Only once did he return to Baghdad for a short visit.
Several reasons might have influenced the decision to move to ar-Raqqa.
It was close to the Byzantine border.
The agriculture was flourishing to support the new Imperial center.
And from Raqqa any rebellion in Syria and the middle Euphrates area could be controlled.
In ar-Raqqah the Barmekids managed the fate of the empire, and there both heirs, al-Amin and al-Ma'mun grew up.

Nicephoros LETTERS

Al-Rashid waged many campaigns against the Byzantines.
When the Byzantine empress Irene was deposed, Nikephoros I became emperor and refused to pay tribute to Harun, saying that Irene should have been receiving the tribute the whole time.
News of this angered Harun, who wrote a message on the back of the Roman emperor's letter and said "In the name of God the most merciful, From Amir al-Mu'minin Harun al-Rashid, commander of the faithful, to Nikephoros, dog of the Romans. Thou shalt not hear, thou shalt behold my reply". After campaigns in Asia Minor, Nikephoros was forced to conclude a treaty, with humiliating terms.

Barmakids

During his rule, the family of Barmakids, which played a deciding role in establishing the Abbasid Caliphate, declined gradually.
His vizier (chief minister) Yahya the Barmakid, Yahya's sons (especially Ja'far ibn Yahya), and other Barmakids generally controlled the administration.
The Barmakids were a Persian family (from Balkh) that dated back to the Barmak a hereditary Buddhist priest of Nava Vihara,who converted after the Islamic conquest of Balkh and became very powerful under al-Mahdi.
Yahya had helped Hārūn in obtaining the caliphate, and he and his sons were in high favor until 798,
when the caliph threw them in prison and confiscated their land.

Haroon Frontier Defence Policy:

Haroon had spent his youth in frontier wars with Greeks.
He took special interest in Frontier defence.
He lived in Baghdad little .

He spent at ar Raqqa a bordering Place.
He created there a separate border region province.
Established line of fortresses along border.

Place military commander there.

Life long wars against Byzantine as they constantly violated treaties and invade muslim territories.

Character

Harun made the pilgrimage to Mecca several times, e.g., 793, 795, 797, 802 and last in 803.
Tabari concludes his account of Harun's reign with these words: "It has been said that when Harun al-Rashid died, there were nine hundred million odd (dirhams) in the state treasury."
In 808, Harun went to settle the insurrection of Rafi ibn al-Layth in Transoxania, became ill, and died in 809.
He was buried under the palace of Hamid ibn Qahtabi, the governor of Khurasan.
The location later became known as Mashhad ("The Place of Martyrdom") because of the martyrdom of Imam ar-Ridha in 818.