51 Facts About Harun al-Rashid

Harun al-Rashid's reign is traditionally regarded to be the beginning of the Islamic Golden Age.

Domestically, Harun al-Rashid pursued policies similar to those of his father Al-Mahdi.

Harun al-Rashid sent various presents with the emissaries on their return to Charlemagne's court, including a clock that Charlemagne and his retinue deemed to be a conjuration because of the sounds it emanated and the tricks it displayed every time an hour ticked.

Harun al-Rashid was born in Rey, then part of Jibal in the Abbasid Caliphate, in present-day Tehran Province, Iran.

Harun al-Rashid was promoted to crown prince and given the responsibility of governing the empire's western territories, from Syria to Azerbaijan.

Harun al-Rashid became caliph in 786 when he was in his early twenties.

Harun al-Rashid 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.

In 796, Harun al-Rashid moved the entire court to Raqqa on the middle Euphrates, where he spent 12 years, most of his reign.

Harun al-Rashid appointed the Hanafi jurist Muhammad al-Shaybani as qadi, but dismissed him in 803.

Harun al-Rashid is quoted as saying: "Today Law and Language have died".

Harun al-Rashid was a great patron of art and learning, and is best known for the unsurpassed splendor of his court and lifestyle.

Harun al-Rashid was influenced by the full will of his powerful and influential mother in the governance of the empire until her death in 789.

Yahya had helped Harun al-Rashid to obtain the caliphate, and he and his sons were in high favor until 798, when the caliph threw them in prison and confiscated their land.

The fall of the Barmakids is far more likely due to their behaving in a manner that Harun al-Rashid found disrespectful and making decisions in matters of state without first consulting him.

Harun al-Rashid was called "A-lun" in the Chinese Tang Annals.

Revolts broke out in Khorasan, and Harun al-Rashid waged many campaigns against the Byzantines.

Harun al-Rashid was the daughter of his paternal uncle, Ja'far and maternal aunt Salsal, sister of Al-Khayzuran.

Harun al-Rashid had been formerly married to Sulayman bin Abi Ja'far, who had divorced her.

Harun al-Rashid had been formerly been married to Ibrahim ibn al-Mahdi, who had repudiated her.

Harun al-Rashid was the daughter of Abdullah bin Muhammad, and had descended from Uthman, the third Caliph of the Rashidun.

Harun al-Rashid had been a slave girl of Yahya ibn Khalid, the Barmakid.

Harun al-Rashid then approached Yahya, who presented him with the girl.

Harun al-Rashid was a Barmakid, and had been formerly a slave girl of Yahya ibn Khalid.

Harun al-Rashid had been educated at Medina and had studied instrumental and vocal music.

Harun al-Rashid was a Persian, and came from distant Badhaghis in Persia.

Harun al-Rashid was one of the ten maids presented to Harun.

Harun al-Rashid was Harun's second son, born to a concubine mother.

Harun al-Rashid was a Sogdian, and was born in Kufah.

Harun al-Rashid was one of the ten maids presented to Harun by Zubaidah.

Harun al-Rashid caught the fancy of Ibrahim al-Mausili, whose songs in praise of her soon reached Harun's attention, who bought her for the enormous sum of 70,000 dinars.

Harun al-Rashid was the mother of Harun's son, Abu al-Abbas Muhammad.

Harun al-Rashid was born and brought up in the Yamamah in central Arabia.

Harun al-Rashid was a singer and a poet, and had been a slave girl of Abu Khalid al-Natifi.

Harun al-Rashid bore Harun two sons, both of whom died young.

Harun al-Rashid accompanied him to Khurasan where he, and, soon after, she died.

Al-Masudi tells the story of Harun al-Rashid setting his poets a challenging task.

Harun al-Rashid laughed and said that he did not know which was more entertaining, the song or the story.

Shortly before he died, Harun al-Rashid is said to have been reading some lines by Abu al-Atahiya about the transitory nature of the power and pleasures of this world, an anecdote related to other caliphs as well.

Every morning, Harun al-Rashid gave one thousand dirhams to charity and made one hundred prostrations a day.

Harun al-Rashid asked al-Sammak what he would like to tell him.

Harun al-Rashid's servant cried out in protest that the Prince of the Faithful will definitely go to heaven after he has ruled justly on earth.

Harun al-Rashid always took a number of ascetics with him, and whenever he was unable to go on pilgrimage, he sent dignitaries and three hundred clerics at his own expense.

One day, Harun al-Rashid was visiting a dignitary when he was struck by his beautiful slave.

Harun al-Rashid was an excellent horseman, enjoyed hunting and was fond of military exercises such as charging dummies with his sword.

Harun al-Rashid was the first Abbasid caliph to have played and promoted chess.

Harun al-Rashid desired a slave girl that was owned by an official named Isa who refused to give her to Harun al-Rashid, despite threats.

Yusuf, a judge and advisor to Harun al-Rashid, was called to arbitrate the case and to figure out a legal way for Isa to maintain his belongings even if Harun al-Rashid walked away with the girl.

Yusuf decided that if Isa gave half of the girl to Harun al-Rashid and sold him the other half, it could not be said that Isa had either given her away or sold her, keeping his promise.

Harun al-Rashid had an anxious soul and supposedly was prone to walk the streets of Baghdad at night.

Harun al-Rashid first removed and arrested Ali bin Isa bin Mahan but the revolt continued unchecked.

Harun al-Rashid was succeeded by another of Harun's son Abu Ishaq Muhammad, his mother was Marida, a concubine.