Harun Al-Rashid - Wikipedia

12/7/21, 6:58 PM Harun al-Rashid - Wikipedia
Harun al-Rashid
Harun al-Rashid (/hɑːˈruːn ɑːlrɑːˈʃiːd/; Arabic:
Harun al-Rashid
‫َهاُر ون الَر ِش يد‬‎ Hārūn Ar-Rašīd, "Aaron the Just" or

"Aaron the Rightly-Guided"; 17 March 763 or ‫َه اُرون الَرِش يد‬
February 766 – 24 March 809 CE / 148–193 AH)[1] Khalīfah
was the fifth Abbasid Caliph. His birth date is Amir al-Mu'minin
debated, with various sources giving dates from 763
to 766. His epithet "al-Rashid" translates to "the
Orthodox", "the Just", "the Upright", or "the
Rightly-Guided". He ruled from 786 to 809,
traditionally regarded to be the beginning of the
Islamic Golden Age.
Harun established the legendary library Bayt al-

Hikma ("House of Wisdom") in Baghdad in present-
day Iraq, and during his rule Baghdad began to Gold dinar of Harun al-Rashid dated AH 171
flourish as a world center of knowledge, culture and (787-788 CE)
trade.[2] During his rule, the family of Barmakids, 5th Caliph of the Abbasid Caliphate
which played a deciding role in establishing the Reign 14 September 786 – 24 March
Abbasid Caliphate, declined gradually. In 796, he
809
moved his court and government to Raqqa in
present-day Syria. Predecessor Al-Hadi
Successor Al-Amin
A Frankish mission came to offer Harun friendship
in 799. Harun sent various presents with the Born 17 March 763 or February 766
emissaries on their return to Charlemagne's court, Ray, Jibal, Abbasid Caliphate
including a clock that Charlemagne and his retinue (in present-day Tehran Province,
deemed to be a conjuration because of the sounds it
Iran)
emanated and the tricks it displayed every time an
hour ticked.[3][4][5] Portions of the fictional One Died 24 March 809 (aged 43)
Thousand and One Nights are set in Harun's court Tus, Khorasan, Abbasid
and some of its stories involve Harun himself.[6] Caliphate
Harun's life and court have been the subject of many (in present-day Razavi
other tales, both factual and fictitious. Khorasan Province, Iran)
Burial Tomb of Harun al-Rashid in
Imam Reza Mosque, Mashhad,
Contents Iran
Early life Spouse Zubaidah bint Ja'far
Caliphate Azizah bint al-Ghitrif

Advisors Ghadir
Diplomacy Umm Muhammad bint Salih
Rebellions Abbassah bint Sulayman
Family Jurashiyyah bint Abdallah
Anecdotes Marajil Umm Abdallah
Death (concubine)
Legacy Marida bint Shabib (concubine)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harun_al-Rashid 1/13
In popular culture Qasif (concubine)

See also 20 more known concubines
References Issue Al-Ma'mun
Bibliography Al-Amin
Further reading Al-Qasim
External links Al-Mu'tasim
Abdan ibn Harun al-Rashid
Early life Sukaynah bint Harun al-Rashid

See more below
Hārūn was born in Rey, then part of Jibal in the Names
Abbasid Caliphate, in present-day Tehran Province,
Iran. He was the son of al-Mahdi, the third Abbasid Harun al-Rashid ibn Muhammad al-
caliph (r. 775–786), and his wife al-Khayzuran, (a Mahdi
former slave girl from Yemen) who was a woman of Dynasty Abbasid
strong personality and who greatly influenced
Father Al-Mahdi
affairs of state in the reigns of her husband and
sons. Growing up Harun studied history, geography, Mother Al-Khayzuran
rhetoric, music, poetry, and economics. However, Religion Islam
most of his time was dedicated to mastering hadith
and the Quran. In addition, he underwent advanced physical education as a future mujahid, and as
a result, he practiced swordplay, archery, and learned the art of war.[7]
Before becoming a caliph, in 780 and again in 782, Hārūn had already nominally led campaigns
against the Caliphate's traditional enemy, the Eastern Roman Empire, ruled by Empress Irene.
The latter expedition was a huge undertaking, and even reached the Asian suburbs of
Constantinople. According to the Muslim chronicler Al-Tabari, the Byzantines had lost tens of
thousands of soldiers during Harun's campaign, and Harun employed 20,000 mules to carry the
booty back. Upon his return to the Abbasid realm, the cost of a sword fell to one dirham and the
price of a horse to a single gold Byzantine dinar.[8]
Harun's raids against the Byzantines elevated his political image and once he returned, he was
given the alias "al-Rashid", meaning "the Rightly-Guided One". He was promoted to crown prince
and given the responsibility of governing the empire's western territories, from Syria to
Azerbaijan.[9]
Caliphate
Hārūn became caliph in 786 when he was in his early
twenties. At the time, he was tall, good looking, and slim
but strongly built, with wavy hair and olive skin.[10] On
the day of accession, his son al-Ma'mun was born, and
al-Amin some little time later: the latter was the son of
Zubaida, a granddaughter of al-Mansur (founder of the
city of Baghdad); so he took precedence over the former,
whose mother was a Persian. Upon his accession, Harun Map of the Abbasid Caliphate and its
led Friday prayers in Baghdad's Great Mosque and then provinces, c. 788
sat publicly as officials and the layman alike lined up to
swear allegiance and declare their happiness at his
ascent to Amir al-Mu'minin.[11] 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.[12]
Harun greatly admired the ancient Persian king Darius and, to a certain extent, attempted to
imitate his rule.[13]
Under Hārūn al-Rashīd's rule, Baghdad flourished into the most splendid city of its period. Tribute
paid by many rulers to the caliph funded architecture, the arts and court luxuries.
In 796, Hārūn moved the entire court to Raqqa on the middle Euphrates, where he spent 12 years,
most of his reign. He appointed the Hanafi jurist Muhammad al-Shaybani qadi (judge), but
dismissed him in 803. He visited Baghdad only once. Several reasons may have influenced the
decision to move to Raqqa: its closeness to the Byzantine border, its excellent communication lines
via the Euphrates to Baghdad and via the Balikh river to the north and via Palmyra to Damascus,
rich agricultural land, and the strategic advantage over any rebellion which might arise in Syria
and the middle Euphrates area. Abu al-Faraj al-Isfahani, in his anthology of poems, depicts the
splendid life in his court. In Raqqa the Barmakids managed the fate of the empire, and both heirs,
al-Amin and al-Ma'mun, grew up there. At some point the royal court relocated again to Al-Rayy,
the capital city of Khorasan, where the famous philologist and leader of the Kufan school, Al-Kisa'i,
accompanied the caliph with his entourage. When al-Kisa'i became ill while in Al-Rayy, it is said
that Harun visited him daily. It seems al-Shaybani and al-Kisa'i both died there on the same day in
804. Harun is quoted as saying: "Today Law and Language have died".
For the administration of the whole empire, he fell back on his mentor and longtime associate
Yahya bin Khalid bin Barmak. Rashid appointed him as his vizier with full executive powers, and,
for seventeen years, Yahya and his sons served Rashid faithfully in whatever assignment he
entrusted to them.[14]
Harun made pilgrimages to Mecca by camel (2,820 km or 1,750 mi from Baghdad) 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 ar-Rashid died, there were nine hundred million odd
(dirhams) in the state treasury."[15]
According to Shia belief, Harun imprisoned and poisoned Musa ibn Ja'far, the 7th Imam, in
Baghdad.
Under al-Rashid, each city had its own law enforcement, which besides keeping order was
supposed to examine the public markets in order to ensure, for instance, that proper scales and
measures were used; enforce the payment of debts; and clamp down on illegal activities such as
gambling, usury, and sales of alcohol.[16]
Advisors
Hārūn was influenced by the will of his incredibly powerful

mother in the governance of the empire until her death in 789.
His vizier (chief minister) Yahya the Barmakid, Yahya's sons
(especially Ja'far ibn Yahya), and other Barmakids generally
controlled the administration. The position of Persians in the
Abbasid caliphal court reached its peak during al-Rashid's
A silver dirham minted in Madinat al-
reign.[17]
Salam (Bagdad) in 170 AH (786
CE). At the reverse, the inner The Barmakids were an Afghan family (from Balkh) that dated
marginal inscription says: "By order back to the Barmak, a hereditary Buddhist priest of Nava
of the slave of God, Harun, Vihara, who converted after the Islamic conquest of Balkh and
Commander of the Faithful"
became very powerful under al-Mahdi. Yahya had helped
Hārūn 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. Muhammad
ibn Jarir al-Tabari dates this event to 803 and lists various reasons for it: Yahya's entering the
Caliph's presence without permission; Yahya's opposition to Muhammad ibn al Layth, who later
gained Harun's favour; and Ja'far's release of Yahya ibn Abdallah ibn Hasan, whom Harun had
imprisoned.
The fall of the Barmakids is far more likely due to their behaving in a manner that Harun found
disrespectful (such as entering his court unannounced) and making decisions in matters of state
without first consulting him. Al-Fadl ibn al-Rabi succeeded Yahya the Barmakid as Harun's chief
minister.
Diplomacy
Both Einhard and Notker the Stammerer refer to the envoys

travelling between Harun's and Charlemagne's courts,
amicable discussions concerning Christian access to the Holy
Land and the exchange of gifts. Notker mentions Charlemagne
sent Harun Spanish horses, colorful Frisian cloaks and
impressive hunting dogs. In 802 Harun sent Charlemagne a
present consisting of silks, brass candelabra, perfume, balsam,
ivory chessmen, a colossal tent with many-colored curtains, an Harun al-Rashid receiving a
elephant named Abul-Abbas, and a water clock that marked delegation sent by Charlemagne at
the hours by dropping bronze balls into a bowl, as mechanical his court in Baghdad. 1864 painting
knights—one for each hour—emerged from little doors which by Julius Köckert.
shut behind them. The presents were unprecedented in
Western Europe and may have influenced Carolingian art.[18]
When the Byzantine empress Irene was deposed in 802, 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 ar-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.[19][20] According to Dr. Ahmad Mukhtar al-Abadi, It is due to the particularly
fierce second retribution campaign against Nikephoros, that the Byzantine practically ceased any
attempt to incite any conflict against the Abbasid again until the rule of Al-Ma'mun.[21][22]
An alliance was established with the Chinese Tang dynasty by Ar-Rashid after he sent embassies to
China.[23][24] He was called "A-lun" in the Chinese Tang Annals.[25] The alliance was aimed
against the Tibetans.[26][27][28][29][30]
When diplomats and messengers visited Harun in his palace, he was screened behind a curtain. No
visitor or petitioner could speak first, interrupt, or oppose the caliph. They were expected to give
their undivided attention to the caliph and calculate their responses with great care.[31]
Rebellions
Because of the Thousand and One Nights tales, Harun al-Rashid turned into a legendary figure
obscuring his true historic personality. In fact, his reign initiated the political disintegration of the
Abbasid caliphate. Syria was inhabited by tribes with Umayyad sympathies and remained the
bitter enemy of the Abbasids, while Egypt witnessed uprisings against Abbasids due to
maladministration and arbitrary taxation. The Umayyads had been established in Spain in 755, the
Idrisids in Morocco in 788, and the Aghlabids in Ifriqiya (modern Tunisia) in 800. Besides, unrest
flared up in Yemen, and the Kharijites rose in rebellion in Daylam, Kerman, Fars and Sistan.
Revolts also broke out in Khorasan, and al-Rashid waged many campaigns against the Byzantines.
Al-Rashid appointed Ali bin Isa bin Mahan as the governor of Khorasan, who tried to bring to heel
the princes and chieftains of the region, and to reimpose the full authority of the central
government on them. This new policy met with fierce resistance and provoked numerous uprisings
in the region.
Family
Harun's first wife was Zubaidah. She was the daughter his paternal uncle, Ja'far and maternal aunt
Salsal, sister of Al-Khayzuran.[32] They married in 781-82, at the residence of Muhammad bin
Sulayman in Baghdad. She had one son, Caliph Al-Amin.[33] She died in 831.[34] Another of his
wives was Azizah, daughter of Ghitrif, brother of Al-Khayzuran.[35] She had been formerly married
to Sulayman bin Abi Ja'far, who had divorced her.[34] Another was Amat-al-Aziz Ghadir, who had
been formerly a concubine of his brother al-Hadi.[35] She had one son Ali.[33] She died in 789.[35]
Another wife was Umm Muhammad, the daughter of Salih al-Miskin and Umm Abdullah, the
daughter of Isa bin Ali. They married in November-December 803 in Al-Raqqah. She had been
formerly been married to Ibrahim ibn al-Mahdi, who had repudiated her.[34] Another wife married
around the same year was Abbassah, daughter of Sulayman bin Abi Ja'far.[34] Another wife was
Jurashiyyah al-Uthmanniyah. She was the daughter of Abdullah bin Muhammad, and had
descended from Uthman, the third Caliph of the Rashidun.[34]
Harun's earliest known concubine was Hailanah. She had been a slave girl of Yahya ibn Khalid, the
Barmakid. It was she who begged him, while he was yet a prince, to take her away from the elderly
Yahya. Harun then approached Yahya, who presented him with the girl. She died three years
later[36] in 789-90,[37] and Harun mourned her deeply.[36] Another concubine was Dananir. She
was a Barmakid, and had been formerly a slave girl of Yahya ibn Khalid. She had been educated at
Medina and had studied instrumental and vocal music.[38] Another concubine was Marajil. She
was a Persian, and came from distant Badhaghis in Persia. She was one of the ten maids presented
to Harun. She gave birth to Abdullah (future caliph Al-Ma'mun) on the night of Harun's accession
to the throne, in September 786, in whose birth she died. Her son was then adopted by
Zubaidah.[33] Another concubine was Qasif, mother of Al-Qasim. He was Harun's second son,
born to a concubine mother. Harun's eldest daughter Sukaynah was also born to her.[39]
Another concubine was Maridah. Her father was Shabib.[40] She was a Sogdian, and was born in
Kufah. She was one of the ten maids presented to Harun by Zubaidah. She had five children. These
were Abu Ishaq (future Caliph Al-Mu'tasim), Abu Isma'il, Umm Habib, and two others whose
names are unknown. She was Harun's favourite concubine.[41] Some other favourite concubines
were, Dhat al-Khal, Sihr, and Diya. Diya passed away, much to Harun's sorrow.[42] Dhat al-Khal
also known as Khubth[43] was a songstress, belonging to a slave-dealer who was himself a
freedman of Abbasah, the sister of Al-Rashid. She 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.[44] She was the mother of Harun's son, Abu al-Abbas Muhammad.[43][44] Sihr was
mother of Harun's daughters, Khadijah[44] and Karib.[45] Another concubine was Inan. Her father
was Abdullah.[46] She was born and brought up in the Yamamah in central Arabia. She was a
songstress and a poet, and had been a slave girl of Abu Khalid al-Natifi.[47] She bore Harun two
sons, both of whom died young. She accompanied him to Khurasan where he, and, soon after, she
died.[48] Another was Ghadid, also known as Musaffa, and she was mother of Harun's daughters,
Hamdunah[49] and Fatimah.[45] She was his favourite concubine.[49] Hamdunah and Fatimah
married Al-Hadi's sons, Isma'il and Ja'far respectively.[50]
Another of Harun's concubines was the captive daughter of a Greek churchman of Heraclea
acquired with the fall of that city in 806. Zubaidah once more presented him with one of her
personal maids who had caught his fancy. Harun's half-brother, while governor of Egypt from 795
to 797, also sent the him an Egyptian maid who immediately won his favour.[51] Some other
concubines were namely: Ri'm, mother of Salih; Irbah, mother of Abu Isa Muhammad; Sahdhrah,
mother of Abu Yaqub Muhammad; Rawah, mother of Abu Sulayman Muhammad; Dawaj, mother
of Abu Ali Muhammad; Kitman, mother of Abu Ahmad Muhammad; Hulab, mother of Arwa;
Irabah, mother of Umm al-Hassan; Sukkar, mother of Umm Abiha; Rahiq, mother of Umm
Salamah; Khzq, mother of Umm al-Qasim; Haly, mother of Umm Ja'far Ramlah; Aniq, mother of
Umm Ali; Samandal, mother of Umm al-Ghaliyah; Zinah, mother of Raytah.[52]
Anecdotes
Many anecdotes attached themselves to the person of Harun al-Rashid in the centuries following
his rule. Saadi of Shiraz inserted a number of them into his Gulistan.
Al-Masudi relates a number of interesting anecdotes in The Meadows of Gold illuminating the
character of this caliph. For example, he recounts Harun's delight when his horse came in first,
closely followed by al-Ma'mun's, at a race Harun held at Raqqa. Al-Masudi tells the story of Harun
setting his poets a challenging task. When others failed to please him, Miskin of Medina succeeded
superbly well. The poet then launched into a moving account of how much it had cost him to learn
that song. Harun laughed saying he did not know which was more entertaining, the song or the
story. He rewarded the poet.[53]
There is also the tale of Harun asking Ishaq ibn Ibrahim to keep singing. The musician did until
the caliph fell asleep. Then, strangely, a handsome young man appeared, snatched the musician's
lute, sang a very moving piece (al-Masudi quotes it), and left. On awakening and being informed of
this, Harun said Ishaq ibn Ibrahim had received a supernatural visitation.
Shortly before he died, Harun 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 gave one thousand dirhams to charity and made one hundred prostrations a
day.[15] Harun famously used to look up at rain clouds in the sky and said: "rain where you like,
but I will get the land tax!"[54]
Harun was terrified for his soul in the afterlife. It was reported that he quickly cried when he
thought of God and read poems about the briefness of life.[55]
Soon after he became caliph, Harun asked his servant to bring him Ibn al-Sammak, a renowned
scholar, in order to obtain wisdom from him. Harun asked al-Sammak what he would like to tell
him. Al-Sammak replied "I would like you always to remember that one day you will stand alone
before your God. You will then be consigned either to Heaven or to Hell." This was too harsh for
Harun's liking and he was obviously disturbed. His servant cried out in protest that the Prince of
the Faithful will definitely go to heaven after he has ruled justly on earth. However, al-Sammak
ignored the interruption and looked straight into the eyes of Harun and said, "you will not have
this man to defend you on that day."[55]
An official, Maan ibn Zaidah, had fallen out of favor with Harun. When Harun saw him in court, he
said "you have grown old." The elderly man responded, "Yes, O Commander of the Faithful in your
service." Harun replied, "But you have still some energy left." The old man replied, “what I have, is
yours to dispose of as you wish... and I am bold in opposing your foes." Harun was satisfied with
the encounter and made the man governor of Basra for his final years.[56]
On hajj, he distributed large amounts of money to the people of Mecca and Medina, and to poor
pilgrims en route. He 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.[57]
One day Harun was visiting a dignitary when he was struck by his beautiful slave. Harun asked the
man to give her to him, the man obliged but was visibly disturbed by the loss. After, Harun felt
sorry for what he had done and gave her back.[58]
Harun was an excellent horseman, enjoyed hunting (with Salukis, falcons, and hawks), and was
fond of military exercises such as charging dummies with his sword. Harun was also the first
Abbasid caliph to have played and promoted chess.[59]
Harun desired a slave girl that was owned by an official named Isa who refused to give her to
Harun, despite threats. Isa explained that he swore (in the middle of a sex act) that if he ever gave
away or sold her, he would divorce his wife, free his slaves, and give all of his possessions to the
impoverished. Yusuf, a judge and advisor to Harun, was called to arbitrate the case and to figure
out a legal way for Isa to maintain his belongings even if Harun walked away with the girl. Yusuf
decided that if Isa gave half of the girl to Harun and sold him the other half, it could not be said
that Isa had either given her away or sold her, keeping his promise.[60]
Harun had an anxious soul and supposedly was prone to walk the streets of Baghdad at night. At
times Ja'far ibn Yahya accompanied him. These nighttime tours likely arose from a genuine and
sympathetic concern in the well-being of his people, for, it is said, he was assiduous to relieve any
of their trials and tend to their needs.[56]
Death
A major revolt led by Rafi ibn al-Layth was started
in Samarqand which forced Harun al-Rashid to
move to Khorasan. He first removed and arrested
Ali bin Isa bin Mahan but the revolt continued
unchecked. (Harun had dismissed Ali and replaced
him with Harthama ibn A'yan, and in 808 marched
himself east to deal with the rebel Rafi ibn al-
Layth, but died in March 809 while at Tus [61]).
Harun al-Rashid became ill and died very soon Abbasid Dinar minted in Baghdad 184 AH (800
after when he reached Sanabad village in Tus and CE) with the name of Commander of the Faithful
was buried in Dar al-Imarah, the summer palace of Harun al-Rashid and his first Heir, prince al-Amin
Humayd ibn Qahtaba, the Abbasid governor of (Al-Amin was nominated first heir, Al-Ma'mun
Khorasan. Due to this historical event, the Dar al- second and Al-Qasim was third heir.) After
Imarah was known as the Mausoleum of Harun's death in 809 he was succeeded by Al-
Haruniyyeh. The location later became known as Amin.
Mashhad ("The Place of Martyrdom") because of
the martyrdom of Imam al-Ridha in 818.
Legacy
Al-Rashid virtually dismembered the empire by apportioning it between his two sons al-Amin and
al-Ma'mun (with his third son, al-Qasim, being belatedly added after them). Very soon it became
clear that by dividing the Empire, Rashid had actually helped to set the opposing parties against
one another, and had provided them with sufficient resources to become independent of each
other. After the death of Harun al-Rashid, civil war broke out in the empire between his two sons,
al-Amin and al-Ma'mun, which spiralled into a prolonged period of turmoil and warfare
throughout the Caliphate, ending only with Ma'mun's final triumph in 827.
In popular culture
In Shinobu Ohtaka's Magi: The Labyrinth of Magic, the former king
of Balbadd is called Rashid Saluja. In the spin-off Adventure of
Sinbad, Rashid's alias is Harun.
Rex Stout's The League of Frightened Men (1935), page 191, has
Mr. Hibbard say, "[Harun-al-Rashid] was seeking entertainment
[not life]."
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow wrote a short poem titled "Haroun Al
Raschid".
O. Henry uses the character in his story "The Caliph And The
Cad". The theme of the story is "turning the tables on Haroun al
Raschid".
Alfred Tennyson wrote a poem in his youth entitled "Recollections
Of The Arabian Nights". Every stanza (except the last one) ends
with "of good Haroun Alraschid".
Harun al-Rashid was a main figure and character in several of the
stories in some of the oldest versions of the One Thousand and
One Nights. Harun al-Rashid as
depicted in the Arabian
The Indian television series Alif Laila (1993–1997), an adaptation
Nights.
of the Arabian Nights, features several tales involving the caliph
from the classic collection of stories.[62]
Hārūn ar-Rashīd figures throughout James Joyce's Ulysses,
in a dream of Stephen Dedalus, one of the protagonists.
Stephen's efforts to recall this dream continue throughout the
novel, culminating in the novel's fifteenth episode, wherein
some characters also take on the guise of Hārūn.
In a 1923 poem by W. B. Yeats, "The Gift of Harun al-
Rashid",[63][64] Harun al-Rashid is celebrated.
A story of one of Harun's wanderings provides the climax to
the narrative game of titles at the end of Italo Calvino's If on a
winter's night a traveler (1979). In Calvino's story, Harun
wanders at night, only to be drawn into a conspiracy in which
he is selected to assassinate the Caliph Harun-al-Rashid.
In Charles Dickens' 1842 travelogue, American Notes for
General Circulation, he compares American supporters of
slavery to the "Caliph Harun al-Rashid in his angry robe of Harun al-Rashid from the book
scarlet". Kitab khizanat al-ayyam fī
tarajim al-ʻizam, first published in
The two protagonists of Salman Rushdie's 1990 novel
New york in 1899
Haroun and the Sea of Stories are Haroun and his father
Rashid Khalifa.
In the Sten science fiction novels by Allan Cole and Chris
Bunch, the character of the Eternal Emperor uses the name "H. E. Raschid" when incognito;
this is confirmed, in the final book of the series, as a reference to the character from Burton's
translation of The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night.
In Roald Dahl's story The BFG, the Sultan of Baghdad says he had an uncle called Caliph
Harun al-Rashid who disappeared with his wife and ten children.
The movie The Golden Blade (1952), starring Rock Hudson and Piper Laurie depicts the
adventures of Harun who uses a magic sword to free a fairy-tale Baghdad from Jafar, the evil
usurper of the throne. After he finally wins the hand of princess Khairuzan she awards him the
title Al-Rashid ("the righteous").
The comic book The Sandman features a story (issue 50, "Ramadan") set in the world of the
One Thousand and One Nights, with Hārūn ar-Rashīd as the protagonist. It highlights his
historical and mythical role as well as his discussion of the transitory nature of power. The
story is included in the collection The Sandman: Fables and Reflections.
Haroun El Poussah in the French comic strip Iznogoud is a satirical version of Hārūn ar-
Rashīd.
In Quest for Glory II, the sultan who adopts the Hero as his son is named Hārūn ar-Rashīd. He
is often seen prophesying on the streets of Shapeir as The Poet Omar.
Harun al-Rashid appears as the leader of Arabia in the video game Civilization V.[65]
Future US President Theodore Roosevelt, when he was a New York Police Department
Commissioner, was called in the local newspapers "Haroun-al-Roosevelt".
In The Master and Margarita, by novelist Mikhail Bulgakov, Harun al-Rashid is referenced by
the character Korovyev in which he warns a door man not to judge him "by [his] suit", and to
reference the story of "the famous caliph, Harun al-Rashid".
In the 1924 film Waxworks, a poet is hired by a wax
museum proprietor to write back-stories for three wax
models. Among these wax models is Harun al-Rashid,
played by Emil Jannings.
In the 2006 novel Variable Star by Robert Heinlein and
Spider Robinson, chapter 1 is prefaced with a quotation
from Alfred, Lord Tennyson's "Recollections of the Arabian
Nights" regarding "good Harun Alrashid", the relevance of
which becomes apparent in chapter 2 when one character
relates stories (probably apocryphal and presumably
drawn from Tennyson) of Harun al-Rahsid to another
character in order to use them as an analogy.
The second chapter in the novel Prince Otto by Robert
Louis Stevenson has the title "In which the Prince Plays
Haroun al-Raschid".
Haroun al-Rashid has a character page in the video game
Crusader Kings II, and it is possible to play as his Sketch drawing of Harun al-Rashid
descendants of the Abbasid dynasty. by poet and visual artist Kahlil
Harun al-Rashid is mentioned in passing by the character Gibran (1883–1931)
Madame de Villefort in Alexandre Dumas's novel The
Count of Monte Cristo as an example of how different
cultures react to poisoners.
Harun al-Rashid appears on the children's comic book Mampato, in the stories "Bromiznar de
Bagdad" and "Ábrete Sesamo", by the Chilean author Themo Lobos. In this story, al-Rashid is
shown at first as lazy and indolent, but after a series of adventures he decides to take the
leading role against an evil Visir and help the main character, Mampato.
Frank Lloyd Wright designed a monument to al-Rashid as part of his proposed 1957 urban
renewal plan for Baghdad, Iraq.[66]
In his book The Power Broker, Robert Caro compares New York City mayor Fiorello H. La
Guardia to Harun al-Rashid in the way each "roam[ed] his domain."[67]
The Syrian television series Harun Al-Rashid (2018), starring Kosai Khauli, Karis Bashar, and
Yasser Al-Masri focuses on Harun and his relation with his brother Caliph Al-Hadi, and that
preceded Harun's ascent to the Caliphate. It also focuses on his relations with his elder sons
and nomination of Al-Amin and Al-Ma'mun as heir.
See also
Isma'il ibn Salih ibn Ali al-Hashimi

Abd al-Malik ibn Salih
References
1. Assuyuti, Tarikh Al Khulafa
2. Audun Holme, Geometry: Our Cultural Heritage p. 150.
3. André Clot, Harun al-Rashid and the world of the thousand and one nights, p. 97.
4. Royal Frankish Annals, DCCCVII.
5. Charlemagne: Translated sources, p. 98.
6. André Clot, Harun al-Rashid and the world of the thousand and one nights.
7. Bobrick 2012, p. 38.
8. Bobrick 2012, p. 25.
9. Bobrick 2012, p. 24.
10. Bobrick 2012, p. 37.
11. Bobrick 2012, p. 36.
12. New Arabian nights' entertainments, Volume 3
13. Bobrick 2012, p. 39.
14. Masʻūdī, Paul Lunde, Caroline Stone, The meadows of gold: the Abbasids page 62
15. Bobrick 2012, p. 42.
16. Bobrick 2012, p. 46.
17. Hovannisian, Richard G.; Sabagh, Georges (19 November 1998). The Persian Presence in the
Islamic World. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 9780521591850.
18. Lodovico Antonio Muratori, Giuseppe Catalani (1742),Annali d'Italia: Dall'anno 601 dell'era
volare fino all'anno 840 (https://books.google.com/books?id=pNVCAQAAMAAJ), Monaco,
page 465. Muratori describes only some of these gifts.
19. Tarikh ath-Thabari 4/668–669
20. Ibn Kathir, Al-Bidaya wa'l-Nihaya v 13 p. 650
21. Mukhtar al-Abadi, Ahmad (14 September 2019). In Abbasid and Andalusian History (https://eb
ook.univeyes.com/28050/pdf-%d9%81%d9%8a-%d8%a7%d9%84%d8%aa%d8%a7%d8%b
1%d9%8a%d8%ae-%d8%a7%d9%84%d8%b9%d8%a8%d8%a7%d8%b3%d9%8a-%d9%8
8%d8%a7%d9%84%d8%a3%d9%86%d8%af%d9%84%d8%b3%d9%8a-%d9%84%d8%a3%
d8%ad%d9%85%d8%af-%d9%85%d8%ae%d8%aa%d8%a7%d8%b1-%d8%a7%d9%84%d
8%b9%d8%a8%d8%a7%d8%af%d9%8a). Ain University Library. Retrieved 28 September
2021.
22. C.E, Bosworth (January 1989). The History of al-Tabari Vol. 30: The 'Abbasid Caliphate in
Equilibrium: The Caliphates of Musa al-Hadi and Harun al-Rashid A.D. 785-809/A.H. 169-193
(https://books.google.com/books?id=wqf1gwM9O58C). SUNY Series in Near Eastern Studies.
Albany, New York: State University of New York Press. p. 365. ISBN 978-0-88706-564-4.
Retrieved 28 September 2021.
23. Dennis Bloodworth, Ching Ping Bloodworth (2004). The Chinese Machiavelli: 3000 years of
Chinese statecraft (https://books.google.com/books?id=QivwtVwq8ykC). Transaction
Publishers. p. 214. ISBN 0-7658-0568-5. Retrieved 28 June 2010.
24. Herbert Allen Giles (1926). Confucianism and its rivals (https://books.google.com/books?id=dr
PQaUGOJQIC&q=harun+raschid+less+obtrusive&pg=PA138). Forgotten Books. p. 139.
ISBN 1-60680-248-8. Retrieved 14 December 2011.
25. Marshall Broomhall (1910). Islam in China: a neglected problem (https://archive.org/details/bub
_gb_ObcNAAAAIAAJ). London: Morgan & Scott, ltd. pp. 25 (https://archive.org/details/bub_gb
_ObcNAAAAIAAJ/page/n46), 26. Retrieved 14 December 2011.
26. Bajpai 2002 (https://books.google.com/books?id=W4mCH1oCKTkC&pg=PA15&dq=Luciano+P

etech+Harun+Tibetans&hl=en&sa=X&ei=ari2VK3MNoGyggSmpYLADw&ved=0CCUQ6AEwA
Q#v=onepage&q=Luciano%20Petech%20Harun%20Tibetans&f=false), p. 15.
27. Bajpai 1981 (https://books.google.com/books?id=Tn5oVOER2ogC), p. 55.
28. Chaliand, Gérard (1970). Nomadic Empires: From Mongolia to the Danube (https://books.goog
le.com/books?id=aBcdAAAAMAAJ). Transaction Publishers. Retrieved 1 September 2018 –
via Google Books.
29. Luciano Petech, A Study of the Chronicles of Ladakh (Calcutta, 1939), pp. 73–73.
30. Luciano Petech, A Study of the Chronicles of Ladakh (Calcutta, 1939), pp. 55–85.
31. Bobrick 2012, p. 40.
32. Abbott 1946, pp. 29–30.
33. Abbott 1946, p. 141.
34. al-Tabari & Bosworth 1989, p. 326.
35. Abbott 1946, p. 137.
36. Abbott 1946, p. 138.
37. al-Sāʿī, Toorawa & Bray 2017, p. 14.
38. Abbott 1946, pp. 138–39.
39. Bosworth 1989, p. 327.
40. Meadows Of Gold. Taylor & Francis. 2013. p. 462. ISBN 978-1-136-14522-3.
41. Abbott 1946, pp. 141–42.
42. Abbott 1946, p. 143.
44. Abbott 1946, p. 144.
47. Abbott 1946, p. 146.
48. Caswell, Fuad Matthew (2011). The Slave Girls of Baghdad: The Qiyan in the Early Abbasid
Era. Bloomsbury Publishing. pp. 73–81. ISBN 978-1-78672-959-0.
50. Abbott 1946, pp. 157.
51. Abbott 1946, pp. 149–50.
52. al-Tabari & Bosworth 1989, pp. 327–28.
53. Al-Masudi, The Meadows of Gold, p. 94.
54. Bobrick 2012, p. 45.
55. Bobrick 2012, p. 62.
56. Bobrick 2012, p. 61.
57. Bobrick 2012, p. 42
58. Bobrick 2012, p. 55.
59. Bobrick 2012, p. 70.
60. Bobrick 2012, p. 57.
61. Bosworth 1995, pp. 385–386.
62. "Alif Laila DVD [20 Disc Set]" (https://www.induna.com/1000006012-productdetails/).
Induna.com.
63. "Yeats Poems Titles" (http://www.csun.edu/~hceng029/yeats/poemsalpha.html). Csun.edu.
Retrieved 1 September 2018.
64. "Archived copy" (https://web.archive.org/web/20161008075736/http://www.csun.edu/~hceng02

9/yeats/yeatspoems/GiftOfHarun). Archived from the original (http://www.csun.edu/~hceng029/
yeats/yeatspoems/GiftOfHarun) on 8 October 2016. Retrieved 16 March 2018.
65. Zacny, Rob (24 December 2010). "Civilization V Field Report 2" (https://web.archive.org/web/2
0110106162336/http://www.gamepro.com/article/features/217737/civilization-v-field-report-2).
GamePro. Archived from the original (http://www.gamepro.com/article/features/217737/civilizati
on-v-field-report-2) on 6 January 2011.
66. Levine, Neil (1 December 2015). The Urbanism of Frank Lloyd Wright. Princeton University
Press. ISBN 978-0691167534.
67. Caro, Robert (1974). The Power Broker. New York: Vintage Books. p. 444.
Bibliography
Abbott, Nabia (1946). Two Queens of Baghdad: Mother and Wife of Hārūn Al Rashīd.
University of Chicago Press. ISBN 978-0-86356-031-6.
Bobrick, Benson (2012). The Caliph's Splendor: Islam and the West in the Golden Age of
Baghdad. Simon & Schuster. ISBN 978-1416567622.
al-Tabari, Muhammad Ibn Yarir (1989). The History of al-Tabari Vol. 30: The 'Abbasid Caliphate
in Equilibrium: The Caliphates of Musa al-Hadi and Harun al-Rashid A.D. 785-809/A.H. 169-
193. Bibliotheca Persica. State University of New York Press. ISBN 978-0-88706-564-4.
al-Sāʿī, Ibn; Toorawa, Shawkat M.; Bray, Julia (2017). ‫كتاب جهات األئمة الخلفاء من الحرائر واإلماء‬
‫المسمى نساء الخلفاء‬: Women and the Court of Baghdad. Library of Arabic Literature. NYU
Press. ISBN 978-1-4798-6679-3.
Bosworth, C. E. (1995). "Rāfiʿ b. al- Layt̲ h̲ b. Naṣr b. Sayyār" (https://dx.doi.org/10.1163/1573-3
912_islam_SIM_6184). In Bosworth, C. E.; van Donzel, E.; Heinrichs, W. P. & Lecomte, G.
(eds.). The Encyclopaedia of Islam, New Edition, Volume VIII: Ned–Sam. Leiden: E. J. Brill.
pp. 385–386. ISBN 978-90-04-09834-3.
Further reading
al-Masudi, The Meadows of Gold, The Abbasids, transl. Paul Lunde and Caroline Stone,
Kegan paul, London and New York, 1989
al-Tabari "The History of al-Tabari" volume XXX "The 'Abbasid Caliphate in Equilibrium" transl.
C.E. Bosworth, SUNY, Albany, 1989.
Clot, André (1990). Harun Al-Rashid and the Age of a Thousand and One Nights (https://archiv
e.org/details/harunalrashidw00clot). New Amsterdam Books. ISBN 0-941533-65-4.
St John Philby. Harun al Rashid (London: P. Davies) 1933.
Einhard and Notker the Stammerer, "Two Lives of Charlemagne," transl. Lewis Thorpe,
Penguin, Harmondsworth, 1977 (1969)
John H. Haaren, Famous Men of the Middle Ages [1] (http://www.authorama.com/famous-men-
of-the-middle-ages-13.html)
William Muir, K.C.S.I., The Caliphate, its rise, decline, and fall [2] (https://archive.org/details/cal
iphateitsris00muirgoog)
Theophanes, "The Chronicle of Theophanes," transl. Harry Turtledove, University of
Pennsylvania Press, Philadelphia, 1982
Norwich, John J. (1991). Byzantium: The Apogee. Alfred A. Knopf, Inc. ISBN 0-394-53779-3.
Zabeth, Hyder Reza (1999). Landmarks of Mashhad. Alhoda UK. ISBN 964-444-221-0.
External links
Brentjes, Sonja (2007). "Hārūn al‐Rashīd" (http://islamsci.mcgill.ca/RASI/BEA/Harun_al-Rashi

d_BEA.htm). In Thomas Hockey; et al. (eds.). The Biographical Encyclopedia of Astronomers.
New York: Springer. pp. 474–5. ISBN 978-0-387-31022-0. (PDF version (http://islamsci.mcgill.c
a/RASI/BEA/Harun_al-Rashid_BEA.pdf))
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12/7/21, 6:58 PM Harun al-Rashid - Wikipedia

‫َهاُر ون الَر ِش يد‬‎ Hārūn Ar-Rašīd, "Aaron the Just" or

Harun established the legendary library Bayt al-

emissaries on their return to Charlemagne's court, Ray, Jibal, Abbasid Caliphate

Early life Spouse Zubaidah bint Ja'far

Caliphate Azizah bint al-Ghitrif

In popular culture Qasif (concubine)

Early life Sukaynah bint Harun al-Rashid

Hārūn was influenced by the will of his incredibly powerful

Both Einhard and Notker the Stammerer refer to the envoys

Isma'il ibn Salih ibn Ali al-Hashimi

26. Bajpai 2002 (https://books.google.com/books?id=W4mCH1oCKTkC&pg=PA15&dq=Luciano+P

64. "Archived copy" (https://web.archive.org/web/20161008075736/http://www.csun.edu/~hceng02

Brentjes, Sonja (2007). "Hārūn al‐Rashīd" (http://islamsci.mcgill.ca/RASI/BEA/Harun_al-Rashi

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Harun_al-Rashid&oldid=1059005833"

This page was last edited on 6 December 2021, at 21:48 (UTC).

Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License;

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