Topics for today:
1. Harun al-Rashid (r. 786-809)
2. Comparison with Charlemagne
3. Embassies
4. Biographies
Harun al-Rashid (r. 786-809)
Chief deputies were the Barmakids, who
promoted centralised administration
794 Revolt in N. Iraq
Tensions over:
= al-Khayzuran
1. Centralisation
2. Shi‘ites
3. Role of caliph
Partial
‘Abbasid family tree. Source: Wikipedia: <http://en.wikipedia.org/>.
Harun al-Rashid (r. 786-809)
c. 796 Beginning of decline
of Barmakids
803 Fall of the Barmakids.
Mostly imprisoned.
Vizier Ja‘far executed
Harun al-Rashid (r. 786-809)
Why did the Barmakids fall? Question of
control?
796 Harun starts appointing non-Barmakid
officials
802 Harun splits inheritance between
Muhammad (al-Amin), supported by
troops of Khurasan (E. Persia) and
‘Abd Allah (al-Ma’mun), supported by
Barmakids
Map Link: ‘Abbasid Caliphate, c. 800:
<http://www.zum.de/whkmla/histatlas/arabworld/abbasidhist1.gif>
Harun al-Rashid (r. 786-809)
806-7 Harun fights military jihad (holy war)
against Byzantines
Problem of revenues of Khurasan
808 Harun sets out for Khurasan
809 Death of Harun at Tus, Persia
Harun al-Rashid (r. 786-809)
A Golden Age? Question of contrast to later
times
Before civil wars and financial and
political decline
Age of power, prosperity, peace (mostly)
vibrant culture
Exchange of embassies with
(e.g.) Byzantines and Franks
797 Charlemagne sends embassy to Harun
801 Return embassy from Harun
802 Charlemagne sends another embassy
807 Another return embassy from Harun
799-807 Repeated embassies between
Charlemagne and Patriarch of
Jerusalem
An exchange of pleasantries?
Abu’l-‘Abbas
Military alliance?
The Holy City?
Map Link: Saracen Dominions:
<http://www.shadowedrealm.com/lib/images/
medieval/maps/map040.jpg>
A combination of reasons?
Silence of Muslim sources:
Embassies as fiction?
Avoiding leaving records?
Question of (lack of) importance?
Einhard (c. 770-840)
Friend, advisor, biographer
Vita Caroli (Life of Charlemagne)
Monk of St Gall (Notker Balbulus/the
Stammerer?) (c. 840-912)
Spent life at Benedictine Abbey of St Gall
Wrote De Carolo Magno (On
Charlemagne) btw. 883 and 887 for
Charles the Fat (r. 881-87)
Abu Ja‘far Muhammad ibn Jarir ibn Yazid
al-Tabari (839-923)
Mukhtasar Ta’rikh al-Rusul wa’l-Muluk
wa’l-Khulafa’ (Selection of the
History of Prophets, Kings and
Caliphs)
Abu’l-Husayn ‘Ali ibn al-Husayn
al-Mas‘udi (d. 956)
Historian, geographer and traveller
Over 20 works, incl.
Muruj al-Dhahab wa Ma‘adin al-Jawhar
(Meadows of Gold and Mines of
Gemstone)
Abu’l-Husayn ‘Ali ibn al-Husayn
al-Mas‘udi (d. 956)
Settled in Damascus in 945, then Fustat
(Old Cairo) in 947
Kitab al-Tanbih wa’l-Ishraf (Book of
Notification and Verification)
Text under discussion is from Muruj