The History of al-Ṭabarī Vol. 30 
The ʿAbbāsid Caliphate in Equilibrium: The Caliphates of Mūsā al-Hādī and Hārūn al-Rashīd A.D. 785-809/A.H. 169-193

This volume of al-Ṭabarī’s
History covers nearly a quarter of a century, and after covering the very brief caliphate of al-Hādī, concentrates on that of Hārūn al-Rashīd. During these years, the caliphate was in a state of balance with its external foes; the great enemy, Christian Byzantium, was regarded with respect by the Muslims, and the two great powers of the Near East treated each other essentially as equals, while the Caucasian and Central Asian frontiers were held against pressure from the Turkish peoples of Inner Eurasia. The main stresses were internal, including Shī’ite risings on behalf of the excluded house of ‘Alī, and revolts by the radical equalitarian Khārijites; but none of these was serious enough to affect the basic stability of the caliphate.



Hārūn ar-Rashīd’s caliphate has acquired in the West, under the influence of a misleading picture from the
Arabian Nights, a glowing image as a golden age of Islamic culture and letters stemming from the Caliph’s patronage of the exponents of these arts and sciences. In light of the picture of the Caliph which emerges from al-Ṭabarī’s pages, however, this image seems to be distinctly exaggerated. Al-Rashīd himself does not exhibit any notable signs of administrative competence, military leadership or intellectual interests beyond those which convention demanded of a ruler. For much of his reign, he left the business of government to the capable viziers of the Barmakīd family–the account of whose spectacular fall from power forms one of the most dramatic features of al-Ṭabarī’s narratives here–and his decision to divide the Islamic empire after his death between his sons was to lead subsequently to a disastrous civil war. Nevertheless, al-Ṭabarī’s story is full of interesting sidelights on the lives of those involved in the court circle of the time and on the motivations which impelled medieval Muslims to seek precarious careers there.



A discounted price is available when purchasing the entire 39-volume History of al-Ṭabarī set. Contact SUNY Press for more information.

Table of Content

Preface




Abbreviations




Translator’s Foreword




Genealogical Table of the `Abbasids




Genealogical Table of the Barmaki Family of Secretaries and Viziers




Maps



1. Egypt, Syria, Iraq, and the Eastern Provinces during the Reigns of al-Hadi and al-Rashid



2. The Arab-Byzantine Marches during This Period




The Caliphate of Musa al-Hadi




The Events of the Year 169 (cont’d) (785/786)



The Succession of Musa al-Hadi as Caliph on His Father al-Mahdi’s Death and His New Administrative Appointments



Musa al-Hadi’s Repression of the Dualist Infidels



The Remainder of the Events of This Year



The Revolt and Killing of al-Husayn b. `Ali



Idris b. `Abdallah b. Hasan’s Escape to the Maghrib and His Foundation of the Idrisid Dynasty in Morocco



More Accounts of the Battle of Fakhkh and Its Aftermath



Various Items of Information




The Events of the Year 170 (786/787)



The Reason Why al-Khayzuran Had Ordered the Slave Girls to Kill al-Hadi



The Time of al-Hadi’s Death, the Term of His Life, the Extent of His Rule and (the Names of) Those Who Led the Worship over Him



Mention of His Children



Some of the Historical Events Involving Him and Some Aspects of His Behavior




The Caliphate of Harun al-Rashid




The Events of the Year 170 (cont’d) (786/787)



Harun’s Assumption of the Caliphate on Musa al-Hadi’s Death



Harun’s Official Appointments and Dismissals




The Events of the Year 171 (787/788)




The Events of the Year 172 (788/789)




The Events of the Year 173 (789/790)



The Death of Muhammad b. Sulayman and the Confiscation of His Fortune



The Time of al-Khayzuran’s Death and Her Burial




The Events of the Year 174 (790/791)




The Events of the Year 175 (791/792)



The Reasons for al-Rashid’s Exacting Allegiance to Muhammad al-Amin as Heir




The Events of the Year 176 (792/793)



Yahya b. `Abdallah b. Hasan’s Uprising and His Role in These Events



Yahya b. `Abdallah al-`Alawi’s Altercation with Bakkar b. `Abdallah al-Zubayri



Al-Rashid’s Repudiation of Yahya b. `Abdallah’s Guarantee of Safe- Conduct



More Accusations from the Zubayri Family against Yahya b. `Abdallah al-`Alawi



The Internecine Strife (fitnah) among the North and South Arabs in Syria



The Reason behind al-Rashid’s Appointment of Ja`far al-Barmaki over Egypt and the Latter’s Appointment of ‘Umar b. Mihran (as His Deputy) over It




The Events of the Year 577 (793/794)




The Events of the Year 178 (794/795)



Harthamah b. A`yan Restores Order in Ifriqiyah



Al-Fadl b. Yahya’s Governorship in Khurasan and the Poetic Eulogies of Him




The Events of the Year 179 (795/796)




The Events of the Year 180 (796/797)



The Outcome of the Factional Strife in Syria and the Poetic Eulogies of Ja`far b. Yahya, Restorer of Order There



Ja`far b. Yahya’s Return from Syria and His Address of Thanks to the Caliph



Various Items of Information




The Events of the Year 181 (797/798)




The Events of the Year 182 (798/799)




The Events of the Year 183 (799/800)



The Khazar Invasion of Armenia



Various Items of Information




The Events of the Year 182 (800/801)




The Events of the Year 185 (805/802)




The Events of the Year 186 (802)



Al-Rashid’s Succession Arrangements for His Three Sons



The Taking of the Solemn Oaths in the Ka`bah by the Two Princes



Text of the Document Laying Down Conditions Which `Abdallah Son of the Commander of the Faithful Wrote Out in His Own Hand in the Ka`bah



The Text of the Letter of Harun b. Muhammad, al-Rashid, to the Provincial Governors



Al-Rashid’s Subsequent Renewal of the Succession Pledges to al Ma’mun and al-Qasim at Qarmasin




The Events of the Year 187 (802/803)



The Reason for al-Rashid’s Killing of Ja`far al-Barmaki, the Manner of His Killing, and What al-Rashid Did to Him and the Members of His Family



Ja`far’s Alleged Connivance with the Release of the `Alid Yahya b. `Abdallah b. Hasan



The Barmakis’ Wealth and Ostentation as a Reason for Their Fall



The Barmakis’ Growing Fears of the Caliph’s Threatening Intentions



The Alleged Misconduct between Ja`far and the Caliph’s Sister `Abbasah



The Killing of Ja`far



Poetry Written on the Fall of the Barmakis



Al-Rashid’s Anger against `Abd al-Malik b. Salih and His Consequent Imprisonment



Al-Qasim’s Raid into the Byzantine Lands



The Correspondence between the Byzantine Emperor Nicephorus and al-Rashid on the Occasion of the Former’s Breaking the Peace Agreement, and the Caliph’s Punitive Measures against the Byzantines



Al-Rashid’s Killing of Ibrahim b. `Uthman b. Nahik




The Events of the Year 188 (803/804)




The Events of the Year 189 (804/805)



Al-Rashid’s Journeying to al-Rayy in Order to Investigate Complaints against the Governor of Khurasan, `Ali b. `Isa b. Mahan, and His Confirmation of `Ali in Office



Al-Rashid Receives the Allegiance of the Local Rulers of the Caspian Provinces and Daylam, and Appoints Various Governors in Western Persia and Eastern Arabia



Al-Rashid’s Return to Iraq




The Events of the Year 190 (805/806)



The Reason behind Raft’ b. Layth’s Revolt



Various Campaigns by al-Rashid against the Byzantines and Diplomatic Exchanges with the Emperor Nicephorus




The Events of the Year 191 (806/807)



Various Raids into the Byzantine Lands, and Measures against the Protected Peoples



The Reason for al-Rashid’s Dismissal of `Ali b.`Isa and His Anger against Him



Al-Rashid’s Letter Dismissing `All b. `Isa and His Charge to Harthamah



What Befell Harthamah in the Course of His Journey to Khurasan, and What Happened to `Ali b. `Isa and His Sons



Harthamah’s Letter to al-Rashid Announcing the Successful Completion of His Mission



Al-Rashid’s Answer to Harthamah’s Letter




The Events of the Year 192 (807/808)



Al-Rashid’s Preparations for His Journey to Khurasan



Al-Rashid’s Serious Medical Condition and His Premonitions of Death



Various Items of Information




The Events of the Year 193 (808/809)



The Illness and Death of al-Fadl b. Yahya al-Barmaki



Al-Rashid’s Journey from Jurjan to Tus



Al-Rashid’s Vengeance on Rafi` b. Layth’s Brother Bashir



The Occasion of al-Rashid’s Death and the Place Where He Died



The Governors in the Provincial Capitals in Harun al-Rashid’s Reign



Some Aspects of al-Rashid’s Conduct and Mode of Life



Al-Rashid’s (Free) Wives Who Were Endowed with Substantial Dowries (al-maha’ir)



Al-Rashid’s Children



More Aspects of al-Rashid’s Conduct and Mode of Life




Bibliography of Cited Works




Index