Caliph·Abbasid
Harun al-Rashid Becomes Caliph
- Date
- 14 September 786 CE170 AH1,240 years ago
- Place
- Baghdad
- People
- Harun al-Rashid, Al-Hadi, Yahya ibn Khalid al-Barmaki
Harun al-Rashid became caliph in 786 CE (170 AH), after the death of his brother al-Hadi. Sources give 14 September 786 as the date of the accession. The Barmakid family served as his viziers until they fell in 803. Harun led campaigns against the Byzantines and ruled until his death in 809 CE.
Why it matters
His reign is closely linked to the court culture of Baghdad and to the Barmakid family, whose fall in 803 changed court politics.