Harun al-Rashid

Harun al-Rashid was born approximately around 766 near Tehran, Iran and was raised as a prince in Baghdad, Iran. His father was Mohammed al-Mahdi who was the third caliph of the Abbasid dynasty and his mother was Khayzuran, who was a former slave from Yemen. The term caliph is a Muslim religious leader and a political leader. Throughout his teenage years Harun al-Rashid had an instructor named Yahya who came from a powerful Persian family. When Harun al-Rashid was fourteen years old he was named the leader of the military expeditions against the Byzantines.

Harun al-Rashid was successful along with his instructor Yahya who would always advise him. Due to his success he was named governor or Tunisia, Egypt, Syria, Armenia, and Azerbaijan. In 785 al-Rashid’s father died and his older brother al-Hadi took over the throne. However, a year later in 786 al-Hadi died mysteriously. Al-Rashid became caliph at the age of 20 years old. Al-rashid died in eastern Persia in 809 while on an expedition at which time he was trying to restore order there.