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Harun-al-Rashid


Caliph from 786-809 A.D.



The most celebrated of all Mohammedan caliphs was Harun-al-Rashid,

which means, in English, Aaron the Just. Harun is the hero

of several of the stories of the "Arabian Nights," a famous book,

which perhaps you have read. There are many curious and wonderful

tales in it.



When Harun was only eighteen years old he showed such courage and

skill as a soldie
that his father, who was then caliph, allowed

him to lead an army against the enemies of the Mohammedans; and he

won many great victories.



He afterwards commanded an army of ninety-five thousand Arabs and

Persians, sent by his father to invade the Eastern Roman Empire,

which was then ruled by the Empress Irene (i-re'-ne). After defeating

Irene's famous general, Nicetas (ni-ce'-tas), Harun marched his

army to Chrysopolis (Chrys-op'-o-lis), now Scutari (skoo'-ta-re),

on the Asiatic coast, opposite Constantinople. He encamped on the

heights, in full view of the Roman capital.



The Empress saw that the city would certainly by taken by the Moslems.

She therefore sent ambassadors to Harun to arrange terms; but he

sternly refused to agree to anything except immediate surrender.



Then one of the ambassadors said, "The Empress has heard much of

your ability as a general. Though you are her enemy, she admires

you as a soldier."



These flattering words were pleasing to Harun. He walked to and

fro in front of his tent and then spoke again to the ambassadors.



"Tell the Empress," he said, "that I will spare Constantinople if

she will pay me seventy thousand pieces of gold as a yearly tribute.

If the tribute is regularly paid Constantinople shall not be harmed

by any Moslem force."



The Empress had to agree to these terms. She paid the first year's

tribute; and soon the great Moslem army set out on its homeward

march.



When Harun was not quite twenty-one years old he became caliph.



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.



Harun built a palace in Bagdad, far grander and more beautiful than

that of any caliph before him. Here he established his court and

lived in great splendor, attended by hundreds of courtiers and

slaves.



He was very anxious that his people should be treated justly by

the officers of the government; and he was determined to find out

whether any had reason to complain. So he sometimes disguised

himself at night and went about through the streets and bazaars,

listening to the talk of those whom he met and asking them questions.

In this way he learned whether the people were contented and happy,

or not.



In those times Bagdad in the east and the Mohammedan cities of Spain

in the west were famed for their schools and learned men. Arabian

teachers first introduced into Western Europe both algebra and the

figures which we use in arithmetic. It is for this reason that we

call these figures the "Arabic numerals."



Harun-al-Rashid gave great encouragement to learning. He was a

scholar and poet himself and whenever he heard of learned men in

his own kingdom, or in neighboring countries, he invited them to

his court and treated them with respect.



The name of Harun, therefore, became known throughout the world. It

is said that a correspondence took place between him and Charlemagne

and that, as you have learned, Harun sent the great emperor a

present of a clock and an elephant.



The tribute of gold that the Empress Irene agreed to pay Harun was

sent regularly for many years. It was always received at Bagdad with

great ceremony. The day on which it arrived was made a holiday.

The Roman soldiers who came with it entered the gates in procession.

Moslem troops also took part in the parade.



When the gold had been delivered at the palace, the Roman soldiers

were hospitably entertained, and were escorted to the main gate of

the city when they set out on their journey back to Constantinople.





II





In 802 Nicephorus (Ni-ceph'-o-rus) usurped the throne of the Eastern

Empire. He sent ambassadors with a letter to Harun to tell him

that the tribute would no longer be paid. The letter contained

these words:



"The weak and faint-hearted Irene submitted to pay you tribute.

She ought to have made you pay tribute to her. Return to me all

that she paid you; else the matter must be settled by the sword."



As soon as Harun had read these words the ambassadors threw a

bundle of swords at his feet. The caliph smiled, and drawing his

own sword, or cimeter (sim'-e-ter), he cut the Roman swords in two

with one stroke without injuring the bald, or even turning the edge

of his weapon.



Then he dictated a letter to Nicephorus, in which he said:



"Harun-al-Rashid, Commander of the Faithful to Nicephorus, the Roman

dog: I have read thy letter. Thou shalt not hear, thou shalt SEE

my reply."



Harun was as good as his word. He started that day with a large

army to punish the emperor. As soon as he reached Roman territory

he ravaged the country and took possession of everything valuable

that he found. He laid siege to Heraclea (Her-a-cle'-a), a city on

the shores of the Black Sea, and in a week forced it to surrender.

Then he sacked the place.



Nicephorus was now forced to agree to pay the tribute. Scarcely,

however, had the caliph reached his palace in Bagdad when the

emperor again refused to pay.



Harun, consequently, advanced into the Roman province of Phrygia,

in Asia Minor, with an army of 15,000 men. Nicepherus marched

against him with 125,000 men. In the battle which followed the

emperor was wounded, and 40,000 of his men were killed.



After this defeat Nicephorus again promised payment of the tribute,

but again failed to keep his promise.



Harun now vowed that he would kill the emperor if he should ever

lay hands upon him. But as he was getting ready to march once more

into the Roman provinces a revolt broke out in one of the cities

of his own kingdom; and while on his way to suppress it the great

caliph died of an illness which had long given him trouble.



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