Haroon al Rasheed and the Great Abbasids

The enthralling biography of the khalif who laid the foundations of the Islamic Golden Age.

The perfect book for those wishing to learn more about this remarkable ruler, as well as for readers who enjoy the works of Tim Macintosh-Smith, Tom Holland, and Albert Hourani.

Haroon al Rasheed was just twenty-two when he became the fifth Abbasid khalif, and died at the age of only forty-five. Yet during his reign, Arab civilisation reached its zenith, with cities like Baghdad rising to become world centres of knowledge, culture, and trade.

As a young man, he was prone to quick and powerful emotions but was also charming and idealistic. In later life, he became more secretive and autocratic in his rule. Despite this change, Haroon al Rasheed remained accessible to his people, meeting them during his frequent tours of inspection, which helped cement his reputation as a famous and popular ruler.

Sir John Glubb places Haroon al Rasheed’s reign not only within the Abbasid context but also in comparison to the contemporary Byzantine and Holy Roman Empires — the latter of which was ruled by Charlemagne during this period. Drawing from ninth-century Arab historians and numerous previously untranslated sources, Glubb brings this gilded era to life.

Haroon al Rasheed and the Great Abbasids will convince readers that the modern world owes as much to the Arabs as it does to the Persians, the Greeks and the Romans.

“As always a clear guide, illuminating history by the fruits of his own experience.” The Times