Q. & A. 711 to 1707 with solved Papers css 1971 to date

Harun Al-Rashid
543
It was because of the glorious reign of Harun and his son Ma’mun that the AK »sid dynasty acquired a halo in popular imagination and the round city of Baghdad became a rival to Byzantines in wealth and splendour. Harun’s reign was made lustrous by the blossoms borne by Arabic literature. The stories of the Arabian Nights have lent a special charm to his illustrious reign. He invited Man’kah an Indian physician to Baghdad and got the Iranian medical works translated into Arabic by the Barmakids, Euclid’s elements was translated into Arabic by Al-Hajjaj ibn Yusuf ibn Matar. His court was the rendezvous of poets, historians, theologians, jurists, musicians, physicians, artists, and scientists. Bayt al-Hikmat the gateway to the Abbasid art and science was started during his time. His liberality attracted men of the letters and an era of letters, which glorified his son Ma’mun’s reign started with him. Among the noted poets, were his boon companion Abu Nuwas and Muslim b. Walid, panegyrist. Manvan ibn abi Hafsah, jester, Abu Dulamah, singer and poet. Abu al-Atahiya, musicians, Ibrahim ibn Mahan al-Mawisli, his son Ishaq, Siyat and ibn Jami’, philologist, Abu Ubaydah and historian Waqidi. Asmai’ the grammarian was entrusted with the education of his sons. These are but few known in the galaxy of literatures. Among the special recipients of bounty was al-Aghani Ibrahim ibn al-Mahdi a professional singer who received from caliph Harun 20,000,000 dirhams as gratitude. Once Manvan ibn Abi Hafsah on presenting a qasidah (sonnet) in his praise received 5,000 dinars, a robe of honour a chosen steed and ten . Greeks slave girls. Harun was so keenly interested in the welfare of his subjects that it took a fabulous turn and the fabulous stories were not devoid of facts.
To organize the taxation system on an Islamic lines he had a book composed on Kharaj known as Kitab al-Kharaj by Qazi Abu Yusuf. Though the book mainly is with the tax and yet it throws ample light on the relations between the caliph and his subjects and his love of and care for them. The composition of the oriental romance under the title Thousand and one Nights (Alf-iaylah) though not very much based upon historical data threw sufficient light on the court life of Harun, his generosity and his patronage of worthy men Had there not been this tale, he would perhaps not have been so celebrated and popular in the East. Ibn Taqtaqi composed a short but substantial commentary on the specialty of his time.
Persian influence and fashion which reached their greatest height during the time of Ma’mun were patronized by Harun. Nawruz the Persian new year’s day and other festival were observed. Persian dress and headgear began to be worn. The tendency to exalt the non-

544
Political and Cultural History of Islam
Arab particularly the Persian at the cost of the Arabs took concrete from in the Shu’biyah (nationalist) movement. Its members claimed and tried to establish that in the Persians were superior to their masters, Arabs, in arts and science. But perhaps they tried to ignore the fact that the Arabs borrowed not only from the Persians but also from the Greeks and then again they had not stop at borrowing alone but also basing on them they constructed a new structure of art and culture and made not only narrative but also analytical study of the Persian and Greeks subjects. During his time Hanafi school began to take a definite shape under the guidance of Qazi al-Quzat Abu Yusuf and the principle of Ijma or general corrsensus of opinion emerged as a principle of Muslims jurisprudence.
The caliph strictly observed the religious principles and distributed 1,000 dirhams daily in alms and munificent largesses amongst the Makkans on the occasion of pilgrimage which he made nine times during the period of his Khilafat and on each occasion he carried many indigent pilgrims in his train. He was accompanied in his train on each journey by a large number of learned men, theologians, philosophers and poets who added luster to his court by their presence. On occasions he was tyrant but on the whole he was wise and just and his government was prosperous. By nature he was bold and active and led repeated campaigns often with success against the Byzantines.
Harun had been well educated in religion, philosophy and literature and his reign was marked by a high standard of intellectual activity. The energy and vigour of his will are well illustrated by his masterly treatment of Nicephorus. The reign of Harun stands out conspicuously against the dark background of the world’s ignorance as beacons welcoming the rebirth of the arts and sciences after his long eclipse. The treasures of the past were eagerly sought out in his obscure hiding-places and the stored-up knowledge of ancient Greece was replaced at the disposal of the world in Arabic translations of the works of the philosophers, astronomers, doctors, herbalists while the more recondite tastes of the masses were catered for in treatises on astrology and hypnotism, sword swallowing, glasschewing and the like. The torch of knowledge was relit and the taste for learning in an atmosphere that challenged the long monopoly of professional theologians.
Harun was gifted with courage and extraordinary ability with which he ruled over the vast empire for twenty-three years. Peace
J.B. Philby, Harun Rashid, P.60.
Hanm Al-Rashid
545
and order prevailed in the whole empire. The name of Harun was so much feared in the empire that traders, merchants, scholars and pilgrims could travel without the least apprehension of danger in the streets. The perfect immunity from danger with which the people travelled through the vast empire testifies to the excellence and vigour of his administration. He used to travel all over the empire to know the actual condition of his subjects and strove to the best of his power to minimize their sorrows and sufferings. On many occasions he distributed huge amounts of money among the poor and the needy. For the welfare of his subjects he established schools and colleges, hospitals and dispensaries, built mosques and constructed roads and canals. ”No Khalifah, either before, or after, displayed such energy and activity in \ arious spheres of progress whether for pilgrimage, for administration or for war”. But what has chiefly made his Khilafat illustrious is that it ushered’ in the era of letters. Many distinguished men-wazirs, judges, orators, traditionalists, poets, singers, musicians-shed lustre on his court and raised Baghdad to the position of a city conspicuous not only for its extent, riches and splendour, but also for its learning and civilization. Asmai, the grammarian, Shafei, Abdullah bin Idris. Isa bin Yunus, Ibrahim Mosuli, the musician, and Gabriel, the physician flourished in his reign. It was also in his reign that the Hanafi School of Law thrived under the guidance of the Chief Qazi Abu Yusuf. He enlarged the department founded by Mansur for the translation of scientific works into Arabic.
The victorious campaigns against the Byzantines and the defeat of Nicephorus contributed no less towards his fame with his contemporaries. Finally, his own attainments, his liveliness, his sense of refined social pleasure, his illuminating conversation, coupled with rich presents which he so freely distributed-attracted to himself the most gifted men of his time. It was no wonder that the later writers of fiction looked back to the time of Harun as the golden age of the Khilafat.
The name of Harun was so noised throughout the East and the West that the Emperor of China and the Prankish Emperor, Charlemagne, sent envoys to the Court of the Khalifah to cultivate his friendship. Harun exchanged presents with them. In short, ”weigh him as carefully as you like in the scale of historical criticism, Harun will always take rank with the greatest sovereigns and rulers of the world”.