Ancient Coin Review 31 : Caliph Harun Al Rashid (786-809 CE)

This is a coin from the rule of Caliph Harun Al Rashid, the 5th Abbasid Ruler. The story of 1001 nights was also being related to this Caliph.

Coin Specs

Item : Dirham of Caliph Harun Al Rashid
Obv : There is no diety except (the one) God alone He has no equal; In The Name of God. This dirham was struck in Madinat al-Salam in the year three and ninety and one hundred (193)
Rev : Muhammad The Messenger Of God Ha; Muhammad is the messenger of God. He sent him with guidance and the true religion to reveal it to all religions even if the polytheists abhor it.
Date : 193 AH (809 CE)
Dim :22 mm
Weight : 2.94gm
Denom : Dirham
Metal : AR
Mint : Madinat Salam
Rarity : C
Purchased Price : USD

Read on below excerpt about Caliph Harun Al Rashid from " Who's Who in Medieval History" :

Harun al-Rashid (also spelled Haroun ar-Rashid, Harun al-Raschid or Haroon al Rasheed) was the fifth Abbasid caliph. He and his fabulous court at Baghdad are immortalized in The Thousand and One Nights.

Born to the caliph al-Mahdi and the former slave-girl al-Khayzuran, Harun was raised at court and received the bulk of his education from Yahya the Barmakid, who was a loyal supporter of Harun's mother. Before he was out of his teens, Harun was made the nominal leader of several expeditions against the Eastern Roman Empire; his success (or, more accurately, the success of his generals) resulted in his earning the title "al-Rashid," which means "the one following the right path" or "upright" or "just." He was also appointed governor of Armenia, Azerbaijan, Egypt, Syria and Tunisia, which Yahya administered for him, and named second in line to the throne (after his older brother, al-Hadi).

Al-Mahdi died in 785 and al-Hadi died mysteriously in 786 (it was rumored that al-Khayzuran arranged his death), and Harun became caliph in September of that year. He appointed as his vizier Yahya, who installed a cadre of Barmakids as administrators. Al-Khayzuran had considerable influence over her son until her death in 803, and the Barmakids effectively ran the empire for Harun. Regional dynasties were given semi-autonomous status in return for considerable annual payments, which enriched Harun financially but weakened the power of the caliphs. He also divided his empire between his sons al-Amin and al-Ma'mun, who would go to war after Harun's death.

Harun was a great patron of art and learning, and is best known for the unsurpassed splendor of his court and lifestyle. Some of the stories, perhaps the earliest, of The Thousand and One Nights were inspired by the glittering Baghdad court, and King Shahryar (whose wife, Scheherazade, tells the tales) may have been based on Harun himself.