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Al-Mahdi

Type Figure Region West Asia Time c. 744–785 Also known as Abu Abdallah Muhammad

Third Abbasid caliph (r. 775–785) who consolidated his father al-Mansur's administrative system and named his son Harun al-Rashid as heir.

Timeline

  1. c. 744–775Yemen · YemenBorn in Yemen, he was the eldest son of al-Mansur and was named heir apparent from childhood. During his father's reign he took part in imperial government and was stationed in Khorasan and elsewhere, gaining military and administrative experience and preparing his sons for a smooth dynastic transition.
  2. 775–785Baghdad · IraqAfter his accession he continued al-Mansur's centralizing course, reforming finances and the bureaucracy, promoting religious tolerance, and patronizing scholarship. He settled appanages and the succession among his sons and in his late reign formally named Harun al-Rashid heir apparent, ensuring a smooth transfer of power.

Sources