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'''Barmakids''' (Arabic: {{ia|بَرمَکیان}}) were a family from [[Balkh]], who gained power by getting close to the [[Umayyad]] and [[Abbasid]] rulers. In the first period of the Abbasid dynasty, during the reign of [[Harun al-Rashid]] (r. 170/786- 193/ | '''Barmakids''' (Arabic: {{ia|بَرمَکیان}}) were a family from [[Balkh]], who gained power by getting close to the [[Umayyad]] and [[Abbasid]] rulers. In the first period of the Abbasid dynasty, during the reign of [[Harun al-Rashid]] (r. 170/786- 193/809) and at the zenith of Abbasid power, they were involved in multiple state affairs. | ||
The family was known by the name of their grandfather Barmak, who had a high political position. Khalid, Yahya, Ja'far, and Fadl also achieved high political positions in the [[caliphate]]. | The family was known by the name of their grandfather Barmak, who had a high political position. Khalid, Yahya, Ja'far, and Fadl also achieved high political positions in the [[caliphate]]. | ||
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==The Barmakids and the Caliphal Court== | ==The Barmakids and the Caliphal Court== | ||
Barmak entered [[Damascus]] during the reign of [[Abd al-Malik b. Marwan]] (r. 65/685-86/705) and according to another report during the reign of Hisham b. Abd al-Malik (r. 105/ | Barmak entered [[Damascus]] during the reign of [[Abd al-Malik b. Marwan]] (r. 65/685-86/705) and according to another report during the reign of Hisham b. Abd al-Malik (r. 105/724-125/743) and found a high status in the Umayyad court. Barmak married a Chaghaniyan princess, who bore him three sons named Khalid, Hasan, and Umar and a girl named Umm Khalid. Barmak also had another son named Sulayman from his marriage with a girl from [[Bukhara]]. | ||
===Khalid=== | ===Khalid=== | ||
Khalid son of Barmak was born in [[90 AH|90]]/ | Khalid son of Barmak was born in [[90 AH|90]]/708-9 in Balkh. He was respected by the [[Umayyads]], especially by Abd al-Malik's sons (Hisham and Maslama). | ||
Khalid joined the supports of the [[Abbasids]] and showed great merit in various roles and positions, such as attracting financial support for the Abbasids during the period of hidden mobilization, participation in crushing the opposition groups in 130/748 under the command of [[Abu Muslim]] in [[Tus]], convincing the governor of [[Tabaristan]] to support the Abbasid revolution in 131/749, being in charge of the treasury, and collecting and registering the spoils of war during the battles of Qahtaba b. Shabib in [[Qom]], [[Isfahan]], and [[Khorasan]] in the same year. Considering his merits, [[Abu l-Abbas Abd Allah al-Saffah|al-Saffah]], the first Abbasid caliph (r. 132/ | Khalid joined the supports of the [[Abbasids]] and showed great merit in various roles and positions, such as attracting financial support for the Abbasids during the period of hidden mobilization, participation in crushing the opposition groups in 130/748-9 under the command of [[Abu Muslim]] in [[Tus]], convincing the governor of [[Tabaristan]] to support the Abbasid revolution in 131/749, being in charge of the treasury, and collecting and registering the spoils of war during the battles of Qahtaba b. Shabib in [[Qom]], [[Isfahan]], and [[Khorasan]] in the same year. Considering his merits, [[Abu l-Abbas Abd Allah al-Saffah|al-Saffah]], the first Abbasid caliph (r. 132/750-136/754) charged him with the administration of the spoils of war. | ||
Because of Khalid's merits, he was further appointed to the supervision of tax and military finance. Although Khalid refused to be appointed as the vizier—because he thought it would bring him bad fortune—he did all works of a vizier after the murder of Abu Salama al-Khallal. | Because of Khalid's merits, he was further appointed to the supervision of tax and military finance. Although Khalid refused to be appointed as the vizier—because he thought it would bring him bad fortune—he did all works of a vizier after the murder of Abu Salama al-Khallal. | ||
Khalid became the vizier of [[al-Mansur]] (r. 136/ | Khalid became the vizier of [[al-Mansur]] (r. 136/754-158/775) in 136/754 for more than one year until Abu Ayyub Sulayman b. Wahab al-Muriyani decided to drive Khalid away from the capital so that he himself achieves the position of vizirate. In order to do so, Abu Ayyub offered Khalid the governorship of Fars, and Khalid accepted. | ||
In [[148 AH|148]]/765, al-Mansur appointed Khalid as the governor of Tabaristan and [[Mosul]], a position which earned Khalid great wealth. In [[163 AH|163]]/ | In [[148 AH|148]]/765-6, al-Mansur appointed Khalid as the governor of Tabaristan and [[Mosul]], a position which earned Khalid great wealth. In [[163 AH|163]]/779-80, Khalid and his brothers Sulayman and Hasan accompanied Harun in their battle with the Romans. | ||
Khalid passed away in [[Jumada I]], [[165 AH|165]]/ December, 781. | Khalid passed away in [[Jumada I]], [[165 AH|165]]/ December, 781. | ||
===Yahya b. Khalid=== | ===Yahya b. Khalid=== | ||
Yahya was the governor of [[Azerbaijan]] in the last year of al-Mansur's caliphate. He was charged by [[Al-Mahdi al-'Abbasi]] (r. 158/ | Yahya was the governor of [[Azerbaijan]] in the last year of al-Mansur's caliphate. He was charged by [[Al-Mahdi al-'Abbasi]] (r. 158/775-169/785) with the task of training and educating [[Harun al-Rashid]]. In order to show his gratitude for this service, Harun al-Rashid granted Yahya his own stamp in [[170 AH|170]]/786 and made Yahya's command authoritative in all the Abbasid territories, and thus Yahya became the most powerful vizier of the entire Abbasid period. | ||
Among the undertakings of Yahya was sending a person to [[India]] to bring Indian medications and to study Indian religions, which led to the compilation of a book on Indian religions. Afterwards, Yahya invited a number of Indian, scholars and physicians to the Abbasid court and employed them. | Among the undertakings of Yahya was sending a person to [[India]] to bring Indian medications and to study Indian religions, which led to the compilation of a book on Indian religions. Afterwards, Yahya invited a number of Indian, scholars and physicians to the Abbasid court and employed them. | ||
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Ja'far b. Yahya was another prominent Barmakid figure, who was greatly favored by Harun and became immensely influential in the caliph's court. | Ja'far b. Yahya was another prominent Barmakid figure, who was greatly favored by Harun and became immensely influential in the caliph's court. | ||
Ja'far was likely born in [[143 AH|143]]/760 and passed away in [[187 AH|187]]/ | Ja'far was likely born in [[143 AH|143]]/760-1 and passed away in [[187 AH|187]]/802-3. In [[176 AH|176]]/792, Harun appointed him to the governorship of the eastern part of his territories—that is, from the city of al-Anbar to north Africa. In addition to that, Ja'far played significant roles in the [[caliphate]], including settling the tribal conflicts between the [[Syria]]ns in 180/796, ruling over the [[Levant]] and [[Algeria]] in the same year, being the head of the caliph's special guard, being the head of the courts for violations of state officials. | ||
By the advice of his father, Ja'far released Yahya b. Abd Allah al-Alawi from prison, but executed Abd Allah al-Aftas al-Alawi. | By the advice of his father, Ja'far released Yahya b. Abd Allah al-Alawi from prison, but executed Abd Allah al-Aftas al-Alawi. | ||
===Fadl=== | ===Fadl=== | ||
Fadl, another son of Yahya, was born in 147/764. An outstanding courtier, he was charged by Harun with the task of training al-Amin. In 176/792, he was appointed to the governorship of the eastern part of the Abbasid territories from [[Nahrawan]] to Turkistan, [[Azerbaijan]], and Armenia. The governorship of [[Khorasan]] was also given to him in 178/794, which lasted until 179/795. | Fadl, another son of Yahya, was born in 147/764-5. An outstanding courtier, he was charged by Harun with the task of training al-Amin. In 176/792, he was appointed to the governorship of the eastern part of the Abbasid territories from [[Nahrawan]] to Turkistan, [[Azerbaijan]], and Armenia. The governorship of [[Khorasan]] was also given to him in 178/794, which lasted until 179/795. | ||
===Other Barmakids=== | ===Other Barmakids=== | ||
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==Decline== | ==Decline== | ||
When Harun returned from [[hajj]] in 187/ | When Harun returned from [[hajj]] in 187/802, he ordered the execution of Ja'far and the imprisonment of Yahya and Fadl and the confiscation of their properties. Ja'far was beheaded in al-Anbar by Masrur al-Khadim and his body was mutilated, and each part of his body was hung in a place in [[Baghdad]]. Yahya and Fadl were also imprisoned. Yahya died in prison in [[190 AH|190]]/805-6 and his body was buried in Riqqa near [[Euphrates]], and Fadl too died in prison in [[193 AH|193]]/808-9. Harun gave amnesty to Muhammad b. Khalid and his sons and relatives, who were not much involved in state affairs, and to the young children of Fadl and Ja'far. | ||
The decline of the Barmakids is one of the vague points in Islamic history, because the reason behind their fate was never explained by Harun. According to some historians, this fate was related to the story of the marriage of Ja'far and Abbasa, Harun's sister. The two were supposed to get married superficially without having any actual marital relationship. However, Abbasa began to have a covert marital life with Ja'far and bore him two children, and this stirred up the wrath of Harun. Other scholars have rejected this explanation and mentioned that the reason was Fadl's refusal to give Harun a portion of the revenues of [[Fars]]. According to others, the relation between the Barmakids and the [[Alids]] was behind this fate as the Barmakids helped the Alids and released some of their imprisoned figures. Some others, conversely, mention that [[Imam al-Rida (a)|Imam al-Rida's]] damning the Barmakids in that year was the reason behind their decline. Finally, other historians have mentioned that the reason behind the Barmakids' fall was the conspiracies of their rivals such as Ali b. Isa Yazdanirud, Mansur b. Ziyad, Ja'far b. Muhammad b. Ash'ath, and Fadl b. Sa'id. | The decline of the Barmakids is one of the vague points in Islamic history, because the reason behind their fate was never explained by Harun. According to some historians, this fate was related to the story of the marriage of Ja'far and Abbasa, Harun's sister. The two were supposed to get married superficially without having any actual marital relationship. However, Abbasa began to have a covert marital life with Ja'far and bore him two children, and this stirred up the wrath of Harun. Other scholars have rejected this explanation and mentioned that the reason was Fadl's refusal to give Harun a portion of the revenues of [[Fars]]. According to others, the relation between the Barmakids and the [[Alids]] was behind this fate as the Barmakids helped the Alids and released some of their imprisoned figures. Some others, conversely, mention that [[Imam al-Rida (a)|Imam al-Rida's]] damning the Barmakids in that year was the reason behind their decline. Finally, other historians have mentioned that the reason behind the Barmakids' fall was the conspiracies of their rivals such as Ali b. Isa Yazdanirud, Mansur b. Ziyad, Ja'far b. Muhammad b. Ash'ath, and Fadl b. Sa'id. | ||