Harun al-Rashid, in full Harun al-Rashid ibn Muhammad al-Mahdi ibn al Mansur al-'Abbasi 766-809
Fifth Abbasid caliph

His reign, and that of his son al-Mamun (786-833) marked the apogee of the Abbasid caliphate, which ruled an empire stretching from North Africa to Central Asia. Harun came to the throne on the death of his brother al-Hadi (786) with the help of the influential Barmakid family which he permitted to dominate his early reign, but gradually removed from power. A great patron of the arts, enthusiastic in waging war against the Byzantines, but less interested in the detail of central government, he weakened the empire through his attempts to divide it among his three sons. He is the caliph who figures in many of the tales of the Arabian Nights.