174:, in effect becoming the Caliph's chief minister and advisor. However, Fadl lacked the almost plenipotentiary powers over all affairs of government, as well as a free hand in choosing personnel that Harun had granted Yahya, and his remit was limited to a supervisory role over expenditure and in the handling of petitions, correspondence and execution of Caliph orders, commanding the Caliph's armies, drafting laws, dispensing justice, and generally managing the day-to-day running of the Caliphate, while the actual financial administration was entrusted to another official. He was mostly subordinate to the Caliph and consulted him in everything and could not have anything to do with the caliph's treasury or private matters, or exercise authority over everything and everyone at his will without considering the caliph's approval and decide something.
162:, "If Hārūn wanted to have someone brought to him secretly or to organize a test for someone he suspected of disloyalty, Fadl could be relied on to carry this out." Anecdotes from the court also serve to emphasize his "hard-headed, practical and somewhat unimaginative" (Kennedy) character, in stark contrast to the cultured
215:
Back in
Baghdad, Fadl remained Amin's leading advisor, but his role in the governance of the state seems to have been limited. Nevertheless, he was the leading figure among those in the Abbasid establishment who pressured Amin into reversing his father's succession plans, removing Ma'mun from his
273:
as caliph in the place of Ma'mun. However, when Ma'mun finally began to advance on
Baghdad, Ibrahim's support collapsed. Fadl re-emerged briefly from hiding during this time in support of Ibrahim, but when Ma'mun entered the capital in 819, he secured his pardon. During his last years, Fadl even
130:(servants, freedmen). Fadl effectively inherited his father's position at court, and benefited from the high esteem in which Harun al-Rashid held him: upon his accession, the Caliph placed Fadl in charge of his personal seal, and in 789/90 he was made head of the
203:. Amin, who had need of Fadl's experience, sent letters to him urging him to return to the capital, and to bring with him the treasury, which Harun had taken along, as well as the entire expeditionary army assembled to crush the rebellion. Harun's second heir,
261:, and Amin was executed. Ma'mun however remained in Khurasan and made no move to come to Baghdad, entrusting the governance of the Caliphate to Fadl ibn Sahl and his Khurasani friends. This provoked great resentment in Iraq, and when Ma'mun chose an
216:
place in the succession in favor of Amin's son Musa, and also as governor of
Khurasan. This policy increased the already existing polarization of the Abbasid elites between the two princes, with the Khurasani nobility, headed by Ma'mun's vizier,
282:
Despite his long and loyal service to the
Abbasids, Fadl's assessment by modern historians is negative, as he is considered the main instigator of the civil war through his machinations to remove Ma'mun from the succession. Thus
287:
calls him "an intriguer of mediocre personality and limited ability" who tried to use Amin's weak character for his own advantage, while
Kennedy sees in him the "evil genius" responsible for the destructive civil war.
220:, flocking to Ma'mun, whom they saw as the champion of their interests against the central government in Baghdad. The breach between the two sides was complete in November 810, when Amin dropped Ma'mun's name from the
254:, who were jealous of their pay and privileges, so that this project came to nothing. Seeing Amin's cause as lost, and with Ma'mun's troops approaching the capital, Fadl went into hiding.
633:
628:
232:, the situation became critical in Baghdad, where many began to accuse Amin of idleness and complacency and Fadl of inefficient leadership. As Ma'mun's general
207:, who was tasked with the governance of Khurasan, regarded the withdrawal of the entire army as a betrayal, and vainly tried to dissuade Fadl from this move.
166:, who until their sudden disgrace in 803 dominated the Abbasid court and government. Despite his apparently good personal relations to the Barmakid patriarch
274:
enjoyed a return to the Caliph's favour due to his long experience and loyal service to the
Abbasid house. He died in Baghdad in the spring of 823 or 824.
643:
638:
613:
513:
170:, stories portray Fadl as the Barmakids' chief rival at court. Following the fall of the Barmakid family from power, Fadl succeeded Yahya as
618:
539:
554:
258:
247:
572:
171:
56:), whom he served as chamberlain and chief minister. Fadl played an important role as the chief instigator of the
228:") between the two brothers. After Ma'mun's forces scored an unexpected victory over the caliphal army at the
623:
71:). After al-Ma'mun's victory he went into hiding, but eventually reconciled himself with the new ruler.
132:
608:
603:
270:
506:
Encyclopædia
Iranica, Volume XV/1: Joči–Judeopersian communities of Iran V. Qajar period (1786-1925)
229:
120:). Rabi's power relied on his control of the access of outsiders to the Caliph, as well as his
582:
549:
535:
509:
284:
182:
141:
89:
31:
497:
233:
217:
167:
224:. This led to a chain of mutual acts that resulted in the outbreak of open civil war (the "
523:
501:
159:
35:
23:
567:
563:
295:
92:. Rabi was a former slave who had risen to occupy the influential post of chamberlain (
597:
559:
528:
243:
238:
221:
266:
225:
158:
Utterly loyal to his master, Fadl served as Harun's trusted agent. In the words of
85:
57:
530:
When
Baghdad Ruled the Muslim World: The Rise and Fall of Islam's Greatest Dynasty
204:
61:
136:(the "Bureau of Expenditure"). In 795/6 he was named to his father's old post of
586:
186:
163:
99:
269:, as his heir, the old Abbasid elites of Baghdad rose up in 817 and raised
191:
292:
178:
110:
236:
advanced through Iran, Fadl tried to reinforce the
Baghdad troops (the
200:
196:
145:
46:
508:. London and New York: Routledge & Kegan Paul. pp. 71–74.
126:
94:
298:
from the 13th century claimed to have Fadl as a common ancestor.
30:, 757/8–823/4), was one of the most influential officials of the
262:
257:
Baghdad fell to Ma'mun's forces in
September 813, after a
189:
in March 809. There Fadl had the army pledge allegiance (
177:
In 808, Fadl accompanied Harun in his expedition to
124:
leadership of the Caliph's numerous and influential
553:
527:
140:, reportedly after succeeding in finding the poet
60:, siding with al-Amin against his half-brother
211:Career under al-Amin and role in the civil war
634:9th-century people from the Abbasid Caliphate
629:8th-century people from the Abbasid Caliphate
8:
400:
398:
396:
368:
366:
347:
345:
343:
573:The Encyclopaedia of Islam, Second Edition
58:civil war that erupted after Harun's death
581:. Leiden: E. J. Brill. pp. 730–731.
416:
414:
412:
410:
324:
322:
320:
318:
316:
314:
312:
310:
306:
242:) with levies from the Arab tribes of
7:
88:138 (757/8 CE), Fadl was the son of
185:, and was with him when he died at
27:
250:, but they soon fell out with the
14:
644:9th-century government officials
639:8th-century government officials
614:Viziers of the Abbasid Caliphate
534:. Cambridge, MA: Da Capo Press.
150:
115:
104:
66:
51:
40:
1:
199:, who had remained behind in
144:, who had been exiled under
80:Career under Harun al-Rashid
465:Kennedy (2006), pp. 110–111
456:Kennedy (2006), pp. 100–110
660:
619:People of the Fourth Fitna
181:to suppress the revolt of
447:Kennedy (2006), pp. 97–99
438:Kennedy (2006), pp. 89–96
429:Kennedy (2006), pp. 86–89
381:Kennedy (2006), pp. 85–87
337:Kennedy (2006), pp. 31–33
483:Biran (2009), pp. 71–74
498:"JOVAYNI, ṢĀḤEB DIVĀN"
496:Biran, Michal (2009).
420:Sourdel (1965), p. 731
404:Kennedy (2006), p. 207
328:Sourdel (1965), p. 730
259:brutal year-long siege
555:"al-Faḍl b. al-Rabīʿ"
474:Kennedy (2006), p. 99
390:Kennedy (2006), p. 87
372:Kennedy (2006), p. 79
360:Kennedy (2006), p. 42
351:Kennedy (2006), p. 33
278:Assessment and legacy
271:Ibrahim ibn al-Mahdi
20:Al-Fadl ibn al-Rabi
550:Sourdel, Dominique
195:) to Harun's heir
515:978-1-934283-14-1
285:Dominique Sourdel
183:Rafi ibn al-Layth
90:al-Rabi ibn Yunus
34:in the reigns of
32:Abbasid Caliphate
651:
590:
557:
545:
533:
519:
502:Yarshater, Ehsan
484:
481:
475:
472:
466:
463:
457:
454:
448:
445:
439:
436:
430:
427:
421:
418:
405:
402:
391:
388:
382:
379:
373:
370:
361:
358:
352:
349:
338:
335:
329:
326:
234:Tahir ibn Husayn
218:al-Fadl ibn Sahl
168:Yahya ibn Khalid
154:
152:
133:diwan al-Nafaqat
119:
117:
108:
106:
98:) under caliphs
70:
68:
55:
53:
44:
42:
29:
659:
658:
654:
653:
652:
650:
649:
648:
594:
593:
548:
542:
541:978-0-306814808
522:
516:
495:
492:
487:
482:
478:
473:
469:
464:
460:
455:
451:
446:
442:
437:
433:
428:
424:
419:
408:
403:
394:
389:
385:
380:
376:
371:
364:
359:
355:
350:
341:
336:
332:
327:
308:
304:
280:
213:
160:Hugh N. Kennedy
149:
114:
103:
82:
77:
65:
50:
39:
36:Harun al-Rashid
28:الفضل بن الربيع
17:
12:
11:
5:
657:
655:
647:
646:
641:
636:
631:
626:
621:
616:
611:
606:
596:
595:
592:
591:
546:
540:
520:
514:
491:
488:
486:
485:
476:
467:
458:
449:
440:
431:
422:
406:
392:
383:
374:
362:
353:
339:
330:
305:
303:
300:
296:Juvayni family
279:
276:
212:
209:
153: 785–786
118: 775–785
107: 754–775
81:
78:
76:
73:
69: 813–833
54: 809–813
43: 786–809
16:Abbasid vizier
15:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
656:
645:
642:
640:
637:
635:
632:
630:
627:
625:
622:
620:
617:
615:
612:
610:
607:
605:
602:
601:
599:
588:
584:
580:
576:
574:
569:
565:
561:
556:
551:
547:
543:
537:
532:
531:
525:
524:Kennedy, Hugh
521:
517:
511:
507:
503:
499:
494:
493:
489:
480:
477:
471:
468:
462:
459:
453:
450:
444:
441:
435:
432:
426:
423:
417:
415:
413:
411:
407:
401:
399:
397:
393:
387:
384:
378:
375:
369:
367:
363:
357:
354:
348:
346:
344:
340:
334:
331:
325:
323:
321:
319:
317:
315:
313:
311:
307:
301:
299:
297:
294:
289:
286:
277:
275:
272:
268:
264:
260:
255:
253:
249:
245:
241:
240:
239:abna al-dawla
235:
231:
230:Battle of Ray
227:
223:
222:Friday prayer
219:
210:
208:
206:
202:
198:
194:
193:
188:
184:
180:
175:
173:
169:
165:
161:
156:
147:
143:
139:
135:
134:
129:
128:
123:
112:
101:
97:
96:
91:
87:
79:
74:
72:
63:
59:
48:
37:
33:
25:
21:
624:Chamberlains
578:
571:
529:
505:
479:
470:
461:
452:
443:
434:
425:
386:
377:
356:
333:
290:
281:
267:Ali al-Ridha
256:
251:
237:
226:Fourth Fitna
214:
190:
176:
157:
137:
131:
125:
121:
93:
83:
19:
18:
609:820s deaths
604:750s births
568:Schacht, J.
564:Pellat, Ch.
598:Categories
577:Volume II:
302:References
587:495469475
560:Lewis, B.
205:al-Ma'mun
164:Barmakids
100:al-Mansur
75:Biography
62:al-Ma'mun
570:(eds.).
552:(1965).
526:(2006).
246:and the
179:Khurasan
142:Ibn Jami
122:de facto
111:al-Mahdi
84:Born in
504:(ed.).
490:Sources
293:Persian
201:Baghdad
197:al-Amin
146:al-Hadi
47:al-Amin
585:
566:&
538:
512:
248:Jazira
192:bay'ah
172:vizier
109:) and
45:) and
24:Arabic
558:. In
500:. In
252:abna′
244:Syria
138:hajib
127:mawla
95:hajib
583:OCLC
536:ISBN
510:ISBN
291:The
263:Alid
579:C–G
187:Tus
155:).
600::
575:.
562:;
409:^
395:^
365:^
342:^
309:^
265:,
151:r.
116:r.
105:r.
86:AH
67:r.
52:r.
41:r.
26::
589:.
544:.
518:.
148:(
113:(
102:(
64:(
49:(
38:(
22:(
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.