The Caliphs

Recent Episodes

Episode 56: The great fitna

Posted October 23, 2022 • 00:29:56

Haroon al Rashid divided his realm among his children, and the young men were quickly goaded into conflict with one another by their advisors. The unexperienced...

Episode 55: Al Amin

Posted October 9, 2022 • 00:33:42

Haroon al Rashid worked towards fool-proofing his succession arrangement more than any other caliph by far: the ceremony he held at Mecca with his heirs...

Episode 54: Legacy issues

Posted September 25, 2022 • 00:33:21

Due to his father al Mahdi’s arrangement, Haroon al Rashid endured a traumatic year during which his brother tried to have him removed from the line...

Episode 53: Downfall of the Baramika

Posted August 28, 2022 • 00:30:21

Royal advisors, court attendants, and other officials began to hold some real political power in the Abbasid caliphate, a development which progressed...

Episode 52: Power struggle

Posted August 14, 2022 • 00:45:11

Now that we’ve covered Haroon al Rashid’s foreign wars, we can get started with the messy conflicts which took place within the umma, and within...