Ibrahim ibn al-Mahdi
Encyclopedia
Ibrahim ibn al-Mahdi (779–839) was an Abbasid prince, singer, composer and poet. He was the son of the third Abbasid caliph Al-Mahdi
. He was not a full brother of Al-Mahdi's sons Al-Hadi
and Harun al-Rashid
, since his mother was not Al-Khayzuran
but rather an Afro Iranian
princess named Shikla or Shakla. Historian Ibn Khallikan
reported that Ibrahim was consequently "of dark complexion."
Ibrahim was proclaimed caliph on 20 July 817 by the people of Baghdad
, who gave him the regnal name of al-Mubarak and declared his reigning nephew Al-Ma'mun
deposed. Ibrahim received the allegiance of the Hashemite
s. He had to resign in 819, and spent the rest of his life as a poet and a musician. He is remembered as "one of the most gifted musicians of his day, with a phenomenal vocal range
."
Al-Mahdi
Muhammad ibn Mansur al-Mahdi , was the third Abbasid Caliph who reigned from 158 AH to 169 AH . He succeeded his father, al-Mansur....
. He was not a full brother of Al-Mahdi's sons Al-Hadi
Al-Hadi
Abu Abdullah Musa ibn Mahdi al-Hadi was the fourth Abbasid caliph who succeeded his father Al-Mahdi and ruled from 169 AH until his death in 170 AH ....
and Harun al-Rashid
Harun al-Rashid
Hārūn al-Rashīd was the fifth Arab Abbasid Caliph in Iraq. He was born in Rey, Iran, close to modern Tehran. His birth date remains a point of discussion, though, as various sources give the dates from 763 to 766)....
, since his mother was not Al-Khayzuran
Al-Khayzuran
Al-Khayzuran bint Atta was the wife of the Abbasid Caliph Al-Mahdi and mother of both Caliphs Al-Hadi and Harun al-Rashid, the most famous of the Abbasids. She was from Jorash, Yemen....
but rather an Afro Iranian
Afro Iranian
People of Black African descent reside in Iran. Most Afro Iranians are concentrated in Hormozagan, Sistan and Baluchestan and Khuzestan.-History:The Indian Ocean slave trade was multi-directional and changed over time...
princess named Shikla or Shakla. Historian Ibn Khallikan
Ibn Khallikan
Shams al-Dīn Abū Al-ʿAbbās Aḥmad Ibn Muḥammad Ibn Khallikān was a 13th Century Shafi'i Islamic scholar of Kurdish origin.-Biography:...
reported that Ibrahim was consequently "of dark complexion."
Ibrahim was proclaimed caliph on 20 July 817 by the people of Baghdad
Baghdad
Baghdad is the capital of Iraq, as well as the coterminous Baghdad Governorate. The population of Baghdad in 2011 is approximately 7,216,040...
, who gave him the regnal name of al-Mubarak and declared his reigning nephew Al-Ma'mun
Al-Ma'mun
Abū Jaʿfar Abdullāh al-Māʾmūn ibn Harūn was an Abbasid caliph who reigned from 813 until his death in 833...
deposed. Ibrahim received the allegiance of the Hashemite
Hashemite
Hashemite is the Latinate version of the , transliteration: Hāšimī, and traditionally refers to those belonging to the Banu Hashim, or "clan of Hashim", a clan within the larger Quraish tribe...
s. He had to resign in 819, and spent the rest of his life as a poet and a musician. He is remembered as "one of the most gifted musicians of his day, with a phenomenal vocal range
Vocal range
Vocal range is the measure of the breadth of pitches that a human voice can phonate. Although the study of vocal range has little practical application in terms of speech, it is a topic of study within linguistics, phonetics, and speech and language pathology, particularly in relation to the study...
."