Famous Men of the Middle Ages · Ch. X · Unit 4: The age of Charlemagne
16. Harun-al-Rashid
Goal: Your child can tell who Harun-al-Rashid was, why Bagdad was famous for learning, and the story of the swords and the letter.
You'll need
- The book, open to this chapter
- A map or globe showing Europe, the Middle East and Asia (a free online map works)
- Paper and colored pencils
- Your timeline strip (see the tips at the top)
What's in the book
Chapter X (786-809 A.D.): Harun, "Aaron the Just," hero of stories in the Arabian Nights, leads an army to the gates of Constantinople while still young and makes the Empress Irene pay a yearly tribute. As caliph he lives in splendor at Bagdad, walks the streets in disguise to learn whether his people are treated justly, and welcomes scholars; the book says Arab teachers brought algebra and our numerals to Western Europe. When Nicephorus refuses the tribute and sends a bundle of swords, Harun cuts them in two and marches. He dies on his way to put down a revolt.
The lesson, step by step
Set the scene
Find Baghdad (the book spells it Bagdad), the capital of Iraq today, on the River Tigris. Then find Constantinople and the Asian shore across from it.
Read the chapter
Read Chapter X aloud. It begins:
The most celebrated of all Mohammedan caliphs was Harun-al-Rashid, which means, in English, Aaron the Just.
Remind your child: a caliph was the successor of Mohammed as head of the Muslims (Chapter VII).
Tell it back
Prompts:
- How did young Harun make the Empress Irene pay tribute?
- Why did Harun walk the streets of Bagdad at night in disguise?
- What did Harun do with the bundle of swords?
- What did his letter to Nicephorus say?
Learning in Bagdad
Read this:
Arabian teachers first introduced into Western Europe both algebra and the figures which we use in arithmetic.
SayThe numerals 1, 2, 3 began in India. Arab scholars learned them and passed them on to Europe, so today they are often called Hindu-Arabic numerals. Algebra is an Arabic word.
Talk it over
Read Harun's reply:
Thou shalt not hear, thou shalt see my reply.
Ask: What did he mean? Was it a good way to answer?
Remember it
Add to the timeline: "Harun-al-Rashid, caliph at Bagdad, 786-809" right beside Charlemagne. Say: These two great rulers lived at the same time and sent each other gifts.
Extra (optional)
If you have a children's book of the Arabian Nights (Aladdin, Ali Baba, Sinbad), read one story this week.
Afterwards
Write the numbers 1 to 10 and ask your child where these figures came from.
Tip
Roman numerals were in the Rome book. Try a quick sum in Roman numerals (XXIV plus XIX) and then in our numerals, and your child will see why Europe was glad of the new figures.
Answers to the book's problems
He camped in full view of Constantinople and would spare it only for a yearly tribute of seventy thousand pieces of gold. He wanted to find out whether his officers treated the people justly. He cut them all in two with one stroke of his own sword. It said he would answer by deeds, not words: he set out that very day with an army.
Worked out for this site from the scan. If a number in your copy differs, trust the book.