The Barmakids (Persian: برمكيان Barmakīyān; Arabic: البرامكة al-barāmika, also called Barmecides) were a noble Persian family which attained great power under the Abbasid caliphs. Persian (local name: FārsÄ« or PārsÄ« ) is an Indo-European language spoken in Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan and by minorities in Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Pakistan, India, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Georgia, Southern Russia, neighboring countries, and elsewhere. ... Arabic ( or just ), is the largest member of the family of Semitic branch of the Afro-Asiatic language family (classification: South Central Semitic) and is closely related to Hebrew, Amharic, and Aramaic. ... The Persian Empire was a series of historical empires that ruled over the Iranian plateau, the old Persian homeland, and at times extending into central and mid-east Asia. ... Abbasid provinces during the caliphate of Harun al-Rashid Abbasid (Arabic: العبّاسيّون, AbbāsÄ«yÅ«n) is the dynastic name generally given to the caliph of Baghdad, the second of the two great Sunni dynasties of the Arab Empire, that overthrew the Umayyad caliphs from all but Spain. ... Caliph is the title for the Islamic leader of the Ummah, or community of Islam. ...

Origins

The family has its origin in a line of hereditary priests (Sanskrit प्रमुख Pramukh, arabized to Barmak) at the Buddhist monastery of Nava Vihara (Nawbahar) west of Balkh. Traditionally, Islamic historians considered the Barmakids to be Zoroastrian priests in a Fire Temple before converting to Islam; though modern scholars reject this interpretation. Sanskrit ( , ) is a classical language of India, a liturgical language of Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism, and one of the 23 official languages of India. ... A replica of an ancient statue found among the ruins of a temple at Sarnath Buddhism is a philosophy based on the teachings of the Buddha, Siddhārtha Gautama, a prince of the Shakyas, whose lifetime is traditionally given as 566 to 486 BCE. It had subsequently been accepted by... Nava Vihara (Sanskrit: नव विहार - New Temple or New Monastery (See Vihara), has been arabized as Nau Behar or Navbahar) was a buddhist temple or monastery near near the ancient city of Balkh, in the Khorasan province of Persia (now in present-day Afghanistan) The temple may have been an old Zoroastrian... Today Balkh (Persian: بلخ) is a small town in the Province of Balkh, Afghanistan, about 20 kilometers northwest of the provincial capital, Mazari Sharif, and some 74 km (46 miles) south of the Amu Darya, the Oxus River of antiquity, of which a tributary formerly flowed past Balkh. ...

According to tradition, during the Arab conquest of the region, the wife of the priest was taken for a time into the harem of Abdallah, brother of Kotaiba, the conqueror of Balkh, and became the mother of Khalid bin Barmak (705-782). Barmak subsequently (about A.D. 736) rebuilt and adorned his native city of Balkh after the rebellion of Harith. It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Islamic conquest of Afghanistan. ... Coming from the Arab tradition, the harîm حريم (compare haram) is the part of the household forbidden to male strangers. ... Today Balkh (Persian: بلخ) is a small town in the Province of Balkh, Afghanistan, about 20 kilometers northwest of the provincial capital, Mazari Sharif, and some 74 km (46 miles) south of the Amu Darya, the Oxus River of antiquity, of which a tributary formerly flowed past Balkh. ... Khalid ibn Barmak (705-782) was a member of the powerful Persian Barmakids family. ...

The family then relocated to Merv, an influential regional center. Merv – Persian name: مرو; formerly Alexandria and Antiochia in Margiana (Greek: Αντιόχεια η Μαργιανή) – in current-day Turkmenistan, was a major oasis-city in Central Asia, on the historical Silk Road, located near todays Mary. ...

Influence under the early Abbasids

The Barmakid family was an early supporter of the Abbasid revolt against the Umayyads and of As-Saffah. This gave Khalid bin Barmak considerable influence, and his son Yahya ibn Khalid (d. 806) was the vizier of the caliph al-Mahdi (ruled 775–785) and tutor of Harun al-Rashid (ruled 786-809). Yahya's sons Fadl and Ja'far (767-803) both occupied high offices under Harun. Abbasid provinces during the caliphate of Harun al-Rashid Abbasid (Arabic: العبّاسيّون, AbbāsÄ«yÅ«n) is the dynastic name generally given to the caliph of Baghdad, the second of the two great Sunni dynasties of the Arab Empire, that overthrew the Umayyad caliphs from all but Spain. ... Abu al-`Abbās `Abdullāh ibn Muḥammad as-Saffāḥ (Arabic: أبو العباس عبد الله بن محمد السفاح, As-Saffah السفّاح literally means: the Slaughterer, in Arabic) ‎ (721 - 754) was the first Abbasid caliph. ... Yahya ibn Khalid (Arabic: ‎, yaḥyā bin ḫālid) (death 806) was a member of the powerful Persian Barmakids family, son of Khalid ibn Barmak. ... Muhammad ibn Mansur al-Mahdi (ruled 775–785), was the third Abbasid Caliph. ... Bold textItalic text == Headline text ==He was born a 4 headed man but 3 of his 4 heads died along with all but one of his 90 hearts. ... Jafar bin Yahya Barmaki (Arabic: ‎, ja`far ben yaḥyā) (767-803) was the son of Harun al-Rashids Vizier Yahya ibn Khalid, from whom he inherited that position. ...

Many Barmakids were patrons of the sciences, which greatly helped the propagation of Greek science and scholarship from the neighbouring Academy of Gundishapur into the Arabic world. They patronized scholars such as Gebir and Jabril ibn Bukhtishu. They are also credited with the establishment of the first paper mill in Baghdad. The power of the Barmakids in those times is reflected in The Book of One Thousand and One Nights, the vizier Ja'far appears in several stories, as well as a tale that gave rise to the expression Barmecide feast. Generally, patronage is the act of supporting or favoring some person, group, or institution. ... The Academy of Gundishapur (in Persian: ‎) was a renowned center of learning in the city of Gundeshapur during late antiquity, the intellectual center of the Sassanid empire. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Jabril ibn Bukhtishu, also written as Bakhtyshu, was a 8-9th century physician from the famous family of Persian Christian physicians from the Academy of Gundishapur. ... International Paper Companys Kraft paper mill in Georgetown, South Carolina. ... Queen Scheherazade tells her stories to King Shahryar. ... A Barmacide Feast (or Barmecide Feast) is something that appears highly desirable, but proves to be imaginary, illusory and ultimately very disappointing. ...

Disgrace and fall

In 803, the family lost grace to the eyes of Harun al-Rashid, and many of its members were imprisoned.

The story of their disgrace, though romantic, is not improbable. Harun, it is said, found his chief pleasure in the society of his sister Abbasa and Ja'far, and in order that these two might be with him continuously without breach of etiquette, persuaded them to contract a purely formal marriage. The conditions were, however, not observed and Harun, learning that Abbsa had borne a son, caused Ja'far suddenly to be arrested and beheaded, and the rest of the family except Muhammad, Yahya's brother, to be imprisoned and deprived of their property. It is probable, however, that Harun's anger was caused to a large extent by the insinuations of his courtiers that he was a mere puppet in the hands of a powerful family. Jafar bin Yahya Barmaki (Arabic: ‎, ja`far ben yaḥyā) (767-803) was the son of Harun al-Rashids Vizier Yahya ibn Khalid, from whom he inherited that position. ... Jafar bin Yahya Barmaki (Arabic: ‎, ja`far ben yaḥyā) (767-803) was the son of Harun al-Rashids Vizier Yahya ibn Khalid, from whom he inherited that position. ...

References

• This article incorporates text from the Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition, a publication now in the public domain.

Encyclopædia Britannica, the 11th edition The Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition (1910–1911) is perhaps the most famous edition of the Encyclopædia Britannica. ... The public domain comprises the body of all creative works and other knowledge—writing, artwork, music, science, inventions, and others—in which no person or organization has any proprietary interest. ...

External links

• How Greek Science Passed to the Arabs, in which the Barmakids play a considerable role.