16 CALIPHS OF BAGDAD. 



than for their love and encouragement of science. 

 The reigns of Saffali and his successor were chiefly 

 occupied in extirpating the race of Ommiah, whose 

 hapless adherents were persecuted with unsparing 

 vengeance. Almansor had established his court at 

 Hashemiah, a city founded by his brother on the 

 site or in the vicinity of Anbar ; but an insurrec- 

 tion compelled him to resort to the erection of a new 

 capital, and in the 145th year of the Hejira the 

 foundation of Bagdad was laid. The aid of astrolo- 

 gy was called in to ascertain a propitious season for 

 commencement ; and in a short time rose the City 

 of Peace, a splendid metropolis, on the banks of the 

 Tigris, which continued the seat of imperial luxury 

 for nearly five centuries. The rural scenery was beau- 

 tiful ; the spacious river had a width of 250 yards, 

 and a depth, when the waters were at the highest, of 

 forty- six feet. The neighbourhood was rich in gar- 

 dens and villages ; and some idea of its ancient popu- 

 lation may be formed, when we learn that 800,000 

 men and 60,000 women could attend the funeral of 

 Hanbal their popular saint. Yet all this magnifi- 

 cence seemed but ill adapted to the temper of Al- 

 mansor, whose extraordinary penury obtained for 

 him the nickname of Abu Dawanek or Father Half- 

 penny. After his wars and buildings, he left behind 

 him 600,000,000 drachms and 24,000,000 dinars of 

 gold (about 24,850,000 sterling), a treasure which 

 the vices or the munificence of his children scattered 

 in a few years. In a single pilgrimage to Mecca, 

 Mahadi expended 6,000,000 dinars (2,775,000), 

 and distributed 150,000 dresses to the poor. 



Haroun al Raschid (Aaron the Just), whose name 

 Eastern romance has made so familiar to European 



