786 CE
Harun al-Rashid became the fifth Abbasid caliph, inaugurating what is often regarded as the golden age of the Abbasid Caliphate and of Baghdad as the world's preeminent center of learning and culture.
Politics & Power
- Harun al-Rashid became Abbasid caliph in September at the age of about twenty after the death of his brother al-Hadi. His reign would see Baghdad grow into the largest and wealthiest city in the world, a center of trade, scholarship, and the arts.
- Under Harun al-Rashid, the Abbasid court became legendary for its patronage of scholars, poets, musicians, and scientists, later immortalized in the tales of One Thousand and One Nights.
Climate & Environment
- Atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration was approximately 276 parts per million, as later confirmed by ice core analysis.
Population & Demographics
- World population is estimated to have been approximately 255 million.