Zubeida (d. 831)
Zubeida (d. 831)
Arabian queen. Name variations: Zubaidah; Zubaydah. Died in 831; granddaughter of Abu Jafar (known as al Mansur), 2nd Abbasid caliph; cousin-wife of Harun al-Rashid; stepmother to al-Mamun who married Buran , daughter of his vizier; children: son al-Amin.
On the day of Harun al-Rashid's accession to the caliphate in 786, his son al-Mamun was born to a Persian slave girl; later, his wife Zubeida gave birth to another son. Since Zubeida was born of nobility, her son took precedence in succession. But after Harun's death, the conflict between the Persian-born son and the Arab-born son resulted in civil war. Al-Mamun was the victor.
Zubeida had reigned with her husband during the golden age of the Abbasid dynasty. It was a time of wealth and prosperity in the arts. At table, it was said Zubeida would tolerate no dishes unless of gold or silver, and she was the first to ornament her shoes with gems. However, as was custom, her husband had a wandering eye. One of Zubeida's rivals was the beautiful singer Ulayya , one of Harun's half-sisters. Another competitor was the popular singer Inan . In order to win back her husband's love from the girl, Zubeida presented him with ten maidens, two of whom became the mothers of caliphs.