Rayta bint al-Saffah facts for kids

Rayta bint al-Saffah (Arabic: ريطة بنت السفاح) was an important princess from the Abbasid dynasty. She was the daughter of the very first Abbasid ruler, al-Saffah. She was also the niece of the second Abbasid ruler, al-Mansur. Later, she became the first wife of the third Abbasid ruler, al-Mahdi. Her life was connected to some of the most powerful people in the Abbasid Empire.

Rayta's Early Life and Family

Rayta was born around 751 or 753. Her father was al-Saffah, who was the first Abbasid caliph, ruling from 750 to 754. Her mother was Umm Salama, a well-known woman from an important family called Banu Makhzum.

Rayta had an older half-brother named Sa'id. He was her mother's son from a previous marriage. Sa'id became known for sharing historical stories and traditions during the early Abbasid period.

Rayta was very young when her father passed away. After him, her uncle, al-Mansur, became the next caliph. He ruled for about 22 years, from 754 to 775. He worked hard to make the Abbasid Caliphate strong and stable.

Marriage and Influence

In 761, Rayta married al-Mahdi. He later became the third Abbasid caliph. Rayta was his first wife, and they had two sons named Ubaydallah and Ali.

For a while, Rayta was a very important and influential wife to al-Mahdi. However, things changed when al-Mahdi married another woman named Al-Khayzuran. Al-Khayzuran was a clever woman who convinced al-Mahdi to free her and marry her.

After this, al-Khayzuran became the most influential wife. She also convinced al-Mahdi to change who would become the next ruler. Normally, the sons of a freeborn wife like Rayta would be chosen as heirs. But al-Khayzuran convinced him to name her own sons as the next rulers instead. This was unusual at the time, as her sons were born when she was still a slave. From that point on, al-Khayzuran had the most power and influence with the caliph.

Rayta's Family Connections

Rayta was closely connected to the Abbasid dynasty, which was the ruling family of the Caliphate. She was related to them through both her mother and her father. She lived at the same time as many important Abbasid caliphs, princes, and princesses.

Sources

• Sanders, P. (1990). The Meadows of Gold: The Abbasids by MAS‘UDI. Translated and edited by Lunde Paul and Stone Caroline, Kegan Paul International, London and New York, 1989 ISBN 0 7103 0246 0. Middle East Studies Association Bulletin, 24(1), 50–51. doi:10.1017/S0026318400022549