هلاك جعفر والبرامكة

In 187 AH the downfall of Ja'far and the Barmakids came at the hand of the caliph Harun al-Rashid. Al-Tabari says that the reason was that al-Rashid could not bear to be apart from Ja'far and from his sister Abbasa bint al-Mahdi. ¹

Al-Mas'udi relates that al-Rashid sent his servant Yasir, who took Ja'far's head on Saturday night. He gives the length of the Barmakids' rule, from Harun's accession to the killing of Ja'far, as seventeen years, seven months and fifteen days. ²

He says that poets mourned them, among them Ashja al-Sulami and Di'bil al-Khuza'i. After their downfall al-Rashid used to recite verses on the outcome of arrogance. ²

What is not covered here: other historians' accounts of the causes. This needs an additional source.