al-Mahdi (735-785) was the Caliph of the Abbasid Caliphate from 775 to 785, succeeding al-Mansur and preceding al-Hadi.
Biography[]
al-Mahdi was born in 735, the son of Caliph al-Mansur. He was originally the sheikh of Hamadan under his father, and he was the brother of Emir al-Hadi of Baghdad and Prince Ja'far of the Abbasid Empire. al-Mahdi succeeded his father as Caliph on his death in 775, and became the third caliph of the Abbasid Caliphate. al-Mahdi was fond of music and poetry, and he supported musical expression and poets across his dominion. al-Mahdi was poisoned by his wife in 785, and he was succeeded by al-Hadi.