[N 5, M 201]
Ṭāhir (I) b. al-Ḥusayn
Then Ma’mūn gave Khurasan to Ṭāhir b. al-Ḥusayn b. Muṣՙab in Shawwāl of the year 205 [/March–April 821]. Ṭāhir sent his deputy [to Khurasan] [H 135] and himself went to combat Naṣr b. Shabath.1 He engaged him in battle at Raqqa. Then Ma’mūn sent ՙAbdallāh b. Ṭāhir to Raqqa in place of his father, and Ṭāhir came to Khurasan in the month of Rabīՙ II of the year 206 [/September 821], and governed it for a year and a half. Subsequently, he omitted Ma’mūn’s name in the bidding prayer (khuṭba) in one of the Friday worships, but died on that very same night, in Jumādā II of the year 207 [/October–November 822], having made his son Ṭalḥa b. Ṭāhir his deputy (khalīfat).2
Ṭalḥa b. T. Ṭāhir (I)
When Ṭāhir died, his son Ṭalhā succeeded to the governorship of Khurasan. There was much warfare between Ṭalḥa and Ḥamza the Khārijite, until in the year 213 [/828–9] Ḥamza was killed.3 Ma’mūn had given Ṭāhir b. al-Ḥusayn the honorific title of Dhu ’l-Yamīnayn (‘The Man with Two Right Hands’). The reason for this was that, when Ma’mūn was despatching Ṭāhir against ՙAlī b. ՙIsā, at that moment [N 6] when Ṭāhir set out, Faḍl b. Sahl sought a prognostication and cast a horoscope, and found two favourable stars, one of them Canopus and the other the Great Dog Star, positioned in the centre of the firmament. For this reason, Ma’mūn gave Ṭāhir the name Dhu ’l-Yamīnayn. Because of that propitious prognostication which had been made, Ma’mūn took a great liking to the science of astrology. At the moment when he awarded a banner for Ṭāhir b. al-Ḥusayn (i.e. at his official departure to take up his new post), Faḍl said, ‘O Ṭāhir, I have placed a banner in your hands which no-one will strike down for sixty-five years.’ From the time when Ṭāhir marched out of Merv to confront ՙAlī b. ՙĪsā to the time of the downfall of the Tahirid house and Yaՙqūb b. al-Layth’s seizure of Muḥammad b. Ṭāhir, was sixty-five years.
When Ṭalha b. Ṭāhir had disposed of the threat from Ḥamza the Khārijite and the latter had been killed, he himself died in that same year, having made Muḥammad b. Ḥamīd/Ḥumayd al-Ṭāhirī his deputy over Khurasan.4 [M 202]
ՙAbdallāh b. Ṭāhir (I)
When Ma’mūn heard the news of Ṭalḥa’s death, he conferred the governorship of Khurasan on ՙAbdallāh b. Ṭāhir, who sent ՙAlī b. Ṭāhir to Khurasan as his deputy whilst he himself remained at Dīnawar, from where he was sending armies to combat Bābak the Khurram-dīn.5 The Khārijites launched an attack on one of the villages of Nishapur and slaughtered a large number of people. When news of that reached Ma’mūn, he ordered ՙAbdallāh b. [H 136] Ṭāhir to proceed to Nishapur and deal with that situation, sending ՙAlī b. Hishām to take ՙAbdallāh b. Ṭāhir’s place at Dīnawar. ՙAbdallāh reached Nishapur in Rajab of the year 215 [/August–September 830] at a time when Khurasan was racked by Khārijite strife. He sent on ՙAzīz b. Nūḥ with the vanguard of the army together with 10,000 men, and he eventually cleared Khurasan of the Khārijites and killed large numbers of them.
Muḥammad b. Ḥamīd/Ḥumayd al-Ṭāhirī acted as ՙAbdallāh’s deputy at Nishapur [N 7] and committed many oppressive acts, appropriating part of the main thoroughfare [through the town] and incorporating it within his own residential quarters. When ՙAbdallāh b. Ṭāhir came to Nishapur, he made enquiries. The Ḥājj Aḥmad, who was a professional witness (muՙaddil), told him that Muḥammad b. Ḥamīd/Ḥumayd had appropriated part of the main thoroughfare and incorporated it within his own residential quarters. ՙAbdallāh dismissed him from office and ordered that the wall blocking off the Muslims’ road should be removed.6
During ՙAbdallāh’s time, Ma’mūn passed away and Muՙtaṣim succeeded to the caliphate. Muՙtaṣim was hostile towards ՙAbdallāh. The reason for this was that, when ՙAbdallāh was Ma’mūn’s chamberlain and palace doorkeeper (ḥājib), Muՙtaṣim had come one day to Ma’mūn’s gate, with a retinue of his personal ghulāms, at an inappropriate time. ՙAbdallāh had said, ‘This is not the right time to pay your respects with so many ghulāms.’ Muՙtaṣim replied, ‘You find it appropriate to ride out with 400 ghulāms, so why shouldn’t I ride forth with this number of men?’ ՙAbdallāh said, ‘Even though I may ride out with 4,000 ghulāms, I won’t agree to your coming with just four!’ Muՙtaṣim went back filled with anger. When Ma’mūn heard about the incident, he summoned the two of them and brought about a reconciliation. [M 203]
When Muՙtaṣim succeeded to the throne, he sent to ՙAbdallāh an investiture diploma for the governorship of Khurasan. He also sent him an extremely beautiful slave girl, and he gave her a towel, telling her, ‘When ՙAbdallāh has intimate relations with you, give him this towel so that he may clean himself up.’7 But when the slave girl reached ՙAbdallāh’s house, she became enamoured of him and told him about that secret plot. ՙAbdallāh maintained an attitude of prudence and took care always to keep himself out of Muՙtaṣim’s clutches, openly displaying a feeling of mistrust and suspiciousness. One day, ՙAbdallāh said to his secretary Ismāՙīl [b. Ḥammād], ‘I intend to go on the Pilgrimage.’ Ismāՙīl replied, ‘O Amir, you are too sensible to undertake such a senseless business!’ ՙAbdallāh said, ‘You’ve spoken truly; in saying this, I was only testing you!’8
In the year 224 [/839] there was an earthquake in Farghāna, with many dwellings destroyed.9
During ՙAbdallāh’s time, [N 8] Māzyār b. Qārin rebelled in Ṭabaristān, adopted the religion of Bābak the Khurram-dīn and put on red garments. [H 137] ՙAbdallāh marched thither, engaged him in battle and captured Māzyār in the year 227 [/841–2]. He sent him on to Muՙtaṣim, who ordered Māzyār to be lashed with 500 strokes, from the effects of which he died that same day.10
The people of Nishapur and Khurasan used continually to come to ՙAbdallāh and there were continuous disputes over the subterranean irrigation channels (kārīz-hā). There was nothing to be found in the law books or the traditions of the Messenger [of God], God’s prayers and peace be upon him, concerning the constituting of such channels and their regulation. Hence ՙAbdallāh assembled all the legal scholars of Khurasan and some of those from Iraq, and he commissioned them to compose a book on the legal aspects and regulation of such channels. This book was called the Kitāb-i Qunī ‘Book Concerning Irrigation Channels’, with the aim that the regulatory practices laid down there should now form the basis of [future] practice. That book remains in existence till this present time, and the legal and regulatory practices regarding underground irrigation channels and other watercourses11 followed in our own time are conducted according to what is laid down in that book.
Many admirable practices and customs are attributed to ՙAbdallāh b. Ṭāhir. One of them was that he sent a letter to all his officials, saying,
We have laid upon you the obligation to be alert and [M 204] not sunk in neglectfulness. You should avoid evil behaviour and seek to maintain an attitude of personal uprightness. You should treat with consideration the cultivators in your area of administrative responsibility, and should give support and strengthening to agriculture when it becomes depressed. Now return to your charges, for God, He is Exalted and Magnified, has provided our sustenance through the work of their hands, has brought about a state of peace and security through their utterances and has prohibited acts of oppression against them!
ՙAbdallāh b. Ṭāhir used to say, ‘One should bestow knowledge on the worthy and the unworthy alike, since knowledge is too circumspect to find a permanent home with the unworthy [anyway].’
When Muՙtaṣim passed away, Wāthiq succeeded to the caliphate, and he sent an investiture diploma for the governorship of Khurasan [N 9] to ՙAbdallāh. ՙAbdallāh himself died during Wāthiq’s caliphate, in the year 230 [/844–5].
Ṭāhir (II) b. ՙAbdallāh
Wāthiq then bestowed Khurasan on Ṭāhir b. ՙAbdallāh, whose patronymic was Abu ’l-Ṭayyib. The latter was at this time in Ṭabaristān but returned to Nishapur and appointed Musՙaḅb. ՙAbdallāh as his deputy (i.e. in Ṭabaristān). Wāthiq died in Dhu ’l-Ḥijja of the year 232 [/July–August 847].
Mutawakkil succeeded to the caliphate, and he sent an investiture diploma for Khurasan to Ṭāhir. After a certain period of time elapsed, Mutawakkil was killed. Muntaṣir succeeded to the caliphate, and he sent an investiture diploma for Khurasan to Ṭāhir.
Abu ’l-Ḥasan Shaՙrānī12 related that Ṭāhir had a slave boy (khādim) who had a fair skin and handsome face. He handed him over to me, saying, ‘Sell this lad!’ The slave boy made much lamentation and burst out weeping. I delayed doing anything, for he was a remarkably handsome slave boy, and I went back to the Amir, asking him, ‘Why are you selling this slave boy?’ He replied, ‘One night he was asleep within the palace, and a draught blew back his garment (i.e. from his body). [H 138] I looked at him and saw how delectable he was, and I was afraid lest an evil spirit put lascivious thoughts into my mind.’ Then he gave orders for presents to be got ready and the slave boy was sent, accompanied by other presents, to Mutawakkil.
One day a document was written out and presented to him. In it was written, ‘If the judgement of the rightly guided one (ra’y-i rashīd) thinks fit . . .’ [M 205] He issued an ordinance under his signature and seal (tawqīՙ), saying, ‘I don’t want to be called “rightly guided”, since this name should only be given to someone whom God, He is Exalted and Magnified, has made deserving of it.’
When Muntaṣir died, Mustaՙīn succeeded to the caliphate, and he retained Ṭāhir as governor of Khurasan. Ṭāhir passed away in the year 248 [/862].13 [N 10]
Muḥammad b. Ṭāhir (II)
Mustaՙīn bestowed Khurasan on Muḥammad b. Ṭāhir. The latter was negligent and lacking in foresight. He plunged himself into wine drinking, and became occupied with music and singing and with merrymaking to the pitch that, through his neglectfulness, Ṭabaristān became disturbed and the ՙAlid Ḥasan b. Zayd rebelled in the year 251 [/865], at the time when Sulaymān b. ՙAbdallāh b. Ṭāhir was governor in Ṭabaristān. Ḥasan, son of Zayd, clashed with him in battle, Sulaymān was defeated and Ḥasan seized control of Ṭabaristān. Mustaՙīn was deposed.14 Then Muhtadī succeeded to the caliphate, and ruled as caliph for fifteen months and sixteen days until he was deposed. Then Muՙtamid succeeded to the caliphate in Rajab of the year 256 [/June 870]. Muḥammad b. Ṭāhir remained governor in Khurasan, whilst Ṭabaristān and Gurgān had become stirred up in rebellion. The paternal nephews of Muḥammad b. Ṭāhir were jealous of him, and they gave support to Yaՙqūb, son of Layth, and emboldened him until he attacked Khurasan. He marched forth, took Muḥammad captive and himself assumed power in Khurasan.15
The Outbreak of Yaՙqūb b. al-Layth
Yaՙqūb b. al-Layth b. Muՙaddal was a man of obscure origins from the village of Qarnīn in the rural hinterland (rūstā) of Sistan. When he came to the city [of Sistan, i.e. Zarang], he chose to take up the profession of coppersmith and set about learning it. He worked as an artisan for fifteen dirhams a month. [H 139] The reason for his obtaining a position of maturity and leadership was that he was a bold youth (jawān mard) in all that he undertook and practised. [N 11] He used to eat and keep company with people, [M 206] and, in addition to that, he was sharp-witted and manly, and all his close companions held him in high respect.16 In every undertaking that came up, amongst his co-participants he would assume the leadership.
From working as a coppersmith, he became an ՙayyār, and from that, took up robbery and brigandage.17 He rose to become a senior commander (sarhang) and assembled around himself a troop of cavalry. In this way he gradually rose to become an amir. First of all, he achieved military command at Bust under Naṣr b. Ṣāliḥ, and [eventually] the position of amir of Sistan. When Sistan passed into his hands, he did not remain content to stay there but said, ‘If I rest here on my laurels, people will not give me support again.’ Then he came from Sistan to Bust and seized it, and from there marched against Panjwāy and Tegīnābād and attacked the Ratbīl/Zunbīl. He employed a ruse and killed the Ratbīl/Zunbīl, and seized Panjwāy in Rukhwad/Rukhūd.18 From there he proceeded to Ghaznin, occupied Zābulistān and razed the inner city (shahristān) of Ghaznin to the ground. He came to Gardīz and made war on its amir, Abū Manṣūr Aflaḥ b. Muḥammad b. Khāqān. He wrought much slaughter until negotiations between the two sides took place, and Abū Manṣūr pledged and undertook to send to Sistan each year a tribute (kharāj) of 10,000 dirhams.19
From there, Yaՙqūb went back, and [then] led an expedition to Balkh. He captured Bāmiyān in the year 256 [/870], destroyed Nawshād at Balkh and razed to the ground all the buildings that Dāwūd b. al-ՙAbbās b. Hāshim b. Bānījūr had erected.20 From there he turned back and went to Kabul, and subdued the Kābul Shāh. Then he captured Pīrūz,21 and went to Bust and laid on its people [H 140] financial impositions of all kinds. [N 12] He was angry with the people of Bust because they had previously inflicted a defeat on him. From there he returned to Sistan.
In the year 257[/871] he went to Herat. He besieged ՙAbd al-Raḥmān the Khārijite in Karūkh.22 When ՙAbd al-Raḥmān faced defeat in that fortress, he came forth seeking a guarantee of protection, together with a group of his commanders, including Mahdī son of Muḥsin, Muḥammad b. N.w.la, Aḥmad b. Mūjib and Ṭāhir b. Ḥafṣ. From there Yaՙqūb went on to Pūshang, [M 207] and took captive Ṭāhir b. al-Ḥusayn b. Ṭāhir, and from there returned to Sistan.
A conflict broke out between ՙAbdallāh b. [Muḥammad b.] Ṣāliḥ Sagzī and his two brothers, Faḍl . . ., and Yaՙqūb, son of Layth, in which ՙAbdallāh struck Yaՙqūb with his sword and wounded him. Because of this, all three brothers fled from Sistan and came to Nishapur seeking the protection of Muḥammad b. Ṭāhir. Yaՙqūb wrote a letter demanding their extradition, but Muḥammad b. Ṭāhir refused. Yaՙqūb came to Khurasan in pursuit of them and sent an envoy to Muḥammad b. Ṭāhir. When Yaՙqūb’s envoy arrived there (i.e. at Nishapur) and sought admission to the court, Muḥammad’s doorkeeper replied, ‘There’s no court session, the Amir’s gone to sleep’. The envoy said, ‘Someone has come who will wake him from his slumbers!’ and the envoy went back. Yaՙqūb marched on Nishapur, and ՙAbdallāh Sagzī fled to Gurgān with his brothers. When Yaՙqūb reached Farhādhān,23 three stages from Nishapur, the sarhangs and Muḥammad’s paternal cousins all came out to meet Yaՙqūb and offered their service, with the exception of Ibrāhīm b. Aḥmad. Yaՙqūb entered Nishapur with them. Muḥammad b. Ṭāhir sent Ibrāhīm b. Ṣāliḥ al-Marwazi to Yaՙqūb with a message, saying, ‘If you have come on the Commander of the Faithful’s instructions, show me your investiture diploma and patent and I’ll hand over the governorship to you; if not, go back home!’ When the envoy got back to Yaՙqūb and delivered the message, Yaՙqūb drew out his sword from beneath his prayer rug [N 13] and said, ‘This is my document of appointment and standard!’ Yaՙqūb reached Nishapur and encamped at Shādyākh. He seized Muḥammad and had him brought before him, heaped copious reproaches on him and seized all his treasuries. This arrest of Muḥammad took place on 2 Shawwāl of the year 259 [/1 August 873]. [H 141]
Yaՙqūb summoned Ibrāhīm b. Aḥmad and said, ‘All the troops and retainers (ḥasham) have come over to my side; why didn’t you come?’ Ibrāhīm replied, ‘May God vouchsafe strength to the Amir! I had no knowledge of or connection with you such that I should come to you, nor had I any correspondence with you. I had no grounds for complaint against Amir Muḥammad that [M 208] I should abandon him. I did not consider it lawful to betray my lord, and there was no question of repaying him or his father with treachery.’ Yaՙqūb received these words with approbation, treated him as a close intimate and made him one of his court circle, saying, ‘An unassuming person like you should be cherished!’ All those persons who had come out to meet him and escort him to the town he mulcted of their possessions and stripped them of their wealth.24
He sent a letter to Ḥasan b. Zayd in Gurgān demanding of him the surrender of ՙAbdallāh Sagzī and his brothers. Ḥasan b. Zayd sent back a reply but did not forward them. Yaՙqūb launched an attack on Gurgān. Ḥasan b. Zayd was defeated and fled before him to Āmul. From there he went out by the road to Rūyān via the Kandasān pass.25 When Yaՙqūb reached Ḥasan’s encampment he found it empty. He gave orders to his troops to carry off everything they could and to burn the rest, and everything was consumed. This happened in the year 260 [/873–74].26 ՙAbdallāh and his brothers went to Ray and sought refuge with Ṣallābī.27 Yaՙqūb wrote a letter to Ṣallābī demanding that he should hand them over; if he should refuse, he would deal with him exactly how he had dealt with Muḥammad [b. Ṭāhir] and Ḥasan [b. Zayd]. The people in Ray were terrified by that letter, and Ṣallābī despatched both brothers28 on to Yaՙqūb. Yaՙqūb brought them to Nishapur, and at Shādyākh had them crucified against the town wall with iron nails. He carried off the Tahirids’ wealth and possessions and returned to Sistan. He had Muḥammad b. Ṭāhir, [N 14] together with seventy others, brought in bonds, and Muḥammad remained thus fettered up to the time when Muwaffaq defeated Yaՙqūb at Dayr al-ՙĀqūl and Muḥammad b. Ṭāhir managed to escape, this being in Rajab of the year 263 [/April 877].
Yaՙqūb then (i.e. after the Nishapur and Gurgān expeditions) led a campaign into Fars and occupied Fars and Ahwāz. He mounted an expedition against Baghdad with the aim of marching on it, deposing Muՙtamid from the caliphate and placing Muwaffaq on the throne. Muwaffaq revealed this intention to Muՙtamid. Yaՙqūb kept on secretly writing letters to Muwaffaq, and the latter would be showing these letters to Muՙtamid, until Yaՙqūb reached Dayr al-ՙĀqūl in the vicinity of [M 209] Baghdad, at the place where a connecting canal from the Euphrates joins the Tigris,29 and his army encamped there. Muwaffaq gave orders for the waters of the Tigris to be released against him, the greater part of Yaՙqūb’s army perished, and he himself was put to flight and retreated. Because of that ignominy he contracted dysentery, and when he reached Jundīshāpūr he died of it. He had never [previously] suffered defeat at the hands of his opponents, and no-one had ever been able to dupe him. [H 142] His death was on Saturday, 14 Shawwāl of the year 265 [/9 June 879].30
ՙAmr b. al-Layth
Muՙtamid and Muwaffaq then bestowed the provinces of Khurasan, Sistan and Fars on ՙAmr b. al-Layth. ՙAmr came back from Jundīshāpūr to [Fars], and from there set out towards Herat. Khujistānī established himself in Nishapur. Ḥ.y.kān (? Jaykān) the Qur’ān-reader, Yaḥyā b. Muḥammad b. Yaḥyā al-Dhuhlī,31 and all the volunteer fighters for the faith (muṭṭawwiՙa) and religious lawyers of Nishapur inclined towards ՙAmr’s side because he [N 15] was sent by the Commander of the Faithful and had an investiture diploma and standard from him. Khujistānī was spoken of opprobriously because he was a rebel against the ruling authority (sulṭān). When Khujistānī got news of this, he appointed Aḥmad b. Manna as his deputy in Nishapur and himself proceeded to Herat in order to engage ՙAmr b. al-Layth in battle. ՙAmr shut himself up in Herat in Ṣafar of the year 267 [/September–October 880], and Khujistānī was unable to make any headway. From there he (i.e. Khujistānī) led an expedition against Sistan. When he reached Ramal Samm (?), he besieged that stronghold, which was held by Shādān, son of Masrūr, and Aṣram. Then Khujistānī became frustrated and disappointed and went back to Nishapur, killing a number of people there. The pressure was thus lifted from ՙAmr’s mind.32
It is related that ՙAmr b. al-Layth exercised governorship over Khurasan in the best possible and most complete fashion and established a governmental system according to the established norms, in such a way that no-one was seized or imprisoned in the course of that. It is further related that ՙAmr b. al-Layth had four treasuries, one treasury for weapons and three for money, and these used to accompany him at all times. One of these last three was a treasury for money collected as legal alms (ṣadaqāt), as poll tax (gazīd-hā33) and suchlike, [M 210] and that used to be expended on the quarterly-paid salaries (bīstagānī) of the troops. The second was the privy treasury (māl-i khāṣṣ), which used to be gathered in from levies on crop yields and estates (i.e. from crown lands), and that was expended on living expenses of the court and upkeep of the kitchen and suchlike. [H 143] The third was a treasury for monies derived from extraordinary taxes (aḥdāth) and confiscations from members of the court troops and retainers (ḥasham) who were in collusion with enemies, and these monies used to be expended on payments for the court troops and retainers, for spies and intelligence agents (munhiyān), diplomatic envoys and suchlike.
ՙAmr b. al-Layth was very active and energetic regarding the affairs of the court troops and retainers and the army at large, and every three months he would reward them with salary payments and gifts. He was also extremely acute and aware of what was going on. When he made confiscations he would make them at the opportune moment and adduce plausible excuses for mulcting a person of his wealth. It is related that, one day, Muḥammad b. Bishr came into ՙAmr’s presence at a time when the treasury for salary payments (i.e. the third of the treasuries for money) was empty and the appointed time for handing out salary payments to the court troops and retainers had drawn near. ՙAmr was always in need of money. [N 16] He turned towards Muḥammad b. Bishr and began to heap reproaches on him, saying, ‘You know what you would have done in my place? You’d have done such-and-such,’ and he went on saying all sorts of things. Muḥammad realised what ՙAmr meant and said, ‘May God strengthen the Amir! All the wealth that I possess, whether in the form of fine horses,34 slaves or landed property, amounts to more than fifty purses full of dirhams. Accept this from me directly, and relieve me of those reproaches and menaces.’ ՙAmr commented, ‘I’ve never seen a more perspicacious fellow than this one!’ and he told Muḥammad, ‘Go and lodge this money in the treasury, and no fault shall be imputed to you.’ Muḥammad b. Bishr then deposited that money in the treasury and thereby became safe from the many troubles, injuries and reproaches that his friends suffered.35
It was ՙAmr’s customary practice that, when the beginning of the year came round (i.e. Nawrūz), he would have two drums, one called ‘the blessed one’ and the other ‘the auspicious one’. He would order both drums to be beaten so that all the troops would be aware that it was pay day. Then the head of the army department (ՙāriḍ) Sahl b. Ḥamdān would sit down and pour out purses filled with dirhams before him and the ՙāriḍ’s assistant would bring forward the pay register. The name of ՙAmr b. [M 211] al-Layth would come up first. He would step forth from amongst the throng of troops. The ՙārid. would scrutinise him and authenticate him as the person described in the register, pass his mount and weapons as being in good order, examine thoroughly his whole equipment, and express approval and praise. He would weigh out 300 dirhams, place them in a purse and hand them over to him. ՙAmr would take them and place them down the leg of his boot, exclaiming, ‘Praise be to God! God Most High has bestowed on me the privilege of showing my obedience to the Commander of the Faithful and has made me worthy of receiving His favours!’ and then he would go back to his place. He would go up onto an eminence, sit down and watch the ՙārid. intently until the latter had in exactly the same way scrutinised every single soldier, would look searchingly at the horse, saddle, footwear and equipment of the cavalrymen and infantrymen, and would hand out pay to each [N 17] one of them according to their ranks. He used to have spies over every commander, field officer and leader so that he was aware of everything about that person.36 ՙAmr was extremely intelligent, crafty and clearsighted.
The circumstance of the reversal of his power and fortunes were as follows. When ՙAmr [H 144] sent Rāfiՙ’s head to Muՙtaḍid in the year [2]84 [/897], he sought from the caliph an investiture diploma for Transoxania such as Ṭāhir b. ՙAbdallāh had had. Muՙtaḍid sent the general (ḥājib) Jaՙfar b. Baghlāghuz (?) to ՙAmr, and Jaՙfar brought a document detailing presents to ՙAmr. When ՙAmr b. al-Layth read that document, it was the conferment of the governorship over Transoxania that pleased him more than all those presents. Jaՙfar then [went back] to the caliph’s son ՙAlī b. al-Muՙtaḍid Muktafī. ՙUbaydallāh b. Sulaymān and Badr al-Kabīr, who were both at Ray, wrote to the seat of the caliphate. The investiture diploma for Transoxania was written out immediately and conveyed to ՙAmr by hand of Naṣr al-Mukhtārī, the ghulām of Abū Sāj.
Jaՙfar came into ՙAmr’s presence with the investiture diploma and presents. The presents comprised seven sets of robes of honour, a coat (badana) woven with unpierced pearls (durr) and set with jewels and pearls (marwārīd); a crown set with rubies and other jewels; eleven horses, ten of which had saddles and accoutrements decorated with gold, and one of them [M 212] with a saddle, bridle and accoutrements decorated with gold and set with emeralds and pearls, and a horse with its saddle-felt and outer covering all set with jewels and the horse’s four legs shoed with golden horseshoes; and many chests [of precious objects]. All these presents were successively laid out before ՙAmr and the chests placed within his palace. Jaՙfar clothed ՙAmr in those robes of honour one by one. Whenever he donned one of the robes, he performed two rakՙats of the ritual worship and [N 18] offered up thanks for it. Then he laid the investiture diploma for Transoxania before him. ՙAmr said, ‘What am I to do with this, since this province can’t be wrested from Ismāՙīl b. Aḥmad except by a hundred thousand drawn swords?’ Jaՙfar replied, ‘You requested this; you will now know best how to achieve it.’ ՙAmr took that investiture diploma, kissed it, placed it on his head and then set it down before himself. Jaՙfar went out.37
Against Ismāՙīl b. Aḥmad, ՙAmr b. al-Layth sent Muḥammad b. Bishr, ՙAlī b. Sharwīn and Aḥmad Darāz along the road to Āmūy with the vanguard of the army. Ismāՙīl b. Aḥmad crossed over the [Oxus] river by way of Zam, advanced towards them (sc. ՙAmr’s commanders and their troops) and engaged them in battle. Aḥmad Darāz deserted to Ismāՙīl b. Aḥmad’s side under a promise of safe conduct. Muḥammad b. Bishr was put to flight and the [Samanid] army went in pursuit after him. In the course of that flight he was killed together with 7,000 of his troops. ՙAlī b. Sharwīn was taken prisoner. This was on Monday, 18 Shawwāl of the year 286 [/27 October 899]. [H 145] When ՙAlī b. Sharwīn was captured, Aḥmad Darāz interceded for his life, but he was held in imprisonment at Bukhara till he died. Ismāՙīl b. Aḥmad went to Bukhara. The army of Sistan came back to ՙAmr in a defeated state and reached Nishapur. When ՙAmr saw them he became distressed and very cast down. He was told, ‘O Amir, a large meal much finer than this has been cooked, and we have so far drunk only one goblet; whoever is a real man, say, “Come, drink down the rest”.’ ՙAmr, however, remained silent.
ՙAmr b. al-Layth then prepared an army and distributed weapons, and set out from Nishapur towards Transoxania with a well-armed, fully-equipped host. [M 213] When he reached Balkh he came directly up against Ismāՙīl b. Aḥmad and a battle ensued. It did not take long before ՙAmr b. al-Layth was defeated. His army was routed, and in the course of this, ՙAmr was taken prisoner and made captive, and was brought before Ismāՙīl b. Aḥmad. This defeat of ՙAmr was on Tuesday, 14–15 Rabīՙ [N 19] I of the year 287 [/19–20 March 900]. Ismāՙīl straightway sent ՙAmr to Samarqand. When the news reached Muՙtaḍid he was filled with joy, and sent ՙAbdallāh b. al-Fatḥ to Khurasan. In the year 288 [/901] he despatched to Ismāՙīl at Samarqand an investiture diploma for Khurasan, a standard, a crown and numerous robes of honour. Muՙtaḍid sent Ashnās to bring back ՙAmr with him. When ՙAmr was brought to Baghdad and he came before Muՙtaḍid, the latter exclaimed, ‘Praise be to God that an end has been put to your evil and people’s minds have been relieved of concern with you,’ and he ordered him to be held in prison where he remained till he died. His death was in the year 289 [/902].38 [M 214]