On the death of Abáqá two rival candidates appeared
on the scene, his brother Takúdar
*
(who, on his conversion
to Islám took the additional name of Aḥmad) and his
Aḥmad Takúdar
A.H. 681-683
(A.D. 1282-1284)
son Arghún. A majority of the Mongol nobles
preferred the former, and he was accordingly
proclaimed on May 6, 1282, under the title of
Sulṭán Aḥmad Takúdar. One of his earliest public acts
was to show his devotion to the religion which he had
adopted by letters addressed to the doctors of Baghdád
*
and to Qalá'ún, Sultan of Egypt,
*
in which he expressed
his desire to protect and foster the religion of Islám and
to live on terms of peace and amity with all Muslims.
His letter to Qalá'ún, dated Jumáda I, A.H. 681 (August,
1282), was entrusted to two special envoys, Quṭbu'd-Dín-i-
However gratified the Muslims may have been at the conversion of Aḥmad Takúdar and the evidences of sin- Aḥmad Takúdar defeated, captured and slain by Arghún cerity afforded by his conduct, the Mongols were far from sharing this satisfaction, and in the following year (682/1283-4), a formidable conspiracy of Mongol nobles to depose Aḥmad Takúdar and place his nephew Arghún on the throne came to light. Qunqurátáy, one of the chief conspirators, with a number of his accomplices, was put to death on January 18, 1284, but Arghún successfully revolted against his uncle, whom he ultimately captured and put to death on August 10 of the same year, and was proclaimed King on the following day.
One of Arghún's first acts was to make his son Gházán governor of Khurásán, Mázandarán, Ray and Qúmis. His Reign of Arghún A.H. 683-690 (A.D. 1284-1291) formal recognition as Íl-khán of Persia by his over-lord Qúbiláy Khán (“Kubla Khán”) was brought from China in the following year by Urdugaya.
During the reign of Aḥmad Takúdar the fortunes of the Ṣáḥib-Díwán and his family, threatened for a while The ṢáḥibDíwán put to death by the intrigues of Majdu'l-Mulk, revived once more, but they were finally eclipsed by the accession of Arghún. On the death of his master, Shamsu'd-Dín Muḥammad the Ṣáḥib-Díwán, fearing Arghún's anger, fled to Qum, where he was overtaken by Arghún's messengers, brought back, and finally put to death at a place called Mú'ína near Ahar on Sha'bán 4 or 5, 683 (October 16 or 17, 1284). * Before submitting himself to the headsman's hands he craved a brief respite, which was granted him. After performing the ablution, he took an augury from a Qur'án which belonged to him, and then wrote the following letter to the 'ulamá of Tabríz:
“When I sought an augury from the Qur'án, these were the words which came: * ‘Verily those who said “God is our
The Ṣáḥib-Díwán's letter to the 'ulamá of Tabríz Lord,” and then were steadfast, unto them do the angels descend [saying]: “Fear not, neither be afraid. Receive good tidings of the Paradise which ye were promised!”’ Since the Creator, exalted is He, hath well maintained his servant in this perishable world, and hath not withheld from him any wish, it hath pleased Him even in this world to give him glad tidings of the World Eternal. Therefore he hath deemed it incumbent on himself to convey these glad tidings to Mawláná Muḥiyyu'd-Dín, Mawláná Afḍalu'd-He also addressed the following farewell letter and testament to his sons:*
“Salvation and greeting to my sons and dear ones, may God Almighty preserve them! Let them know that I en- His letter to his sons trust them to God, Mighty and Glorious is He: verily God doth not suffer that which is entrusted to Him to sustain loss. It was in my mind that perhaps a meeting might be possible, whereat my last wishes might be communicated orally, but my days are ended, and my business is now with the world to come. Do not fall short in the care of my children; incite them to study, and on no account suffer them to have aught to do with the service of the State; let them rather be content with that which God Most High hath assigned to them. If my son Atábek and his mother wish to return home, they have my permission so to do. Let Nawrúz, Mas'úd and their mother remain with Bulqán Khátún, and should she grant them estates, let them accept them and be content therewith. Whither can my chief wife go from Tabríz? Let her then remain there near the grave of me and my brothers. If they can, let them make their dwelling in the monastery of Shaykh Fakhru'd-Dín and repair thither. Múmina hath received little satisfaction from us: if she wishes to marry again, let her do so. Let Farrukh and his mother remain with Atábek. Let them leave Zakariyyá with the crown lands and other estates which I have given over to Amír Búqá. Let them petition [on his behalf]: if some land should be granted to him, well and good: if not, let him rest content. May the Almighty Creator have mercy upon us, and bless all of them. At this hour my mind is fixed on the Divine Presence, and I can write no more than this. Deal kindly with all, bond and free, and forget us not on the nights when you remember the absent.”
The Ṣáḥib-Díwán did not perish alone. Four of his
sons, Yaḥyá, Faraju'lláh, Mas'úd and Atábek, were put
to death soon after him, and a little later another son,
Hárún. “Two brothers and seven sons,” according to the
Ta'ríkh-i-Waṣṣáf,
*
constituted the sacrifice demanded by
Mongol ferocity, ever ready to visit the sins of the fathers
upon the children, and little disposed to leave alive potential
avengers. Added to these losses were the deaths in the
years immediately preceding of 'Alá'u'l-Mulk 'Aṭá Malik-i-
Faṣíḥí, in his Mujmal (f. 469), quotes the two following quatrains composed by the Ṣáḥib-Díwán in his last moments:
<text in Arabic script omitted>
“O Hand of Fate, which doth my heart's steps stay,
My heart submits to thy desire to slay:
With all my heart I offer thee my life;
For this throughout my life my heart did pray.”<text in Arabic script omitted>
“Look, thou who caused'st life's bright lamp to die,
Two hundred worlds thou seest extinguished lie,
Yet do the slain eternal life attain,
And those in chief who are by heathens slain.”
His death was universally lamented, even in towns like Shíráz where he was known only by his charities and good works, and which he had never visited. Amongst the verses composed on his death are the following:
<text in Arabic script omitted>
“The Night in grief hath dyed her cloak, and Morn,
Heaving cold sighs, appears with collar torn:
The Sun's * departure stains the sky with gore:
The Moon is veiled, the locks of Venus shorn.”<text in Arabic script omitted>
“That minister whose head o'ertopped the skies
Hath earned, in truth, of martyrdom the prize;
The Ṣáḥib-Díwán, who for thirty years
Hath kept the world secure from hurts and fears.
O cruel heavens such a life to ban!
O cruel earth, to slay so great a man!”
There were, however, others who regarded the Ṣáḥib-