Abú Sa'íd, who was in Mázandarán at the time of his father's death, was crowned in April, 1317, being then under Reign of Abú Sa'íd (A.D. 1317 -1334) thirteen years of age. The Amír Chúbán was made Amíru'l-Umará, while 'Alí-sháh was asso­ciated with Rashídu'd-Dín Faḍlu'lláh in the wazírate. Between these two ministers there existed a great rivalry, and it soon became evident that one or other must succumb. The victim was Rashídu'd-Dín, whose greater scrupulousness and honour placed him at a disad­vantage. By the intrigues of his rival he was deposed in October, 1317, and the death of the powerful Amír Savinj in January, 1318, deprived him of his chief protector. The Amír Chúbán was anxious to reinstate him in office, but though he pleaded his advanced age and desired only to be allowed to live out the remainder of his life in peace and retirement, his rival 'Alí-sháh took alarm, renewed his in­trigues, and succeeded in persuading Abú Sa'íd that Rashídu 'd-Dín and his youthful and comely son Khwája Ibráhím were guilty of poisoning the late ruler Úljáytú. Both were Execution of Rashídu'd-Dín and his son in A.D. 1318 condemned to death and executed on July 18, 1318, Rashídu'd-Dín being then over seventy years of age. His body was outraged, his houses and possessions plundered, and his relatives and connections subjected to all sorts of persecution. More will presently be said of his character, learning, charity and literary achievements.

About a month after this sad event (August, 1318) began the rebellion of Yasáwur, whose ambition led him to covet Rebellions the province of Khurásán. He succeeded in compassing the death of Yasá'úl, and, having made himself master of Khurásán, invaded and ravaged Mázandarán, but retired before Abú Sa'íd's general, Amír Ḥusayn into the Garm-sír, or hot region bordering on the Persian Gulf. About the same time a formidable conspiracy of Mongol captains, such as Iranchin, * Túqmáq and Isen-búqá was formed against Chúbán, but the latter, supported by Abú Sa'íd, utterly defeated them near Úján in June, 1319, and those of the rebel leaders who did not perish in the battle were put to death with every circumstance of ignominy and cruelty at Sulṭániyya. Amongst the victims was Kinjik (or Kikhshik, or Kichik), the grand-daughter of Abáqá and wife of Iranchin, who had fought with con­spicuous bravery in the battle to avenge the death of her son Shaykh 'Alí, and was now, according to Nuwayrí's account, * trampled to death by horses at the command of Abú Sa'íd. Two months later Chúbán was rewarded by being given in marriage Sátí Beg, the king's sister, while the king, to commemorate his valour in this battle, took the title of Bahádur Khán.

The years 1318-1319 were remarkable for grievous famines in Asia Minor and elsewhere, followed in 1320 by Famine and hail-storms terrific hail-storms. Abú Sa'íd, much alarmed, consulted the theologians as to the cause of these calamities. They ascribed them to the laxity which prevailed about wine-drinking and prostitution, taverns and brothels being in many cases situated close to mosques and colleges. Abú Sa'íd thereupon closed all dis- Suppression of taverns orderly houses, and caused an enormous quan­tity of wine to be destroyed, but he allowed one wine-shop to remain for the use of travellers in each district. These measures produced a very good impression in Egypt, and facilitated the conclusion of a treaty between Abú Sa'íd and Sulṭán Náṣir, the Egyptian ruler, who had recently carried his hostility against the Assassins em­ployed against Mongols Mongols so far as to send thirty assassins of the Isma'ílí sect from Syria to attempt the life of Qará Sunqur. Although this attempt mis­carried, it greatly alarmed the Mongols, and both sides were thus prepared to come to terms and to set aside their ancient feuds. A treaty was ultimately concluded in 1323 between the two states, after a Mongol princess * (a grand­daughter of Bátú) had been given in marriage to Sulṭán Náṣir in 1320.

In 1322 Tímúr-Tásh the son of Chúbán revolted in Asia Minor and declared himself to be the expected Mahdí or Revolt of Tímúr-Tásh Messiah, but he was overcome by his father, par­doned, and ultimately reinstated in his govern­ment by Abú Sa'íd. About the same time Armenia was de- Armenia devastated vastated by the Egyptians, and Pope John XXII endeavoured to stir up the European powers on their behalf; to which end he wrote a letter (dated July 12, 1322) * to Abú Sa'íd asking him to aid them, and exhorting him at the same time to embrace the Christian faith. He also appointed * a Dominican named François de Peruse archbishop of Sulṭániyya.

Early in 1324 died the prime minister 'Alí-sháh, who was chiefly remarkable as the first Mongol wazír to die a Abú Sa'íd becomes impatient of Chúbán's power natural death. He was succeeded by Ruknu'd-Dín Ṣá'in, who enjoyed the support of the great Amír Chúbán. The power of this Amír, however, began to arouse the jealousy of Abú Sa'íd, now about twenty-one years of age, and an open rupture was precipitated by Abú Sa'íd's passion for Baghdád Khátún, the daughter of Chúbán and wife of Shaykh Ḥasan Jalá'ir, and by the intrigues of the ungrateful Ruknu'd-Dín against his benefactor. A threatened invasion of Khurásán by the Mongols of Transoxiana obliged Chúbán and his son Ḥusayn to be present in the eastern portion of the empire, while another son named Dimashq Khwája, against whom Abú Sa'íd was already incensed, remained at the court, which returned from its winter quarters at Baghdád to Sulṭániyya in the spring of 1327. Abú Sa'íd, growing daily more impatient of Dimashq Khwája's arrogance and im­morality, only awaited a reasonable excuse to destroy him. Nor had he to wait long, for about this time it was discovered that Dimashq was engaged in an intrigue with one of Úljáytú's former concubines. Finding himself detected, he Dimashq Khwája put to death in August, 1327 endeavoured to escape, but was overtaken and put to death, and his head was exhibited over one of the gates of Sulṭániyya. This took place on August 25, 1327. * He left four daughters, of whom the most notable was Dilshád Khátún. She was married first to Abú Sa'íd, to whom she bore a posthumous daughter who died in infancy, and afterwards to Shaykh Ḥasan Íl-khání, to whom she bore Sulṭán Uways and another son. This Sulṭán Uways reigned at Baghdád from 1356-1374, and was, as we shall see, a notable patron of poets and men of letters and learning.

Abú Sa'íd, having taken this decisive step, resolved to exterminate Chúbán and his whole family. Chúbán, warned Death of Chúbán of the king's intention, first put to death the wazír, Ruknu'd-Dín Ṣá'in, and then collected his troops, to the number of seventy thousand, and marched westwards, first to Mashhad and then to Simnán, whence he sent the venerable Shaykh 'Alá'd-Dín to intercede for him with Abú Sa'íd. The Íl-khán was not to be moved, and Chúbán continued his advance westwards until he arrived within a day's march of Abú Sa'íd. All seemed to be in Chúbán's favour, until some of his most important amírs deserted to the king, taking with them some thirty thousand men. Thereupon Chúbán retreated, first to Sáwa, where he left his wives Kardúchín and Sátí Beg, and then to Ṭabas. His followers continued to desert him until he was finally left with only seventeen persons. He then decided to take refuge at Herát with Ghiyáthu'd-Dín Kurt, who, however, betrayed him, and caused him and his chief officers to be strangled. His body was, by the Íl-khán's order, conveyed to al-Madína with great pomp, and there buried in the tomb which he had prepared for himself.*

Abú Sa'íd was now free to marry Baghdád Khátún, but, though she soon acquired a great influence over him, he did Fate of Chúbán's son Tímúr-Tásh, Aug. 1328 not cease persecuting her family. Another of Chúbán's sons, Tímúr-Tásh, who was governor of Asia Minor, took refuge at the Egyptian court, where he arrived on January 21, 1328. He was at first well received, sumptuously entertained, and given an allowance of 1500 dínárs a day; but the urgent demands of Abú Sa'íd for his extradition, combined with the intrigues of the Egyptian Sultan's courtiers, soon decided the latter to get rid of him. For a while he hesitated between the extradi­tion and the execution of his once powerful guest, but finally he decided to kill him, fearing lest, if he were sent to Abú Sa'íd, the intercession of his sister Baghdád Khátún and his old friend Ghiyáthu'd-Dín, the son of the great Rashídu'd-Dín, now himself prime minister, might induce the Íl-khán to forgive him, and that, should this happen, he would certainly seek to revenge himself on the Egyptians. Tímúr-Tásh was therefore put to death in prison on the night of Thursday, August 22, 1328, and his head, embalmed and placed in a casket, was sent to Abú Sa'íd.