The whole of the company who were assembled at that place and who listened to that speech admired the eloquence of that harangue and the splendour of that citation, and uttered exclamations of wonder at his great intellect and at his gentle disposition, and at his sincere faithfulness, and at the wideness of the plain of his generosity, and at the loftiness of the summit of his thoughts, and at his benevolent nature. And Sáhib Káfi, after that, greatly promoted the welfare of Tásh, and the preservation of his comforts, and the advancement of his prosperity, and used the utmost exertions to obtain his approval. And Tásh remained, for the space of three years, at Jurján, and all his mind was devoted to the service of Núh-Mansúr, and he felt grieved and anxious at his estrangement from His Excellency, and desired to be forgiven and redeemed from every mark of disobedience and every breach of fidelity. And he conjectured this, that he might, perchance, cease his harsh demeanour and rise up from the pretext of such determinations and blameable conduct, and determine to let down the rope of obedience and approach the side of fidelity. And he sent Abú-Said-Shíbí to Fakr-Addoulat, and requested assistance, in order to return to the Court of Khurasán. And he nominated Asfar-Ibn-Kardawayah and sent two thousand cavalry out of the army of Dilam, to accompany him. And he wrote to Nasr-Ibn-Al-Hasan-Ibn-Firúz, that he should enrol himself amongst the body of those troops, and arrange for their command and government, and that they should proceed to join His Excellency Tásh, and should pay due and ready obedience unto his orders, and in all things acknowledge their subjection to his commands and to his standard. And he spent much money in equipping his army, and, by means of half of those gifts which had been presented to him from Kurkan, sent supplies to the whole, of treasure, and necessaries, and arms, and presents. And when Abú-Said arrived at Koms, which was then the residence of Nasr, it happened altogether unto him as it happened to Ibn-Al-Hazar, at the banquet of the sons of Tamín.* For Nasr commanded that they should cut asunder with the sword the left and right parts of these forces, and should entirely cut up their limbs and their quarters. And he confined the army in subterraneous caverns and removed all openings which could allow them to breathe, and applied fire, so that all of them perished in the anguish of that suffocation. And as to the auxiliary forces which were with them he took them almost all, but some, who were the gleanings of the people and the remnants of the sword, fled and arrived at Ray. And Fakhr-Addoulat became extremely confused and agitated at the arrival of this news, and the occurrence of this unfortunate event, and set off on his march towards Koms, with a design of revenge and an intention of retribution, and he summoned Tásh from Jurján, in order that, by their joint assistance, they might obtain a victory worthy of that which had been done to them, and in proportion to the events which had occurred. And when they came to Koms, Nasr saw the spectre of death opening his jaws, and the eagle of fate drawing her wing around him and sharpening his claws (against him). Therefore he saw no expedient except in coming to terms, apologizing, and seeking pardon. He made, therefore, Tásh his intercessor, and Fakhr-Addoulat, when he saw this behaviour and submission, took compassion upon his old age, and the mediation of his kindred with respect to him became successful, and he gave up all intention of revenge. And he directed his attention to Khuzistán, and to that quarter whence came the sound of war from his nephew Bahá-Addoulat-’bn-Azd-Addoulat, on account of the uncomfortable differences which had lately fallen out between them. Therefore he proceeded towards Khuzistán with that brave army. And Badr-’bn-Hasanawayah, with an army raised from the people, returned to his service and to his standard, and brought back with him the commonality and all the public officers of Khuzistán. And he sent Firúzan-’bn-Al-Hasán to Basrah, in order that he might also take possession of Basrah and add it to the number of his auxiliary cities. And when Firuzán passed over the river of Moses* the whole of the population of Basrah rose up to assist the army of Baha-Addoulat, who were stationed in the city. And they broke down the dykes of the reservoirs, so that the whole of the plain was filled with water and the roads became entirely obliterated, and they were caught in the mud (produced by this water) and they found no means of exit. And a great army came from Mousel, in support of the people of Basrah, and when the army of Firuzán beheld their numbers and their bravery they extricated themselves from these whirlpools (fords) and, in a broken and confused manner, they returned unto Fakhr-Addoulat, and complained before him of the extreme suffering of that condition and the misery of those muddy places, and, in conclusion, began to put forth a petition for maintenance and for pay, and for various other advantages. And Fakhr-Addoulat became wearied with their continual application and their numerous questions, and began to condemn their weakness and debility, and want of energy and of resolution, and their imposition upon good nature, and began to regard it as disgraceful and odious to seek for men to do an affair not done. And, following out this thought he began to entertain the design of a truce, and came to Hamadán and from that place set forward to Ráy. This event happened in the year 379, in which year a terrible plague broke out at Jurján, and the greater number of the soldiers of Tásh, and the chief officers and the most eminent of his privy counsellors and scribes perished in that plague, and at the last Tásh became involved in this misfortune, and his life, through that suffering, departed to the other world and thus yielded to the weakness of old age, to the anxiety caused by foreigners, and to his separation from his associates. During the period of his residence at Jurján much oppression took place, from his troops and armies, and much injury was done, by extortions and requisitions, and a commencement was made of oppressive exactions, which debilitated it. And when the news of his death was published all the populace of the city arose, and the mob began to attack his officers and to murder his nobles and his wise men, and to carry forth and plunder his property, wherefore the officers and chiefs of the army, being compelled to repulse them, were unable to fulfil the usual ceremonies of mourning or to attend to the care of his interment.
They succeeded, however, in escaping from the confinement of the city, unto the open space of the desert, and proceeded to consult upon the choice of some one as his successor, who should hold the chief command, and the unanimous choice of all of them fell upon the sister’s son of Tásh, whom they accordingly placed upon the seat of government. And he distributed among them the treasures and the possessions of Tásh, and, through his firmness, obtained such authority that he made all fear him, and all content with him, and to adhere firmly to his service. But a clamorous crowd arose from the city, and their cries of “help! help! to the rescue!” rose to the skies, for the mob of the city stretched forth the hand of violence, with open murmurs, and, forsaking the limits of law, permitted themselves audaciously to break the bond (of restraint) and to tear up the foundations (of propriety) and to lay aside all reverence (for authority). And they set out by the way of Bikarábád, to repress them, and some of these dogs and mob of wolves came in from the city, to fight against them, and when they had thrown their moth into the fire of destruction, and that army turned in from its ambush, many of that mob, coming into collision with the horses, and into distress from the camels, were defeated and retreated to the city, and a great number of these dwarfs and mob perished, and the belly of the wolves was filled with the carcases of the dead. And unto the people there happened, after this event, a fate such as had never happened to any people since Yazid-’bn-Ahnuklib. And when the affair (of massacre) had arrived at its utmost degree the Imáms, and the learned men, and the devout men, and the worthy men asked pardon and brought forward the glorious Korán, as their intercessor, so that the cry of distress arising from tumult was suppressed, and the soldiers held their hand from slaughter and returned unto their residences and barracks. And they began to reflect upon the consequences of their condition and upon their present lot. And their opinions became changed upon this subject, so that the more select portion of the older officers became inclined to Khurasán, and the royal army and the troops of the country chose the service of Fakhr-Addoulat. And Sáhib-Káfi sent a letter and gave unto them all assurances of attachment and promises of good, and was willing to augment their pay and their rank; and he requested them that some of them should arrange that Abú-Alí should become their Inspector* and should enrol their names on the muster-list, and that he would pay the chief part of their allowances and wages. To this they did not consent, for their love of their homes and their affection to their abodes at Khurasán held back the bridle of their will, and they they went to Nishapúr, and became enrolled in the army of Abúl-Hasán-Símjúr, who was at that time governor of Khurasán, and they made him Lieutenant-General of the army of the country, until an inspector should come. And the Inspector carried their names with great respect to Ray. And when they came to His Highness, Fakhr-Addoulat, he caressed them greatly and appointed two territories as a gift unto them, one (consisting of) the subjects of the parts belonging to Tásh, as a means of gratifying their service and augmenting their body.*
And when the Lord Abú-Alí came to Jurján and beheld the impertinence of the mob, and the exaltation of the common people, consisting of the remainder of the populace who had laid hands on the army of Khurasán, and had become drunk with wickedness, and carried away with folly and iniquity, he occupied himself in attending to that business, and he arrested all of them, and put to death nearly three thousand men of the poor thieves and evil-doers of that mob, and, moreover, put to death every one who, during his whole life, had for one day taken up an iron weapon or had made use of bakers’ shovels, or such things, for the purpose of offence. Some, therefore, he fastened upon trees, and some he made a mark to shoot at with arrows, but the body of them he passed over the sword, and thus, by his severity and violence, that affair was settled, and the insurrection of these base creatures and originators of injury and malice came to an end. But God knows what is just.