LEARNED MAN OF ṬABARISTÁN.

1. Muḥammad b. Farír aṭ-Ṭabarí, the celebrated author of the great History, the great Commentary, the Dhaylu`l-Mudhayyal*, and other works. All men of learning agree that no nation has produced so great a scholar as him. It is said that 400 riding-camels might daily be seen waiting at the gate of his house in Baghdad, belonging to sons of the caliphs, kings, ministers and amírs, besides some 30 mules, each watched by an Abyssinian groom, the owners of all these having come thither to glean what they could from Ṭabarí’s incomparable learning.

2. Imám-i-shahíd (“the Martyr”) Fakhru`l-Islám 'Abdu`l-Wáḥid b. Isma'íl Abu`l-Maḥásin, who is called “the second Sháfi'í”, and for whom the Nidhámu`l-Mulk built a college at ´Amul which still flourished in the author’s time. Of him Abu`l-Ma'álí of Juwayn said: <Arabic>. He was the author of many works on Jurisprudence, the Ascetic Life, and other religious subjects, of which more than 40 volumes are in general circulation. His acuteness and dis­cernment are illustrated by the following story, which also explains how it happened that he incurred the resentment of the Assassins (<Arabic>) and perished by the daggers of their fidá'ís:

<Arabic>* <Arabic>

3. The Qáḍi`l-quḍát Abu'l-`Abbás ar-Rúyání. He was Chief Judge in the time of Shamsu`l-Ma'álí Qábús (A. H. 366—403 = A. D. 976—1012), and his descendants still exercise judicial functions in Ṭabaristán. Many anecdotes are told of him, of which the one here outlined is included amongst the stories printed at the end of Forbes’ Persian Grammar (London, 1869, pp. <Arabic>, Story Lxxi).