Dázmihr, the eldest son of Farrukhán, succeeded his father, and reigned for twelve years, during which no one attempted to molest him. He repaired and restored the Palace of the Ispahbads; and in his days Abú Muslim began his propaganda in favour of the House of 'Abbás at Merv. The Umayyad Marwán II, nick-named “the Ass” (al-Ḥimár) was then (A. H. 127—132: A. D. 744—750) Caliph, and he was so called because the Arabs name the year which ends a century “the Year of the Ass”, in allusion to the Ass of Ezra; and from the foundation of the Umayyad Caliphate until Marwán was slain exactly one hundred years had elapsed*. Al-Jáḥidh relates in the Kitábu`l-Bayán wa`t-Tabyín that when Marwán was hard pressed by Abú Muslim’s troops, he ordered one of his trusted servants to bury in the sand the staff and cloak of the Prophet, and to cut off the head of one of his daughters, lest she should reveal the hiding-place of these secret relics. But later this servant, being taken captive, said, “If you slay me, the inheritance of the Prophet will be lost for ever.” So they spared him, and he shewed them where he had hidden these relics, which were sent to two villages in Tammísha where the councils of the propagandists were at that time held.

Abu`l-Faraj 'Alí b. al-Ḥusayn b. Hindú relates in his Kitáb-i-amthál-i-Muwallada, on the authority of Ibn Durayd, the author of the Kitáb-i-Ḥumayra, that Ka'b b. Zuhayr received this mantle from the Prophet in reward for a qaṣída which he had composed in his praise, and sold it to Mu'áwiya for 20,000 dirhams. It is now in the possession of the 'Abbásid Caliphs.

There was never a more wonderful story than that of Abú Muslim. To a villager of humble origin and lowly position God gave so much power that he took in hand and successfully carried out one of the greatest enterprizes ever planned. It is related that when he conquered the Umayyads, and Marwán (f. 81a) took account of his deeds, he caused his secretary, 'Abdu`l-Ḥamíd, who was a master in epistolary composition, to write him a long letter, full of threats and promises, ending with the words:

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When this long and wordy letter was read to Abú Muslim, he laid it before him, broke in pieces one of his arrows, and wrote in reply these two couplets:

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Then they said to 'Abdu`l-Ḥamíd the secretary, “Write to Abú Muslim again in words briefer, weightier and more concise, so that he may not answer thee in this fashion.” So 'Abdu`l-Ḥamíd wrote:

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But Abú Muslim’s plans prospered, until he brought Abu`l-'Abbás 'Abdu`lláh as-Saffáḥ b. Muḥammad b. 'Alí b. 'Abdu`lláh b. 'Abbás from al-Madína and proclaimed him Caliph, who, on his death, was succeeded by his brother Abú Ja'far al-Manṣúr 'Abdu`lláh b. Muḥammad b. 'Alí b. 'Abdu`lláh b. 'Abbás.

It is related that once 'Abdu`llah [b.] 'Abbás was travelling in company with 'Alí, who always showed the greatest consideration for this family (f. 81b), and bestowed on them the governments of Baṣra, Yaman and Ṭá`if, while Qutham, the foster-brother of Ḥusayn b. 'Alí was the governor of the two sacred cities (Mecca and al-Madína). Concerning this the Amír Abú Firás says:

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When 'Abdu`lláh’s son was born to him in Qaṭífa, he asked 'Alí to name the child with a noble name:

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When al-Manṣúr had been enthroned as Caliph, he gave Abú Muslim permission to return to Khurásán. When he reached Ḥulwán, however, he was overtaken by a messenger from the Caliph bidding him return, since his advice was needed on an affair of importance which had arisen.

Abú Muslim suspected treachery, and consulted with one of his friends, saying, “How dost thou think that I stand with Abu`l-'Abbás?” The other replied, “Like the lion whose foot was pierced by a reed, so that it was unable to move; and a simple-minded, well-meaning man, seeing its weakness and hearing its moaning, took pity on it, approached it, and (f. 82a) drew forth the thorn from its foot. Thereupon the lion slew the man, in spite of his cries and protests; ‘for,’ it said, ‘thou art a meddlesome fellow, and perhaps thou may’st assist some other lion as thou hast assisted me, and it may drive me from this my hunting-ground, and make me an exile and a wanderer.’ Abú Muslim replied, “If I do not tend, nurse and care for that tender sapling which I have planted, but abandon it to its fate, passers-by will pluck it up by the roots, and my labour of many years will be rendered null and void.” So he left his treasure and baggage in the charge of his vice-gerent Sindbád at Ray, and himself returned to Manṣúr, where that fate overtook him which is well known, and to which he alluded in the punning epigram:

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When al-Manṣúr had killed Abú Muslim, he gave the post of Wazír to Abú Ayyúb al-Múriyání; and all men were filled with fear of him because of what he had done to Abú Muslim. Abú Ayyúb’s intimates once remarked to him that however often he entered the Caliph’s presence his countenance always shewed signs of fear. He repeated to them the parable of the hawk and the cock, when the former reproached the latter with ingratitude for fleeing, screaming and terrified, from men when they called him, notwithstanding the food he had eaten at their hands, and the benefits he had received from them.

Khurshíd was called Farshwád Marzubán, and the Nahapets were his maternal uncles and kinsmen. His paternal uncle actually ruled the country until Khurshíd reached the age of manhood. This uncle had a hand-maiden named Ramja and called Harúya (<Arabic>) who was skilled in all sorts of tricks and conjuring, and who used to exhibit her skill to Khurshíd whenever he came to see his uncle. To her from his childhood he was deeply attached, so that they used to send letters and messengers to one another. His uncle, who was aware of this state of things, used to say to him: “This hand-maiden I hold in trust for thee, and when thou comest to man’s estate, I will bestow her on thee.”