Account of the rule of the Ṭálibite Sayyids
in Ṭabaristán.

The Caliphate had now passed to Ja'far al-Mutawakkil, the son of al-Mu'taṣim, whose minister, 'Abdu`lláh b. Yaḥyá b. Kháqán, was a fanatical Sunní (Náṣibí), who was con­tinually inciting him to kill the descendants of the Prophet, and even prevailed upon him to destroy the tombs of the Martyrs of Kerbelá, dam up the water, grow crops on the site of their graves, and set Jewish watchmen and keepers there to arrest and slay any Muslim who visited these holy places. Thus in the time of ad-Dá'í Muḥammad [b.] Zayd the tombs of 'Alí and his son al-Ḥusayn and other descendants of Abú Ṭálib were in ruins. But in the Caliphate of al-Muntaṣir (A. H. 247—8: A. D. 861—2) Muḥammad b. Zayd made himself ruler of Ṭabar­istán, and thereupon began to preach the Shí'ite doctrine, and to inculcate the deepest veneration for the House of 'Alí, and to repair (f. 106a) their shrines, and to build fresh ones wheré he supposed their graves to be. In all this he was aided by 'Aḍudu`d-Dawla Fanákhusraw b. Ruknu`d-Dawla Ḥasan [b.] Buwayh, who surrounded these holy places with houses and bázárs, and instituted the observances of Muḥarram and the Yawmu`l-Ghadír and other Shí'ite practices, and was himself buried when he died at Mash­had 'Alí.

It is related that when al-Mutawakkil was made Caliph, he had the same love of hunting down and slaying the descendants of 'Alí as an eager sportsman has for the chase. The Imám 'Alí b. Muḥammad al-Hádí al- 'Askarí, who was recognized by the Shí'ites as their pontiff, was his contemporary. One day the Caliph summoned this Imám before him, caused him to be seated, and then, turning to 'Alí b. Muḥammad an-Nadím, enquired, “Who is the greatest poet of our day?” “Abú 'Ubáda al-Buḥturí,” replied the courtier, “And after him?” asked the Caliph:

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For this reason amongst others al-Mutawakkil slew 'Alí b. Muḥammad al-Hádí, and occupied himself day and night with drinking, debauchery and all sorts of folly and madness.

Al-Aṣma'í relates in his Kitábu`n-Nawádir, on the authority of Aḥmad b. Ṣáliḥ ad-Dimashqí, on the authority of Yúsuf b. 'Abdu`lláh, that al-Buḥturí said: “I had composed for al-Mutawakkil the well-known qaṣída beginning:

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and I remained for a long while at the Court waiting for an opportunity to present it (because he cared but little for poets, and would not give them audience) but could find none. One day I was sitting in an ante-chamber when Baḥrir, one of the Caliph’s servants, came out, took me by the hand, and led me from ante-chamber to apartment and from apartment to ante-chamber till I reckoned that I had passed through three hundred apartments (f. 106b). At length he brought me to a room where I saw al-Muta­wakkil sitting on a golden throne, round which stools were set in order of their rank for his courtiers and attendants, who were clad in black. As soon as al-Mutawakkil’s eyes fell on me, he cried to me, ‘Recite, O Buḥturí, recite!’ Though I had not yet saluted him, I said to myself, ‘Though it is a breach of etiquette, yet it is best for me to obey his commands;’ so I gathered up my skirts and began:

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At once one of the courtiers sprang to his feet, looked at me, and said:

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I was dumb with astonishment, saying to myself, ‘It is a year since I composed this poem, and I have shewn it to no one: how could this wretched fellow spoil it thus by his extemporization?’ Then I reflected that it must be an accidental coincidence, and continued, fixing my eyes on the Caliph:

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Instantly that same man rose up again, turned towards me, and said:

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Thereat al-Mutawakkil was seized with such violent laughter that he fell back and his crown rolled from his head; and he gave the courtier who had parodied my verses ten thousand dirhams, while me they drove out with cuffs and blows. When I reached the ante-chamber, he passed me, with a servant carrying the money. I enquired of Baḥrír who he was. He replied, “Abu`l-'Anbas aḍ-Ḍamírí, who, had you composed two thousand verses, would have produced a parody of each.’”

In short, during al-Mutawakkil’s reign the Sayyids of the House of 'Alí were in hiding in ruins and solitudes, till at length he died, dividing his realms between his three sons, of whom al-Muntaṣir, who became Caliph, was the eldest. He was opposed by the other 'Abbásids, and the Turkish guard, getting the upper hand, plundered the treasures of Sámarra, and besieged Baghdad, enraged at the support given by its inhabitants to al-Musta'ín. Matters being in this confusion, Yaḥyá b. 'Umar b. al-Ḥusayn b. 'Alí b. al-Ḥusayn b. (f. 107a) 'Alí b. Abí Ṭálib rebelled at Kúfa. He was a brave, accomplished and ascetic man. The people of Kúfa, supposing him to be actuated by need of money, offered to pay him a substantial sum if he would be quiet, but he swore that he would never have revolted had not his zeal been stirred by seeing God’s religion contemned and the ordinances of the Law contravened and neglected.

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Muḥammad b. 'Abdu`lláh [b.] Ṭáhir sent one of his offi­cers named Ḥasan b. Isma'íl with another named Turkí-takín to suppress this rising, and they captured the Sayyid, and cut off his head, which was sent to Muḥammad b. 'Abdu`lláh [b.] Ṭáhir. The people of Baghdad came to offer their congratulations, and amongst them the old Sayyid Abú Háshim Dá`úd b. al-Qásim al-Ja'farí, who said, “O Amír, I am come to congratulate thee on an event for which con­dolence would have been offered to the Apostle of God had he still been alive!”

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