When this courier reached Ray he saw Ḥasan b. Zayd and Isma'íl called Jálibu`l-Ḥijára (“the Stone-dragger”) whose genealogy has been already mentioned in the preface, and communicated to them the letters of the notables of Ṭabaristán, urging them to revolt. To these he replied, and dismissed the messenger with a robe of honour. When he reached Rúyán, the news became known, and was com­municated to 'Alí b. Aws. He at once wrote to 'Abdu`lláh b. Sa'íd and Muḥammad b. 'Abdu`l-Karím bidding them come to him to investigate the matter. The former was afraid, left his house, and retired to the village of Ashtád. At this juncture the courier arrived with the letter of Ḥasan b. Zayd al-'Alawí, announcing that he had alighted at the village of Sa'íd-ábád, where he was expecting 'Abdu`lláh b. Sa'íd and his confederates to take the oath of allegiance. 'Abdu`lláh thereupon went to [Muḥammad b.] 'Abdu`l-Karím with all the chief men of Kalár on Tuesday, Ramaḍán 25, A. H. 250 (= November 1, A. D. 864), and they swore allegiance, undertaking to observe the ordinances of God’s scripture, and the practice of His Apostle, and to do good and forbid evil. And they wrote letters to the people of Jálús and. Nírús, and sent missionaries to them, and remained that night with 'Abdu`lláh b. Sa'íd, and proceeded next day to Gúrishbard, where people joined them from all sides. News of this came to 'Alí b. Aws, who did not rest until he had communicated with Muḥammad b. Aws. And the Sayyids of that district, with Muḥammad b. Ibráhím b. 'Alí b. 'Abdu`r-Raḥmán, went out to meet Ḥasan b. Zayd, who reached Kajúr on Thursday, Ramaḍán 27 (A. H. 250 = November 3, A. D. 864), and performed the service of the festival which marks the conclusion of Ramaḍán, and preached a most eloquent sermon. Then he sent Muḥammad b. 'Abbás (f. 108a) and 'Alí b. Naṣr and 'Aqíl b. Mabrúr to Ḥusayn b. Muḥammad al-Ḥanafí, who was then at Jálús, to invite him to ally himself with them; and then they proceeded to the Great Mosque and received the oaths of allegiance of all the people of that district, save the few dependants of Muḥammad b. Aws, who fled without horses or arms, some to Ja'far b. Shahriyár b. Qárin and some to others.

Ḥasan b. Zayd next marched from Kajúr to Nátil, and received the allegiance of its inhabitants, and thence he passed on to Pá-yi-Dasht. At the head of his vanguard were Muḥammad al-'Alawí and Muḥammad b. Rustam b. Wandá-ummíd of Kalár, whom they called Khiyán; while the vanguard of the army of Muḥammad b. Aws was Muḥam­mad b. Ikhshíd, his sipahsálár. The two armies met at Pá-yi-Dasht, and Muḥammad al-'Alawí at once attacked the enemy, put them to rout, and took captive Muḥammad b. Ikhshíd, whom he sent to Ḥasan b. Zayd. He then pushed forward with all speed to Balíkání near ´Amul, whither Sulaymán b. 'Abd`ulláh b. Ṭáhir had sent an army, which they defeated, taking captive Ḥasan b. Ḥusayn.

Muḥammad b. Ḥamza was ordered to proceed in person to Daylamán and seek for reinforcements. The Daylamites responded to the appeal, and Ummídwár the son of Lash­kar-sitán, Wíhán the son of Sahl, Fálízbán, and Faḍl-i-Rafíqí came with six hundred men to Pá-yi-Dasht to reinforce Ḥasan b. Zayd, who on the same day received letters from the nobles and Ispahbads of Ṭabaristán promising him their support, and urging him to continue the Ẉar. Amongst these were Pádhúsbán the son of Kurdzád, the Ispahbad of Lafúr, the Maṣ-mughán, son of Wandá-ummíd, Wíjan the son of Rustam, Khurshíd the son of Gushnasf the son of Nidrand, and Khiyán, the son of Rustam. Encouraged by these letters and promises, Ḥasan b. Zayd formed a body-guard of 20 horsemen and 200 footmen under the command of his kinsmen the Sayyids Muḥammad b. Ḥamza and Ḥusayn b. Aḥmad (f. 108b). When Muḥammad b. Aws heard this, he set his army in battle array and ordered Ibráhím b. Khalíl to attack them; they, however, not only repelled the attack, but pursued their assailants, routed Muḥammad b. Aws, and captured much of his baggage and many of his horses.

On Monday, Shawwal 23 (A. H. 250 = November 29, A. D. 864) Ḥasan b. Zayd reached ´Amul, and slew a number of his opponents, including Daylamí the son of Farrukhán, Muqátil the Daylamite (<Arabic>), and Alí b. Ibráhím al-Jílí; but Ibráhim b. Khalíl craved and obtained quarter. On the morning of the following day, Tuesday, Ḥasan b. Zayd proceeded to the Oratory (<Arabic>) of ´Amul, summoned all the people of the city, gentle and simple, and persuaded all save a very few to take the oath of allegiance to him. He abode in ´Amul for the remaining seven days of the month, during which period Fana the son of Wandá-ummíd, Wandásafán the son of Máhyár, and Surkháb the son of Rustam sought and obtained quarter. Then he appointed Muḥammad b. 'Abdu`l-'Azíz governor of Rúyán, Ja'far b. Rustam governor of Kalár, and Muḥammad b. al-'Abbás governor of Jálús, while he invited the people of ´Amul to choose a governor for themselves, whereupon they chose Muḥammad b. Ibráhím b. 'Alí b. 'Abdu`r-Raḥmán, who was then acting as Ḥasan b. Zayd’s deputy-governor at Rúyán.

The Mas-mughán, son of Wanda-ummíd, had already conceived a hatred for Muḥammad b. Aws because of his tyranny towards the people, and when he saw how the affairs of Ḥasan b. Zayd prospered, he came forth from the forests where he was hiding to Mámṭír, where, on Thurs­day, Shawwál 26 (A. H. 250 = December 2, A. D. 864) he called upon the people to swear allegiance to Ḥasan b. Zayd, which they all did eagerly. Then he wrote tidings of what he had done to Ḥasan b. Zayd, who gave him in perpetuity the rule over Zarmíkhwást, and ordered him to go to Sárí and wait there till he should join him. He did so (f. 109a), and encamped by the village of Pútam at Nawrúzábád, while Ḥasan b. Zayd’s emissaries went forth as far as Damáwand, Fírúz-kúh and the confines of Ray, and all the people of Ṭabaristán accepted the authority of Ḥasan b. Zayd. On Friday, Dhu`l-Qa'da 14, (A. H. 250 = December 19, A. D. 864) he reached Tarícha with all his army, whence he proceeded to Jamanú.