*The Amír Bihá-Addoulah-wa-Ziá-Al-Míllat, considering that the Commander of the Faithful Al-Táí-Billah evaded his just counsels in the ad­ministration of the affairs of the empire, and in various matters acted in opposition to his satisfac­tion and consent, and that from this cause ruin presented itself, and dissensions originated on all sides, applied all his thoughts to the proposition, that he should choose, for the throne of Khílafat, and for the investiture with the faithful Imámship, some one whose fitness for this great business, and weighty matter, he himself knew, and who would acknowledge it to be an absolute duty to govern in a salutary manner the high and the low; one who, in guarding the apple of the eye of Islám, and in faithful regard to the centre of religion would be far from following his own passions, or from the choice of the will of self. He watched his oppor­tunity for carrying out this design, until the month Shaabán, in the year 381, he deposed him from the Khílafat, and transferred his property and trea­sure. And having sent to Táíh, he summoned the Commander of the Believers Al-Kadir-Billah, Abú Ishak-’bn -Ahmad-’bn-Ishak-Almuktadir-Billah, Commander of the Faithful, who resided there, to Bagdad, and invested him with the Empire. Thus the task of mending the broken affairs of the State, and reestablishing the people was settled upon him. He arrived at Bagdád in Ramadhán of that year. All classes of men, on account of the veritable evi­dences of his character, and their unmixed confi­dence in him, were eager for his inauguration, and invoked blessings and prosperity upon his Imám­ship, and Khílafat, since his virtues were like stars shining brightly upon the whole earth, and his deeds like flowers displayed upon the surface of time. And he, in the burden of that stewardship and obligations of that office of Imám, resolved upon such a course of conduct that all who knew him allowed that such an Imám as he, both in full­ness of intellect, and gravity and dignity and superabundance of sedateness, and purity of man­ners, had never sat upon the throne of the Khíla­fat. For his modesty, and decision, strength of heart, liberality of disposition, his splendid dignity, the terror of his sword and spear, his eloquence of language, and the regular generosity in distinguish­ing merit and desert which was a peculiarity of his noble nature, were qualities which had never be­fore been united in any one of the race of Abbáss. And on account of their kindred origin, and through the influence of the affinity of Táí to him, he alleviated his deposition, and took him beneath the canopy of his care and kindness, and honoured him specially with his association and companion­ship, and introduced him as a particular comrade into the chamber of his favours and generosity, and forgot not that during his festival of power and season of autocracy he had suffered misfortune and wounds, until Fate who cuts off sport, and tears up sociability sat down between them, and dissevered them. Abú-Alhussain-Muhammad-Ibn-Hussainí-Al Musa, in his elegy upon Táí, says thus (Verse)

Moreover the orators of Irak, and poets of those countries came troop after troop to present themselves to His Highness the Khalíf, and offered compositions, and verses, and encomia of the Com­mander of the Faithful, Alkadir-Bílláh, his noble sentiments, and his illustrious kindred who were the fountains of right, the corner-stones of generosity, the lanterns in darkness, and the convincers of the people. Their long and short poems were collected, and their narratives personal or designa­tive, clearly explicated and declared. And Abú-Muhammad-’bn-Abdúl-Islám-’bn-Muhammad-’bn-Al-Haízam, who was one of the Imáms of Khurá­sán relates, when the Commander of the Faithful, Al-Kádir-Billah, was inaugurated as Khálíf, I rose up at his feet, and composed this oration (Oration)

Now when this oration had come to an end, the Commander of Believers ordered that they should make a copy of it, and preserve it in his treasury. And when the pulpits of Khurasán were adorned and decorated with the inspection of the august succession of Alkadir-Billáh, the Sultán displayed marks of obedience, and peculiar affec­tion, and special proofs of confirmed fidelity, and the Commander of Believers, Al-Kadir-Billáh, gave a supreme diploma, ordaining that in the commendatory commemoration of the country they should recognize the right of his son, Al-Ghalib-Billáh, and signified his will that his surnames should be conjoined with those of his father in the pulpits of Islám. And the Sultán strictly imposed this diploma, by a similar one, and made it a mat­ter of obligation, and on all days of festivals and congregations caused the Khuthah to be illumi­nated and adorned with both these two surnames.

And now let us again turn our narrative to Bíhá-Addouláh, and the exposition of his adven­tures. With respect to his affairs subsequent to the decease of Azduddouláh, they are so fully con­tained in the book entitled, “Connected Compila­tions respecting the transactions of Azduddouláh, with the son of his uncle Bakhtyar, until (he?) took and killed him, and sent his head to Azdud­doulát,” that it would be profitless to repeat it. The Amír Azdaddouláh died in the year 327. And in those days his brother Muyyad-Addouláh was fully occupied in the war with Hasám-Addou­láh-Tásh, and Fáík, and the army of Khurasán, therefore the sons of the Empire and chiefs of his Court invested his son Samsám-Addouláh-wa-Shams-Al-Millat with the government, and girded themselves to obey and follow him. And the Commander of the Faithful, Al-Tái-Billáh, with warm regard, commanded the ceremony of condo­lence (tazit) to be performed (for the late Prince), on the banks of the Tigris, the people of Bagdad being spectators of that concourse and assembly. And when Táí came near Samsám-Addouláh ran from his pavilion, and exhibited every indication of humility and allegiance. And Táí said, “May God aid the face of the departing one. May God grant thee a succession that is durable! May condolence be offered, after that succession, to thee, not for thee, and a succession devolve upon thee, not from thee.” Upon this tears came into the eyes of Samsám-Addoulah, and he kissed the ground of respect. And when the days of mourning were accomplished he took his seat in the room of his father, and occupied himself in arranging his king­dom and ruling his subjects (literally, feeding his flock). But Abul-Fawaras-Sharzi, who was his elder brother, was settled at Karmán, in the city Wáshír. When intelligence of the decease of his father reached him he came to Fars, and seized Alí-’bn-Nasr-Harún, who had been Vízíer of Az­duddoulah, and took possession of all the treasure, and of the residue of the revenue which was at his disposal. Then he came to Hawáz, and dis­possessed his brother Abúl-Hasán-’bn-Ahmad-’bn-Azdaddoulah of that province. He then came to Basra, and, in Rajib of the year 375, took Basra by capitulation. He then proceeded to Bagdad to obtain his father’s place. And when intelligence of his approach arrived, Samsám-Addoulah, by dint of his great finesse, began to go round, to go from side to side, to vacillate, to endeavour to evade the savage temper and to shift from the hatred of his brother. Yet he learned that the sheath and repository cannot hold two swords, and that he ought not to conceive the idea of shooting two arrows from one bow; for Abul-Fawárís abused, and insulted him. Then he seized him, and sacrificed his eyes, and sent him to the fort of Karusán to his uncle, and took quiet possession of the kingdom. And the Commander of the Believers, At-Táí-Billáh, con­ferred upon him the title of Sharaf-Addoulah-wa-Zain-Al-Millat. He reigned two years, and in Jamádí, Al-Achir, of the year 399 (?), he died suddenly. And Sháínsháh-Biha-Addoulah-wa-Zía-Al-Millat-Abú-Nasr’-bn-Azdaddoulah seized the kingdom, and displayed a white hand in retaining, administering, and governing all things, in adjust­ing the carpet of justice, and in settling the king­dom advantageously. He displayed good features (of character), possessed perfect intelligence in mer­cantile affairs, and an extreme far-sightedness as to the issues of events. But a body of the army of the Turks coming to the fortress of Fars, released Samsám-Addoulah therefrom, and proclaimed him Amír. And thus his memorable happiness, con­veyed him from amongst slaves, and exalted him to high rank, from the castle where he had been imprisoned. Thus he became chieftain over the kingdom of Fars, and seized the wealth and reve­nues, and availed himself of the treasure which had been provided. Afterwards all the Turks rebelled against him, and brought out Abú-Alí-’bn-Abúl-Faráwiz, and entitled him, Sun of the State and Moon of the Faith (Shams-Addoula-wa-Kámr-Al-Millat) and proceeded to claim the kingdom by way of force. Samsám-Addoulah addressed himself to repulse them, and defeated them, so that they fell back with loss and distress to Bagdád. And Bíha-Addoulah resolved to oppose Samsám-Addoulah, and some warlike meetings fell out between them, and during the time of these confusions Basra was reduced to ruin, and the greater part of the terri­tory of Hawáz was exposed to destruction. And the sons of Baktyar were in the fortress of Majús, and a body of royal Curds, in order to stir up the flames of discord, and from their bias unto crime and malice, brought them out. Samsám-Addoulah occupied himself in repelling them, and gave them general repulses. But in the end he was killed in one of those battles, and became a martyr. And Bíha-Addoulah, from motives of affectionate kin­dred and near affinity, drew the sword of vengeance against those forces, and expelled them all from his kingdom. And their General and Amír Núr-Ad­doulah was a son of Baktyar, and his affairs came to that extremity that he was reduced to levy pay­ments for protection, and to stop merchandize on the road, and by payments therefrom hoped for wealth (or,* caused fear to them). And Bíha-Addoulah sent an army after him, which came up with him at the city gate (of Daru?) and killed him. And of the corps of guards of Bíha-Addoulah there was one who took possession of his head, and bringing it presented it to that Prince, who was extremely angry, and commanded that they should flay that soldier from head to foot, that others might take example, nor display such zeal in killing kings. And he sent the General of the Army to Bagdád, that he might settle the collection of the imposts, and the salutary direction of revenue, and the preservation of the affairs of the empire, and the fitting order of the kingdom. And in this busi­ness he displayed agreeable conduct, and by his mild proceedings in his government carefully re­garded measures of prosperity, and means of full justice, and gained an enviable name and fame. Thankful acknowledgments to him were published and proclaimed in the mouth of the select and the popular ranks, until his life came to an end. His successor was the Vizier of Viziers, who surpassed even the General of the army in gaining good deeds, and in laying up generous actions, and in guiding his people, in his manner of taxing, in his opposition to falsehood, in his exaltation of the custom of gifts, in stopping the avarice of de­vourers, in his goodness to the body of the people, and in his zeal for healing the crudities of wicked­ness, and in setting right the followers after confu­sion. And the kingdoms of Fars and Karmán, with other provinces, were annexed to the dominion of Bíha-Addoulah, and the fires of discord went down, and affairs were joined in due order, and universal peace and perfect tranquillity appeared, and the people found the days of an interval of deliverance from the hardships of oppression and wrong. Thus during the life of Azduddoulah-Abú-Alí-’bn-Aliás, and his possession of the coasts of Karmán, that country through the power of the Samanides and their supremacy in those frontiers could hold itself firm, without suffering or repulsing attack.