Part 54 (1/2)

[472] Noldeke, _Sketches from Eastern History_, tr. by J. S. Black, p.

108 seq.

[473] Wellhausen, _Das Arabische Reich_, p. 307.

[474] _Recherches sur la domination Arabe_, p. 46 sqq.

[475] Dinawari, ed. by Guirga.s.s, p. 356.

[476] _Ibid._, p. 360, l. 15. The whole poem has been translated by Professor Browne in his _Literary History of Persia_, vol. i, p. 242.

[477] _Sketches from Eastern History_, p. 111.

[478] Professor Bevan, to whose kindness I owe the following observations, points out that this translation of _al-Saffa?_, although it has been generally adopted by European scholars, is very doubtful. According to Professor De Goeje, _al-Saffa?_ means 'the munificent' (literally, 'pouring out' gifts, &c.). In any case it is important to notice that the name was given to certain Pre-islamic chieftains. Thus Salama b. Khalid, who commanded the Banu Taghlib at the first battle of al-Kulab (Ibnu 'l-Athir, ed. by Tornberg, vol. i, p.

406, last line), is said to have been called _al-Saffa?_ because he 'emptied out' the skin bottles (_mazad_) of his army before a battle (Ibn Durayd, ed. by Wustenfeld, p. 203, l. 16); and we find mention of a poet named al-Saffa? b. 'Abd Manat (_ibid._, p. 277, penult. line).

[479] See p. 205.

[480] G. Le Strange, _Baghdad under the Abbasid Caliphate_, p. 4 seq.

[481] Professor De Goeje has kindly given me the following references:--?abari, ii, 78, l. 10, where Ziyad is called the _Wazir_ of Mu'awiya; Ibn Sa'd, iii, 121, l. 6 (Abu Bakr the _Wazir_ of the Prophet). The word occurs in Pre-islamic poetry (Ibn Qutayba, _K.

al-s.h.i.+'r wa-'l-Shu'ara_, p. 414, l. 1). Professor De Goeje adds that the 'Abbasid Caliphs gave the name _Wazir_ as t.i.tle to the minister who was formerly called _Katib_ (Secretary). Thus it would seem that the Arabic _Wazir_ (literally 'burden-bearer'), who was at first merely a 'helper'

or 'henchman,' afterwards became the representative and successor of the _Dapir_ (official scribe or secretary) of the Sasanian kings.

[482] This division is convenient, and may be justified on general grounds. In a strictly political sense, the period of decline begins thirty years earlier with the Caliphate of Ma'mun (813-833 A.D.). The historian Abu 'l-Ma?asin ( 1469 A.D.) dates the decline of the Caliphate from the accession of Muktafi in 902 A.D. (_al-Nujum al-Zahira_, ed. by Juynboll, vol. ii, p. 134).

[483] See Noldeke's essay, _Caliph Man?ur_, in his _Sketches from Eastern History_, trans. by J. S. Black, p. 107 sqq.

[484] Professor Browne has given an interesting account of these ultra-s.h.i.+'ite insurgents in his _Lit. Hist. of Persia_, vol. i, ch. ix.

[485] ?abari, iii, 404, l. 5 sqq.

[486] ?abari, iii, 406, l. 1 sqq.

[487] _Muruju 'l-Dhahab_, ed. by Barbier de Meynard, vol. iv, p. 47 seq.

[488] When the Caliph Hadi wished to proclaim his son Ja'far heir-apparent instead of Harun, Ya?ya pointed out the danger of this course and dissuaded him (_al-Fakhri_, ed. by Derenbourg, p. 281).

[489] Ibn Khallikan, De Slane's translation, vol. iv, p. 105.

[490] Mas'udi, _Muruju 'l-Dhahab_, vol. vi, p. 364.

[491] See, for example, _Haroun Alraschid_, by E. H. Palmer, in the New Plutarch Series, p. 81 sqq.

[492] _Cf._ A. Muller, _Der Islam_, vol. i, p. 481 seq.

[493] Ibn Khallikan, De Slane's translation, vol. iv, p. 112.

[494] Literally, ”No father to your father!” a common form of imprecation.

[495] Green was the party colour of the 'Alids, black of the 'Abbasids.