The Origins of the Islamic State/Part 10/Chapter 6
CHAPTER VI
The Death of Yazdajird ibn-Shahriyâr ibn-Kisra
Abarwîz ibn-Hurmuz ibn-Anûshirwân
The flight of Yazdajird. Yazdajird fled from al-Madâʾin to Ḥulwân and thence to Iṣbahân. When the Moslems were done with Nihâwand, he fled from Iṣbahân to Iṣṭakhr, where he was pursued, after the conquest of Iṣbahân, by ʿAbdallâh ibn-Budail ibn-Warḳâʾ, but to no avail. Abu-Mûsa-l-Ashʿari came to Iṣṭakhr and attempted its conquest, but did not succeed, and likewise did ʿUthmân ibn-abi-l-ʿÂṣi ath-Thaḳafi try it and fail.
In the year 29 when all Persia with the exception of Iṣṭakhr and Jûr[1] was already reduced, ʿAbdallâh ibn-ʿÂmir ibn-Kuraiz proceeded to al-Baṣrah. Yazdajird was on the point of leaving for Ṭabaristân, whose satrap had invited him, when Yazdajird was still in Iṣbahân, to come to Ṭabaristân which he told him was well fortified. It then occurred to Yazdajird to flee to Karmân, to which ibn-ʿÂmir sent after him Mujâshiʿ ibn-Masʿûd as-Sulami and Harim ibn-Ḥaiyân al-ʿAbdi. Mujâshiʿ came and stopped at Biyamand in Karmân, where his army was caught by a snow storm and nearly annihilated, few only surviving. The castle in which he resided was called after him Ḳaṣr Mujâshiʿ. Mujâshiʿ then took his way back to ibn-ʿÂmir.
As Yazdajird was one day sitting in Karmân, its marzubân came in; but Yazdajird felt too haughty to speak to him, and the marzubân ordered that he be driven out, saying, "Not only art thou unworthy of a kingdom but even of a governorship of a village; and if Allah had seen any good in thee, he would not have put thee in such condition!"
Yazdajird left for Sijistân[2] whose king showed regard for him and exalted him. After a few days Yazdajird asked about the kharâj which made the king change his attitude towards him.
Seeing that, Yazdajird left for Khurâsân. When he reached the boundary line of Maru he was met by its satrap [marzubân] Mâhawaih[3] with great honor and pomp. Here he was also met by Nîzak Ṭarkhân who offered him something to ride upon, gave him presents and entertained him bountifully. Nîzak spent one month with Yazdajird, after which he left him. He then wrote Yazdajird asking for the hand of his daughter. This aroused the anger of Yazdajird, who said, "Write and tell him 'Thou art nothing but one of my slaves; how darest thou then ask for my daughter's hand?'" Yazdajird also ordered that Mâhawaih, the satrap of Maru, give an account and be asked about the money he had collected. Mâhawaih wrote to Nîzak, instigating him against Yazdajird and saying, "This is the one who came here as a runaway fugitive. Thou hast helped him in order to have his kingdom restored to him; but see what he wrote to thee!" They both then agreed to put him to death.
Yazdajird slain. Nîzak led the Turks to al-Junâbidh[4] where he met the enemy. At first the Turks retreated, but then the tide turned against Yazdajird, his followers were killed, his camp was plundered, and he fled to the city of Maru. The city refused to open its gates; so he had to dismount at a miller's house standing on the bank of al-Mirghâb.[5] Some say that having heard of that, Mâhawaih sent his messenger who killed him in the miller's house. Others assert that Mâhawaih incited the miller and, by his orders, the miller killed Yazdajird, after which Mâhawaih said, "No slayer of a king should be kept alive", and he ordered that the miller himself be put to death. Still others claim that the miller offered Yazdajird food, which he ate, and drink, which intoxicated him. In the evening, Yazdajird took out his crown and put it on his head. Seeing that, the miller coveted the possession of the crown, and raising a mill-stone dropped it on Yazdajird. After killing him, he took his crown and clothes and threw the body into the water. When the news came to Mâhawaih, he put the miller and his family to death and took the crown and clothes. According to another story, Yazdajird was warned against the messengers of Mâhawaih and fled away, jumping into the water. When the miller was asked about him, he said, "The man has left my house." They found Yazdajird in the water, and he said, "If ye spare me I will give you my belt, ring and crown." He asked them for some money with which he could buy bread, and one of them gave him 4 dirhams. Seeing that, Yazdajird laughingly said, "I was told that I will some day feel the need of 4 dirhams!" Later he was attacked by certain men sent after him by Mâhawaih, and he said, "Kill me not; rather carry me to the king of the Arabs, and I will make terms with him on your and my behalf, and thus ye will be safe." They refused and choked him by means of a bow-string. His clothes they carried away in a pouch; and his body they threw away into the water.[6]
Fairûz taken away by the Turks. It is claimed that Fairûz ibn-Yazdajird fell into the hands of the Turks, who gave him one of their women in marriage; and he settled among them.
Footnotes[edit]
- ↑ Ṭabari, vol. i, p. 2863: "which is Ardashîr Khurrah". Cf. Meynard, p. 23.
- ↑ Cf. Michel le Syrien, Chronique, vol. ii, p. 424 (ed. Chabot).
- ↑ Thaʿâlibi, p. 743: "Mâhawait".
- ↑ Yunâbidh, Yunâwid or Kunâbidh. Iṣṭakhri, p. 273; Ḥauḳal, p. 324; Muḳaddasi, p. 321.
- ↑ or Marghâb or Murghâb, also called Nahr Maru. Ṭabari, vol. i, p. 2872; Ḥauḳal, p. 315.
- ↑ Cf. Thaʿâlibi, pp. 746–747; Ṭabari, vol. i, pp. 2879–2881.