Amr bin Laith
Encyclopedia
Amr-i Laith Saffari was the second ruler of the Saffarid dynasty
of Iran
who ruled (879-901).
In the beginning he was a mule-hirer. He was Yaqub bin Laith as-Saffar
's younger brother who fought alongside his older brother and in 875 became Governor of Herat
.
When Yaqub died in Fars in 879, Amr became the successor of the Saffarid throne. During his reign, he faced several rebellions such as that of Rafi bin Harthama in 882-883 who had taken over control of Khorasan
and was a major threat to Amr's rule until he was finally killed in 896.
Now with Rafi dead, Amr was at zenith of his power, he became so ambitious that he decided to conquer Transoxiana
which was Samanid
territory. However in 901 Ismail Samani defeated Amr in Battle of Balkh
and had sent Amr as prisoner to Abbassid caliph in Baghdad
. In 902 he was executed on the orders of the caliph.
Saffarid dynasty
The Saffarids or the Saffarid dynasty was a Persian empire which ruled in Sistan , a historical region in southeastern Iran, southwestern Afghanistan and northwestern Pakistan...
of Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
who ruled (879-901).
In the beginning he was a mule-hirer. He was Yaqub bin Laith as-Saffar
Ya'qub bin Laith as-Saffar
Ya'qub bin Laith as-Saffar or Ya'qub-i Laith Saffari was the founder of the Saffarid dynasty in Sistan, with its capital at Zaranj . He ruled territories that are now in Iran and Afghanistan, as well as portions of West Pakistan...
's younger brother who fought alongside his older brother and in 875 became Governor of Herat
Herat
Herāt is the capital of Herat province in Afghanistan. It is the third largest city of Afghanistan, with a population of about 397,456 as of 2006. It is situated in the valley of the Hari River, which flows from the mountains of central Afghanistan to the Karakum Desert in Turkmenistan...
.
When Yaqub died in Fars in 879, Amr became the successor of the Saffarid throne. During his reign, he faced several rebellions such as that of Rafi bin Harthama in 882-883 who had taken over control of Khorasan
Greater Khorasan
Greater Khorasan or Ancient Khorasan is a historical region of Greater Iran mentioned in sources from Sassanid and Islamic eras which "frequently" had a denotation wider than current three provinces of Khorasan in Iran...
and was a major threat to Amr's rule until he was finally killed in 896.
Now with Rafi dead, Amr was at zenith of his power, he became so ambitious that he decided to conquer Transoxiana
Transoxiana
Transoxiana is the ancient name used for the portion of Central Asia corresponding approximately with modern-day Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, southern Kyrgystan and southwest Kazakhstan. Geographically, it is the region between the Amu Darya and Syr Darya rivers...
which was Samanid
Samanid
The Samani dynasty , also known as the Samanid Empire, or simply Samanids was a Persian state and empire in Central Asia and Greater Iran, named after its founder Saman Khuda, who converted to Sunni Islam despite being from Zoroastrian theocratic nobility...
territory. However in 901 Ismail Samani defeated Amr in Battle of Balkh
Balkh
Balkh , was an ancient city and centre of Zoroastrianism in what is now northern Afghanistan. Today it is a small town in the province of Balkh, about 20 kilometers northwest of the provincial capital, Mazar-e Sharif, and some south of the Amu Darya. It was one of the major cities of Khorasan...
and had sent Amr as prisoner to Abbassid caliph in Baghdad
Baghdad
Baghdad is the capital of Iraq, as well as the coterminous Baghdad Governorate. The population of Baghdad in 2011 is approximately 7,216,040...
. In 902 he was executed on the orders of the caliph.