Tahir I
Encyclopedia
Abu'l-Hasan Tahir was amir of the Saffarid amirate from 901 until 909. He was the son of Muhammad b. Amr.
In 900 the ruling Saffarid amir, Amr bin Laith
, was captured by the Samanids while campaigning against them in Khurasan
. The Saffarid army swore loyalty to Tahir, who soon afterwards effectively made his brother Abu Yusuf Ya'qub his co-ruler, although the khutba
continued to be made in 'Amr's name until late 901. Tahir and Ya'qub returned to Sistan
, reaching Zarang in May of that year. From the onset of his reign, Tahir and his brother were under the thumb of the Turkish slave commander Sebük-eri, who managed to destroy Tahir’s vizier and replace him with one more to his liking.
Tahir spent much of his time early in his reign in the western part of his territories, having to deal with occupation of Fars by the Caliph
al-Mu'tadid
after the downfall of 'Amr. A 900-901 campaign, in which both Tahir and Sebük-eri participated, temporarily regained Fars, but the Saffarids withdrew soon afterwards. A second campaign resulted in a Caliphal grant of the province to Tahir, although both Fars and Kerman
effectively fell into the hands of Sebük-eri.
After the second Fars campaign, Tahir returned to Zarang (mid-904). At this point both he and Ya'qub gave themselves over to lives of pleasure and excesses. Over the next few years the two brothers began to lose the confidence of the people, and although the government bureaucracy continued to function, the stability of the provinces declined as rival factions opposed each other. By 905 Sebük-eri stopped forwarding taxes collected in Fars and Kerman to Zarang. Tahir responded by leading an army against Fars, but was soon persuaded to abort the expedition and return to Sistan, having accomplished nothing.
In late 908 another Saffarid, al-Laith b. 'Ali
, arrived at Zarang with a small army and occupied part of the city. Tahir, who had been in Bust, joined up with Ya'qub and besieged al-Laith's position. Despite reinforcements from Sebük-eri, however, he was unable to dislodge al-Laith and began to suffer from having very little money to maintain the support of those around him, thanks to declining government revenues. Tahir and Ya'qub decided to flee to Sebük-eri. On the way, however, they grew distrustful of the Turkish commander and decided to fight him. The two sides met in June 909; Sebük-eri, who had managed to win over Tahir's commanders, won an easy victory and captured the brothers. They were sent to the Caliph and imprisoned in Baghdad
, though they were treated well for the remainder of their lives.
In 900 the ruling Saffarid amir, Amr bin Laith
Amr bin Laith
Amr-i Laith Saffari was the second ruler of the Saffarid dynasty of Iran who ruled .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....
, was captured by the Samanids while campaigning against them in Khurasan
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...
. The Saffarid army swore loyalty to Tahir, who soon afterwards effectively made his brother Abu Yusuf Ya'qub his co-ruler, although the khutba
Khutba
Khutbah serves as the primary formal occasion for public preaching in the Islamic tradition.Such sermons occur regularly, as prescribed by the teachings of all legal schools. The Islamic tradition can be formally at the dhuhr congregation prayer on Friday...
continued to be made in 'Amr's name until late 901. Tahir and Ya'qub returned to Sistan
Sistan
Sīstān is a border region in eastern Iran , southwestern Afghanistan and northern tip of Southwestern Pakistan .-Etymology:...
, reaching Zarang in May of that year. From the onset of his reign, Tahir and his brother were under the thumb of the Turkish slave commander Sebük-eri, who managed to destroy Tahir’s vizier and replace him with one more to his liking.
Tahir spent much of his time early in his reign in the western part of his territories, having to deal with occupation of Fars by the Caliph
Caliph
The Caliph is the head of state in a Caliphate, and the title for the ruler of the Islamic Ummah, an Islamic community ruled by the Shari'ah. It is a transcribed version of the Arabic word which means "successor" or "representative"...
al-Mu'tadid
Al-Mu'tadid
Al-Mu'tadid was the Abbasid Caliph in Baghdad from 892 to 902. As the son and heir of the powerful vizier and virtual regent Al-Muwaffaq , Mu'tadid was already in possession of supreme power even before he was appointed Caliph, and continued as Caliph to ably administer the Government...
after the downfall of 'Amr. A 900-901 campaign, in which both Tahir and Sebük-eri participated, temporarily regained Fars, but the Saffarids withdrew soon afterwards. A second campaign resulted in a Caliphal grant of the province to Tahir, although both Fars and Kerman
Kerman
- Geological characteristics :For the Iranian paleontologists, Kerman has always been considered a fossil paradise. Finding new dinosaur footprints in 2005 has now revealed new hopes for paleontologists to better understand the history of this area.- Economy :...
effectively fell into the hands of Sebük-eri.
After the second Fars campaign, Tahir returned to Zarang (mid-904). At this point both he and Ya'qub gave themselves over to lives of pleasure and excesses. Over the next few years the two brothers began to lose the confidence of the people, and although the government bureaucracy continued to function, the stability of the provinces declined as rival factions opposed each other. By 905 Sebük-eri stopped forwarding taxes collected in Fars and Kerman to Zarang. Tahir responded by leading an army against Fars, but was soon persuaded to abort the expedition and return to Sistan, having accomplished nothing.
In late 908 another Saffarid, al-Laith b. 'Ali
Laith
Al-Laith was amir of the Saffarid amirate from 909 until 910. He was the son of 'Ali ibn al-Laith.In 890 al-Laith and his brother al-Mu'addal helped their father 'Ali escape from imprisonment at the hands of the latter's uncle, the Saffarid amir Amr bin Laith...
, arrived at Zarang with a small army and occupied part of the city. Tahir, who had been in Bust, joined up with Ya'qub and besieged al-Laith's position. Despite reinforcements from Sebük-eri, however, he was unable to dislodge al-Laith and began to suffer from having very little money to maintain the support of those around him, thanks to declining government revenues. Tahir and Ya'qub decided to flee to Sebük-eri. On the way, however, they grew distrustful of the Turkish commander and decided to fight him. The two sides met in June 909; Sebük-eri, who had managed to win over Tahir's commanders, won an easy victory and captured the brothers. They were sent to the Caliph and imprisoned 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...
, though they were treated well for the remainder of their lives.