Tarikh (al-Tabari) 3186
The Year 205 AH
ثُمَّ دَخَلَتْ سَنَةُ خَمْسٍ وَمِائَتَيْنِ ذِكْرُ وِلَايَةِ طَاهِرٍ خُرَاسَانَ وَفِي هَذِهِ السَّنَةِ اسْتَعْمَلَ الْمَأْمُونُ طَاهِرَ بْنَ الْحُسَيْنِ عَلَى الْمَشْرِقِ، مِنْ مَدِينَةِ السَّلَامِ إِلَى أَقْصَى عَمَلِ الْمَشْرِقِ، وَكَانَ قَبْلَ ذَلِكَ يَتَوَلَّى الشُّرَطَ بِجَانِبَيْ بَغْدَاذَ وَمَعَاوِنِ السَّوَادِ. وَكَانَ سَبَبَ وِلَايَتِهِ خُرَاسَانَ أَنَّ طَاهِرًا دَخَلَ عَلَى الْمَأْمُونِ وَهُوَ يَشْرَبُ النَّبِيذَ، وَحُسَيْنٌ الْخَادِمُ يَسْقِيهِ، فَلَمَّا دَخَلَ طَاهِرٌ سَقَاهُ رِطْلَيْنِ، وَأَمَرَهُ بِالْجُلُوسِ، فَقَالَ: لَيْسَ لِصَاحِبِ الشُّرْطَةِ أَنْ يَجْلِسَ عِنْدَ سَيِّدِهِ. فَقَالَ الْمَأْمُونُ: ذَلِكَ فِي مَجْلِسِ الْعَامَّةِ، وَأَمَّا فِي مَجْلِسِ الْخَاصَّةِ فَلَهُ ذَلِكَ. فَبَكَى الْمَأْمُونُ وَتَغَرْغَرَتْ عَيْنَاهُ بِالدُّمُوعِ، فَقَالَ طَاهِرٌ: يَا أَمِيرَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ، لِمَ تَبْكِي - لَا أَبْكَى اللَّهُ عَيْنَكَ - ؟ وَاللَّهِ لَقَدْ دَانَتْ لَكَ الْبِلَادُ، وَأَذْعَنَ لَكَ الْعِبَادُ، وَصِرْتَ إِلَى الْمَحَبَّةِ فِي كُلِّ أَمْرِكَ ! قَالَ: أَبْكِي لِأَمْرٍ ذِكْرُهُ ذُلٌّ، وَسَتْرُهُ حُزْنٌ، وَلَنْ يَخْلُوَ أَحَدٌ مِنْ شَجَنٍ. وَانْصَرَفَ طَاهِرٌ، فَدَعَا هَارُونَ بْنَ جَيْعُونَةَ وَقَالَ لَهُ: إِنَّ أَهْلَ خُرَاسَانَ يَتَعَصَّبُ بَعْضُهُمْ لِبَعْضٍ، فَخُذْ مَعَكَ ثَلَاثَمِائَةِ أَلْفِ دِرْهَمٍ، فَأَعْطِ حُسَيْنًا الْخَادِمَ مِائَتَيْ أَلْفٍ، وَكَاتِبَهُ مُحَمَّدَ بْنَ هَارُونَ مِائَةَ أَلْفٍ، وَسَلْهُ أَنْ يَسْأَلَ الْمَأْمُونَ لِمَ بَكَى ؟ فَفَعَلَ ذَلِكَ، فَلَمَّا تَغَدَّى الْمَأْمُونُ قَالَ: اسْقِنِي يَا حُسَيْنُ، قَالَ: لَا وَاللَّهِ، حَتَّى تَقُولَ لِي لِمَ بَكَيْتَ حِينَ دَخَلَ عَلَيْكَ طَاهِرٌ. قَالَ: وَكَيْفَ عُنِيتَ بِهَذَا الْأَمْرِ، حَتَّى سَأَلْتَنِي عَنْهُ ؟ قَالَ: لَغِّمِي لِذَلِكَ. قَالَ: هُوَ أَمْرٌ إِنْ خَرَجَ مِنْ رَأْسِكَ قَتَلْتُكَ. قَالَ: يَا سَيِّدِي وَمَتَى أَخْرَجْتُ لَكَ سِرًّا ؟ قَالَ: إِنِّي ذَكَرْتُ مُحَمَّدًا أَخِي، وَمَا نَالَهُ مِنَ الذُّلِّ، فَخَنَقَتْنِي الْعَبْرَةُ، فَاسْتَرَحْتُ إِلَى الْإِفَاضَةِ، وَلَنْ يَفُوتَ طَاهِرًا مِنِّي مَا يَكْرَهُ. فَأَخْبَرَ حُسَيْنٌ طَاهِرًا بِذَلِكَ، فَرَكِبَ طَاهِرٌ إِلَى أَحْمَدَ بْنِ أَبِي خَالِدٍ، فَقَالَ لَهُ: إِنَّ الثَّنَاءَ مِنِّي لَيْسَ بِرَخِيصٍ، وَإِنَّ الْمَعْرُوفَ عِنْدِي لَيْسَ بِضَائِعٍ، فَغَيِّبْنِي عَنْ عَيْنِهِ ! فَقَالَ لَهُ: سَأَفْعَلُ ذَلِكَ. وَرَكِبَ أَحْمَدُ إِلَى الْمَأْمُونِ، فَلَمَّا دَخَلَ عَلَيْهِ قَالَ لَهُ: مَا نِمْتُ الْبَارِحَةَ. قَالَ: وَلِمَ ؟ قَالَ: لِأَنَّكَ وَلَّيْتَ غَسَّانَ خُرَاسَانَ، وَهُوَ وَمَنْ مَعَهُ أَكْلَةُ رَأْسٍ، وَأَخَافُ أَنْ تَخْرُجَ عَلَيْهِ خَارِجَةٌ مِنَ التُّرْكِ فَتُهْلِكَهُ. فَقَالَ: لَقَدْ فَكَّرْتُ فِيمَا فَكَّرْتَ فِيهِ، فَمَنْ تَرَى ؟ قَالَ: طَاهِرُ بْنُ الْحُسَيْنِ. قَالَ: وَيْلَكَ ! هُوَ وَاللَّهِ خَالِعٌ. قَالَ: أَنَا الضَّامِنُ لَهُ. قَالَ: فَوَلِّهِ. فَدَعَا طَاهِرًا مِنْ سَاعَتِهِ، فَعَقَدَ لَهُ، فَشَخَصَ فِي يَوْمِهِ، فَنَزَلَ ظَاهِرَ الْبَلَدِ، فَأَقَامَ شَهْرًا، فَحُمِلَ إِلَيْهِ عَشَرَةُ آلَافِ أَلْفِ دِرْهَمٍ الَّتِي تُحْمَلُ لِصَاحِبِ خُرَاسَانَ، وَسَارَ عَنْ بَغْدَاذَ لِلَيْلَةٍ بَقِيَتْ مِنْ ذِي الْقَعْدَةِ. وَقِيلَ كَانَ سَبَبَ وِلَايَتِهِ أَنَّ عَبْدَ الرَّحْمَنِ الْمَطَّوِّعِيَّ جَمَعَ جُمُوعًا كَثِيرَةً بِنَيْسَابُورَ لِيُقَاتِلَ بِهِمُ الْحَرُورِيَّةَ بِغَيْرِ أَمْرِ وَالِي خُرَاسَانَ، فَتَخَوَّفُوا أَنْ يَكُونَ ذَلِكَ لِأَصْلٍ عَمِلَ عَلَيْهِ، وَكَانَ غَسَّانُ بْنُ عَبَّادٍ يَتَوَلَّى خُرَاسَانَ مِنْ قِبَلِ الْحَسَنِ بْنِ سَهْلٍ، وَهُوَ ابْنُ عَمِّهِ، فَلَمَّا اسْتُعْمِلَ طَاهِرٌ عَلَى خُرَاسَانَ كَانَ صَارِمًا لِلْحَسَنِ بْنِ سَهْلٍ، وَسَبَبُ ذَلِكَ أَنَّ الْحَسَنَ نَدَبَهُ لِمُحَارَبَةِ نَصْرِ بْنِ شَبَثٍ. قَالَ: حَارَبْتُ خَلِيفَةً، وَسُقْتُ الْخِلَافَةَ إِلَى خَلِيفَةٍ، وَأُومَرُ بِمِثْلِ هَذَا ؟ إِنَّمَا كَانَ يَنْبَغِي أَنْ يَتَوَجَّهَ إِلَيْهِ قَائِدٌ مِنْ قُوَّادِي. وَصَارِمٌ.
Translation
✧ Then the year 205 AH began. Mention of Ṭāhir's governorship of Khurasan In this year, al-Maʾmūn appointed Ṭāhir b. al-Ḥusayn over the East, from Madīnat al-Salām to the farthest extent of the eastern provinces. Previously, he had been in charge of the police on both sides of Baghdādh and the districts of the Sawād. The reason for his appointment to Khurasan was that Ṭāhir entered upon al-Maʾmūn while the latter was drinking nabīdh, with Ḥusayn the eunuch serving him. When Ṭāhir entered, he [Ḥusayn] gave him two riṭls to drink and ordered him to sit. Ṭāhir said, 'It is not for the chief of police to sit in the presence of his lord.' Al-Maʾmūn said, 'That is in the public assembly; but in the private assembly, he may do so.' Al-Maʾmūn wept, and his eyes brimmed with tears. Ṭāhir said, 'O Commander of the Faithful, why do you weep—may God never make your eye weep? By God, the lands have submitted to you, the servants have yielded to you, and you have attained love in all your affairs!' He replied, 'I weep over a matter whose mention is humiliation, and whose concealment is grief. No one is free of sorrow.' Ṭāhir departed, then summoned Hārūn b. Jayʿūnah and said to him, 'The people of Khurasan are fanatically attached to one another. Take with you three hundred thousand dirhams, give Ḥusayn the eunuch two hundred thousand, and his secretary Muḥammad b. Hārūn one hundred thousand, and ask him to ask al-Maʾmūn why he wept.' He did so. When al-Maʾmūn had lunched, he said, 'Give me to drink, Ḥusayn.' Ḥusayn said, 'No, by God, not until you tell me why you wept when Ṭāhir entered upon you.' He said, 'How did you become concerned with this matter, that you ask me about it?' He said, 'My concern for it.' He said, 'It is a matter which, if it leaves your head, I will kill you.' He said, 'My lord, when have I ever divulged a secret of yours?' He said, 'I remembered Muḥammad my brother and the humiliation that befell him, and tears choked me, so I sought relief in letting them flow. Ṭāhir will not escape from me what he dislikes.' Ḥusayn informed Ṭāhir of this, so Ṭāhir rode to Aḥmad b. Abī Khālid and said to him, 'Praise from me is not cheap, and a favor from me is not lost. Remove me from his sight!' He replied, 'I will do that.' Aḥmad rode to al-Maʾmūn, and when he entered upon him, he said, 'I did not sleep last night.' He said, 'Why?' He said, 'Because you appointed Ghassān over Khurasan, and he and those with him are a morsel for a single bite. I fear that a band of Turks may rise against him and destroy him.' He said, 'I have thought about what you have thought about. Whom do you consider suitable?' He said, 'Ṭāhir b. al-Ḥusayn.' He said, 'Woe to you! By God, he is a rebel.' He said, 'I guarantee him.' He said, 'Then appoint him.' He summoned Ṭāhir at once and concluded the appointment for him. Ṭāhir departed that same day and encamped outside the city, where he stayed for a month. Ten million dirhams were brought to him, the sum that is conveyed to the governor of Khurasan. He set out from Baghdādh on the night that remained of Dhū al-Qaʿdah. It is also said that the reason for his appointment was that ʿAbd al-Raḥmān al-Muṭṭawwiʿī gathered large crowds in Naysābūr to fight the Ḥarūriyyah with them without the order of the governor of Khurasan. They feared that this was for some underlying purpose. Ghassān b. ʿAbbād was governing Khurasan on behalf of al-Ḥasan b. Sahl, his cousin. When Ṭāhir was appointed over Khurasan, he became estranged from al-Ḥasan b. Sahl. The reason for that was that al-Ḥasan summoned him to fight Naṣr b. Shabath. He said, 'I fought a caliph and brought the caliphate to a caliph, and I am ordered to do something like this? A commander from among my commanders should have been sent against him.' And he became estranged.
Grades by grader
No grade is recorded for this wording.