Tarikh (al-Tabari) 3684
The arrest of b. al-Furat and the vizierate of al-Khaqani
الْقَبْضِ عَلَى ابْنِ الْفُرَاتِ وَوِزَارَةِ الْخَاقَانِيِّ فِي سَنَةُ تِسْعٍ وَتِسْعِينَ وَمِائَتَيْنِ قَبَضَ الْمُقْتَدِرُ عَلَى الْوَزِيرِ أَبِي الْحَسَنِ بْنِ الْفُرَاتِ فِي ذِي الْحِجَّةِ، وَكَانَ قَدْ ظَهَرَ، قَبْلَ الْقَبْضِ عَلَيْهِ بِمُدَّةٍ ( يَسِيرَةٍ )، ثَلَاثَةُ كَوَاكِبَ مُذَنَّبَةٍ، أَحَدُهَا ظَهَرَ آخِرَ رَمَضَانَ فِي بُرْجِ الْأَسَدِ، وَالْآخَرُ ظَهَرَ فِي ذِي الْقِعْدَةِ فِي الْمَشْرِقِ، وَالثَّالِثُ ظَهَرَ فِي الْمَغْرِبِ فِي ذِي الْقِعْدَةِ أَيْضًا فِي بُرْجِ الْعَقْرَبِ. وَلَمَّا قُبِضَ عَلَى الْوَزِيرِ وُكِّلَ بِدَارِهِ، وَهَتْكِ حُرَمِهِ، وَنَهْبِ مَالِهِ، وَنُهِبَتْ دُورُ أَصْحَابِهِ وَمَنْ يَتَعَلَّقُ بِهِمْ، وَافْتُتِنَتْ بَغْدَاذُ لِقَبْضِهِ، وَلَقِيَ النَّاسُ شِدَّةً ثَلَاثَةَ أَيَّامٍ، ثُمَّ سَكَنُوا. وَكَانَتْ مُدَّةُ وِزَارَتِهِ هَذِهِ، وَهِيَ الْوِزَارَةُ الْأُولَى، ثَلَاثَ سِنِينَ وَثَمَانِيَةَ أَشْهُرٍ وَثَلَاثَةَ عَشَرَ يَوْمًا، وَقَلِّدَ أَبُو عَلِيٍّ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ ( يَحْيَى بْنِ عُبَيْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ ) يَحْيَى بْنِ خَاقَانَ الْوِزَارَةَ، فَرَتَّبَ أَصْحَابَ الدَّوَاوِينِ، وَتَوَلَّى مُنَاظَرَةَ ابْنِ الْفُرَاتِ أَبُو الْحُسَيْنِ أَحْمَدُ بْنُ يَحْيَى بْنِ أَبِي الْبَغْلِ، وَكَانَ أَخُوهُ أَبُو الْحَسَنِ بْنُ أَبِي الْبَغْلِ مُقِيمًا بِأَصْبَهَانَ، فَسَعَى أَخُوهُ لَهُ فِي الْوِزَارَةِ هُوَ وَأُمُّ مُوسَى الْقَهْرَمَانَةُ، فَأَذِنَ الْمُقْتَدِرُ فِي حُضُورِهِ لِيَتَوَلَّى الْوِزَارَةَ، فَحَضَرَ، فَلَمَّا بَلَغَ ذَلِكَ الْخَاقَانِيَّ انْحَلَّتْ أُمُورُهُ، فَدَخَلَ عَلَى الْخَلِيفَةِ ( وَأَخْبَرَهُ بِذَلِكَ )، فَأَمَرَهُ بِالْقَبْضِ عَلَى أَبِي الْحَسَنِ ( وَأَبِي الْحُسَيْنِ أَخِيهِ، فَقُبِضَ عَلَى أَبِي الْحَسَنِ ) وَكَتَبَ فِي الْقَبْضِ عَلَى أَبِي الْحُسَيْنِ، فَقُبِضَ أَيْضًا، ثُمَّ خَافَ الْقَهْرَمَانَةَ، فَأَطْلَقَهُمَا وَاسْتَعْمَلَهُمَا. ثُمَّ إِنَّ أُمُورَ الْخَاقَانِيِّ انْحَلَّتْ لِأَنَّهُ كَانَ ضَجُورًا، ضَيِّقَ الصَّدْرِ، مُهْمِلًا لِقِرَاءَةِ كُتُبِ الْعُمَّالِ، وَجِبَايَةِ الْأَمْوَالِ، وَكَانَ يَتَقَرَّبُ إِلَى الْخَاصَّةِ وَالْعَامَّةِ، فَمَنَعَ خَدَمَ السُّلْطَانِ وَخَوَاصَّهُ أَنْ يُخَاطِبُوهُ بِالْعَبْدِ، وَكَانَ إِذَا رَأَى جَمَاعَةً مِنَ الْمَلَّاحِينَ وَالْعَامَّةِ يُصَلُّونَ جَمَاعَةً، يَنْزِلُ وَيُصَلِّي مَعَهُمْ، وَإِذَا سَأَلَهُ أَحَدٌ حَاجَةً دَقَّ صَدْرَهُ، وَقَالَ: نَعَمْ وَكَرَامَةً، فَسُمِّيَ " دَقَّ صَدْرَهُ "، إِلَّا أَنَّهُ قَصَّرَ فِي إِطْلَاقِ الْأَمْوَالِ لِلْفُرْسَانِ وَالْقَوَّادِ، فَنَفَرُوا عَنْهُ وَاتَّضَعَتِ الْوِزَارَةُ بِفِعْلِهِ مَا تَقَدَّمَ. وَكَانَ أَوْلَادُهُ قَدْ تَحَكَّمُوا عَلَيْهِ، فَكُلٌّ مِنْهُمْ يَسْعَى لِمَنْ يَرْتَشِي مِنْهُ، وَكَانَ يُوَلِّي فِي الْأَيَّامِ الْقَلِيلَةِ عِدَّةً مِنَ الْعُمَّالِ، حَتَّى إِنَّهُ وَلَّى بِالْكُوفَةِ، فِي مُدَّةِ عِشْرِينَ يَوْمًا، سَبْعَةً مِنَ الْعُمَّالِ، فَاجْتَمَعُوا فِي الطَّرِيقِ، فَعَرَضُوا تَوْقِيعَاتِهِمْ، فَسَارَ الْأَخِيرُ مِنْهُمْ، وَعَادَ الْبَاقُونَ يَطْلُبُونَ مَا خَدَمُوا بِهِ أَوْلَادَهُ، فَقِيلَ فِيهِ: وَزِيرٌ قَدْ تَكَامَلَ فِي الرَّقَاعِهْ يُوَلِّي ثُمَّ يَعْزِلُ بَعْدَ سَاعِهْ إِذَا أَهْلُ الرُّشَى اجْتَمَعُوا لَدَيْهِ فَخَيْرُ الْقَوْمِ أَوْفَرُهُمْ بِضَاعَهْ وَلَيْسَ يُلَامُ فِي هَذَا بِحَالٍ لِأَنَّ الشَّيْخَ أَفْلَتَ مِنْ مَجَاعَهْ ثُمَّ زَادَ الْأَمْرُ، حَتَّى تَحَكَّمَ أَصْحَابُهُ، فَكَانُوا يُطْلِقُونَ الْأَمْوَالَ وَيُفْسِدُونَ الْأَحْوَالَ، فَانْحَلَّتِ الْقَوَاعِدُ، وَخَبُثَتِ النِّيَّاتُ، وَاشْتَغَلَ الْخَلِيفَةُ بِعَزْلِ وُزَرَائِهِ وَالْقَبْضِ عَلَيْهِمْ، وَالرُّجُوعِ إِلَى قَوْلِ النِّسَاءِ وَالْخَدَمِ، وَالتَّصَرُّفِ عَلَى مُقْتَضَى آرَائِهِمْ، فَخَرَجَتِ الْمَمَالِكُ، وَطَمِعَ الْعُمَّالُ فِي الْأَطْرَافِ، وَكَانَ مَا نَذْكُرُهُ فِيمَا بَعْدُ. ثُمَّ إِنَّ الْخَلِيفَةَ أَحْضَرَ الْوَزِيرَ ابْنَ الْفُرَاتِ مِنْ مَحْبِسِهِ، فَجَعَلَهُ عِنْدَهُ فِي بَعْضِ الْحُجَرِ مُكَرَّمًا، فَكَانَ يَعْرِضُ عَلَيْهِ مُطَالَعَاتِ الْعُمَّالِ وَغَيْرَ ذَلِكَ، وَأَكْرَمَهُ، وَأَحْسَنَ إِلَيْهِ، بَعْدَ أَنْ أَخَذَ أَمْوَالَهُ.
Translation
✧ The arrest of Ibn al-Furāt and the vizierate of al-Khāqānī In the year two hundred and ninety-nine, al-Muqtadir arrested the vizier Abū al-Ḥasan b. al-Furāt in Dhū al-Ḥijjah. Before his arrest, for a short while, three comets had appeared: one appeared at the end of Ramaḍān in the sign of Leo, another appeared in Dhū al-Qaʿdah in the east, and the third appeared in the west, also in Dhū al-Qaʿdah, in the sign of Scorpio. When the vizier was arrested, his house was placed under guard, his women were violated, and his wealth was plundered. The houses of his associates and those connected to them were also looted. Baghdad was thrown into turmoil because of his arrest, and the people suffered hardship for three days, then they calmed down. This vizierate of his, which was his first vizierate, lasted three years, eight months, and thirteen days. Abū ʿAlī Muḥammad b. (Yaḥyā b. ʿUbayd Allāh b.) Yaḥyā b. Khāqān was appointed to the vizierate. He organized the officials of the dīwāns, and Abū al-Ḥusayn Aḥmad b. Yaḥyā b. Abī al-Baghl took charge of the investigation of Ibn al-Furāt. His brother Abū al-Ḥasan b. Abī al-Baghl was residing in Iṣbahān, and his brother sought the vizierate for him, along with Umm Mūsā the qahramānah. Al-Muqtadir permitted him to come to assume the vizierate. He came, and when al-Khāqānī learned of this, his affairs fell apart. He entered upon the caliph and informed him of that, so the caliph ordered him to arrest Abū al-Ḥasan and his brother Abū al-Ḥusayn. Abū al-Ḥasan was arrested, and a written order was issued for the arrest of Abū al-Ḥusayn, and he was also arrested. Then he feared the qahramānah, so he released them both and employed them. Then al-Khāqānī's affairs fell apart because he was irritable, narrow-chested, and negligent in reading the letters of the tax collectors and in collecting revenues. He used to ingratiate himself with the elite and the common people. He forbade the servants of the sultan and his special retinue from addressing him as "the slave." When he saw a group of boatmen and commoners praying in congregation, he would dismount and pray with them. If anyone asked him for a need, he would tap his chest and say, "Yes, and with honor." Thus he was called "Tap-his-chest." However, he was remiss in releasing funds for the horsemen and commanders, so they turned away from him, and the vizierate was demeaned by his aforementioned conduct. His sons had dominated him, and each of them would intercede for whoever bribed him. He would appoint several tax collectors within a few days, so much so that in Kufa, within a period of twenty days, he appointed seven tax collectors. They met on the road and presented their letters of appointment. The last of them went on, and the rest returned seeking what they had paid in bribes to his sons. It was said of him: A vizier who has reached perfection in foolishness, Appoints and dismisses after an hour. When the people of bribery gather before him, The best of them is the one with the most goods. He is not to be blamed for this at all, Because the old man has escaped from famine. Then matters worsened until his associates dominated him. They spent money freely and corrupted affairs. The foundations collapsed, intentions became wicked, and the caliph busied himself with dismissing his viziers, arresting them, and heeding the words of women and servants, acting according to their opinions. Thus the provinces were lost, and the tax collectors in the regions became greedy. What we shall mention later occurred. Then the caliph brought the vizier Ibn al-Furāt out of his prison and placed him in one of the chambers near him, honored. He would present to him the reports of the tax collectors and other matters. He honored him and treated him well, after having confiscated his wealth.
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