Tarikh (al-Tabari) 3720
The dismissal of b. al-Furat and the vizierate of Hamid b. al-'Abbas
306 عَزْلِ ابْنِ الْفُرَاتِ وَوِزَارَةِ حَامِدِ بْنِ الْعَبَّاسِ فِي سَنَةُ سِتٍّ وَثَلَاثِمِائَةٍ، فِي جُمَادَى الْآخِرَةِ، قُبِضَ عَلَى الْوَزِيرِ أَبِي الْحَسَنِ بْنِ الْفُرَاتِ، وَكَانَتْ مُدَّةُ وِزَارَتِهِ هَذِهِ، وَهِيَ الثَّانِيَةُ، سَنَةً وَاحِدَةً وَخَمْسَةَ أَشْهُرٍ وَتِسْعَةَ عَشَرَ يَوْمًا. وَكَانَ سَبَبُ ذَلِكَ أَنَّهُ أَخَّرَ إِطْلَاقَ أَرْزَاقِ الْفُرْسَانِ، وَاحْتَجَّ عَلَيْهِمْ بِضِيقِ الْأَمْوَالِ، وَأَنَّهَا أُخْرِجَتْ فِي مُحَارَبَةِ ابْنِ أَبِي السَّاجِ، وَأَنَّ الِارْتِفَاعَ نَقَصَ بِأَخْذِ يُوسُفَ أَمْوَالَ الرَّيِّ وَأَعْمَالَهَا، فَشَغَبَ الْجُنْدُ شَغَبًا عَظِيمًا، وَخَرَجُوا إِلَى الْمُصَلَّى، وَالْتَمَسَ ابْنُ الْفُرَاتِ مِنَ الْمُقْتَدِرِ إِطْلَاقَ مِائَتَيْ أَلْفِ دِينَارٍ مِنْ بَيْتِ الْمَالِ الْخَاصِّ لِيُضِيفَ إِلَيْهَا مِائَتَيْ أَلْفِ دِينَارٍ يُحَصِّلُهَا، وَيَصْرِفُ الْجَمِيعَ فِي أَرْزَاقِ الْجُنْدِ، فَاشْتَدَّ ذَلِكَ عَلَى الْمُقْتَدِرِ، وَأَرْسَلَ إِلَيْهِ: إِنَّكَ ضَمِنْتَ أَنَّكَ تُرْضِي جَمِيعَ الْأَجْنَادِ، وَتَقُومُ بِجَمِيعِ النَّفَقَاتِ الرَّاتِبَةِ عَلَى الْعَادَةِ الْأُولَى وَتَحْمِلُ بَعْدَ ذَلِكَ ( مَا ضَمِنْتَ أَنَّكَ تَحْمِلُهُ يَوْمًا بِيَوْمٍ )، فَأَرَاكَ تَطْلُبُ مِنْ بَيْتِ الْمَالِ الْخَاصِّ، فَاحْتَجَّ بِقِلَّةِ الِارْتِفَاعِ، وَمَا أَخَذَهُ ابْنُ أَبِي السَّاجِ ( مِنَ الِارْتِفَاعِ ) وَمَا خَرَجَ عَلَى مُحَارَبَتِهِ، فَلَمْ يَسْمَعِ الْمُقْتَدِرُ حُجَّتَهُ وَتَنَكَّرَ لَهُ عَلَيْهِ. وَقِيلَ: كَانَ سَبَبُ قَبْضِهِ أَنَّ الْمُقْتَدِرَ قِيلَ لَهُ: إِنَّ ابْنَ الْفُرَاتِ يُرِيدُ إِرْسَالَ الْحُسَيْنِ بْنِ حَمْدَانَ إِلَى ابْنِ أَبِي السَّاجِ لِيُحَارِبَهُ، وَإِذَا صَارَ عِنْدَهُ اتَّفَقَا عَلَيْكَ، ثُمَّ إِنَّ ابْنَ الْفُرَاتِ قَالَ لِلْمُقْتَدِرِ فِي إِرْسَالِ الْحُسَيْنِ إِلَى ابْنِ أَبِي السَّاجِ، فَقَتَلَ ابْنَ حَمْدَانَ فِي جُمَادَى الْأُولَى، وَقَبَضَ عَلَى ابْنِ الْفُرَاتِ فِي جُمَادَى الْآخِرَةِ. ثُمَّ إِنَّ بَعْضَ الْعُمَّالِ ذَكَرَ لِابْنِ الْفُرَاتِ مَا يَتَحَصَّلُ لِحَامِدِ بْنِ الْعَبَّاسِ مِنْ أَعْمَالِ وَاسِطَ زِيَادَةً عَلَى ضَمَانِهِ، فَاسْتَكْثَرَهُ، وَأَمَرَهُ أَنْ يُكَاتِبَهُ ( بِذَلِكَ، فَكَاتَبَهُ )، فَخَافَ حَامِدٌ أَنْ يُؤْخَذَ وَيُطَالَبَ بِذَلِكَ الْمَالِ، فَكَتَبَ إِلَى نَصْرٍ الْحَاجِبِ وَإِلَى وَالِدِهِ الْمُقْتَدِرِ، وَضَمِنَ لَهُمَا مَالًا لِيَتَحَدَّثَا لَهُ فِي الْوِزَارَةِ، فَذَكَرَ لِلْمُقْتَدِرِ حَالَهُ وَسَعَةَ نَفْسِهِ، وَكَثْرَةَ أَتْبَاعِهِ، وَأَنَّهُ لَهُ أَرْبَعُمِائَةِ مَمْلُوكٍ يَحْمِلُونَ السِّلَاحَ، وَاتَّفَقَ ذَلِكَ عِنْدَ نَفْرَةِ الْمُقْتَدِرِ عَنِ ابْنِ الْفُرَاتِ، فَأَمَرَهُ بِالْحُضُورِ مِنْ وَاسِطَ، فَحَضَرَ وَقَبَضَ عَلَى ابْنِ الْفُرَاتِ وَوَلَدِهِ الْمُحَسِّنِ وَأَصْحَابِهِمَا وَأَتْبَاعِهِمَا. وَلَمَّا وَصَلَ حَامِدٌ إِلَى بَغْدَاذَ أَقَامَ ثَلَاثَةَ أَيَّامٍ فِي دَارِ الْخَلِيفَةِ، فَكَانَ يَتَحَدَّثُ مَعَ النَّاسِ، وَيُضَاحِكُهُمْ، وَيَقُومُ لَهُمْ، فَبَانَ لِلْخَدَمِ وَلِأَبِي الْقَاسِمِ بْنِ الْحَوَارِيِّ وَحَاشِيَةِ الدَّارِ قِلَّةُ مَعْرِفَتِهِ بِالْوِزَارَةِ، وَقَالَ لَهُ حَاجِبُهُ: يَا مَوْلَانَا ! الْوَزِيرُ يَحْتَاجُ إِلَى لُبْسِهِ، وَجَلْسِهِ، وَعَبَسِهِ، فَقَالَ لَهُ: ( تَعْنِي أَنْ ) تَلْبَسَ، وَتَقْعُدَ، فَلَا تَقُومَ لِأَحَدٍ، وَلَا تَضْحَكَ فِي وَجْهِ أَحَدٍ، وَلَا تُحَدَّثَ أَحَدًا ؟ قَالَ: نَعَمْ. قَالَ حَامِدٌ: إِنَّ اللَّهَ أَعْطَانِي وَجْهًا طَلْقًا، وَخَلْقًا حَسَنًا، وَمَا كُنْتُ بِالَّذِي أُعَبِّسُ وَجْهِي، وَأُقَبِّحُ خَلْقِي لِأَجْلِ الْوِزَارَةِ، فَعَابُوهُ عِنْدَ الْمُقْتَدِرِ، وَنَسَبُوهُ إِلَى الْجَهْلِ بِأُمُورِ الْوِزَارَةِ، فَأَمَرَ الْمُقْتَدِرُ بِإِطْلَاقِ عَلِيِّ بْنِ عِيسَى مِنْ مَحْبِسِهِ، وَجَعَلَهُ يَتَوَلَّى الدَّوَاوِينَ شِبْهَ النَّائِبِ عَنْ حَامِدٍ، فَكَانَ يُرَاجِعُهُ فِي الْأُمُورِ وَيَصْدُرُ عَنْ رَأْيِهِ، ثُمَّ إِنَّهُ اسْتَبَدَّ بِالْأَمْرِ دُونَ حَامِدٍ، وَلَمْ يَبْقَ لِحَامِدٍ غَيْرُ اسْمِ الْوِزَارَةِ وَمَعْنَاهَا لِعَلِيٍّ، حَتَّى قِيلَ فِيهِمَا: هَذَا وَزِيرٌ بِلَا سَوَادٍ وَذَا سَوَادٌ بِلَا وَزِيرٍ ثُمَّ إِنَّ حَامِدًا أَحْضَرَ ابْنَ الْفُرَاتِ لِيُقَابِلَهُ عَلَى أَعْمَالِهِ، وَوَكَّلَ بِمُنَاظَرَتِهِ عَلِيَّ بْنَ أَحْمَدَ الْمَادَرَائِيَّ لِيُصَحِّحَ عَلَيْهِ الْأَمْوَالَ، فَلَمْ يَقْدِرْ عَلَى إِثْبَاتِ الْحُجَّةِ عَلَيْهِ، فَانْتُدِبَ لَهُ حَامِدٌ، وَسَبَّهُ، وَنَالَ مِنْهُ، وَقَامَ إِلَيْهِ فَلَكَمَهُ. ( وَكَانَ حَامِدٌ سَفِيهًا ) فَقَالَ لَهُ ابْنُ الْفُرَاتِ: أَنْتَ عَلَى بِسَاطِ السُّلْطَانُ، وَفِي دَارِ الْمَمْلَكَةِ، وَلَيْسَ هَذَا الْمَوْضِعُ مِمَّا تَعْرِفُهُ مِنْ بَيْدَرٍ تُقَسِّمُهُ، أَوْ غَلَّةٍ تَسْتَفْضِلُ فِي كَيْلِهَا، وَلَا هُوَ مِثْلُ أَكَّارٍ تَشْتُمُهُ، ثُمَّ قَالَ لِشَفِيعٍ اللُّؤْلُؤِيِّ: قُلْ لِأَمِيرِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ عَنِّي إِنَّ حَامِدًا إِنَّمَا حَمَلَهُ عَلَى الدُّخُولِ فِي الْوِزَارَةِ، وَلَيْسَ مِنْ أَهْلِهَا، إِنَّنِي أَوْجَبْتُ عَلَيْهِ أَكْثَرَ مِنْ أَلْفَيْ أَلْفِ دِينَارٍ مِنْ فَضْلِ ضَمَانِهِ، وَأَلْحَحْتُ فِي مُطَالَبَتِهِ بِهَا، فَظَنَّ أَنَّهَا تَنْدَفِعُ عَنْهُ بِدُخُولِهِ فِي الْوِزَارَةِ، ( وَأَنَّهُ يُضِيفُ ) إِلَيْهَا غَيْرَهَا، فَاسْتَشَاطَ حَامِدٌ وَبَالَغَ فِي شَتْمِهِ، فَأَنْفَذَ الْمُقْتَدِرُ، فَأَقَامَ ابْنُ الْفُرَاتِ مِنْ مَجْلِسِهِ، وَرَدَّهُ إِلَى مَحْبِسِهِ، وَقَالَ عَلِيُّ بْنُ عِيسَى، وَنَصْرٌ الْحَاجِبُ لِحَامِدٍ: قَدْ جَنَيْتَ عَلَيْنَا وَعَلَى نَفْسِكَ جِنَايَةً عَظِيمَةً بِمَا فَعَلْتَهُ بِابْنِ الْفُرَاتِ، وَأَيْقَظْتَ مِنْهُ شَيْطَانًا لَا يَنَامُ. ثُمَّ إِنَّ ابْنَ الْفُرَاتِ صُودِرَ عَلَى مَالٍ عَظِيمٍ، وَضُرِبَ وَلَدُهُ الْمُحَسِّنُ وَأَصْحَابُهُ، وَأُخِذَ مِنْهُ أَمْوَالٌ جَمَّةٌ.
Translation
✧ 306 The dismissal of Ibn al-Furāt and the vizierate of Ḥāmid b. al-ʿAbbās In the year 306, in Jumādā al-Ākhirah, the vizier Abū al-Ḥasan b. al-Furāt was arrested. The duration of this, his second vizierate, was one year, five months, and nineteen days. The reason for that was that he delayed the release of the cavalry's salaries, excusing himself to them by the scarcity of funds, and that they had been expended in the war against Ibn Abī al-Sāj, and that the revenue had decreased because Yūsuf had taken the funds of al-Rayy and its districts. The troops rioted with a great riot and went out to the prayer ground. Ibn al-Furāt sought from al-Muqtadir the release of two hundred thousand dinars from the private treasury to add to it two hundred thousand dinars that he would collect, and to spend the whole on the troops' salaries. That was hard on al-Muqtadir, and he sent to him: "You guaranteed that you would satisfy all the troops, and undertake all the fixed expenditures according to the previous custom, and after that carry what you guaranteed to carry day by day. Now I see you seeking from the private treasury." He excused himself by the smallness of the revenue, and what Ibn Abī al-Sāj had taken from the revenue, and what had been spent on fighting him. Al-Muqtadir did not accept his excuse and became displeased with him. It was said: the reason for his arrest was that al-Muqtadir was told: "Ibn al-Furāt wants to send al-Ḥusayn b. Ḥamdān to Ibn Abī al-Sāj to fight him, and when he reaches him they will agree against you." Then Ibn al-Furāt spoke to al-Muqtadir about sending al-Ḥusayn to Ibn Abī al-Sāj, so he killed Ibn Ḥamdān in Jumādā al-Ūlā, and arrested Ibn al-Furāt in Jumādā al-Ākhirah. Then one of the tax collectors mentioned to Ibn al-Furāt what accrued to Ḥāmid b. al-ʿAbbās from the districts of Wāsiṭ in excess of his guarantee, and he deemed it excessive, and ordered him to write to him about that, and he wrote to him. Ḥāmid feared that he would be seized and demanded for that money, so he wrote to Naṣr the chamberlain and to al-Muqtadir's mother, and guaranteed them money to speak for him concerning the vizierate. He mentioned to al-Muqtadir his condition, his generosity, and the number of his followers, and that he had four hundred slaves bearing arms. That coincided with al-Muqtadir's aversion to Ibn al-Furāt, so he ordered him to come from Wāsiṭ. He came, and Ibn al-Furāt was arrested along with his son al-Muḥassin, their companions, and their followers. When Ḥāmid arrived in Baghdādh, he stayed three days in the caliph's palace, and he used to talk with people, joke with them, and stand up for them. It became clear to the servants, to Abū al-Qāsim b. al-Ḥawārī, and to the palace retinue that he had little knowledge of the vizierate. His chamberlain said to him: "O my master! The vizier needs his dress, his sitting, and his frown." He said to him: "You mean that I should dress, sit, not stand for anyone, not laugh in anyone's face, and not talk to anyone?" He said: "Yes." Ḥāmid said: "God gave me a cheerful face and a good disposition, and I will not frown my face or disfigure my character for the sake of the vizierate." So they criticized him before al-Muqtadir and attributed ignorance of the affairs of the vizierate to him. Al-Muqtadir ordered the release of ʿAlī b. ʿĪsā from his prison and made him oversee the dīwāns as a deputy for Ḥāmid. He would refer matters back to him and act according to his opinion. Then he took sole charge of affairs without Ḥāmid, and nothing remained for Ḥāmid except the name of the vizierate while its substance was for ʿAlī, until it was said of the two: This is a vizier without a robe of office, and that one has a robe without a vizier. Then Ḥāmid brought Ibn al-Furāt to audit him on his offices, and he entrusted the debate with him to ʿAlī b. Aḥmad al-Mādarāʾī to establish the funds against him, but he was unable to prove the case against him. Ḥāmid took it upon himself, insulted him, abused him, stood up to him, and punched him. Ḥāmid was a fool. Ibn al-Furāt said to him: "You are on the sultan's carpet and in the palace of the kingdom. This is not a place you know, like a threshing floor you divide, or produce from which you take a surplus in its measure, nor is it like a peasant whom you insult." Then he said to Shafīʿ al-Luʾluʾī: "Tell the Commander of the Faithful on my behalf that Ḥāmid was only driven to enter the vizierate, though he is not qualified for it, because I imposed on him more than two thousand thousand dinars from the surplus of his guarantee, and I insisted on demanding them from him. He thought it would be pushed away from him by his entering the vizierate, and that he would add to it other sums." Ḥāmid became furious and exaggerated in abusing him. Al-Muqtadir sent and had Ibn al-Furāt removed from his seat and returned to his prison. ʿAlī b. ʿĪsā and Naṣr the chamberlain said to Ḥāmid: "You have committed a great offense against us and against yourself by what you did to Ibn al-Furāt, and you have awakened from him a devil who does not sleep." Then Ibn al-Furāt was fined an enormous sum, and his son al-Muḥassin and his companions were beaten, and vast wealth was taken from him.
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