Tarikh (al-Tabari) 3775
Then the Year 316 AH Began
قَتْلِ أَسْفَارٍ كَانَ فِي أَصْحَابِ أَسْفَارٍ قَائِدٌ مِنْ أَكْبَرِ قُوَّادِهِ يُقَالُ لَهُ مَرْدَاوِيجُ بْنُ زَيَّارٍ الدَّيْلَمِيُّ، فَأَرْسَلَهُ إِلَى سَلَارَ صَاحِبِ شَمِيرَانَ الطِّرْمِ يَدْعُوهُ إِلَى طَاعَتِهِ، وَسَلَارُ هَذَا هُوَ الَّذِي صَارَ وَلَدُهُ فِيمَا بَعْدُ صَاحِبَ أَذْرَبِيجَانَ وَغَيْرِهَا، فَلَمَّا وَصَلَ مَرْدَاوِيجُ إِلَيْهِ تَشَاكَيَا مَا كَانَ النَّاسُ فِيهِ مِنَ الْجُهْدِ وَالْبَلَاءِ، فَتَحَالَفَا، وَتَعَاقَدَا عَلَى قَصْدِهِ، وَالتَّسَاعُدِ عَلَى حَرْبِهِ. وَكَانَ أَسْفَارٌ قَدْ وَصَلَ إِلَى قَزْوِينَ، وَهُوَ يَنْتَظِرُ وَصُولَ مَرْدَاوِيجَ بِجَوَابِهِ، فَكَتَبَ مَرْدَاوِيجُ إِلَى جَمَاعَةٍ مِنَ الْقُوَّادِ يَثِقُ بِهِمْ يُعَرِّفُهُمْ مَا اتَّفَقَ هُوَ وَسَلَارُ عَلَيْهِ، فَأَجَابُوهُ إِلَى ذَلِكَ، وَكَانَ الْجُنْدُ قَدْ سَئِمُوا أَسْفَارًا لِسُوءِ سِيرَتِهِ، وَظُلْمِهِ، وَجَوْرِهِ، وَكَانَ فِي جُمْلَةِ مَنْ أَجَابَ إِلَى مُسَاعَدَةِ مَرْدَاوِيجَ مُطَرِّفُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ، وَزِيرُ أَسْفَارٍ، وَسَارَ مَرْدَاوِيجُ وَسَلَارُ نَحْوَ أَسْفَارٍ، وَبَلَغَهُ الْخَبَرُ، وَأَنَّ أَصْحَابَهُ قَدْ بَايَعُوا مَرْدَاوِيجَ، فَأَحَسَّ بِالشَّرِّ، وَكَانَ ذَلِكَ عَقِيبَ حَادِثَتِهِ مَعَ أَهْلِ قَزْوِينَ وَدُعَائِهِمْ، وَثَارَ الْجُنْدُ بِأَسْفَارٍ، فَهَرَبَ مِنْهُمْ فِي جَمَاعَةٍ مِنْ غِلْمَانِهِ وَوَرَدَ الرَّيَّ، فَأَرَادَ أَنْ يَأْخُذَ مِنْ مَالٍ كَانَ ( عِنْدَ نَائِبِهِ ) بِهَا شَيْئًا، فَلَمْ يُعْطِهِ غَيْرَ خَمْسَةِ آلَافِ دِينَارٍ، وَقَالَ لَهُ: أَنْتَ أَمِيرٌ وَلَا يُعْوِزُكَ مَالٌ، فَتَرَكَهُ وَانْصَرَفَ إِلَى خُرَاسَانَ، فَأَقَامَ بِنَاحِيَةِ بَيْهَقَ. وَأَمَّا مَرْدَاوِيجُ فَإِنَّهُ عَادَ مِنْ قَزْوِينَ نَحْوَ الرَّيِّ، وَكَتَبَ إِلَى مَاكَانَ بْنِ كَالِي، وَهُوَ بِطَبَرِسْتَانَ، يَسْتَدْعِيهِ لِيَتَسَاعَدَا وَيَتَعَاضَدَا، فَسَرَى مَاكَانُ بْنُ كَالِي إِلَى أَسْفَارٍ، وَكَانَ قَدْ عَسَفَ أَهْلَ النَّاحِيَةِ الَّتِي هُوَ بِهَا، فَلَمَّا أَحَسَّ بِمَاكَانَ سَارَ إِلَى بُسْتَ، وَرَكِبَ الْمَفَازَةَ نَحْوَ الرَّيِّ لِيَقْصِدَ قَلْعَةَ أَلَمُوتَ الَّتِي بِهَا أَهْلُهُ وَأَمْوَالُهُ، فَانْقَطَعَ عَنْهُ بَعْضُ أَصْحَابِهِ، وَقَصَدَ مَرْدَاوِيجَ فَأَعْلَمَهُ خَبَرَهُ، فَخَرَجَ مَرْدَاوِيجُ مِنْ سَاعَتِهِ فِي أَثَرِهِ، وَقَدَّمَ بَعْضَ قُوَّادِهِ بَيْنَ يَدَيْهِ، فَلَحِقَهُ ذَلِكَ الْقَائِدُ وَقَدْ نَزَلَ يَسْتَرِيحُ، فَسَلَّمَ عَلَيْهِ بِالْإِمْرَةِ، فَقَالَ لَهُ أَسْفَارٌ: لَعَلَّكُمُ اتَّصَلَ بِكُمْ خَبَرِي وَبُعِثْتَ فِي طَلَبِي ؟ ( قَالَ: نَعَمْ ) ! فَبَكَى أَصْحَابُهُ، فَأَنْكَرَ عَلَيْهِمْ أَسْفَارٌ ذَلِكَ، وَقَالَ: بِمِثْلِ هَذِهِ الْقُلُوبِ تَتَجَنَّدُونَ ! أَمَا عَلِمْتُمْ أَنَّ الْوِلَايَاتِ مَقْرُونَةٌ بِالْبَلِيَّاتِ ؟ ثُمَّ أَقْبَلَ عَلَى ذَلِكَ الْقَائِدِ وَهُوَ يَضْحَكُ، وَسَأَلَهُ عَنْ قُوَّادِهِ الَّذِينَ أَسْلَمُوهُ وَخَذَلُوهُ، فَأَخْبَرَهُ أَنَّ مَرْدَاوِيجَ قَتَلَهُمْ، فَتَهَلَّلَ وَجْهُهُ وَقَالَ: كَانَتْ حَيَاةُ هَؤُلَاءِ غُصَّةً فِي حَلْقِي، وَقَدْ طَابَتِ الْآنَ نَفْسِي، فَامْضِ فِي مَا أُمِرْتَ بِهِ، وَظَنَّ أَنَّهُ أُمِرَ بِقَتْلِهِ، فَقَالَ: مَا أُمِرْتُ فِيكَ بِسُوءٍ، وَحَمَلَهُ إِلَى مَرْدَاوِيجَ، فَسَلَّمَهُ إِلَى جَمَاعَةِ أَصْحَابِهِ لِيَحْمِلَهُ إِلَى الرَّيِّ، فَقَالَ لَهُ بَعْضُ أَصْحَابِهِ: إِنَّ أَكْثَرَ ( مَنْ مَعَكَ ) كَانُوا أَصْحَابَ هَذَا، فَانْحَرَفُوا عَنْهُ إِلَيْكَ، ( وَقَدْ أَوْحَشْتَ أَكْثَرَهُمْ بِقَتْلِ قُوَّادِهِمْ ) فَمَا يُؤَمِّنُكَ أَنْ يَرْجِعُوا إِلَيْهِ غَدًا وَيَقْبِضُوا عَلَيْكَ ؟ فَحِينَئِذٍ أَمَرَ بِقَتْلِهِ وَانْصَرَفَ إِلَى الرَّيِّ. وَقِيلَ فِي قَتْلِهِ: إِنَّهُ لَمَّا عَادَ نَحْوَ قَلْعَةِ أَلَمُوتَ نَزَلَ فِي وَادٍ هُنَاكَ يَسْتَرِيحُ، فَاتَّفَقَ أَنَّ مَرْدَاوِيجَ خَرَجَ يَتَصَيَّدُ، وَيَسْأَلُ عَنْ أَخْبَارِهِ، فَرَأَى خَيْلًا يَسِيرَةً فِي وَادٍ هُنَاكَ، فَأَرْسَلَ بَعْضَ أَصْحَابِهِ لِيَأْخُذَ خَبَرَهَا، فَرَأَوْا أَسْفَارَ بْنَ شِيرُوَيْهِ فِي عِدَّةٍ يَسِيرَةٍ مِنْ أَصْحَابِهِ، يُرِيدُ الْحِصْنَ لِيَأْخُذَ مَا لَهُ فِيهِ وَيَسْتَعِينَ بِهِ عَلَى جَمْعِ الْجُيُوشِ، وَيَعُودَ إِلَى مُحَارَبَةِ مَرْدَاوِيجَ، فَأَخَذُوهُ وَمَنْ مَعَهُ، وَحَمَلُوهُ إِلَى مَرْدَاوِيجَ، فَلَمَّا رَآهُ نَزَلَ إِلَيْهِ فَذَبَحَهُ. وَاسْتَقَرَّ أَمْرُ مَرْدَاوِيجَ فِي الْبِلَادِ، وَعَادَ إِلَى قَزْوِينَ بَعْدَ قَتْلِ أَسْفَارٍ، فَأَحْسَنَ إِلَى أَهْلِهَا، وَوَعَدَهُمُ الْجَمِيلَ. وَقِيلَ: بَلْ دَخَلَ أَسْفَارٌ إِلَى رَحًى، وَقَدْ نَالَ مِنْهُ الْجُوعُ، فَطَلَبَ مِنَ الطَّحَّانِ شَيْئًا يَأْكُلُهُ، فَقَدَّمَ لَهُ خُبْزًا وَلَبَنًا، فَأَكَلَ مِنْهُ هُوَ وَغُلَامٌ لَهُ لَيْسَ مَعَهُ غَيْرُهُ، فَأَقْبَلَ مَرْدَاوِيجُ إِلَى تِلْكَ النَّاحِيَةِ، فَأَشْرَفَ عَلَى الرَّحَى فَرَأَى حَوَافِرَ الدَّوَابِّ، فَسَأَلَ عَنْهَا، فَقِيلَ لَهُ: قَدْ دَخَلَ فَارِسَانِ إِلَى هَذِهِ الرَّحَى، فَكَبَسَ مَرْدَاوِيجُ الرَّحَى، فَرَآهُ وَقَتَلَهُ.
Translation
✧ The killing of Asfār Among the companions of Asfār there was a commander, one of his greatest commanders, called Mardāwīj b. Zayyār al-Daylamī. He sent him to Sālār, the lord of Shamīrān al-Ṭirm, summoning him to his obedience. This Sālār is the one whose son later became the lord of Adharbayjān and other places. When Mardāwīj reached him, the two of them complained to one another about the hardship and affliction the people were in, so they swore mutual oaths and bound themselves to aim for him and to assist one another in making war on him. Asfār had reached Qazwīn, waiting for Mardāwīj to arrive with his answer. Mardāwīj wrote to a group of commanders whom he trusted, informing them of what he and Sālār had agreed upon, and they answered him in favor of that. The troops had grown weary of Asfār because of his bad conduct, his injustice, and his tyranny. Among those who responded to assisting Mardāwīj was Muṭarrif b. Muḥammad, the vizier of Asfār. Mardāwīj and Sālār marched toward Asfār. The news reached him that his companions had pledged allegiance to Mardāwīj, and he sensed evil. That was immediately after what he had done to the people of Qazwīn and their supplication against him. The troops rose against Asfār, so he fled from them with a group of his slave-servants and came to al-Rayy. He wanted to take some of the money that was with his deputy there, but the latter gave him nothing except five thousand dinars, saying to him, “You are an emir, and money is not lacking for you.” So he left it and departed to Khurāsān, and he stayed in the district of Bayhaq. As for Mardāwīj, he returned from Qazwīn toward al-Rayy, and wrote to Mākān b. Kālī, who was in Ṭabaristān, summoning him so that the two of them might assist and support one another. Mākān b. Kālī traveled by night toward Asfār. Asfār had oppressed the people of the district where he was. When he sensed Mākān, he marched to Bust, and rode across the desert toward al-Rayy, intending to make for the fortress of Alamūt, where his family and wealth were. Some of his companions broke away from him and made for Mardāwīj, informing him of his news. Mardāwīj went out at once in his tracks, putting one of his commanders ahead of him. That commander caught up with him when he had dismounted to rest, and greeted him with the title of emir. Asfār said to him, “Perhaps my news has reached you and you have been sent in search of me?” He said, “Yes.” His companions wept, and Asfār disapproved of that, saying, “With hearts like these you serve as soldiers! Do you not know that governorships are coupled with afflictions?” Then he turned to that commander, laughing, and asked him about his commanders who had abandoned him and let him down. He told him that Mardāwīj had killed them. His face brightened and he said, “The life of those people was a lump in my throat, and now my soul is at ease. Proceed with what you have been commanded to do.” He thought that he had been commanded to kill him. The commander said, “I have not been commanded to do you any harm,” and carried him to Mardāwīj. He handed him over to a group of his companions to carry him to al-Rayy. One of his companions said to him, “Most of those with you were companions of this man, and they turned away from him to you. You have alienated most of them by killing their commanders. What makes you safe from their returning to him tomorrow and seizing you?” Then he ordered that he be killed, and departed to al-Rayy. It is also said about his killing: When he turned back toward the fortress of Alamūt, he dismounted in a valley there to rest. It happened that Mardāwīj went out hunting and asking about his news. He saw a small group of horsemen in a valley there, so he sent some of his companions to get news of them. They saw Asfār b. Shīrūyah with a small number of his companions, making for the fortress to take what he had in it, seek help with it to gather armies, and return to fighting Mardāwīj. They seized him and those with him, and carried him to Mardāwīj. When he saw him, he went down to him and slaughtered him. Mardāwīj's authority became established in the lands. He returned to Qazwīn after the killing of Asfār, and treated its people well, promising them good. It is also said: Rather, Asfār entered a mill, having been overcome by hunger, and asked the miller for something to eat. The miller brought him bread and milk, and he ate from it, along with a servant of his, with no one else. Mardāwīj came to that area and looked down upon the mill. He saw the hoofprints of mounts, asked about them, and was told, “Two horsemen have entered this mill.” Mardāwīj raided the mill, saw him, and killed him.
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