Tarikh (al-Tabari) 3846
Then the Year 322 AH Began
ذِكْرُ طَرَفٍ مِنْ سِيرَتِهِ كَانَ الرَّاضِي سَمْحًا وَاسِعَ النَّفْسِ، أَدِيبًا شَاعِرًا حَسَنَ الْبَيَانِ وَالْفَصَاحَةِ، يُحِبُّ مُحَادَثَةَ الْعُلَمَاءِ. سَمِعَ مِنَ الْبَغَوِيِّ قَبْلَ الْخِلَافَةِ كَثِيرًا وَوَصَلَهُ بِمَالٍ كَثِيرٍ غَزِيرٍ، وَرُفِعَ إِلَيْهِ أَنَّ عَبْدَ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنَ عِيسَى قَدِ احْتَازَ أَمْوَالًا عَظِيمَةً، وَتَقَرَّرَ عَلَيْهِ مِائَةُ أَلْفِ دِينَارٍ، فَحَلَفَ أَنْ لَا يَقْنَعُ إِلَّا بِأَدَائِهَا، فَكَتَبَ الْوَزِيرُ أَبُو جَعْفَرٍ الْكَرْخِيُّ تَقْسِيطًا بَدَأَ فِيهِ بِنَفْسِهِ، وَدَخَلَ عَلَيْهِ جَعْفَرُ بْنُ وَرْقَاءَ فَسَلَّمَ إِلَيْهِ الدُّرْجَ، وَخَاطَبَهُ لِيَكْتُبَ شَيْئًا، فَقَالَ: أَنَا أُدَبِّرُ الْأَمْرَ، وَكَتَبَ ضَمِنَ جَعْفَرُ بْنُ وَرْقَاءَ لِوَكِيلِ أَمِيرِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ مِائَةَ أَلْفِ دِينَارٍ عَنْ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنِ عِيسَى، وَنَفَّذَ بِهَا، فَلَمَّا رَأَى الرَّاضِي الرُّقْعَةَ اغْتَاظَ وَخَرَقَهَا، وَقَالَ: قُلْ لَهُ يَا أَعْرَابِيُّ جِلْفٌ أَرَدْتَ أَنْ تُرِيَ النَّاسَ أَنَّكَ وَاسِعُ النَّفْسِ وَقَدْ عَزَمْتَ عَمَّنْ لَا حُرْمَتُهُ بَيْنَكَ وَبَيْنَهُ هَذَا الْمَالُ، وَضَاقَتْ نَفْسِي أَنَا عَنْ تَرْكِهِ وَهُوَ خَادِمِي فَتُظْهِرُ أَنَّكَ أَكْرَمُ مِنِّي، لَا كَانَ هَذَا، فَقَالَ ابْنُ وَرْقَاءَ: وَاللَّهِ مَا اعْتَمَدْتُ أَنْ يَقَعَ فِي نَفْسِهِ إِلَّا هَذَا فَيَفْعَلُ مَا فَعَلَهُ، وَلَوْ جَرَى الْأَمْرُ بِخِلَافِهِ لَأَدَّيْتُ مَا أَمْلِكُ، وَاسْتَمَحْتُ النَّاسَ. قَالَ أَبُو بَكْرٍ الْخَطِيبُ: كَانَ لِلرَّاضِي فَضَائِلُ كَثِيرَةٌ وَخَتَمَ الْخُلَفَاءَ فِي أُمُورٍ عِدَّةٍ مِنْهَا: أَنَّهُ آخِرُ خَلِيفَةٍ لَهُ شِعْرٌ مُدَوَّنٌ، وَآخِرُ خَلِيفَةٍ انْفَرَدَ بِتَدْبِيرِ الْجُيُوشِ وَالْأَمْوَالِ، وَآخِرُ خَلِيفَةٍ خَطَبَ عَلَى الْمِنْبَرِ يَوْمَ الْجُمْعَةِ، وَآخِرُ خَلِيفَةٍ جَالَسَ الْجُلَسَاءَ وَوَصَلَ إِلَيْهِ النُّدَمَاءُ، وَآخِرُ خَلِيفَةٍ كَانَتْ نَفَقَتُهُ وَجَوَائِزُهُ وَعَطَايَاهُ وَجِرَايَاتُهُ وَخِزَانَتُهُ وَمَطَابِخُهُ وَمَجَالِسُهُ وَخَدَمُهُ وَحُجَّابُهُ وَأُمُورُهُ كُلُّهَا تَجْرِي عَلَى تَرْتِيبِ الْمُتَقَدِّمِينَ مِنَ الْخُلَفَاءِ، وَقَدْ رُوِيَ لَنَا فِي حَدِيثٍ أَنَّهُ وَقَعَ حَرِيقٌ بِالْكَرْخِ، فَأَطْلَقَ لِلْهَاشِمِيِّينَ عَشْرَةَ آلَافِ دِينَارٍ وَلِلْعَامَّةِ أَرْبَعِينَ أَلْفًا حَتَّى عَمَّرُوا مَا احْتَرَقَ، وَوُلِعَ بِهَدْمِ الْقُصُورِ مِنْ دَارِ الْخِلَافَةِ وَتَصْيِيرِهَا بَسَاتِينَ. وَلَهُ أَشْعَارٌ حِسَانٌ مِنْهَا: لَا تَعْذِلِي كَرَمِي عَلَى الْإِسْرَافِ رِبْحُ الْمَحَامِدِ مَتْجَرُ الْإِشْرَافِ أُجْرِي كَآبَائِي الْخَلَائِفَ سَابِقًا وَأُشِيدُ مَا قَدْ أَسَّسَتْ أَسْلَافِي إِنِّي مِنَ الْقَوْمِ الَّذِينَ أَكُفُّهُمْ مُعْتَادَةُ الْأَخْلَافِ وَالْإِتْلَافِ عَنْ عَلِيِّ بْنِ الْمُحْسِنِ التَّنُوخِيِّ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، قَالَ: سَمِعْتُ أَبَا بَكْرٍ مُحَمَّدَ بْنَ يَحْيَى الصُّولِيَّ يَحْكِي: أَنَّهُ دَخَلَ عَلَى الرَّاضِي وَهُوَ يَبْنِي شَيْئًا أَوْ يَهْدِمُ شَيْئًا فَأَنْشَدَهُ أَبْيَاتًا، وَكَانَ الرَّاضِي جَالِسًا عَلَى آجُرَّةٍ حِيَالَ الصُّنَّاعِ، قَالَ: وَكُنْتُ أَنَا وَجَمَاعَةٌ مِنَ الْجُلَسَاءِ، فَأَمَرَنَا بِالْجُلُوسِ بِحَضْرَتِهِ، فَأَخَذَ كُلُّ وَاحِدٍ مِنَّا آجُرَّةً فَجَلَسَ عَلَيْهَا، وَاتَّفَقَ أَنِّي أَخَذْتُ آجُرَّتَيْنِ مُلْتَصِقَتَيْنِ بِشَيْءٍ مِنْ إِسْفِيذَاجَ، فَجَلَسْتُ عَلَيْهِمَا، فَلَمَّا قُمْنَا أَمَرَ أَنْ تُوزَنَ آجُرَّةُ كُلِّ وَاحِدٍ مِنَّا وَيُدْفَعَ إِلَيْهِ وَزْنُهَا دَرَاهِمَ أَوْ دَنَانِيرَ. قَالَ أَبِي: الشَّكُّ مِنِّي، قَالَ: فَتَضَاعَفَتْ جَائِزَتِي عَلَى جَوَائِزِ الْحَاضِرِينَ بِتَضَاعُفِ وَزْنِ آجُرَّتِي عَلَى وَزْنِ آجُرِّهِمْ. وَمِنْ أَشْعَارِهِ: يَصْفَرُّ وَجْهِي إِذَا تَأَمَّلَهُ طَرْفِي وَيَحْمَرُّ وَجْهُهُ خَجَلَا حَتَّى كَأَنَّ الَّذِي بِوَجْنَتِهِ مِنْ دَمِ جِسْمِي إِلَيْهِ قَدْ نُقِلَا قَالَ أَبُو بَكْرٍ الصُّولِيُّ: قَدْ كُنْتُ قُلْتُ: أَبْيَاتًا وَهِيَ: يَا مَلِيحَ الدَّلَالِ رِفْقًا بِقَلْبٍ يَشْتَكِي مِنْكَ جَفْوَةً وَمَلَالَا نَطَقَ السَّقَمُ بِالَّذِي كَانَ يُخْفِي فَسَلِ الْجِسْمَ إِنْ أَرَدْتَ سُؤَالَا قَدْ أَتَاهُ فِي النَّوْمِ مِنْكَ خَيَالٌ فَرَآهُ كَمَا اشْتَهَيْتُ خَيَالَا يَتَحَامَاهُ لِلضَّنَا أَلْسُنُ الْعُذَّ لِ فَأَضْحَى لَا يَعْرِفُ الْعُذَّالَا فَأَنْشَدْتُ هَذِهِ الْأَبْيَاتَ لِلرَّاضِي بِاللَّهِ، فَجَذَبَ الدَّوَاةَ وَعَمَلَ مِنْ وَقْتِهِ: عَقْلِي لَا يَقْبَلُ الْمُحَالَا وَأَنْتَ لَا تَبْذُلُ الْوِصَالَا ضَلَلْتُ فِي حُبِّكُمْ فَحَسْبِي حَتَّى مَتَى أَتْبَعُ الضَّلَالَا قَدْ زَارَنِي مِنْكُمْ خَيَالٌ فَزِدْتُ إِذْ زَارَنِي خَبَالَا رَأَى خَيَالًا عَلَى فِرَاشٍ وَمَا أَرَاهُ رَأَى خَيَالَا قَالَ الصُّولِيُّ: فَعَجِبْتُ وَاللَّهِ مِنْ سُرْعَةِ فِطْنَتِهِ. وَفِي هَذِهِ السَّنَةِ: عَظُمَ أَمْرُ مَرْدَاوِيجَ بِأَصْبَهَانَ، وَحَدَّثَ النَّاسُ أَنَّهُ يُرِيدُ تَشْعِيثَ الدَّوْلَةِ، وَقَصَدَ بَغْدَادَ، وَأَنَّهُ مُسَالِمٌ لِصَاحِبِ الْبَحْرِينِ يَجْتَمِعَانِ عَلَى ذَلِكَ، وَكَانَ يَقُولُ: أَنَا أَرُدُّ دَوْلَةَ الْعَجَمِ وَأُبْطِلُ مُلْكَ الْعَرَبِ، ثُمَّ أَسَاءَ السِّيرَةَ فِي أَصْحَابِهِ خُصُوصًا فِي الْأَتْرَاكِ، فَتَوَاطَئُوا عَلَى إِهْلَاكِهِ، ثُمَّ وَرَدَ الْخَبَرُ بِأَنَّ غِلْمَانَهُ قَتَلُوهُ، وَأَنَّ رَئِيسَ الْغِلْمَانِ غُلَامٌ يُعْرَفُ بِبُجْكَمَ زَعَمَ ابْنُ يَاقُوتَ أَنَّهُ هُوَ الَّذِي دَبَّرَ ذَلِكَ، وَكَاتَبَ فِيهِ الْغِلْمَانَ.
Translation
✧ A portion of his biography Al-Rāḍī was generous and magnanimous, a man of letters and a poet, eloquent in speech and expression, who loved conversing with scholars. Before the caliphate he heard much from al-Baghawī and gave him abundant wealth, and it was reported to him that ʿAbd al-Raḥmān b. ʿĪsā had amassed great sums, and he was assessed one hundred thousand dinars. He swore that he would not be satisfied except with its payment, so the vizier Abū Jaʿfar al-Karkhī wrote an installment plan in which he began with himself, and Jaʿfar b. Warqāʾ entered and handed him the scroll, addressing him to write something, so he said: "I shall manage the matter." And he wrote: Jaʿfar b. Warqāʾ guarantees to the agent of the Commander of the Faithful one hundred thousand dinars on behalf of ʿAbd al-Raḥmān b. ʿĪsā, and he executed it. When al-Rāḍī saw the note, he became angry and tore it up, saying: "Tell him, O coarse bedouin, you wanted to show people that you are magnanimous, and you resolved to waive this sum for one who has no sacred bond between you and him, while my own soul was too narrow to forgo it though he is my servant, so you would appear more generous than I. Let this not be." Ibn Warqāʾ said: "By God, I intended that nothing should occur to his mind except this, so that he would do what he did; and had the affair gone otherwise, I would have paid what I own and begged from people." Abū Bakr al-Khaṭīb said: Al-Rāḍī had many merits, and he was the last of the caliphs in several matters: he was the last caliph to have collected poetry, the last caliph to personally manage the armies and finances, the last caliph to deliver the Friday sermon from the pulpit, the last caliph to sit with boon companions and receive courtiers, and the last caliph whose expenditures, gifts, grants, stipends, treasury, kitchens, assemblies, servants, chamberlains, and all his affairs ran according to the arrangement of the earlier caliphs. It is related to us in a report that a fire broke out in al-Karkh, and he gave the Hāshimites ten thousand dinars and the common people forty thousand, so that they rebuilt what had burned. He was fond of demolishing the palaces of the caliphal residence and turning them into gardens. He has fine poems, among them: Do not blame my generosity for extravagance; the profit of noble traits is the trade of honor. I run, like my forefathers the caliphs, ahead, and I erect what my predecessors founded. I am of the people whose palms are accustomed to giving and destroying. From ʿAlī b. al-Muḥsin al-Tanūkhī, from his father, who said: I heard Abū Bakr Muḥammad b. Yaḥyā al-Ṣūlī relate that he entered upon al-Rāḍī while he was building something or demolishing something, and he recited verses to him. Al-Rāḍī was seated on a brick facing the workmen. He said: "I and a group of boon companions were present, and he ordered us to sit in his presence, so each of us took a brick and sat on it. It happened that I took two bricks stuck together with some plaster and sat on them. When we rose, he ordered that each man's brick be weighed and its weight given to him in dirhams or dinars." My father said: "The doubt is mine." He said: "So my gift surpassed those of the people present as the weight of my brick surpassed the weight of their bricks." Among his poems: My face turns yellow when my eye beholds him, and his face turns red with shame, Until it is as though what is on his cheek has been transferred to it from my body's blood. Abū Bakr al-Ṣūlī said: I had composed verses, which are: O charming in coquetry, have mercy on a heart that complains of your aversion and weariness. Sickness has spoken of what it used to hide, so ask the body if you wish to ask. A phantom of you came to him in sleep, and he saw it as I wished to see a phantom. The tongues of blamers avoid him out of emaciation, so he has come to know no blamers. I recited these verses to al-Rāḍī bi-llāh, and he drew the inkwell and composed on the spot: My mind does not accept the impossible, and you do not grant union. I have gone astray in your love, so let it suffice me—how long shall I follow error? A phantom of yours visited me, and when it visited, I increased in distraction. It saw a phantom on a bed, but I do not think it saw a phantom. Al-Ṣūlī said: By God, I marveled at the quickness of his wit. In this year: the affair of Mardāwīj grew great in Isfahan, and people said that he intended to disrupt the state, aimed at Baghdad, and was at peace with the ruler of Bahrain, the two uniting on that. He used to say: "I shall restore the state of the Persians and abolish the rule of the Arabs." Then he mistreated his companions, especially the Turks, so they conspired to destroy him. Then news came that his pages killed him, and that the chief of the pages was a page known as Bujkam. Ibn Yāqūt claimed that he was the one who planned it and corresponded with the pages about it.
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