Tarikh (al-Tabari) 4096
Then the year 342 AH began
ذِكْرُ اسْتِيلَاءِ الْمَرْزُبَانِ عَلَى سُمَيْرِمَ قَدْ ذَكَرْنَا أَسْرَ الْمَرْزُبَانِ وَحَبْسَهُ بِسُمَيْرِمَ، وَأَمَّا سَبَبُ خَلَاصِهِ فَإِنَّ وَالِدَتَهُ، وَهِيَ ابْنَةُ جِسْتَانَ بْنِ وَهْسُوذَانَ الْمَلِكِ، وَضَعَتْ جَمَاعَةً لِلسَّعْيِ فِي خَلَاصِهِ، فَقَصَدُوا سُمَيْرِمَ، وَأَظْهَرُوا أَنَّهُمْ تُجَّارٌ، وَأَنَّ الْمَرْزُبَانَ قَدْ أَخَذَ مِنْهُمْ أَمْتِعَةً نَفِيسَةً وَلَمْ يُوصِلْ ثَمَنَهَا إِلَيْهِمْ، وَاجْتَمَعُوا بِمُتَوَلِّي سُمَيْرِمَ، وَيُعْرَفُ بِبَشِيرِ أَسْفَارْ، وَعَرَّفُوهُ مَا ظَلَمَهُمْ بِهِ الْمَرْزُبَانُ، وَسَأَلُوهُ أَنْ يَجْمَعَ بَيْنَهُمْ لِيُحَاسِبُوهُ وَلِيَأْخُذُوا خَطَّهُ إِلَى وَالِدَتِهِ بِإِيصَالِ مَا لَهُمْ إِلَيْهِمْ، فَرَقَّ لَهُمْ بَشِيرُ أَسْفَارٍ وَجَمَعَ بَيْنَهُمْ، فَطَالَبُوهُ بِمَالِهِمْ، فَأَنْكَرَ الْمَرْزُبَانُ ذَلِكَ، فَغَمَزَهُ أَحَدُهُمْ، فَفَطِنَ لَهُمْ وَاعْتَرَفَ لَهُمْ، وَقَالَ: حَتَّى أَتَذَكَّرَ مَالَكُمْ، فَإِنَّنِي لَا أَعْرِفُ مِقْدَارَهُ، فَأَقَامُوا هُنَاكَ، وَبَذَلُوا الْأَمْوَالَ لِبَشِيرِ أَسْفَارٍ وَالْأَجْنَادِ، وَضَمِنُوا لَهُمُ الْأَمْوَالَ الْجَلِيلَةَ إِذَا خَلُصَ مَا لَهُمْ عِنْدَ الْمَرْزُبَانِ، فَصَارُوا لِذَلِكَ يَدْخُلُونَ الْحِصْنَ بِغَيْرِ إِذْنٍ، وَكَثُرَ اجْتِمَاعُهُمْ بِالْمَرْزُبَانِ وَأَوْصَلُوا إِلَيْهِ أَمْوَالًا مِنْ عِنْدِ وَالِدَتِهِ، وَأَخْبَارًا، وَأَخَذُوا مِنْهُ مَا عِنْدَهُ مِنَ الْأَمْوَالِ. وَكَانَ لِبَشِيرِ أَسْفَارٍ غُلَامٌ أَمَرَدُ، جَمِيلُ الْوَجْهِ، يَحْمِلُ تُرْسَهُ وَزَوْبِينَهُ، فَأَظْهَرَ الْمَرْزُبَانُ لِذَلِكَ الْغُلَامِ مَحَبَّةً شَدِيدَةً وَعِشْقًا، وَأَعْطَاهُ مَالًا كَثِيرًا مِمَّا جَاءَهُ مِنْ وَالِدَتِهِ، فَوَاطَأَهُ عَلَى مَا يُرِيدُ، وَأَوْصَلَ إِلَيْهِ دِرْعًا وَمَبَارِدَ، فَبَرَدَ قَيْدَهُ، وَاتَّفَقَ الْمَرْزُبَانُ وَذَلِكَ الْغُلَامُ وَالَّذِينَ جَاءُوا لِتَخْلِيصِ الْمَرْزُبَانِ عَلَى أَنْ يَقْتُلُوا بَشِيرَ أَسْفَارٍ فِي يَوْمٍ ذَكَرُوهُ. وَكَانَ بَشِيرُ أَسْفَارٍ يَقْصِدُ الْمَرْزُبَانَ كُلَّ أُسْبُوعٍ ذَلِكَ الْيَوْمَ يَفْتَقِدُهُ وَقُيُودَهُ وَيُصَبِّرُهُ وَيَعُودُ، فَلَمَّا كَانَ يَوْمُ الْمَوْعِدِ، دَخَلَ أَحَدُ أُولَئِكَ التُّجَّارِ، فَقَعَدَ عِنْدَ الْمَرْزُبَانِ، وَجَلَسَ آخَرُ عِنْدَ الْبَوَّابِ، وَأَقَامَ الْبَاقُونَ عِنْدَ بَابِ الْحِصْنِ يَنْتَظِرُونَ الصَّوْتَ، وَدَخَلَ بَشِيرُ أَسْفَارٍ إِلَى الْمَرْزُبَانِ، فَتَلَطَّفَ بِهِ الْمَرْزُبَانُ وَسَأَلَهُ أَنْ يُطْلِقَهُ، وَبَذَلَ لَهُ أَمْوَالًا جَلِيلَةً وَإِقْطَاعًا كَثِيرًا، فَامْتَنَعَ عَلَيْهِ، وَقَالَ: لَا أَخُونُ رُكْنَ الدَّوْلَةِ أَبَدًا. فَنَهَضَ الْمَرْزُبَانُ وَقَدْ أَخْرَجَ رِجْلَهُ مِنْ قَيْدِهِ، وَتَقَدَّمَ إِلَى الْبَابِ، فَأَخَذَ التُّرْسَ وَالزَّوْبِينَ مِنْ ذَلِكَ الْغُلَامِ، وَعَادَ إِلَى بَشِيرِ أَسْفَارٍ، فَقَتَلَهُ هُوَ وَذَلِكَ التَّاجِرُ الَّذِي عِنْدَهُ، وَثَارَ الرَّجُلُ الَّذِي عِنْدَ الْبَوَّابِ بِهِ فَقَتَلَهُ، وَدَخَلَ مَنْ كَانَ عِنْدَ بَابِ الْحِصْنِ إِلَى الْمَرْزُبَانِ. وَكَانَ أَجْنَادُ الْقَلْعَةِ مُتَفَرِّقِينَ، فَلَمَّا وَقَعَ الصَّوْتُ اجْتَمَعُوا، فَرَأَوْا صَاحِبَهُمْ قَتِيلًا، فَسَأَلُوا الْأَمَانَ، فَأَمَّنَهُمُ الْمَرْزُبَانُ، وَأَخْرَجَهُمْ مِنَ الْقَلْعَةِ، وَاجْتَمَعَ إِلَيْهِ أَصْحَابُهُ وَغَيْرُهُمْ، وَكَثُرَ جَمْعُهُ، وَخَرَجَ فَلَحِقَ بِأُمِّهِ وَأَخِيهِ، وَاسْتَوْلَى عَلَى الْبِلَادِ عَلَى مَا ذَكَرْنَاهُ قَبْلُ.
Translation
✧ Mention of al-Marzubān's seizure of Sumayram We have already mentioned al-Marzubān's capture and his imprisonment in Sumayram. As for the reason for his deliverance, it was that his mother, who was the daughter of Jistān b. Wahsūdhān the king, assigned a group of people to work for his release. They made for Sumayram and pretended to be merchants, claiming that al-Marzubān had taken valuable goods from them and had not delivered their price to them. They met with the governor of Sumayram, known as Bashīr Asfār, and told him of the injustice al-Marzubān had done them, and they asked him to bring them together with him so that they might settle accounts with him and obtain a written undertaking from him to his mother to deliver what was theirs to them. Bashīr Asfār took pity on them and brought them together with him. They demanded their money from him, but al-Marzubān denied it. One of them winked at him, and he understood them and acknowledged their claim, saying, "Wait until I recall what is yours, for I do not know its amount." So they stayed there, and they gave money to Bashīr Asfār and the soldiers, and promised them substantial sums if they recovered what was theirs from al-Marzubān. As a result, they began to enter the fortress without permission, and their meetings with al-Marzubān became frequent. They conveyed to him money and news from his mother, and they took from him the money he had. Bashīr Asfār had a beardless, handsome young slave who carried his shield and javelin. Al-Marzubān showed intense love and passion for that slave and gave him much of the money that had come to him from his mother. He won him over to what he wanted, and conveyed to him a coat of mail and files, and he filed through his shackle. Al-Marzubān, that slave, and those who had come to deliver al-Marzubān agreed to kill Bashīr Asfār on a day they specified. Bashīr Asfār used to visit al-Marzubān every week on that day, checking on him and his shackles, consoling him, and then leaving. When the appointed day came, one of those merchants entered and sat with al-Marzubān, while another sat with the gatekeeper. The rest stayed at the gate of the fortress waiting for the signal. Bashīr Asfār entered to see al-Marzubān, and al-Marzubān spoke kindly to him and asked him to release him, offering him substantial money and extensive land grants. He refused, saying, "I will never betray Rukn al-Dawla." Al-Marzubān then rose, having freed his leg from its shackle, and went to the door. He took the shield and javelin from that slave and returned to Bashīr Asfār, and he and the merchant who was with him killed him. The man who was with the gatekeeper attacked him and killed him, and those who were at the gate of the fortress entered to join al-Marzubān. The soldiers of the citadel were dispersed. When the alarm was raised, they gathered and saw their commander slain, so they asked for quarter. Al-Marzubān granted them quarter and expelled them from the citadel. His companions and others gathered to him, his following grew, and he went out and joined his mother and brother, and took control of the territories as we have mentioned before.
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