Tarikh (al-Tabari) 4217
Then the year 354 AH began
ذِكْرُ عِصْيَانِ أَهْلِ سِجِسْتَانَ وَفِي السَّنَةِ عَصَى أَهْلُ سِجِسْتَانَ عَلَى أَمِيرِهِمْ خَلَفِ بْنِ أَحْمَدَ، وَكَانَ خَلَفُ هَذَا هُوَ صَاحِبُ سِجِسْتَانَ حِينَئِذٍ، وَكَانَ عَالِمًا مُحِبًا لِأَهْلِ الْعِلْمِ، فَاتُّفِقَ أَنَّهُ حَجَّ سَنَةَ ثَلَاثٍ وَخَمْسِينَ ثَلَاثِمِائَةٍ، وَاسْتَخْلَفَ عَلَى أَعْمَالِهِ إِنْسَانًا مِنْ أَصْحَابِهِ يُسَمَّى طَاهِرَ بْنَ الْحُسَيْنِ، فَطَمِعَ فِي الْمُلْكِ، وَعَصَى عَلَى خَلَفٍ لَمَّا عَادَ مِنَ الْحَجِّ، فَسَارَ خَلَفٌ إِلَى بُخَارَى، وَاسْتَنْصَرَ بِالْأَمِيرِ مَنْصُورِ بْنِ نُوحٍ، وَسَأَلَهُ مَعُونَتَهُ، وَرَدَّهُ إِلَى مُلْكِهِ، فَأَنْجَدَهُ وَجَهَّزَ مَعَهُ الْعَسَاكِرَ، فَسَارَ بِهِمْ نَحْوَ سِجِسْتَانَ، فَلَمَّا أَحَسَّ بِهِمْ طَاهِرٌ، فَارَقَ مَدِينَةَ خَلَفٍ وَتَوَجَّهَ نَحْوَ اسْفِرَارَ، وَعَادَ خَلَفٌ إِلَى قَرَارِهِ وَمُلْكِهِ وَفَرَّقَ الْعَسَاكِرَ. فَلَمَّا عَلِمَ طَاهِرٌ بِذَلِكَ، عَادَ إِلَيْهِ، وَغَلَبَ عَلَى سِجِسْتَانَ، وَفَارَقَهَا خَلَفٌ، وَعَادَ إِلَى حَضْرَةِ الْأَمِيرِ مَنْصُورٍ أَيْضًا بِبُخَارَى، فَأَكْرَمَهُ وَأَحْسَنَ إِلَيْهِ، وَأَنْجَدَهُ بِالْعَسَاكِرِ الْكَثِيرَةِ، وَرَدَّهُ إِلَى سِجِسْتَانَ، فَوَافَقَ وُصُولُهُ مَوْتَ طَاهِرٍ، وَانْتِصَابِ ابْنِهِ الْحُسَيْنِ مَكَانَهُ، فَحَاصَرَهُ خَلَفٌ وَضَايَقَهُ، وَكَثُرَ بَيْنَهُمُ الْقَتْلَى، وَاسْتَظْهَرَ خَلَفٌ عَلَيْهِ، فَلَمَّا رَأَى ذَلِكَ كَتَبَ إِلَى بُخَارَى يَعْتَذِرُ وَيَتَنَصَّلُ، وَيُظْهِرُ الطَّاعَةَ، وَيَسْأَلُ الْإِقَالَةَ، فَأَجَابَهُ الْأَمِيرُ مَنْصُورٌ إِلَى مَا طَلَبَهُ، وَكَتَبَ فِي تَمْكِينِهِ مِنَ الْمَسِيرِ إِلَيْهِ فَسَارَ مِنْ سِجِسْتَانَ إِلَى بُخَارَى، فَأَحْسَنَ الْأَمِيرُ مَنْصُورٌ إِلَيْهِ. وَاسْتَقَرَّ خَلَفُ بْنُ أَحْمَدَ بِسِجِسْتَانَ، وَدَامَتْ أَيَّامُهُ فِيهَا، وَكَثُرَتْ أَمْوَالُهُ وَرِجَالُهُ، فَقَطَعَ مَا كَانَ يَحْمِلُهُ إِلَى بُخَارَى مِنَ الْخِلَعِ وَالْخَدَمِ وَالْأَمْوَالِ الَّتِي اسْتَقَرَّتِ الْقَاعِدَةُ عَلَيْهَا، فَجُهِّزَتِ الْعَسَاكِرُ إِلَيْهِ، وَجُعِلَ مُقَدَّمُهَا الْحَسَنُ بْنُ طَاهِرِ بْنِ الْحُسَيْنِ الْمَذْكُورُ، فَسَارُوا إِلَى سِجِسْتَانَ، وَحَصَرُوا خَلَفَ بْنَ أَحْمَدَ بِحِصْنِ أَرَكَ، وَهُوَ مِنْ أَمْنَعِ الْحُصُونِ وَأَعْلَاهَا مَحَلًّا وَأَعْمَقِهَا خَنْدَقًا، فَدَامَ الْحِصَارُ عَلَيْهِ سَبْعَ سِنِينَ. وَكَانَ خَلَفٌ يُقَاتِلُهُمْ بِأَنْوَاعِ السِّلَاحِ، وَيُعْمِلُ بِهِمْ أَنْوَاعَ الْحِيَلِ، حَتَّى إِنَّهُ كَانَ يَأْمُرُهُمْ بِصَيْدِ الْحَيَّاتِ وَيَجْعَلُهَا فِي جِرَابٍ وَيَقْذِفُهَا فِي الْمَنْجَنِيقِ إِلَيْهِمْ، فَكَانُوا يَنْتَقِلُونَ لِذَلِكَ مِنْ مَكَانٍ إِلَى مَكَانٍ. فَلَمَّا طَالَ ذَلِكَ الْحِصَارُ، وَفَنِيَتِ الْأَمْوَالُ وَالْآلَاتُ، كَتَبَ نُوحُ بْنُ مَنْصُورٍ إِلَى أَبِي الْحَسَنِ بْنِ سِيمْجُورَ الَّذِي كَانَ أَمِيرَ جُيُوشِ خُرَاسَانَ، وَكَانَ حِينَئِذٍ قَدْ عُزِلَ عَنْهَا عَلَى مَا سَنَذْكُرُهُ، يَأْمُرُهُ بِالْمَسِيرِ إِلَى خَلَفٍ وَمُحَاصَرَتِهِ، وَكَانَ بِقُوهِسْتَانَ، فَسَارَ مِنْهَا إِلَى سِجِسْتَانَ، وَحَصَرَ خَلَفًا، وَكَانَ بَيْنَهُمَا مَوَدَّةٌ، فَأَرْسَلَ إِلَيْهِ أَبُو الْحَسَنِ يُشِيرُ عَلَيْهِ بِالنُّزُولِ عَنْ حِصْنِ أَرَكَ وَتَسْلِيمِهِ إِلَى الْحُسَيْنِ بْنِ طَاهِرٍ، لِيَصِيرَ لِمَنْ قَدْ حَصَرَهُ مِنَ الْعَسَاكِرِ طَرِيقٌ وَحُجَّةٌ يَعُودُونَ بِهَا إِلَى بُخَارَى، فَإِذَا تَفَرَّقَتِ الْعَسَاكِرُ عَاوَدَ هُوَ مُحَارَبَةَ الْحُسَيْنِ ( وَبَكْرُ بْنُ الْحُسَيْنِ مُفْرَدًا مِنَ ) الْعَسَاكِرِ، فَقَبِلَ خَلَفٌ مَشُورَتَهُ، وَفَارَقَ حِصْنَ أَرَكَ إِلَى حِصْنِ الطَّارِقِ، وَدَخَلَ أَبُو الْحَسَنِ السِّيمْجُورِيُّ إِلَى أَرَكَ، وَأَقَامَ بِهِ الْخُطْبَةَ لِلْأَمِيرِ نُوحٍ، وَانْصَرَفَ عَنْهُ، وَقَرَّرَ الْحُسَيْنُ بْنُ طَاهِرٍ فِيهِ. وَسَنُورِدُ مَا يَتَجَدَّدُ فِيمَا بَعْدُ، وَكَانَ هَذَا أَوَّلَ وَهْنٍ دَخَلَ عَلَى دَوْلَةِ السَّامَانِيَّةِ، فَطَمِعَ أَصْحَابُ الْأَطْرَافِ فِيهِمْ لِسُوءِ طَاعَةِ أَصْحَابِهِمْ لَهُمْ، وَقَدْ كَانَ يَنْبَغِي أَنْ نُورِدَ كُلَّ حَادِثٍ مِنْ هَذِهِ الْحَوَادِثِ فِي سَنَتِهِ، لَكِنَّنَا جَمَعْنَاهُ لِقِلَّتِهِ، فَإِنَّهُ كَانَ يُنْسَى أَوَّلُهُ لِبُعْدِ مَا بَيْنَهُ وَبَيْنَ آخِرِهِ.
Translation
✧ Mention of the rebellion of the people of Sijistān In this year, the people of Sijistān rebelled against their governor Khalaf b. Aḥmad. This Khalaf was the ruler of Sijistān at that time, a learned man who loved scholars. It happened that he performed the pilgrimage in the year 353 AH and appointed as his deputy over his domains a man from among his companions named Ṭāhir b. al-Ḥusayn. Ṭāhir coveted the kingship and rebelled against Khalaf when he returned from the pilgrimage. Khalaf traveled to Bukhārā and sought the help of the amīr Manṣūr b. Nūḥ, asking him for support to restore him to his realm. Manṣūr aided him and equipped armies to accompany him, and he marched with them toward Sijistān. When Ṭāhir sensed their approach, he left Khalaf's city and headed toward Isfirār, and Khalaf returned to his seat and his kingdom and dispersed the armies. When Ṭāhir learned of that, he returned and overpowered Sijistān, and Khalaf left it and went back to the court of the amīr Manṣūr in Bukhārā. Manṣūr honored him, treated him well, reinforced him with numerous armies, and sent him back to Sijistān. His arrival coincided with the death of Ṭāhir and the installation of his son al-Ḥusayn in his place. Khalaf besieged him and pressed him hard, and many were killed on both sides. Khalaf gained the upper hand over him. When al-Ḥusayn saw that, he wrote to Bukhārā apologizing, absolving himself, showing obedience, and asking for pardon. The amīr Manṣūr granted his request and wrote to allow him to travel to him, so he journeyed from Sijistān to Bukhārā, and the amīr Manṣūr showed him kindness. Khalaf b. Aḥmad settled firmly in Sijistān, and his days there continued. His wealth and men increased, and he stopped sending to Bukhārā the robes of honor, servants, and funds that had been the established custom. Armies were therefore dispatched against him, with al-Ḥasan b. Ṭāhir b. al-Ḥusayn, the aforementioned, placed in command. They marched to Sijistān and besieged Khalaf b. Aḥmad in the fortress of Arak, one of the most impregnable fortresses, the loftiest in position, and the deepest in moat. The siege of him lasted seven years. Khalaf fought them with every kind of weapon and employed every kind of stratagem against them. He even ordered that snakes be caught, placed them in bags, and hurled them at the enemy with mangonels, so they kept moving from place to place because of that. When the siege grew long and funds and equipment were exhausted, Nūḥ b. Manṣūr wrote to Abū al-Ḥasan b. Sīmjūr, who had been commander of the armies of Khurāsān but had at that time been dismissed from it, as we shall mention, ordering him to march against Khalaf and besiege him. Abū al-Ḥasan was in Qūhistān, and he marched from there to Sijistān and besieged Khalaf. There was friendship between the two men, so Abū al-Ḥasan sent word to Khalaf advising him to come down from the fortress of Arak and hand it over to al-Ḥusayn b. Ṭāhir, so that the armies besieging him would have a pretext and an excuse to return to Bukhārā. Once the armies dispersed, he could resume fighting al-Ḥusayn (and Bakr b. al-Ḥusayn alone, separated from the) armies. Khalaf accepted his advice, left the fortress of Arak for the fortress of al-Ṭāriq, and Abū al-Ḥasan al-Sīmjūrī entered Arak, had the khuṭbah delivered there in the name of the amīr Nūḥ, then departed, and al-Ḥusayn b. Ṭāhir was established in it. We shall recount what subsequently occurred later. This was the first weakness to enter the Sāmānid state, and the rulers of the outlying regions began to covet them because of the poor obedience of their own followers. It would have been proper to mention each of these events in its own year, but we have gathered them together because of their brevity, for the beginning of it would be forgotten due to the distance between it and its end.
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