The Nāṣirī Generations 9: SECTION VII. · THE DYNASTY OF THE TAHIRI MUHAMMADAN MALIKS IN ’AJAM.

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Minhaj-i-Saraj, Jurjani, the humblest of the servants of the Almighty’s Court, gives, in the following pages, an account of the Tahiri Maliks [kings], whose descent, in some histories, is traced to Manuchihr Al-Malik, sovereign of ’Ajam; and, according to which, the first of them who rose to power, was Tahir son of Al-Husain, son of Mus-’ab, son of Zarnik, son of As’ad, son of Badan, son of Mae Khusrau, son of Bahram. Mae Khusrau was the first who embraced the faith of Islam, having been converted by ’Ali — May God reward him! — and received the name of As’ad. This Bahram was son of Kazan Murit, son of Rustam, son of As-Saddid, son of Dostan, son of Barsan, son of Jurak, son of Gusht-asp, son of Ashrat, son of Isham, son of Turak, son of Anshar, son of Shaid-asp, son of Azar-sab, son of Tuh, son of Ru-hed, son of Manuchihr Al-Malik.
The Tahiri Maliks were remarkable for their virtues and equity; and they first rose to power in Khurasan, in the time of the Amir-ul-Muminin [Commander of the Faithful], Mamun, and in the following manner. Between the Khalifah, Muhammad Amin, who was at Baghdad, and his brother Mamun, who was in Khurasan, ill-feeling arose. Upon this, Amin despatched ’Ali ’Isa-i-Mahan from Baghdad into Khurasan to reduce Mamun to obedience ; and, in one of the months of the year 195 of the Hijrah, he reached Hamadan with a warlike army. Mamun appointed Harsamah son of A’yan, to the command of a force to oppose ’Ali ’Isa ; and Tahir, son of Husain, was nominated to command the van of Harsamah’s army.
By the advice of Fazl son of Sahl, who was Mamun’s Wazir, Mamun bestowed a standard upon Tahir, saying unto him at the same time, that he had bent for him a standard which for thirty years should lead to victory ; and so it turned out, for the sway of the Tahiris lasted for upwards of thirty odd years. Within two leagues of Rai, with 14 or 15,000 horse, he encountered ’Ali, son of ’Isa, son of Mahan, who had brought 50,000 horse with him, defeated, and slew him and sent his head to Mamun. He then subdued the whole of the mountain tracts of ’Irak, and took Wasit and Ahwaz, and appeared before the gates of Baghdad.
After carrying on hostilities for the space of a year, Tahir captured Muhammad Amin, put him to death and despatched his head to Mamun, his brother, together with his mantle, his rod of office, and his seal, by the hand of his uncle’s son, Muhammad, son of Al-Hasan, son of Mus’ab. This event happened, and this victory was gained, on the 25th of the month Muharram, in the year 198 H.