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28 A HISTORY OF SHARVAN AND DARBAND
AbuXTahir's rule lasted some 32 years and he died in Rabic I 337/Sept,
948. It is reported that he was poisoned by his vazir Ibn al-Maraghi,
§10. He was succeeded by his son MUHAMMAD b. YAZID who
arrested his brother Ahmad b. Yazid and put him in prison. He appointed
his (own) son Ahmad to *Layzan, and his other son Haytham to Tabarsaran,
where he (himself) used to rule in his grandfather's time,1 For
eight years Muhammad carried on the tradition of his ancestors in raiding
the infidel until on Sunday, 21 Safar 345/4 June 956,2 he died of small-pox
(judan), and it is also said that he was poisoned by his vazir Ibn al-
Maraghi, The reason was that, when he was dying of small-pox, Ibn
al-Maraghi hankered after royal power and was tempted by what he
could not get (otherwise). He sent two of Muhammad's slaves to the
place where Ahmad b. Yazid was kept imprisoned with the order to
murder him. This they did and concealed his body. After some days
Muhammad recovered from his illness (B 723) and, on his health being
restored, he ordered Ibn al-Maraghi to free his brother Ahmad from the
prison, as a thanksgiving to God for his recovery. Ibn al-Maraghi
feared for his life and gave him a poisoned potion which caused the death
of the prince, as he had previously done with his father.
§11, Muhammad left two sons: Ahmad and Haytham, whereas his
brother Ahmad, who had been strangled, left a son Abul-Haytham b.
Ahmad, AHMAD b. MUHAMMAD had come to visit (**iyada) his
father on his sickbed and when the latter passed away, he became his
successor. The nobles of the kingdom took the oath of allegiance to
him, but soon after he fell ill and Ibn al-Maraghi sent him some medicine
to drink into which he had mixed poison. Ahmad was about to swallow
it, when his mother came in and, having some forebodings, prevented
him from taking it. She took the medicine and putting some of it on
to a piece of bread threw it to a cat. The cat ate it and died instantly.
When Ahmad recovered from his illness, he sent his guards (ghulam]
who entered Ibn al-Maraghi's house without being noticed and beat him
to death with staves and cudgels.
When Ahmad had consolidated his power and got rid of the evil of
his vazir, his brother Haytham became afraid of him. He too had come
to visit his father's sickbed and (now) he fled to the region of the Lakz
(Lazgi). His cousin Abul-Haytham b, Ahmad fled to Barda'a, He
lived there for some time and then died and his body was taken to Kurdiyan
and buried there (A 1053a),3 In that year too died Abul-Badr b.
1We know very little about Muhammad, grandfather of Muhammad b. Abu-
Tahir Yazid (§9).
2 "Which was a Tuesday.
3 Apparently Kurdivan which lies circa 12 km. south of Lahlj (ancient Layzan).