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42 A HISTORY OF SHARVAN AND DARBAND
§32. The first1 of them who gained independence in this government
(A1057a)was HASHIM b, Suraqa b. Salisb. Hayyun (Jayyun?) b.Najm
b, Hashim, a client of the Banu-Sulaym. He became amir of al-Bab
in 255/869 and he was one of the renowned chiefs (ru'asa)* and warriors
in the Marches, When after the murder of Mutawakkil (247/861) the
caliphate became disrupted through the Turkish clients seizing upon the
administration, the people of al-Bab and the ghazis of the Marches
(B 731) appointed Hashim their amir and faithfully obeyed him. His
behaviour towards them was good and he acted with justice and equity,
proceeding in affairs only in consultation with the wise men (*uqala}
and the chiefs (nfasa). Whatever he did, he did only when they agreed
on the action. Thus in his days order prevailed in the affairs of the
Marches and "Centres" and the enemies feared him.
In 263/876 he led a raid (ghazw) against the Sarrr and wrought great
slaughter among its people; he looted their property, captured their
children and women and came back in triumph. In 265/878 he repeated
his raid and returned victorious. He continued to rule until he died
in 271/884 and the duration of his rule was sixteen years.
§33. He was succeeded by his son 'OMAR b. HASHIM b. Suraqa
who followed in the steps of his father acting with justice and behaving
well. He died in 272/885 after having ruled about one year.
Then his brother MUHAMMAD b, HASHIM b. Suraqa became the
ruler. In 273/886 he raided the territory of Shandan (?) and conquered
D.nk.s and Sh.l.shli belonging to it.3 In Rajab 288/August 901 the
Khazars with their king K.SA4 b. B.LJAN al-Khazari came to attack
Bab al-abwab, and Muhammad b. Hashim with the ghazis of al-Bab
fought them, beat them off and defeated them with the help of the
Almighty. In Dhul-Qacda 292/September 905 Muhammad b. Hashim
met with *BUKHT-YISHO, lord of the Sarir, who by treason captured
him with ten chiefs but then freed them, behaved generously towards
them and gave them presents. In 297/9095 Muhammad, in company
with the sharvanshah and the Sharvanians, led an (Islamic) expedition
against Shandan, but the Muslims were defeated and the two amirs
captured; later they escaped, as previously mentioned (§8). In 302/914
his brother's son Maymun b. 'Amr b. Hashim died and in 303/915 he
himself passed away after a reign of thirty-one years.
1 Here apparently begins the text of the old To* rikh al-Bab, cf. above, §5, p. 25.
2 Here perhaps in a general sense.
,3-See below p. 102.
* B.: T.n-Msa (or. Tjsz-ktsa) ?
5 Above under §8, in 300/912.