The Chaliphate - Muir - The Search For Mecca

502 AT.-MA'MUN [chap. I. XVI.
A.II. ic
His death,
207 A.H.
822 A.D.
Tahir's
character.
Tahirid
family hold
government
of Khorasan.
not clear. We are told that a confidential eunuch accompanied
him with secret orders to administer poison if ever
he should swerve from loyalty. After ruling successfully
for two years, Tahir, as had been feared, showed signs
of insubordination. At the weekly service, he dropped
the Caliph's name from its place in the accustomed prayer,
substituting for it some vague petition for guidance. The
Master of the Post (an office everywhere charged with such
duty) immediately reported the alarming incident to the
Court ; and the next day's despatch, awaited with anxiety by
Al-Ma'mun, brought the expected tidings of Tahir being
found dead in his bed. The circumstances of his viceroyalt)'
are singular and obscure, and his opportune decease justifies
the suspicion of foul dealing. Still more singular, the name
of Tahir remained so great, that, imputation of disloyalty
notwithstanding, the viceroyalty of the east was continued in
his family. Tahir is famous not only as a soldier and a ruler,
but also as a generous patron of learning and poetry. A
letter addressed to his son on being appointed to Mesopotamia,
in which are embodied instructions on all the duties
of life, social and political, is justly regarded a model, not
only of perfect writing, but of culture and precept. As such
the Caliph so greatly admired it, that he had copies
multiplied and spread all over the empire. Tahir, we have
seen, was called from his dexterity in 'the field, DJiii'l-
Yaininem, " He of the two right hands" ; he had also but one
eye, so that a hostile poet said of him :— " O thou Ambidexter,
thou hast an eye too little and a hand too much," signifying
that he was a brigand who should lose a hand.^ His eldest son,
'Abdallah, being engaged in the west, Al-Ma'mun appointed
his brother 'Falha to succeed. At the same time he sent his
Wazir to see to the establishment of a loyal and efficient
administration. The WazIr so deputed crossed the Oxus
and waged a successful campaign in Central Asia. On
leaving, he received from Talha a purse of three million
pieces, and his secretary 500,000 ;
such was the lavish fashion
of the day.
Nasr the 'Alid was, up to this time, still in rebellion on
^
The penalty in the Kor'an for robbery. His letter is given
at length by ]bn al-Athlr,—occupying eleven pages of the printed
edition, vi.
257 ft".