A literary history of Persia

THE lABBASID PROPAGANDA 237outbreak, were at any moment readyto sacrifice their lives forthe cause worked especially on the ferment of discontentwhich leavened the Persian province of Khurasan, where, asDinawari tells us (p. 335)" They invited the people to swear allegiance to Muhammad b.'Ali, and sought to disgust them with the rule of the Umayyads byreason of their evil conduct and their grievous tyranny.Dinawari cited. , , _, , , , , ,Many in Khurasan responded to their call, but somewhatof their doings becoming known and bruited abroad reachedthe ears of Sa'id [b. 'Abdu'l-'Aziz b. al-Hakam b. Abu'l-'As, thegovernor of Khurasan]. 1 So he sent for them, and when'they were brought before him said, Who are ye ? ' ' Mer-' 'chants,' they replied.And what,' said he, is this which is currentlyreported concerning you ? ' ' What may that be '? they asked.''We are informed,' said he, that ye be come as propagandists for' 'the house of 'Abbas.' O Amir,' they answered, we have sufficientconcern for ourselves and our own business to keep us from such'doings So he let them 1go and; they went out from before him,and, departing from Merv, began to journey through the province ofKhurasan and the villages thereof in the guise of merchants, sum-Thus they continuedmoning men unto the Imam Muhammad b. 'Ali.to do for two years, when they returned to the Imam Muhammad b.'Ali in the land of Syria, and informed him that they had planted inKhurasan a tree which they hoped would bear fruit inBirth of Abu'ldueseason. And they found that there had been born'Abbas.unto him his son Abu'l-'Abbas, 3 whom he commandedto be brought forth unto them, saying, ' This is your master ';andthey kissed his limbs all over."On the support ot the oppressed and slighted Persiansespecially the propagandists could reckon, for these were awise and capable people with a great past, reducedPersian support ,of 'Abbasid to misery and treated with contempt by a merelypretensions. . ..... .. .martial race, inferior to them in almost everyrespect save personalvalour and love of independence.1Called Khuzayna on account of his effeminate manners. See Muir, op,laud., pp. 384-386.aAfterwards called as-Saffdh (" the Shedder of blood "), who was thefirst Caliph of the House of 'Abbas.