A literary history of Persia

258 THE GOLDEN AGE OF ISLAMheight somewhat more, and the care of it was invested in theBardmika. The Kings of India and China used to come to it, andwhen they reached it they worshipped the idol, and kissed Barmak'shand, and Barmak's rule was paramount in all these lands. Andthey ceased not, Barmak after Barmak, until Khurasan was conqueredin the days of 'Uthman b. 'Affan, and the guardianship ofthe temple came at length to Barmak the father of Khalid."The Barmecides naturallyused their great influence in favourof their compatriots, but theyhad to be careful lest a tooevident partialityfor the institutions of Persia should bringthem under suspicion of beingstill at heart Magians. Thus,whilst engaged in constructing his new capital of Baghdad, theCaliph al-Mansur was advised by Abu Ayyiib al-Muriyani todestroy the Sasanian palace known as Ayw&n-i-Kisra, andutilise the material for building purposes. He consultedKhalid b. Barmak, who replied, "Do not this thing, OCommander of the Faithful, forof theverily it is a signtriumph of Islam, for when men see it they know that only aheavenly dispensation could destroy the like of this building,besides which it was the place of prayer of 'All b. Abu Talib.The expense of destroyingit is, moreover, greater than whatwill be gained thereby." " O Khalid," answered al-Mansur," thou hast naught but partiality for all that is Persian ! "Khalid's prophecy as to the labour and expense involved in itsdestructionproved, however, to be correct, and so one day theCaliph said to him, "O Khalid, we have come over to thineopinion, and have abandoned the destruction of the palace.""O Commander of the Faithful," said Khalid, " I advise theenow to destroy it,lest men should say that thou wert unable"to destroy what another built !Fortunately, however, theCaliph again refused to follow his advice (given, no doubt,from prudential motives, on account of what the Caliph hadsaid to him before), and the demolition of the palace wassuspended. 1 1Al-Fakhri, pp. 185, 186 ; Tabari, ser. iii, p. 320