A literary history of Persia

REIGN OF AL-MUTI1367Ai-KuHnf (or Kulaynf, t A.D. 939), a celebrated theologianof the Sh^a, author of the KAfL The physicians Sindn b.Thdbit b. Qurra (t A.D. 942), his son Ibrahim (t A.D. 947),and 'Ubaydu'llah b. Jibn'l b. B6kht-Yishu< (t A.D. 941).The theologianal-Maturidf (t A.D. 944) ;Ibn Serapion(t circ. A.D. 945), the author of the very interesting descriptionof Baghdad published and translated in the Journal of theRoyal Asiatic Society by Mr. Guy le Strange in 1895 ;thehistorian as-SuH (t A.D. 946), a converted Magian of Gurgdn ;and the Sufi saint ash-ShibH (d. A.D. 946) of KhurdsAn, thedisciple of Junayd of Baghdad, andfellow-student of Husaynb. Mansur al-Hallaj.For religious manifestations this periodwas not remarkable : the Carmathians, as has been alreadynoted, discouraged by the scandals connected with their falseMahdi Ibn Abf ZakariyyA, were remarkably quiet: theireminent general Abu Tahir al-Jannabf died in A.D. 944 : thepower of the Fdtimid Caliphs was seriously checked in NorthrAfrica ;and a few years later (A.D. 950) we find the BlackStone restored to Mecca and Carmathian soldiers in the serviceof the Buwayhid princeWe Mu'izzu'd-Dawla.now come to the long reign of al-Mutf (A.D.946-974), during which the general political conditions inPersia underwent little change, the Saminids stilla Pai M ut?' (AD. holding the north and north-east, the Ziyarids theCaspian provinces, and the House of Buwayhthe south and (save in name) Baghdad, where, under the titleof Amlrul-Umara^ they were practically supreme. Duringthe last decade of this period the FAtimid anti-Caliph al-Mu'izz Abu Tamfm Ma'add obtained possession of Egypt,and transferred his capital from Mahdiyya to Cairo, whichthenceforward till the extinction of the dynasty in A.D. 1171remained the centre of their power. About the same timea quarrelarose between them and their former allies the1See de Goeje's Utmoirc surles Carmathcs, &c. (Leyden, 1886), pp. 142-3.