Page:Tabakat i Nasiri.pdf/26

THE SAMANÍ DYNASTY. adopted, and it became the name by which he was generally known. He was of the posterity of Bahram Shūbin.

This Sāmān-i-Khaddät had a son who was named Asad, who had four sons--named, respectively, Nuḥ, Yahyā, Ilyās, and Aḥmad. They became Princes and Lords of great dignity and power, able, and experienced, and endowed with considerable promptness and vigour. At length, when their family had attaincd the pinnacle of greatness and power, Alb-Tigin", the Amir of Ghaznin, and Sabuk-Tigin, were among the slaves and servants of their descendants. All the Sāmānis left numerous proofs of their goodness in Khurāsän and Māwar-un-Nalır; and may the Almighty reward them by bestowing upon them exalted stations in the courts of Paradise.

ASAD, SON OF SĀMĀN-I-KHADIAT. He had four sons, Yahyā, who held the territory of Shash and Isfanjāb, and their dependencies; Ilyās, who held the government of the province of Hirāt and parts adjacent; Aḥmad, the third son, who held Samrķand and Farghānah, and their dependencies; and Nūḥ, the fourth, who at first held the government of Samrķand, which, however, was subsequently conferred upon Ahmad. The Lord of the Faithful, Māmūn, when he came to Marw, remarked the talent nd capabilities, bravery, and innate nobility of mind of the sons of Asad, son of Sāmān, and he treated them with great distinction, and conferred great ſavours upon them, and raised them to high rank and position. When the Khalifah, Māmun, returned to Baghdās, his capital, he directed Ghassānº, the son of 'Ubbād, to • The poble, who, in the reign of Ilurmuz, son of Nūshirwān, overthrow the n of the Khäkān of Turkistān, with an immense army, bclore the walls of Bal., but was insulted by Hurmuz, and hcrebelled and dethronexi him, and set up anç ser in his stead. The word is sometimes written Chūbin, sometimes Shūbin. 5 See note?, page 37. 6 In the year 204 1., Ghassān, son of 'Ubbad, was appointed to the govern- ment of Khurāsān. lle conferred Samrķand upon Nüb, son of Asad, Sāmāni. Ahmad, llyās, and Yahyâ, the other sons of Arad, received, respectively, the investiture of Farghānalı, Shash, Isnishtah, er Sirushtalt, and Hirât. Soon after, Tahir-i-?ī-l-Yamanain became Wali of Khurāsān, Nüh died, and the former bestowed the territory held by Nüḥ on his brothers, Yahya and Aḥmad. When Ilyas, another brother, died, Tāhir gave his territory of Hirāt to lis own son, 'Abd-ullah. After this the family of the Sämänis rose to great power in Khurāsān and Māwar-un-Nahr. See note!, page 11; rote, page 28. C2