Ya'qub ibn al-Layth al-Saffar

Overview

Ya'qub ibn al-Layth, mentioned by al-Tabari, al-Mas'udi, Ibn al-Jawzi and Ibn Khaldun, and lord of the Saffarid state ¹.

Rise

al-Tabari reports that he seized Kirman in the year 255 AH, then entered Fars ² ³. Ibn Khaldun reports that he kept company with Salih ibn Nasr al-Mutatawwi'i in Sistan to fight the Kharijites, then wrote to al-Mu'tazz asking for its governorship, and conquered Zabulistan ⁴.

Toward Iraq

al-Tabari reports a battle between him and al-Hasan ibn Zayd al-Talibi in the year 260 AH, in which he defeated him ⁵. In the year 262 AH he marched toward Iraq, and Abu Ahmad al-Muwaffaq met him at Sib Bani Kuma and defeated him, as al-Mas'udi reports ⁶.

His army

al-Mas'udi describes his asceticism in his army: he would sit only on a piece of woollen cloth, lie down on his shield, and make his banner his pillow ⁷.

Death

Ibn al-Jawzi reports that he died at al-Ahwaz in the year 265 AH. His coffin was carried to Jundaysabur, and on his grave was written "This is the grave of Ya'qub the poor" ⁸.

Sources

Kitab al-Ibar of Ibn Khaldun

Tarikh al-Rusul wa'l-Muluk — al-Tabari (ed. Abu al-Fadl Ibrahim), j.9 p.382

Tarikh al-Rusul wa'l-Muluk — al-Tabari (ed. Abu al-Fadl Ibrahim), j.9 p.384

Kitab al-Ibar of Ibn Khaldun, p. 1108-1111

Tarikh al-Rusul wa'l-Muluk — al-Tabari (ed. Abu al-Fadl Ibrahim), j.9 p.508

Muruj al-Dhahab — al-Masʼudi, p. 572-573

Muruj al-Dhahab — al-Masʼudi, p. 575-576

al-Muntazam fi Tarikh al-Muluk wa'l-Umam — Ibn al-Jawzi, j.5 p. 70

al-Fihrist of Ibn al-Nadim

Saffarid dynasty

The Saffarid state, kings of Sistan; it arose from the mutatawwi'a volunteers who gathered in Sistan to fight the Kharijite Shurat as the Baghdad state faltered after al-Mutawakkil's killing, first rallying to Salih ibn Nasr al-Kinani, then led by Ya'qub ibn al-Layth al-Saffar who mastered Herat, Kirman, Fars and Khurasan with caliphal investiture — he died in 265 AH and his brother Amr succeeded until Isma'il al-Samani captured him at Balkh, ending their great state.

Ya'qub ibn al-Layth al-Saffar

At a glance

Life in time