Saffarids

Useful vocab: Yaqub b. al-Layth, Saffarids, mutattawi

A 9th-century Coin

Obverse, in field: “no god but God, unique, He has no associate, Ya’qub”; inner margin: “in the name of God this dirham was struck in Fars the year four and sixty and two hundred”; outer margin: “the command is God’s, past and future, and on that day the faithful will rejoice in the victory granted by God” (Q30: 4-5)
Reverse, in field: “for God, Muhammad is the messenger of God, al-Mu’tamid ‘ala-Allah”; in margin: “Muhammad is the messenger of God who sent him with guidance and the religion of truth that he might make it supreme over all other religions, even though the polytheists may detest it.” (Q9:33)

A 9th-century Description

This passage is from Ya’qubi, who wrote a history and geography in Arabic in the 9th century.

Source, p. 252.

A 9th-century Poem

This poem claims to preserve the words of Ya’qub b. al-Layth.

An 11th-century Description

This passage is from Tarikh-e Sistan, an anonymous local history written in Persian in the 11th century.

Source, p. 255.

This passage is from the same text. It explains Ya’qub’s speech when he took over Nishapur from the Tahirids. The people of Nishapur suggested that he didn’t have caliphal backing to do this, and this is his response:

Source, p. 262.