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I
ids'* . NOTES ON THE FIRST DISCOURSE
mourned* by many poets, incju&ing Hazimi of* Abiward, three of whose
verses,are quoted in the -Persian notes (pp. 102-^3). Tha'alibc says in
the Yatimatifd Dahr (vol. iv, pp. 29-33) that Iskafi had much gre^cei;
skill in official than in private and friendly correspondence, and that,
like the celebrated writer al-Jahiz, he was as strong in prose as he was .
weak in verse.
*
There can be little deubt that the" anecdote of the forged letter
mentioned above forms the historical basis of a well-known story in
the Gulistdn of Sa'di (ed. Platts, pp. 35-6; Book I, Story 25). The
same anecdote is given by Yaqiit in his notice of Iskafi in the IrshddiSl-
Arib (ed. Margoliouth, val. v, pp. 329-331).
*
IV. Historical errors ill Anecdote II.
(Text, pp. 13-15; Persian notes, pp. 103-105.)
This anecdote furnishes several striking instances of the glaring
anachronisms and historical inaccuracies which too often deface the
otherwise admirable work of our author.
(
(1) Iskafi could not possibly, have been secretary to Niih II irAi
Mansiir, who reigned from A.H. 366 to 387 (A.D. 976-997), since, as
we have seen, he died soon after the accession of 'Abdu'l-Malik in
343/954-5. Nor can we suppose that we are confronted with a mere
scribe's error as to the name of the reigning king, since the whole
point of the story lies in the king's name being Nuh.
(2) Alptagin died, according to different authorities, in 352/963,
351/962-3,
or 354/965, while Nuh II ibn Mansiir did not ascend the
throne until 366/976-7, so that to represent the former as living in the
reign of the latter is an evident anachronism. The author has probably
either confused this king with his father Mansiir I ibn Niih (reigned
from 350/961-2 until 366/976-7), against whom Alptagin actually
rebelled, and even conquered Ghazna (not Herat, as the author
erroneously asserts); or (and this is perhaps more probable) has confused
Alptagin with Abu 'Ali
Simjiir, who raised a formidable rebellion
Niih II ibn Mansiir.
against
i (3) It is true that in 383/993-4 the above-mentioned Niih summoned
Subuktagin from Zabulistan to help him, but not against Alptagin, who
at this date had been dead thirty years ; and not in conjunction with
but against Abii 'Ali Simjiir, who had long been in rebellion aga'inst him.
(4) It is almost certain that by " Abu'l-Hasan 'AH ibn' Muhtaj al-
Kashani...the Chief Chamberlain " our author means the famous general
Amir Abii 'Ali Ahmad ibn Muhtaj as-Saghani ty.e. of Chaghaniyan), who,
however, died in 344/955-6, i.e. 22 years before Niih II succeeded to the
throne, and 39 years before Subuktagin led his army into KhurJrsan in,
3 8 3/993-4.
, According to that great scholar AbU 1
Rayhan al-Biruni ,'
the occasion
when this verse of the Qur'dn (xi, 34) was so aptly quoted was quite
different, viz, by Abii Ahmad Khalaf ibn Ahmad the ruler of Sijistan
1
Al-AthdruU-Bdqiya (ed. Sachau), p. 332.