Saffarid dynasty

الدولة الصفارية

c. 861 CE · c. 247 AH† – 900 CE · 287 AH †

† Hijri date derived by computation from the Gregorian/Julian date; it may differ from the transmitted date by a day or two.

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.

Overview

The Saffarid state, the state of the Banu al-Saffar, kings of Sistan. It arose from a volunteer group that gathered in the lands of Sistan to fight the Kharijite Shurat, when the affair of the state at Baghdad was unsettled after the killing of al-Mutawakkil. ¹

Origins

The volunteers first gathered around Salih ibn Nasr al-Kinani. Then Ya'qub ibn al-Layth al-Saffar led them, and he is the founder of the state in Ibn Khaldun's account. ¹

The origins began around 861 CE, an approximate date in the data. ²

Expansion and end

Ya'qub ruled Herat, Kerman, Fars and Khurasan, and the caliphs submitted to him and gave him these lands. He died in 265 AH and was succeeded by his brother Amr. ¹

Isma'il the Samanid captured Amr at Balkh, and their great state died out. The data place this in 287 AH (about 900 CE); it is a derived year and needs documentation from this same source. ²

Not covered here

Needs a second source: the details of rule, the cities, and the relationship with the caliphate are not given in the data.

Saffarid dynasty

At a glance

In time

Overview

Origins

Expansion and end

Not covered here

Connections

People and things also explored

Sources

Ya'qub ibn al-Layth al-Saffar