1886.] 
Ghamavts in Mdward- un-Nahr ami part of Khurasan. 91 
and incorporated tlieir own heritage there with their new dominions, 
some portions more or less of Khurasan at least so remaining till the 
fall of the dynasty. 
The authorities used are mainly the Tabakat-i-Kasiri of Minhaj-i- 
Siraj, with Major Raverty’s notes, the Kitab-i-Yamini of A1 Utbi. 
Vambery’s History of Bukhara, with the selected translations from other 
chroniclers to be found in Elliot’s Historians of India. And it is perhaps 
needless to add that what follows here has pretensions to nothing beyond 
being a sketch. 
Asad bin Abd-ullah “ the Good and Friend of the oppressed,” 
Viceroy of the Khalifah in Khurasan, wa/S implored by a nobleman of 
Balkh, named Saman, one of the remaining followers of Zoroaster, to 
assist him against enemies who had expelled him from his city. Asad took 
up this nobleman’s cause and reinstated him in his home, upon which 
Saman showed his gratitude by embracing the faith of Islam, and 
named his first son after his protector, Asad. 
This Asad had four sons, who following their father and grandfather’s 
new creed devoted themselves to the cause of the Arabs, and rapidly 
rose to power and fame. Their swords were needed in the cause of the 
Faith, and the Khalifah Mamiin promptly recognized their “ talents, 
capabilities, bravery and innate nobility of mind,” and conferred terri¬ 
tories upon them. To Kuh was granted Samarkand, to Ahmad, Farghduah 
to Yahya Shash,* the modern Tashkand and Isfanjab,t and to Ilyas, 
Hirat. This was in 204 H! when GAassan bin' Ubbad was the Khalifah’s 
Viceroy in Khurasan. Succeeding Khalifahs confirmed the grants, the 
government of Samarkand passing at Kuli’s death to his brother Ahmad, 
who, of all the brothers appears to have been the moat sagacious, ener¬ 
getic, and powerful. In addition to Farghanah the whole of Kashghar 
and Eastern Turkistan to the frontier of China is said to have come 
into his hands, and his fame, as one of the most upright and best 
Princes of the dynasty “was celebrated throughout Iran and Turan.” 
He died at Samarkand in 216 H. and' was succeeded by Kasr, one of a 
family of nine sons. 
* Shash was also the name of the territory in Mawara-un-Nahr on the Jaxartes, 
the inhabitants of which were Mnsalraans of the Ghuzz and IQialj tribes, 
t A city towards Turkestan. 
