[625] We observe two great divisions of the Ismâilahs; namely, the Western, to whom alone, till now, the account of the Dabistán referred, and the Ismâilah of Iran, that is, those who established themselves in the strongholds of Kohistan (Khorassan), and in Rúdbar, which last is the name of a fort in the province of Jebál, or Persian Irak.
[626] An excellent work to be consulted with respect to Hassan, son of Sábáh, is the history concerning him contained in روضة الصفا فى سيرة الانبيا والمولك ولخالفا Rúzat al sáfá fí sírat al anbía w’ al mulk w’ al khalifa, “the Garden of Purity, containing the history of prophets and khalifs,” composed by Muhammed, son of Khavendshah, known under the name of Mirkhond, born in the year of the Hejira 837, or at the end of 836 (A. D. 1432 or 1433), deceased in 903 (A. D. 1498). The Persian text of the part of it here pointed out was published in Paris, 1812, by Am. Jourdain, with a French translation and Notes, some of which are by Silvestre de Sacy. I shall, in my quotations from it, use only the name “Mirkhond.”
[627] Some people of Hassan’s sect established his genealogy as follows: “Hassan, son of Ali, son of Jâfer, son of Hassan, son of Muhammed, son of Sabah Homairi Yemini, but Hassan, to whom it was presented, ordered it to be cancelled, saying: ‘I prefer being a simple privileged servant of the Imám to being his degenerated son.’”—(Mirkhond, p. 39.)
[628] We shall have further to notice Nizam al mulk, and a remarkable work which he left. From this work, Mirkhond (p. 31) quotes the following words respecting the Imám Movafek, above mentioned: “The Imám, one of the most illustrious among the learned men of Khorassan, was generally honored, and his society sought after as a source of happiness. He was then more than eighty-five years of age, and it was an opinion generally received, that all young men who instructed themselves under his direction in the science of the Koran and prophetic traditions, obtained the favor of fortune.”]
[629] Mirkhond has Hakim Omar Khayam. Silvestre de Sacy (p. 32, note) thought that it would perhaps be better to translate “Hakim, son of Omar,” and Khayam is a surname, signifying “maker of tents.”
[630] Alp Arselan, son of Daud (or David), son of Mikail (Michael), son of Seljuk was the second sultan of the family and dynasty of the Seljucides. He succeeded to Togrul Bèg, his uncle, who died without offspring in the year of the Hejira 455 (A. D. 1063). At first called Isrâil, he took, after his conversion to Muhammedism, the name of Muhammed with the surname Alp Arselan, “the courageous lion” in the Turkish language. His most memorable victory was that gained with 12,000 men over 300,000 Greeks, whom he put to flight, and took their emperor Romanus, surnamed Diogenes.
[631] Moez eddin (according to others Jelal eddin, or Jelal daulet, “the glory of religion or of state”) Abu ’l fetah Malic-shah, son of Alp Arslan, although not the eldest, was declared by his father to be his successor, by the counsel of the above mentioned Nizam ul mulk, and mounted the throne after his father’s death, in the year of the Hejira 465 (A. D. 1072). A reform of the Calendar made under his reign was called Tarikh Jelali.
[632] Mirkhond (p. 37, French transl.) gives a clearer account of the event, as follows: Nizam-ul-mulk, before the presentation of the register to the Sultan, having met Hassan’s servant outside the hall, requested of him to see the register, in order that he might know the manner in which it was made, and the servant not daring, out of respect to the minister, refuse it to him, delivered the register into the hands of Nizam-ul-mulk, who, having seen the nicety of the statements, dropped the leaves in such a manner as to disperse them, and said: “Many plunders are written in this register.” The servant, on account of the risk he ran if he avowed what had happened, said nothing of the fact to Hassan. When the latter presented his statements, he found them mutilated, and the leaves confusedly mixed.
[633] Nizam-ul-mulk, who in the above related anecdote, does not appear in an advantageous light, has nevertheless the reputation of having been a most learned man, and a protector of science. He left a work, called vaśiyet Nizam-ul-mulk, “the testament of Nizam-ul-mulk,” from which Mirkhond relates, partly in the same words as the author, what had passed between Nizam-ul-mulk and Hassan; the former, of course, endeavors to vindicate his conduct towards the latter. Nizam-ul-mulk, after having rendered the most eminent services to his Sultan, was discarded by him on the suggestions of a Sultana, and assassinated, in the year of the Hejira 485 (A. D. 1092), according to Herbelot (art. Malik-schah), by the successor to his office; according to our author (see hereafter) by an emissary of Hassan Sabah.
[634] See hereafter the notice of this fort, when the event will be related in due order of time.