SAFFARID DYNASTY

flourished 9th century AD Iranian dynasty of lower class origins that ruled a large area in eastern Iran. The dynasty's founder, Ya'qub ebn Leys as-Saffar (the coppersmith), took control of his native province, Seistan, around 866. By 869 he had extended his control into northeastern India, adding the Kabul Valley, Sind, Tocharistan, Makran (Baluchistan), Kerman, and Fars to his possessions; with the overthrow of the Tahirids and the annexation of Khorasan in 873 the Saffarid Empire reached its greatest extent. Ya'qub then ventured to march against Baghdad in 876, but was defeated by the forces of the caliph al-Mu'tamid at Dayr al-'Aqul. The Caliph then acknowledged Ya'qub's brother and successor (879), 'Amr ebn Leys, as governor of Khorasan, Isfahan, Fars, Seistan, and Sind. But the Saffarid Empire collapsed when 'Amr, trying to wrest Transoxania from the Samanids, was defeated by Isma 'il ibn Ahmad near Balkh in 900. Thereafter few of the Saffarids had any wide authority, though they maintained their position in Seistan intermittently at least until the 16th century, despite Samanid, Ghaznavid, and Mongol conquests.