Death of al-Saffah Al-Saffah died of small-pox at al-Anbar near Kufah on the
13th Dhu’l Hijjah 136/9th June 754 after a short reign of a little less than five years. He was then twenty-eight to thirty-five years of age. ACHIEVEMENTS
Besides building his palace at al-Anbar he constructed some public buildings. He made a road from Kufah to Makkah, put up mile stones and built towers for the protection of the pilgrims. Khalid bin Barmak the descendant of the high priestly family of the Buddhist monastery Nawbahar7 in Balkh, who had accompanied Qahtaba from Balkh to Kufah, was appointed wazir after Abu Salmah and katib (secretary) and promoted to the post of the chief of Exchequer. Under Mansur also he retained control of finances and supervised the construction of Baghdad. Other members of the Barmak family also attained high positions at the court. He was a wise statesman and granted gifts. He was true to his word.8 On his death bed al-Saffah nominated his nephew Isa who was then governor of Kufah to succeed his brother Abu Ja’far. He justly adopted the title of blood pourer (al-Saffah) and proved it by shedding the blood of persons to whom he had promised amnesty and also of those ;who had helped him to the throne. He had been rightly called barbarous, tyrant and an ungrateful traitor, worse than any Umayyad ruler. He achieved success not so much because of his valour ancl wisdom but because of his treachery, the efforts of his supporters and weakness of the Umayyads.
7 Syed Sulayman Naavi, ’Arab-Hind ke Ta’alluqat, PP. 102-103
8 Al-Fakhn, P.133 cf. Al-Suyuti, Ta’nkh al-Khulafa’ P 171.
