—by tracks known only to him, which no one else ever used. (1)
Al-Afshīn had already stationed ambush parties in the narrow passes, but Bābak slipped through them and headed for the mountains of Armenia. There he met Sahl the Patrician, who said, “The pursuers are right behind you; stay with me.”
Bābak accepted and placed his trust in him. The Patrician at once informed al-Afshīn; cavalry soon arrived, surrounded Bābak, and arrested him.
Al-Muʿtaṣim had promised two million dirhams to whoever brought Bābak in alive, and one million to whoever brought his head. Accordingly, the Patrician was awarded one million and was granted a twenty-year remission of his land-tax. (2)
Al-Masʿūdī reports that Bābak fled with his brother, family, and closest retainers disguised as merchants. They entered Armenian territory in the district governed by Sahl b. Sunbāṭ. There they bought a sheep from a shepherd, who found them suspicious and went to Sahl with the news. Sahl declared, “This is undoubtedly Bābak.”
He mounted with his troops, rode to Bābak, dismounted, greeted him with the salute due a king, and said, “Rise and go to your palace—I am your servant.”
Bābak went with him. A banquet was laid out and they ate together, whereupon Bābak exclaimed, “Does someone like you eat with me?!”
Sahl paused, excused himself, then produced a blacksmith to put him in chains. Bābak cried, “Treachery, Sahl?!”
Sahl answered, “Son of a whore—nothing but a cowherd are you.”
He then shackled Bābak’s followers and wrote to al-Afshīn. Al-Afshīn dispatched four thousand men, who took Bābak into custody. When Sahl arrived, al-Afshīn bestowed robes of honor upon him, and a dispatch announcing the capture was sent to Baghdad; the people burst into takbīr, praising Allah in gratitude. Bābak was brought in during Ṣafar of the year 223 AH. (3)
Al-Muʿtaṣim, overjoyed, sent a robe of honor and a horse to al-Afshīn every day. In his delight he set up an express postal route between himself and al-Afshīn, so that news reached him in only four days; this