There was a long ruby in the treasury of the ('Abbaside) Caliphs
which was crooked at the top like the sides of a bugle. It was calied
'anqa and its weight was 21 mithqals, with its bill weighing 1 5 mithqals.
It is said it was made in the shape of a bird out of a red ruby, and its
beak was yellowish. It was a wonder of its age. Nasr states about its
bill:
It was a gem which weighed two mithqals less one daniq, and it was
superior to the jabal in colour and lustre." Nasr has not mentioned
why the jewel was named minqar.
Nasr further writes:
Muqtadir bi Allah's aunt had a stone which was called warqat al-as
(the myrtle leaf) since it was equal to the myrtle leaf. It weighed
two grains short of a mithqal and its price was 60,000 dirhams.
Another stone in the treasury of the Caliphate was a red ruby designed like an ocean. It weighed 28 mithqals. It was slender and deep
enough to permit water to be drunk from it.
There were several stones, named and unnamed, in the treasury of
the Caliphs as these jewels were acquired by the Sassanids and were in
the treasury since the time of Ardashir bin Babak. They passed from one
king to the other till the Arab conquest and finally were acquired by the
new government and the new rulers.
It is quite well known that the Pious Caliphs had no love for jewels
and had them distributed among the Muslims. This also was the case with
the Ummayads and the Banu Marwan, as their government was Arab, and
with the exception of one or two rulers, none of them was arrogant.
Jewels were, therefore, distributed in their time and their treasuries were
full.
Then all of a sudden the 'Abbasides appeared. They were like
locusts, eating away all that their hands could lay upon and grasped the
acquired wealth fiercely. Their sight falling upon jewels, they were consumed with the desire to own more and planned how to replenish and
enhance their stock. Till Muqtadir bi Allah's time the stock went on increasing. Muqtadir was dominated by his mother and he kept company
which was not worthy of him. He was all the time in the company of
women and wallowed in lust and concupiscence. He, therefore, like a
robber burgled his own treasury. When money was exhausted, he began
to withdraw the jewels which he had lavished upon his mistresses. He,
however, was afriad of his vizier, 'Abbas, and in order to placate him,
tried to make him a partner in the robbery so that he might also become
blinded by greed. He sent large quantities of jewels to him, but 'Abbas
returned all of it, saying: "(These jewels) are the grace and instruments
of the Caliphate. Their distribution is not advisable." Muqtadir felt
ashamed, and was suspicious of him thereafter.
