Abu Ali Balami

Abu Ali Muhammad, the famous vizier of Smanids, titled as “Amirak Bak’ami”. He was the translator of the book “Tabari History” (written by Abu Jafar Muhammad Ibn Jarir Tabari, the greatests of the Arab historians). His father, Abul Fazl Bal’ami was a scholar, traditionist and the celebrated vizier of the Samanid king, Amir Ismail Samani. Abu Ali Bal’ami was contemporary with Mansur Ibn Nooh Samani. Tabari History was translated by the order of Mansur Ibn Nuh, which caused him to become famous. It seems in the last years of Abdul Malek Samani’s ####reign in 1004, Abu Ali was appointed as the vizier by Alp Takin (Turkish slave commander who ruled in Ghazna; d. 963). Bal’ami had relationship with the poets and literary men; some poets wrote elegiac poems about him. According to historians, Nooh Samani wrote a letter to “Abu Saied Sirafi” (grammarian and jurist from Persian Gulf; 903 – 978), which included his literary questions with also a letter from Abu Ali Bal’ami in which he had asked some questions on the Quranic verses and difficult Arabic questions.

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