poems and eulogies dedicated to him was made and circulated in Baghdad. On account of this work, mentioned by Wassaf, Heinrich Grätz identifies Sa'ad with Mordecai ibn al-Kharbiya, who is described in a poem (still extant) dedicated to him in terms that might well apply to Sa'ad (Grätz, "Gesch." vii, note 10). Sa'ad had many enemies. The Mongolian officials hated him because they could no longer divert the revenues to their own use; and the Muslims felt it a degradation to have a Jew placed over them. Sa'ad had also made an enemy of Arghun's favorites and was himself proud and haughty in his bearing. False reports were circulated about him; and no opportunity was lost of maligning him to Arghun, although without effect. It was said that Sa'ad was trying to introduce a new religion at the head of which was to be the Ilkhan. Finally Arghun fell ill, and Sa'ad's enemies took advantage of the opportunity to get rid of the Jew. He was killed, as stated above, on March 5, 1291; his goods were confiscated; and his family and the Jews in general were persecuted. Arghun died soon after. References Resources Jacobs, Joseph and Mary W. Montgomery. "Sa'd al-Daulah". Jewish Encyclopedia. Funk and Wagnalls, 1901–1906, which gives the following bibliography: Abu al-Faraj, Chronicon Syriacum, pp. 610, 624-625, Leipzig, 1789; Hammer-Purgstall, Gesch. der Ilchane, i.377 et seq., Darmstadt, 1842; Howorth, History of the Mongols, iii.331 et seq., London, 1888; Grätz, Gesch. vii.173, 183-186; Weill, Gesch. der Chalifen, iv.146 et seq. References Jewish viziers Medieval Jewish physicians of Persia Year of birth uncertain 1240 births 1291 deaths 13th-century Iranian physicians 13th-century Jews Jews of the Ilkhanate Viziers of the Ilkhanate People from Abhar