Ya'kub ibn al-Layth al-Saffar (867 start).
Just read the article. The Saffarids are an interesting enough starting position by themselves, and Ya'kub himself is statistically one of, if not the, most formidable warriors in the game during this start (at least, I'm almost sure he is in HIP). But he is also an immensely interesting and at the same time obscure figure. He first rose to power a few years before the start, and before that was a mere commoner turned bandit in a land that has descended into chaos. Saffar isn't the name of some ancestor - it's simply his former profession, "coppersmith". His true religious and political alignment is a matter of great debate, which means you can fill in the blanks as you like during the game. However, two things are for certain: he was a Persian patriot and he absolutely despised the Abbasids for their decadent and treacherous ways. He was a grim and severe warrior, molded by a hard life, but not cruel and was remembered as a friend of the poor, whether rightly or not. His enemies called him "the Anvil". If that does not get your blood pumping, I don't know what will.
Just read the article. The Saffarids are an interesting enough starting position by themselves, and Ya'kub himself is statistically one of, if not the, most formidable warriors in the game during this start (at least, I'm almost sure he is in HIP). But he is also an immensely interesting and at the same time obscure figure. He first rose to power a few years before the start, and before that was a mere commoner turned bandit in a land that has descended into chaos. Saffar isn't the name of some ancestor - it's simply his former profession, "coppersmith". His true religious and political alignment is a matter of great debate, which means you can fill in the blanks as you like during the game. However, two things are for certain: he was a Persian patriot and he absolutely despised the Abbasids for their decadent and treacherous ways. He was a grim and severe warrior, molded by a hard life, but not cruel and was remembered as a friend of the poor, whether rightly or not. His enemies called him "the Anvil". If that does not get your blood pumping, I don't know what will.