from it al-Muntasir withdrew and roamed the fringes of Khurasan, levying the taxes, enforcing confiscations, and receiving from Shams al-Maʿālī a payment of eighty thousand dinars together with horses and mules—a conciliatory offering on behalf of Jurjan.

He then returned to Nishapur; the Sultan’s brother fled, whereupon al-Muntasir entered the city and dealt harshly with its inhabitants. A conspicuous pitched battle later took place between him and Sultan Maḥmūd. Al-Muntasir was defeated and fell back to Jurjan, and soon afterwards he and the Subuktikinid forces clashed at Sarakhs. Many on both sides were killed, al-Muntasir’s army was torn apart, and his champions were slain. He pressed on through perils until he reached the territory of the Ghuzzi Turks, who were favourably disposed toward the house of Sāmān. Their zeal for him in 393 AH spurred them to confront Ilik Khan and fight him. Yet al-Muntasir grew suspicious of them and fled. He then wrote to Sultan Maḥmūd, reminding him of the long-standing ties between their forebears; the Sultan showed him favour, his fortunes revived, and a number of his affairs were put in order for some time.

Al-Muntasir was a bold, courageous warrior of great presence. He met Ilik Khan again in Shaʿbān 394 AH, and Ilik was routed. Ilik soon gathered fresh troops and advanced; they engaged once more, but al-Muntasir was defeated through the betrayal of his own army (1). He fled to Bustam, every route closing in on him. They launched a night attack and killed him, while his brothers were taken captive in 395 AH (2). He died beneath thrusts and blows—a death that took the place of victory when victory had slipped away, as the poet said:

He planted his foot in death’s mire
And cried to it: “Beyond the sole of your foot be the Resurrection!” (3)