He now openly declared his opposition and marched on Sāmarrāʾ; his brother al-Muʿtamid withdrew. The two then exchanged letters, a reconciliation was reached, Sulaymān ibn Wahb was released, and al-Ḥasan ibn Makhlad fled.

In the year 65 Yaʿqūb ibn al-Layth al-Ṣaffār, who had seized Khurasan and Fars, died in Ahwāz. His brother ʿAmr succeeded him, entered into obedience, and al-Muwaffaq appointed him over the eastern provinces, sending him robes of honor.

It is said that al-Ṣaffār’s estate reached three thousand thousand dinars. He was buried in Jundishāpūr, and on his grave was written: “This is the grave of the poor man Yaʿqūb, who in his youth earned two dirhams a day hammering copper.”

In the year 66 the Byzantines advanced into the lands of Rabīʿa, killed and took captives, and the people of al-Jazīra fled.

A pitched battle was fought with the wretch of the Zanj, in which the Muslims prevailed. Thereafter Aḥmad ibn ʿAbd Allāh al-Khujistānī set out, routed al-Ḥasan ibn Zayd al-ʿAlawī, captured and killed him, fought ʿAmr ibn al-Layth al-Ṣaffār and defeated him, entered Nīshāpūr, killing and confiscating property, while the Zanj plundered Rāmahurmuz (1).

In the year 7 they renewed their attack on Wāsiṭ and harried its inhabitants, so al-Muwaffaq sent his son Abū al-ʿAbbās—who would later become caliph. He killed many of them, took captives, and sank their vessels.

The wretch’s army regrouped and confronted al-ʿAbbās, who defeated them; they met a second time and he routed them again. The fighting lasted two months. They inclined toward Abū al-ʿAbbās, and many of them sought amnesty from him. He continued to fight until he utterly subdued them, then returned safe and laden with spoils, his prestige firmly fixed in people’s minds. Al-Muwaffaq then advanced against them with a large force by river and land; his son came out to meet him, and together they faced the Zanj and routed them once more.

The wretch’s power collapsed. Al-Muwaffaq pressed the war, besieged Tihtiyā (2), which was surrounded by five walls, captured it, and rescued those whom the villains had taken prisoner.