They then sent word to al-Muqtadir, ordering him to leave the Caliphal palace. He agreed, and only Gharīb—his maternal uncle—Munis the Chamberlain, Bākr ibn Ḥamdān, and a small contingent remained with him. The palace was encircled, and battle ensued.

Ibn Ḥamdān withdrew to Mosul, al-Muqtadir’s confidants prevailed, and the strength of Ibn al-Muʿtazz and his partisans collapsed; they fled toward Sāmarrā.

Ibn al-Muʿtazz thereupon dismounted, sheathed his sword, and went into hiding, as did his vizier and his judge, and the houses of both men were plundered.

Al-Muqtadir executed a number of leading figures, installed Abū al-Ḥasan ʿAlī ibn al-Furāt as vizier, seized Ibn al-Muʿtazz—who was killed in secret—and confiscated the wealth of Ibn al-Jaṣṣāṣ (1).

It was said that more than six thousand thousand dinars were taken from him.

His fortunes steadily declined (2).

Ibn al-Furāt now managed the affairs of state. He consolidated his authority, the condition of the populace improved, and al-Ḥusayn ibn Ḥamdān engaged his brother Abū al-Hayjāʾ ʿAbd Allāh in battle; Abū al-Hayjāʾ was routed.

Their brother Ibrāhīm then arrived, restored al-Ḥusayn’s position, and al-Muqtadir issued him a writ of safe-conduct. When he presented himself, he was appointed governor of Qumm and Qāshān (3).

Next the ruler of Ifrīqiyah (4), Ziyādat Allāh al-Aghlabī (5), arrived, but a Shiʿi leader (6) wrested the province from him. The Mahdī was proclaimed in the Maghrib; his authority spread, he ruled justly, and at first endeared himself to the people. A dispute then erupted between him and his two missionary brothers (7); fighting broke out, the crisis grew dire, and he was killed.