mad, who took the title of _al-Mosta'in billah_
("he who looks for help to God"). In the reign of this feeble prince the
Greeks inflicted serious losses on the Moslems in Asia Minor. A great
many volunteers from all parts, who offered their services, were hunted
down as rioters by the Turkish generals, who were wholly absorbed by
their own interests. The party which had placed Mosta'in on the throne,
led by Ibn Khasib and Otamish, were soon overpowered by Wasif and Bogha.
Ibn Khasib was banished to Crete, Otamish murdered. The superior party,
however, maintained Mosta'in on the throne, because they feared lest
Motazz should take vengeance upon them for the murder of his father
Motawakkil. But in the year 865 Wasif and Bogha fled with Mosta'in to
Bagdad, and Motazz was proclaimed caliph at Samarra. A terrible war
ensued; Mosta'in was obliged to abdicate, and was killed in the
following year.

In 864 a descendant of Ali, named Hasan b. Zaid, gained possession of
Tabaristan and occupied the great city of Rai (Rey) near Teheran. A year
later the province was reconquered by the Tahirid governor of Khorasan,
so that Hasan was obliged to retreat for refuge to the land of the
Dailam. But he returned soon, and after many reverses ruled over
Tabaristan and Jorjan for many years.

13. _Reign of Motazz._--Motazz, proclaimed caliph at Bagdad in the first
month of 252 (January 866), devoted himself to the object of freeing
himself from the omnipotent Turkish generals, especially Wasif and
Bogha, who had opposed his election. But such a task demanded an ability
and energy which he did not possess. He was obliged to grant them
amnesty and to recall them to Samarra. He mistrusted also his brothers
Mowayyad and Mowaffaq, who had interceded for them. He put the former to
death and drove the latter into exile to Bagdad. Some time after he had
the satisfaction of seeing Wasif killed by his own troops, and
succeeded, a year later, in having Bogha assassinated. But a more
difficult problem was the payment of the Turkish, Persian and African
guards, which was said to have amounted in A.H. 252 to 200,000,000
dirhems[38] (about L6,500,000), or apparently twice the revenue derived
from the land tax. As the provincial revenues annually decreased, it
became impossible to pay this sum, and Salih the son of Wasif, in spite
of the remonstrances of the caliph, confiscated the property of state
officials. Upon a further demand, Motazz, having failed to