The Caliph al-Mu'tazz sends Músá b. Bughá and
Mufliḥ with an army to Ṭabaristán.

Qásim b. 'Alí, al-'Alawí, who was in 'Iráq, seized 'Abdu`lláh b. 'Azíz, one of the officers of the Ṭáhirids, and handed him over to Faḍl b. Marzubán, who took him to Ḥasan b. Zayd, advising him to keep him securely. It was the 'Ìd-i-Aḍḥá when the prisoner was brought to the Sayyid, who immediately ordered his head to be struck off. When this news reached the Caliph al-Mu'tazz at Baghdad, he at once despatched Músá b. Bughá and Mufliḥ with an army to 'Iráq. These met Justán the son of Wah-súdán and the Sayỵids at Qazwín, defeated them, and slew many of the Daylamites, plundered their treasures, and came to Ray and thence to Qúmish and Gurgán, where they encamped. There they were joined by Aḥmad b. Muḥammad <Arabic>, the vice-gerent of Muḥammad b. Ṭáhir. Mufliḥ with the van­guard advanced to Tammísha. Sayyid Ḥasan b. Zayd (f. 115b) had reviewed an army of 10,000 men at ´Amul, and with him was the Ispahbad Pádhúsbán; while Ḥasan b. Muḥammad al-'Aqíqí with his forces was at Sárí, on which Mufliḥ advanced with his hosts. 'Aqíqí for a long while held the bridge of Sárí with great valour, but was at length routed, and Mufliḥ came to Sárí and abode there three days, after which he set out for ´Amul. Sayyid Ḥasan, because of the smallness of his force, retreated from ´Amul to Jálús, where he was deserted by most of his men, and thence went to Kalár to seek help from the Daylamites, but none shewed any eagerness to help him. Mufliḥ remained at ´Amul till Jumáda II, A. H. 255 (May—June A. D. 869), and then moved on to Jálús, halting at a place near there called 'Umar-ábád. The Daylamites, being afraid of him, abandoned Ḥasan b. Zayd. At this juncture, however, Mufliḥ received orders from Músá [b.] Bughá to return at once, which he did, travelling day and night, until at Gurgán he learned that the Caliph al-Mu'tazz bi`lláh Zubayr b. al-Muta­wakkil had entrusted Gurgán to Aḥmad b. Muḥammad <Arabic> So they retired to 'Iráq, and the people once more began to gather round Ḥasan b. Zayd, and brought him back to ´Amul on Ramaḍán 22, A. H. 255 (= September 3 A. D. 869). Yazíd b. Khashm wrote bidding him come at once to Gurgán, which he did, accompanied by his army; and Aḥmad b. Muḥammad <Arabic>, induced by promises of favourable treat­ment, swore allegiance to him, and his affairs once again became prosperous and orderly.