98 E. E. Oliver —Decline of the Sdmdnis and the Bise of the [No. 2, 
tlie uncle of ’Abd-ul-Malik, although if the latter, who died at 17, had a 
son, he could have been but an infant. Whatever his advice may have 
been, it arrived too late, and meanwhile hearing of Mansur's election, 
Alptigin would fain have recalled it. The advice moreover appears 
to have given offence, for the government of Nishapur was confer¬ 
red upon Ibn 'Abd-ur-Razzak, much to the powerful Turk’s asto¬ 
nishment, who hurried back to Bukhara, some accounts say, with a 
formidable body of troops which were only stopped at the Oxus by a 
strong force of Mansur’s adherents ; others that he was met by a concilia¬ 
tory letter assuring him of favour, turned aside from Balkh and pro¬ 
ceeded to Grhaznin. Whichever is true, the increasing decay of the 
Samani power is as evident as the rising influence of the “ Turks,” the 
former slave having now become a power in the land, and it is clear, 
that about this time Alptigin went, presumably for the second time, to 
Ghaznin as the Samani Viceroy and died there in 352 H. On all sides 
powerful nobles were forming similar semi-independent States. In 
Earghanah, Sijistan and ’Irak were revolts. The Buwiahs were masters 
of half Iran, and that dynasty had now become one with which the 
Samanis were not strong enough to cope. Mansur’s campaign against 
them had to be brought to an end. He made peace with Rukn-ud-daulah, 
and in 361 H. married the latter’s granddaughter, the daughter of ’Uzd- 
nd-daulah Fana Khiisrau which prince retained possession of ’Irak, Rai, 
Gurgan and Tabaristan in fief on payment of an annual tribute. Mansur 
died on Tuesday the 11th of Shawwal 365 H.* 
Ndn II 365—387 H. 
Better known as Amir Abii-l-Kasim-i-Nuh was elected by the people 
to fill his father’s throne, and, in spite of the patent of investure and 
standard sent him by the “ Lord of the Faithful,” A1 Ta’i-lillah 
found still more stormy days and harder fights in store for him. The 
new ruler made Abu-1 ’Abbas-i-Tash the Hajib, and with him associated 
Fayik-i-Khasah, or Buk-Tuzun as he is variously called, in the com¬ 
mand of the troops and direction of military affairs ; Tash having the 
title of Hisam-ud-daulah “ the sword of the kingdom.” The son of 
another Turkish slave, Abu-l-Hasan-i-Simjiir ruled in the Amir’s name 
over Nishapur and parts of ]^urasan, to which was subsequently added 
the territory of Tiis, if not indeed part of Mawara-un-Nahr. Abul 
Hasan-i ’Abdullah son of Ahmad Al’-Utba, a member of whose family 
His cliief known mints were Samarkand, Bukliara, Shash, Fargliana, Niaka- 
pur, Andarabah, and Amal. 
