The weakened Baghdad-based Abbasid caliphate now holds no more than nominal suzerainty over its subjects; real power having devolved to the largely independent secular regional dynasties who govern in the caliph's name.

Although the 'Abbasids' foreign mercenary troops have continued to be regularly converted to Islam, the base of imperial unity through religion is gone, and some of the new army officers have quickly learned to control the caliphate through assassination of any caliph who will not accede to their demands.

The power of the army officers had already weakened through internal rivalries when the Buyid dynasty begins threatening the Abbasid capital.

Tuzun, the Turkish general who had deposed and blinded the previous caliph al-Muttaqi, marches with al-Mutktafi, the new caliph he has installed, to Wasit and defeats them.

The tribute due from Mosul being withheld, Tuzun also marches against the Hamdanid ruler Nasir al-Dawla; but, after friendly relations are reestablished, he returns.

Soon after, Tuzun dies, and is succeeded by Abu Ja'far, one of his generals.

Baghdad now falls into a fearful state of distress.

Supplies, stayed by the enemies all round, no longer reach the markets, and people are reduced to eat dogs, cats and garbage.

The mob is driven by starvation to plunder the shops of their remaining stores.

Multitudes flee the city for Basra or elsewhere, dying in great numbers from weakness.

Abu Ja'far, finding himself unable to control affairs, at last requests the aid of Nasir al-Dawla from Mosul; even offering, if he would come, to vacate in his favor the supreme command, but the Hamdanids are at the moment engaged on one hand with the Rus' in Azerbaijan, and on the other with the Ikhshidids in Syria.

Just at this time, the governor of Wasit surrenders to the chief of the Buyids, and joining him marches on Baghdad.

Abu Ja'far and the Caliph flee into hiding.