al-Layth al-Saffar seizes Fars and Shiraz, 297

In 297 al-Layth ibn Ali ibn al-Layth the Saffarid marched from Sistan into Fars and seized it; its governor Subkari fled to Arrajan, and the caliph al-Muqtadir sent an army under Mu'nis al-Khadim, which recovered the province and took al-Layth prisoner. ¹

Al-Layth ibn Ali ibn al-Layth marched from Sistan to Fars, took it and gained possession of it, while Subkari fled from it to Arrajan. When the news reached al-Muqtadir he equipped Mu'nis al-Khadim and sent him to Fars in support of Subkari, and the two joined forces at Arrajan. ²

Al-Layth sent his brother with part of the army to Shiraz to hold it, then took the rest of his troops by a shortcut to meet al-Husayn ibn Hamdan. The force sent to Shiraz caught sight of Mu'nis's army; Mu'nis and Subkari fell on them with their troops, and after hard fighting al-Layth's army broke and he was taken prisoner. ¹

Mu'nis's companions urged him to seize Subkari and take Fars for himself; instead Mu'nis secretly warned Subkari and ordered him to set out that very night for Shiraz, which he did. Mu'nis then returned to Baghdad with al-Layth in his custody. ³