in that year expelled the Samanids' Ziyarid vassals from Tabaristan and Gurgan on the southern shores of the Caspian Sea. The death of Vushmgir, the Ziyarid prince, a few years later caused an end to hostilities, and the Buyid 'Adud al-Dawla paid tribute to the Samanids. This tribute did not last for long, however, and Mansur continued to have difficulties in raising money. The Buyids would continue to move against the Samanid position; 'Adud al-Dawla wrested Kerman from the Banu Ilyas, nominal Samanid vassals, and effectively uprooted Abus, a son of Vushmgir and the Samanid candidate to succeed him, from Tabaristan and Gurgan. In 969 the Saffarid Abu Ahmad Khalaf arrived at the Samanid court, requesting assistance against his brother Abu'l-Husayn Tahir. Military aid was given, although Tahir's death in 970 proved much more effective than the Samanid assistance. Tahir's son Husayn eventually continued the struggle, and gained the support of the Samanids; the tribute sent by Khalaf subsequently ceased. In 975, Mansur appointed Abu Abdallah Ahmad Jayhani, a grandson of Abu Abdallah Jayhani, as vizier, but he proved unable to stem the Samanid decline. Mansur died on 13 June 976, and was succeeded by his son Nuh II. Cultural activity Mansur played an important role in the development and use of New Persian as a court and literary language, chiefly through his sponsorship of the translation and continuation of al-Tabari's History of the Prophets and Kings by his vizier, Bal'ami. He also sponsored a Persian translation of al-Tabari's Quranic commentary, Tafsir al-Tabari. References Sources 976 deaths Samanids 10th-century monarchs in the Middle East Year of birth unknown 10th-century Iranian people Slave owners