 Another departure from previous practice was al @-@ Mu 'tasim 's appointment of his senior lieutenants , such as Ashinas or Itakh , as nominal super @-@ governors over several provinces . This measure probably intended to allow his chief followers immediate access to funds with which to pay their troops , but also , according to Hugh Kennedy , " represented a further centralizing of power , for the under @-@ governors of the provinces seldom appeared at court and played little part in the making of political decisions " . Indeed , al @-@ Mu 'tasim 's caliphate marks the apogee of the central government 's authority , in particular as expressed in its right and power to extract taxes from the provinces , an issue that had been controversial and had faced much local opposition since the early days of the Islamic state . 
