bi ▁( ; ▁also ▁sp elled ▁Ot bi ), ▁was ▁an ▁Iran ian ▁states man ▁from ▁the ▁Ut bi ▁family , ▁who ▁served ▁as ▁the ▁viz ier ▁of ▁the ▁Sam an id ▁r uler ▁Nu h ▁II ▁from ▁ 9 7 7 ▁to ▁ 9 8 2 . ▁ ▁Biography ▁▁ ▁Nothing ▁is ▁known ▁about ▁the ▁early ▁life ▁of ▁Ut bi . ▁He ▁was ▁a ▁relative ▁of ▁Ab u ▁Ja ' far ▁Ut bi , ▁who ▁had ▁served ▁as ▁viz ier ▁of ▁the ▁Sam an id ▁Empire ▁from ▁ 9 5 6 ▁to ▁ 9 5 9 . ▁When ▁the ▁young ▁Sam an id ▁prince ▁Nu h ▁II ▁asc ended ▁the ▁Sam an id ▁throne ▁in ▁ 9 7 6 , ▁Ut bi ▁was ▁one ▁year ▁later ▁appointed ▁as ▁his ▁viz ier . ▁Ut bi , ▁along ▁with ▁Nu h ' s ▁mother , ▁helped ▁him ▁in ▁cont rolling ▁the ▁Sam an id ▁state . ▁S omet ime ▁around ▁Nu h ' s ▁asc ension , ▁the ▁Kar ak han ids ▁inv aded ▁and ▁captured ▁the ▁upper ▁Zar af sh an ▁Valley , ▁where ▁the ▁Sam an id ▁silver ▁mines ▁were ▁located . ▁In ▁ 9 8 0 ▁they ▁struck ▁again , ▁se izing ▁Is f ij ab . ▁Ut bi , ▁however ▁was ▁focused ▁on ▁removing ▁Ab u ' l - Has an ▁Sim j uri , ▁the ▁Sam an id ▁governor ▁of ▁K hor as an . ▁Ut bi ▁considered ▁Ab u ' l - Has an ▁Sim j uri ▁to