Described as a mawla by the sources,[1] al-Layth was appointed governor of Egypt in 798 by the caliph Harun al-Rashid (r. 786–809), with authority over both prayers and security (salah) and taxation (kharaj).[2] During his five-year administration, he reportedly maintained good relations with the local Christians, but he was also known as a strict enforcer of tax collection.[3] On two occasions, in 799 and 801, he left the province to deliver tax revenues and gifts to the caliph in person, leaving deputies in charge in his absence.[4]