In 847 Harthamah was appointed resident governor of Egypt by the Turkish general Itakh, and he arrived in the province in the following year. During his administration the caliph al-Mutawakkil (r. 847–861) began to bring an end to the mihnah and abandon the doctrine that the Qur'an had been created,[3] and in accordance with this policy Harthamah was ordered to prohibit debate about the nature of the Qur'an in Egypt.[4]