When Ahmed bin Tulun arrived in Fuslat, a new era was opened in the history of the Muslim Egypt. However, he encountered with some obstacles when he wanted to establish dominion in Egypt and to diffuse his influence to the entire country. The greatest difficulty that he suffered was the economical issues. The finance of Egypt was under the control of Ahmed bin Müdebbir that was a powerful and a clever financier in that period and he attempted to oppose to Ahmed bin Tulun. Ahmed bin Tulun was able to succeed in the struggles with Ibn-i Müdebbir that lasted for four years and dismiss him from Syria. From that date on, Ahmed had the financial independence in Egypt. On the other hand, Bayikbeg was killed in 870 and Yarcuh el-Turki, the father-in-law of Ibn Tulun established dominion in Egypt. Yarcuh assigned his son-in-law, Ibn Tulun with the charge of the administration of Berka and Alexandria. Therefore, the entire Egypt was under his dominion.
El-Mu'temid was the Abbasi caliph in the year of 870. A short while after his enthronement, he abandoned most of the administrative affairs to his brother, el-Muvaffak. Afterwards, the Abbasi caliph appointed his son, Cafer as the heir apparent under the name of "el-Muvaffiz" on the date of 20th July 875 and he commissioned him with the charge of the governorship of the western provinces. Therefore, Egypt was within the borders of the dominion of Cafer. However, the caliph and his son could not dominate in Egypt since Ahmed b. Tulun was the dominant influence in Egypt. El-Muvaffak achieved the status of the real ruler in the state within a short period due to his wise administrative characteristics and capabilities and it was inevitable that he would be in conflict with Ahmed b. Tulun.
While these events took place, Ahmed b. Tulun gained a considerable wealth through the regular reduction and restriction of the fees that woud be paid to Baghdad. At the same time, he got the benefits of various opportunities and he founded a fully equipped army that was composed of well-trained Turkish or Sudanese slaves. The conflict between el-Muvaffak that was the regent of the sultanate and Ahmed bin Tulun burst out when el-Muvaffak was bothered with the rebellions of the blacks in the east and the Saftari people. Although Egypt was not within the borders of his dominion, El-Muvaffak wanted to get the advantage of the treasury of Egypt for his own purposes and he wanted some money from Ibn Tulun through sending him an envoy. On the other hand, the brother of the Caliph Mu'temid got afraid of el-Muvaffak and wrote a letter to Ahmed in person and wanted him to send the money that was demanded to him. Despite this letter, Ahmed b. Tulun sent an amount of 1.200.000 dinars to el-Muvaffak and preferred to compromise with him.
However, Muvaffak considered this amount as insufficient and wanted more money. The stiff rejection of this demand by Ahmed intensified the conflicts among them. El-Muvaffak decided to dismiss him under these circumstances and appointed Amacur, the governor of Syria in his place. But this decision could not be applied. When Amacur el-Turki died in the year of 877/878, Ahmed b. Tulun easily captured Syria. However, his joy of victory was disturbed by the rebellion of his son, Abbas that he had assigned as a representative in Egypt. Abbas left Egypt in the year of 879 and wanted to found a new state upon the support of the Berberi people through the monetary means. Ahmed b. Tulun returned t Egypt and suppressed this rebellion. From that date on, he was the ruler of Egypt and Syria and his name was also engraved onto the coins besides the name of the Caliph.
The hostility between Ahmed b. Tulun and el-Muvaffak increased to an extreme level when Lu'lu who was the Syria governor of Tuluni state took side with el-Muvaffak. In reaction to this event, Ahmed insistently invited the Caliph Mu'temid that was under the pressure of Muvaffak to take side with him. He probably hoped to attain the regency of the sultanate upon the arrival of the caliph and the establishment of his state as the centre of the entire Abbasi Empire. As a result, the Caliph decided to go to Ahmed b. Tulun and set off from Samarra (the end of November 882). However, when he arrived to Mosul, he was forced to return to Samarra by Ishak bin Kundacik upon the order of el-Muvaffak. El-Muvaffak was not contented with this event and forced the Caliph to assign Ishak b. Kundacik as the governor of Egypt and Syria. However, this assignation could not reach to an end. Nevertheless, Ahmed declared the dismissal of el-Muvaffak in the Damascua upon the juridical orders of the Muslim jurists that attended him. Afterwards, Ahmed and el-Muvaffak were only contented with cursing each other in the pulpits of the mosques that were located in the countries under their dominions. Finally, the negotiations for peace were carried out between the two parties. In the course of these negotiations, Ahmed b. Tulun got sick and died in an expeditions that he had organised towards Syria (10th May 884).