The paper treats a fourth/tenth-century text, Sīrat Aḥmad ibn Ṭūlūn. Produced by an Egyptian scholar (of Twelver Shi`ite affiliation), Abd Allah al-Balawi, the Sīra details the career of the Abbasid governor of Egypt, Ahmad ibn Tulun. The text – a history of Ibn Tulun’s tenure in office (254/868-270/884) – is, at once, a biographical study; an early “advice to princes” text; and a regional history, written at the point of near collapse of the Arab/Islamic Empire. The paper takes up the question of the representation in medieval Arabic/Islamic letters of elite actors, in this case, a figure whose military background and Turkic ethnic origins might have ruled out the occupation of high office. The task is thus to reconcile two authorial efforts: the account of Ibn Tulun’s career and al-Balawi’s rendition of the amir’s policies and activities. The numismatic and archaeological record supports the first effort: one can write Ibn Tulun’s biography with confidence. But al-Balawi clearly also works to bring out the qualities that set Ibn Tulun apart: piety, humility, wisdom and a firm embrace of the Islamic learned tradition. These qualities, and al-Balawi is quite upfront on this score, justify Ibn Tulun’s consolidation of control over Egypt and his bid for a seat at the imperial table. The wider reading of the Sira is to see al-Balawi seeking to capitalize on a variegated and increasingly urgent discussion across the contemporary Islamic world on the question of legitimate leadership.