He came to power after the murder of his father Abdallah II in 903. He immediately had all his brothers and uncles executed to eliminate any possible rivals. While this massacre secured his position in the short term, the Aghlabid dynasty lost any remaining prestige it had in the eyes of the people. Ziyadat himself managed to escape to the Near East, but was unable to secure any help from the Abbasids to regain his emirate. He died in 916 in Palestine.