Unlike his predecessor, Yahya was a religious moderate[1] and did not maintain many of Shams al-Din Ali's social programs.
Early in his reign, Yahya undertook negotiations with the Ilkhanid claimant Togha Temur, who ruled in Astarabad.
As a result of these negotiations, Yahya agreed to recognize Togha Temur as his suzerain and to pay him tribute.
Furthermore, he agreed to present himself before the khan on an annual basis to renew his pledge of loyalty, something no Sarbadar leader had ever been compelled to do before.
The appearance of the khan's name on Sarbadar coinage[2] as well as the shipment of the promised tribute allayed Togha Temur's doubts about the sincerity of Yahya's intentions.