Which of the following statements concerning the mercenary armies of the later Abbasid era is not accurate?

1)Mercenary troops became a disruptive force in the life of Baghdad and other cities.
2) They were consistently a major player in the factional contests for control of the captial and the empire.
3) They often consisted largely of slave troops.
4) Despite their tendency toward random violence, they loyally defended the Abbasid caliphs.
5) They helped foster the decline of the empire.