Asfar ibn Kurduya (also spelled Kurdawayh, Kardawayh and Kurdawaih), was a

Daylamite The Daylamites or Dailamites (Middle Persian: ''Daylamīgān''; fa, دیلمیان ''Deylamiyān'') were an Iranian people inhabiting the Daylam—the mountainous regions of northern Iran on the southwest coast of the Caspian Sea, now comprisin ...

officer who served the

Buyid dynasty The Buyid dynasty ( fa, آل بویه, Āl-e Būya), also spelled Buwayhid ( ar, البويهية, Al-Buwayhiyyah), was a Shia Iranian dynasty of Daylamite origin, which mainly ruled over Iraq and central and southern Iran from 934 to 1062. Coupl ...

. Asfar is first mentioned during the reign of the Buyid ruler

Adud al-Dawla Fannā (Panāh) Khusraw ( fa, پناه خسرو), better known by his laqab of ʿAḍud al-Dawla ( ar, عضد الدولة, "Pillar of the bbasidDynasty") (September 24, 936 – March 26, 983) was an emir of the Buyid dynasty, ruling from 9 ...

, as one of the most prominent officers of the Empire. After the death of Adud al-Dawla in 983, the Buyid Empire was thrown into civil war; the Empire was disputed between his two sons

Samsam al-Dawla Abu Kalijar Marzuban, also known as Samsam al-Dawla ( ar, صمصام الدولة, Ṣamṣām al-Dawla, Lion of the Dynasty; c. 963 – December 998) was the Buyid amir of Iraq (983–987), as well as Fars and Kerman (988 or 989 – 998). He w ...

and

Sharaf al-Dawla Shirdil Abu'l-Fawaris ( ar, شيردل أبو الفوارس) (c. 960-September 7, 988 or September 6, 989) was the Buyid amir of Kerman and Fars (983-988/9), as well as Iraq (987-988/9). He was the eldest son of 'Adud al-Dawla. Early life Wh ...

. Samsam al-Dawla ruled

Iraq Iraq,; ku, عێراق, translit=Êraq officially the Republic of Iraq, '; ku, کۆماری عێراق, translit=Komarî Êraq is a country in Western Asia. It is bordered by Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq ...

, while Sharaf al-Dawla ruled Fars and

Kerman Kerman ( fa, كرمان, Kermân ; also romanization of Persian, romanized as Kermun and Karmana), known in ancient times as the satrapy of Carmania, is the capital city of Kerman Province, Iran. At the 2011 census, its population was 821,394, in ...

. In 986, Asfar rebelled against Samsam al-Dawla, and changed his allegiance to Sharaf al-Dawla. However, Asfar quickly changed his mind, and declared allegiance to the latter's other brother Abu Nasr Firuz Kharshadh, who was shortly given the ''

laqab Arabic language names have historically been based on a long naming system. Many people from the Arabic-speaking and also Muslim countries have not had given/ middle/family names but rather a chain of names. This system remains in use throughout ...

'' of "Baha' al-Dawla." However, Samsam al-Dawla, with the aid of

Fuladh ibn Manadhar Fuladh ibn Manadhar ( fa, فولاد بن ماناذیر), was a Justanid prince, who served as a high-ranking military officer of the Buyid dynasty. Biography Fuladh was the son of Manadhar, a Justanid king. Fuladh had a brother named Khusrau ...

, suppressed the rebellion, and imprisoned Baha al-Dawla. After this event, Asfar is no longer mentioned.

Sources

* * * {{cite encyclopedia , title = Humanism in the Renaissance of Islam: The Cultural Revival During the Buyid Age , year = 1992 , publisher = BRILL , location = , editor-last = , editor-first = , last = Kraemer , first = Joel L. , chapter = , pages = 1–329 , isbn = 9789004097360 , url = https://books.google.com/books?id=RKU58ZcXAM8C&q=Asfar+b.+Kurdawayh Daylamites Buyid generals Date of death unknown 10th-century Iranian politicians Year of birth unknown Rebels against the Buyid dynasty