Abu Nasr Firuz Kharshadh ( ar, أبو نصر فيروز خوارشاذ; died December 22, 1012), better known by his ''
laqab
Arabic language
Arabic (, ' ; , ' or ) is a Semitic language spoken primarily across the Arab world.Semitic languages: an international handbook / edited by Stefan Weninger; in collaboration with Geoffrey Khan, Michael P. Streck, Janet ...
'' of Baha al-Dawla ( ar, بهاء الدوله, Bahaʾ al-Dawla, Splendour of the State) was the
Buyid
The Buyid dynasty ( fa, آل بویه, Āl-e Būya), also spelled Buwayhid ( ar, البويهية, Al-Buwayhiyyah), was a Shia Islam, Shia Iranian peoples, Iranian dynasty of Daylamites, Daylamite origin, which mainly ruled over Iraq and central ...
amir of
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 the north, Iran to the east, the Persian Gulf and K ...
(988–1012), along with
Fars and
Kerman (998–1012). His early reign was dominated by struggles with his rival relatives over control of the western
Persian
Persian may refer to:
* People and things from Iran, historically called ''Persia'' in the English language
** Persians, the majority ethnic group in Iran, not to be conflated with the Iranic peoples
** Persian language, an Iranian language of the ...
provinces, but by 998 he managed to establish his supremacy over the Buyid confederation. His reign nevertheless saw the increasing encroachment of neighbouring powers on Buyid territory, and marks the beginning of the decline of the Buyids' power. He was the third son of
'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 ...
.
Early life
In 986, a
Dailamite
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 comprising ...
officer named
Asfar ibn Kurdawayh
Asfar ibn Kurduya (also spelled Kurdawayh, Kardawayh and Kurdawaih), was a Daylamite officer who served the Buyid dynasty.
Asfar is first mentioned during the reign of the Buyid ruler Adud al-Dawla, as one of the most prominent officers of the Emp ...
rebelled against the ruler of Iraq,
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 changed his allegiance to
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 ...
. However, Asfar quickly changed his mind, and declared allegiance to the latter's other brother Abu Nasr Firuz Kharshadh, who was shortly given the honorific epithet 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 Khusr ...
, suppressed the rebellion, and imprisoned Baha al-Dawla. Samsam al-Dawla shortly made peace with Sharaf al-Dawla, and agreed to release Baha al-Dawla. Sharaf al-Dawla shortly betrayed Samsam al-Dawla, conquered Iraq, and had him imprisoned in a fortress.
Reign
Upon the death of Sharaf al-Dawla in 988, Baha' al-Dawla succeeded him, whereupon he took the additional title of ''Diya' al-Milla''. Samsam al-Dawla, who managed to flee from prison, prevented Baha' al-Dawla from gaining all of Sharaf al-Dawla's possessions by taking control of
Fars,
Kerman and
Khuzestan
Khuzestan Province (also spelled Xuzestan; fa, استان خوزستان ''Ostān-e Xūzestān'') is one of the 31 provinces of Iran. It is in the southwest of the country, bordering Iraq and the Persian Gulf. Its capital is Ahvaz and it covers ...
. Both Baha' al-Dawla and Samsam al-Dawla, however, were threatened by their granduncle
Fakhr al-Dawla
Abu'l-Hasan Ali ibn al-Hasan ( fa, ابوالحسن علی بن حسن), better known by his ''laqab'' of Fakhr al-Dawla ( ar, 'فخر الدولة, "Pride of the Dynasty") (died October or November 997) was the Buyid amir of Jibal (976–980, 9 ...
, the ruler of
Jibal
Jibāl ( ar, جبال), also al-Jabal ( ar, الجبل), was the name given by the Arabs to a region and province located in western Iran, under the Umayyad and Abbasid Caliphates.
Its name means "the Mountains", being the plural of ''jabal'' (" ...
, who invaded Khuzestan in an attempt to drive a wedge between the two brothers' territories. This act prompted the brothers to draw up an alliance. Samsam al-Dawla recognized Baha' al-Dawla as the ruler of Iraq and Khuzestan, while he himself kept
Arrajan
Arrajan (Argan) was a medieval Persian city located between Fars and Khuzestan, which was settled since Elam period and an important in the Sasanian period until the 11th century. It was the capital of a medieval province of the same name, which ...
, Fars and Kerman. Both promised to consider each other as equals, and took the title of king (''
malik
Malik, Mallik, Melik, Malka, Malek, Maleek, Malick, Mallick, or Melekh ( phn, 𐤌𐤋𐤊; ar, ملك; he, מֶלֶךְ) is the Semitic term translating to "king", recorded in East Semitic and Arabic, and as mlk in Northwest Semitic duri ...
''). In 990, Baha' al-Dawla appointed
Sabur ibn Ardashir Sabur ibn Ardashir ( fa, شاپور بن اردشیر; also spelled Shapur) was a Persian statesman who served as the ''vizier'' of the Buyids of Iraq briefly in 990 and later from 996 to 999.
Biography
Of aristocratic origin, and of probable roy ...
as his ''
vizier
A vizier (; ar, وزير, wazīr; fa, وزیر, vazīr), or wazir, is a high-ranking political advisor or minister in the near east. The Abbasid caliphs gave the title ''wazir'' to a minister formerly called ''katib'' (secretary), who was a ...
''.
In 991 Baha' al-Dawla attempted to gain supremacy over Samsam al-Dawla's realm. He took the ancient Persian title of ''
Shâhanshâh'' and invaded the latter's territory. His forces were defeated, however, and Samsam al-Dawla regained Khuzestan and even gained control of the Buyid territories in
Oman
Oman ( ; ar, عُمَان ' ), officially the Sultanate of Oman ( ar, سلْطنةُ عُمان ), is an Arabian country located in southwestern Asia. It is situated on the southeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula, and spans the mouth of t ...
. He then recognized Fakhr al-Dawla as senior ''
amir
Emir (; ar, أمير ' ), sometimes transliterated amir, amier, or ameer, is a word of Arabic origin that can refer to a male monarch, aristocrat, holder of high-ranking military or political office, or other person possessing actual or cerem ...
'', submitting to his authority.
Fakhr al-Dawla's death in 997, coupled with Samsam al-Dawla's increasing troubles within his realm, provided Baha' al-Dawla with the opportunity to assert his authority in
Persia
Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called Persia, is a country located in Western Asia. It is bordered by Iraq and Turkey to the west, by Azerbaijan and Armenia to the northwest, by the Caspian Sea and Turkmeni ...
. He gained the support of the
Hasanwayhid
Hasanwayhids or Hasanuyid was a powerful Shia Kurdish dynasty reigning the western parts of Iran such as Iranian Azerbaijan and Zagros Mountains between Shahrizor and Khuzestan from c. 959 to 1015. The last Hasanwayhid ruler died in 1015 in Sarmad ...
ruler
Badr ibn Hasanwayh
Badr ibn Hasanwayh was the second ruler of the Hasanwayhids from 979 to 1014. He was the son and successor of Hasanwayh ().
Biography
During the civil war between the two Buyid brothers Adud al-Dawla () and Izz al-Dawla (), Hasanwayh had suppor ...
and prepared for the expedition. The invasion began in December 998; scarcely had it commenced when Samsam al-Dawla was killed by one of the sons of
'Izz al-Dawla
Bakhtiyar ( fa, بختیار, died 978), better known by his ''laqab'' of Izz al-Dawla ( ar, عز الدولة, ʿIzz ad-Dawla, lit=Glory of the Dynasty), was the Buyid amir of Iraq (967–978).
Early life
Izz al-Dawla was born as ''Bakhtiyar ...
who had risen in revolt. Baha' al-Dawla then took
Shiraz
Shiraz (; fa, شیراز, Širâz ) is the List of largest cities of Iran, fifth-most-populous city of Iran and the capital of Fars province, Fars Province, which has been historically known as Pars (Sasanian province), Pars () and Persis. As o ...
, defeated 'Izz al-Dawla's sons, and was joined by the Dailamites of Fars under
Ibn Ustadh-Hurmuz. For the rest of his life Baha' al-Dawla remained in Fars. He also managed to gain indirect control over northern Iran, where Fakr al-Dawla's two sons
Majd al-Dawla
Abu Talib Rustam ( fa, ابو طالب رستم; 997–1029), commonly known by his ''laqab'' (honorific title) of Majd al-Dawla (), was the last ''amir'' (ruler) of the Buyid amirate of Ray from 997 to 1029. He was the eldest son of Fakhr al-Daw ...
and
Shams al-Dawla
Abu Taher (died 1021), better known by his regnal name Shams Al-Dawla ("Sun Of The State"), was the Buyid ruler of Hamadan from 997 to 1021. He was the son of Fakhr al-Dawla.
Biography
Fakhr al-Dawla died in 997; his elder son Abu Taleb Rostam ...
recognized him as senior ''amir'' by 1009 or 1010. In 1001, Baha' al-Dawla appointed Ibn Ustadh-Hurmuz as the governor of
Ahvaz
Ahvaz ( fa, اهواز, Ahvâz ) is a city in the southwest of Iran and the capital of Khuzestan province. Ahvaz's population is about 1,300,000 and its built-up area with the nearby town of Sheybani is home to 1,136,989 inhabitants. It is hom ...
, and one year later, appointed him as the governor of Iraq, where he kept order by solving disputes between different religious sects, and by defeating bandits who had caused chaos in the region.
He also managed to defeat the former governor of Iraq, Abu Ja'far al-Hajjaj, who was supported by
Kurds ug:كۇردلار
Kurds ( ku, کورد ,Kurd, italic=yes, rtl=yes) or Kurdish people are an Iranian ethnic group native to the mountainous region of Kurdistan in Western Asia, which spans southeastern Turkey, northwestern Iran, northern Ir ...
and
Shayban Arabs
The Arabs (singular: Arab; singular ar, عَرَبِيٌّ, DIN 31635: , , plural ar, عَرَب, DIN 31635, DIN 31635: , Arabic pronunciation: ), also known as the Arab people, are an ethnic group mainly inhabiting the Arab world in Wester ...
. In 1007, Baha' al-Dawla made peace with the
Al-Mazeedi
The Banū Mazyad () or Mazyadids were an Arab Shia dynasty of central Iraq. They belonged to the clan of Nāshira of the tribe of Banū Asad. They ruled an autonomous emirate in the area around Kūfa and Hīt between c. 961 and c. 1160.
Older s ...
ruler
Ali ibn Mazyad
ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib ( ar, عَلِيّ بْن أَبِي طَالِب; 600 – 661 CE) was the last of four Rightly Guided Caliphs to rule Islam (r. 656 – 661) immediately after the death of Muhammad, and he was the first Shia Imam. ...
, who was given the honorific title of "Sanad al-Dawla", and agreed to become a vassal of Baha' al-Dawla in return for recognition of his rule. This treaty was highly in favor of Baha' al-Dawla, who managed to use Ali ibn Mazyad as the keeper of Buyid influence in Iraq and its surrounding regions. In 1011, Ibn Ustadh-Hurmuz died and was succeeded by Baha' al-Dawla's new vizier
Fakhr al-Mulk Fakhr al-Mulk was a Persian bureaucrat, who served as the vizier of the Seljuk sultan Berkyaruq () from 1095 to 1099, and later vizier of the Sejluk prince and ruler of Khurasan, Ahmad Sanjar, from 1101 to 1106. He was the eldest son of the promin ...
as the governor of Iraq.
Baha' al-Dawla's reign coincided with the beginning of the decline of the Buyids. The
Kurd ug:كۇردلار
Kurds ( ku, کورد ,Kurd, italic=yes, rtl=yes) or Kurdish people are an Iranian peoples, Iranian ethnic group native to the mountainous region of Kurdistan in Western Asia, which spans southeastern Turkey, northwestern Ir ...
ish chief Badh laid the foundations for the
Marwanid
The Marwanids or Dustakids (983/990-1085, ) were a Kurdish Sunni Muslim dynasty in the Diyar Bakr region of Upper Mesopotamia (present day northern Iraq/southeastern Turkey) and Armenia, centered on the city of Amid (Diyarbakır).
Territory
...
amirate in
Diyarbakr, while the initially subservient '
Uqaylids
The Uqaylid dynasty () was a Shia Arab dynasty with several lines that ruled in various parts of Al-Jazira, northern Syria and Iraq in the late tenth and eleventh centuries. The main line, centered in Mosul, ruled from 990 to 1096.
History
Rise ...
of
Mosul
Mosul ( ar, الموصل, al-Mawṣil, ku, مووسڵ, translit=Mûsil, Turkish: ''Musul'', syr, ܡܘܨܠ, Māwṣil) is a major city in northern Iraq, serving as the capital of Nineveh Governorate. The city is considered the second large ...
expanded into Iraq at the Buyids' expense. By the time Baha' al-Dawla died,
Baghdad
Baghdad (; ar, بَغْدَاد , ) is the capital of Iraq and the second-largest city in the Arab world after Cairo. It is located on the Tigris near the ruins of the ancient city of Babylon and the Sassanid Persian capital of Ctesiphon ...
and
Wasit
Wasit ( ar, وَاسِط, Wāsiṭ, syr, ܘܐܣܛ) is an ancient city in Wasit Governorate, south east of Kut in eastern Iraq.
History
The city was built by al-Hajjaj ibn Yusuf in c. 702 CE on the west bank of the Tigris across from the hist ...
were the only two major Iraqi cities directly under his control. In the north, where Fakhr al-Dawla's sons ruled, the Buyid frontier also fell back, as the
Ziyarids
The Ziyarid dynasty ( fa, زیاریان) was an Iranian dynasty of Gilaki origin that ruled Tabaristan from 931 to 1090 during the Iranian Intermezzo period. The empire rose to prominence during the leadership of Mardavij. After his death, his ...
of
Gorgan
Gorgan ( fa, گرگان ; also romanized as ''Gorgān'', ''Gurgān'', and ''Gurgan''), formerly Esterabad ( ; also romanized as ''Astarābād'', ''Asterabad'', and ''Esterābād''), is the capital city of Golestan Province, Iran. It lies appro ...
and
Tabaristan
Tabaristan or Tabarestan ( fa, طبرستان, Ṭabarestān, or mzn, تبرستون, Tabarestun, ultimately from Middle Persian: , ''Tapur(i)stān''), was the name applied to a mountainous region located on the Caspian coast of northern Iran. ...
permanently wrested themselves from Buyid control. The
Ghaznavids
The Ghaznavid dynasty ( fa, غزنویان ''Ġaznaviyān'') was a culturally Persianate, Sunni Muslim dynasty of Turkic ''mamluk'' origin, ruling, at its greatest extent, large parts of Persia, Khorasan, much of Transoxiana and the northwest ...
kept putting pressure on the
Khurasan
Greater Khorāsān,Dabeersiaghi, Commentary on Safarnâma-e Nâsir Khusraw, 6th Ed. Tehran, Zavvâr: 1375 (Solar Hijri Calendar) 235–236 or Khorāsān ( pal, Xwarāsān; fa, خراسان ), is a historical eastern region in the Iranian Plate ...
border, while the
Kakuyids
The Kakuyids (also called Kakwayhids, Kakuwayhids or Kakuyah) ( fa, آل کاکویه) were a Shia Muslim dynasty of Daylamite origin that held power in western Persia, Jibal and Kurdistan (c. 1008–c. 1051). They later became ''atabegs'' (g ...
began to set up a state in
Isfahan
Isfahan ( fa, اصفهان, Esfahân ), from its Achaemenid empire, ancient designation ''Aspadana'' and, later, ''Spahan'' in Sassanian Empire, middle Persian, rendered in English as ''Ispahan'', is a major city in the Greater Isfahan Regio ...
.
Death
For various reasons, Baha' al-Dawla did not actively defend the borders. Having gained undisputed control of the Buyid state, he seemed content to allow external enemies to seize territories in the west and north. He died in Arrajan in December 1012. Shortly before his death, he named his son
Sultan al-Dawla
Abu Shuja ( fa, ابو شجاع; 993 – December 1024), better known by his ''laqab'' of Sultan al-Dawla (Persian: سلطان الدوله, "Power of the Dynasty"), was the Buyid amir of Fars (1012–1024) and Iraq (1012–1021). He was the son o ...
as his successor.
References
Sources
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External links
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Baha al-Dawla
971 births
1012 deaths
Buyid emirs of Fars
Buyid emirs of Iraq
Buyid emirs of Kerman
10th-century rulers in Asia
11th-century rulers in Asia
10th-century Iranian people
11th-century Iranian people
Shahanshahs
Amir al-umara of the Abbasid Caliphate