Buyid dynasty

Buyid Dynasty
آل بویه (Persian)
Âl-i Būya
934–1062[1]
The Buyid dynasty in 970
The Buyid dynasty in 970
Capital
Common languages
Religion
Shia Islam (dynasty)[3]
Sunni Islam (majority)
Zoroastrianism
Christianity
Judaism
GovernmentHereditary monarchy
Emir/Shahanshah 
• 934–949
Imad al-Dawla
• 1048–1062
Abu Mansur Fulad Sutun
Historical era
• Established
934
• Imad al-Dawla proclaimed himself "Emir"
934
• Adud al-Dawla becomes the supreme ruler of the Buyid dynasty
979
• Disestablished
1062[1]
Area
980 est.[4][5]1,600,000 km2 (620,000 sq mi)
Currencydirham, dinar
Preceded by
Succeeded by
Abbasid Caliphate
Ziyarids
Banu Ilyas
Abu Abdallah al-Baridi
Ghaznavids
Seljuk Empire
Kakuyids
Uqaylid dynasty
Marwanids
Shabankara
Banu Mazyad
Annazids

The Buyid dynasty (Persian: آل بویه, romanizedÂl-i Bōya), also spelled Buwayhid (Arabic: البويهية, romanizedAl-Buwayhiyyah), was a Zaydi and, later, Twelver Shia dynasty of Daylamite origin,[3][a] which mainly ruled over Iraq and central and southern Iran from 934 to 1062. Coupled with the rise of other Iranian dynasties in the region, the approximate century of Buyid rule represents the period in Iranian history sometimes called the "Iranian Intermezzo".[6]

The Buyid dynasty was founded by Ali ibn Buya, who in 934 conquered Fars and made Shiraz his capital. He received the laqab or honorific title of Imad al-Dawla "Fortifier of the State". His younger brother Hasan conquered parts of Jibal in the late 930s, and by 943 managed to capture Ray, which he made his capital. Hasan was given the laqab Rukn al-Dawla ("Pillar of the State"). In 945, the youngest brother, Ahmad ibn Buya, conquered Iraq and made Baghdad his capital. He was given the laqab Mu'izz al-Dawla.

As Daylamite Iranians, the Buyids consciously revived symbols and practices of the Sasanian Empire.[7] Beginning with Imad al-Dawla, some of the Buyid rulers used the ancient Sasanian title Shahanshah "Emperor" (شاهنشاه), literally "king of kings".[3] The Buyids had many inscriptions carved at the Achaemenid ruins of Persepolis, thus suggesting a form of veneration of the site, which the Buyids thought was built by the mythical Iranian king Jamshid.[8]

The Buyid dynasty reached its zenith under Panāh Khusraw (پناه خسرو r. 949–983), whose laqab was Adud al-Dawla, who is remembered for his open-mindedness and building projects such as the Band-e Amir dam near Shiraz.[9] Under him, the Buyid realm stretched from the Byzantine border in Syria in the west to the borders of Khorasan in the east.[10]

Although the Buyids were initially Zaydi Shia, for political advantage, they became Twelver Shia following the Major Occultation of Muhammad al-Mahdi after the death of his fourth agent in 941. Regardless, the Buyids were known for supporting the Sunni Abbasid caliphs and being tolerant of the Sunni population, who formed the majority of their realm. They were, by contrast, unfriendly towards the Fatimid Caliphate centered in Egypt, who were Isma'ilis.[9]

Contrary to the Samanids, who ruled over a mostly Sunni Muslim population in Central Asia, the Buyid realm was populated by many Zoroastrians and Christians (primarily of the Church of the East). Because of this, many records written under the Buyids were composed in Middle Persian, Syriac and Arabic.[9]

  1. ^ Bosworth 1996, pp. 154.
  2. ^ a b c Davaran 2010, p. 156.
  3. ^ a b c d Sajjadi, Asatryan & Melvin-Koushki.
  4. ^ Turchin, Peter; Adams, Jonathan M.; Hall, Thomas D (December 2006). "East-West Orientation of Historical Empires". Journal of World-Systems Research. 12 (2): 222. ISSN 1076-156X. Retrieved 12 September 2016.
  5. ^ Rein Taagepera (September 1997). "Expansion and Contraction Patterns of Large Polities: Context for Russia". International Studies Quarterly. 41 (3): 475–504. doi:10.1111/0020-8833.00053. JSTOR 2600793.
  6. ^ Blair 1992, p. 103.
  7. ^ Goldschmidt, Arthur (2002). A Concise History of the Middle East (7 ed.). Boulder, CO: Westview Press. p. 87. ISBN 978-0813338859.
  8. ^ Herzig & Stewart 2011, p. 36.
  9. ^ a b c Frye & Keshk 2014.
  10. ^ Bürgel & Mottahedeh 1988, pp. 265–269.