Büveyhîler

The Buwayhids were a dynasty that ruled in the Jibal region, west of Iraq and Iran, in the 10th-11th centuries. The relations established by the dynasty, of Daylami origin, with Kurdish emirates constitute an important part of Kurdish history. A historian states that the Buwayhids were a dynasty originating from the Daylamis, whose centers were in the Geylan province in present-day Iran (Cilt 2, s. 61).

Relations with the Hasanwayhids

The relationship between the Buwayhids and the Hasanwayhid Kurdish Emirate, established in the Jibal region, was often tense. Ebü'l-Feth İbnü'l-Amîd, the vizier of the Buwayhid ruler Rukn al-Dawla, made a peace agreement with Hasanwayh on the condition that he would give 50,000 dinars and numerous goods and pack animals (Cilt 1, s. 119-120). Although Hasanwayh developed good relations with Rukn al-Dawla in later years, Mu'izz al-Dawla, the Buwayhid ruler reigning in Iraq, saw him as a threat to his own reign and sent a large army against Shahrazor in 355/965. Hasanwayh defeated this army, which had set out from Mosul, west of Erbil; he also resisted Mu'izz al-Dawla's second army sent against Dinavar. Finally, Mu'izz al-Dawla sent 50,000 dinars to Hasanwayh and made peace with him (Cilt 1, s. 120).

The relationship between the Buwayhids and the Hasanwayhids continued during the period of Hasanwayh's son, Badr. The Buwayhid ruler Adud al-Dawla appointed Badr as emir of the Hasanwayhids by bestowing a robe of honor upon him; when Badr's brothers Asim and Abd al-Malik rebelled against him and the Buwayhids, Adud al-Dawla eliminated them. With the support he received from Adud al-Dawla, Badr established complete dominance in Saburkhwast, Dinavar, Ahvaz, Burujerd, Asadabad, and Nihavand. Following Adud al-Dawla's death in 372/983, a struggle for the throne began among the dynasty members; his son Sharaf al-Dawla ascended the Buwayhid throne in Baghdad and sent an army under the command of Karatekin al-Jahshiyari against Badr in 377/988 (Cilt 1, s. 121). Ultimately, the Buwayhid ruler Shams al-Dawla seized all the territories belonging to the Hasanwayhid Emirate after Badr's assassination; he defeated Tahir b. Hilal, who attacked to reclaim his lands, and imprisoned him in Hamadan (Cilt 1, s. 122).

The Annazids and the Seljuk End

The Buwayhids' relations with Kurdish dynasties were not limited to the Hasanwayhids. Sadi, from the Annazid Kurdish dynasty ruling in the Jibal region, attempted to form an alliance with the Buwayhid ruler al-Malik al-Rahim against the Oghuz invasions, but this attempt was unsuccessful. The entry of the Seljuk ruler Tughril Beg into Baghdad on December 18, 1055, ending the Buwayhids, fundamentally changed the political order of the region (Cilt 1, s. 143).

Sources of the Period

The Buwayhid period also served as a rich source of literature for this segment of Kurdish history. Ibn Miskawayh, who wrote the final part of his work titled Tajārib al-Umam concerning the Buwayhid period based on his personal observations, left one of the most valuable sources for the history of this dynasty (Cilt 1, s. 123). Hilal b. Muhassin al-Sabi, who witnessed numerous events and had access to official documents thanks to his position in the Buwayhid court, provides information about Badr b. Hasanwayh's construction activities and his relationship with the Buwayhids that cannot be found in any other source (Cilt 1, s. 124, 144). Abu Shuja Zahir al-Din al-Ruzraveri, who wrote a supplement to Ibn Miskawayh's work, is also among the important authors of this period (Cilt 1, s. 124).