Hasanveyh

Hasanveyh (Hasneveyh) is the Kurdish emir who was the actual founder of the Hasanveyhî Kurdish Emirate, which ruled in the Cibâl region of northwestern Iran in the 10th-11th century. The emirate, also known as Hasneviye, derived its name from him (Volume 1, p. 119).

Origin and Tribe

Hasanveyh belonged to the Berzikanî (Berzinî) tribe living in the Cibâl region. The person who laid the foundations of the emirate in 330/941 in Dînever and Şehrezor was his father, the tribal leader Hüseyin al-Berzikanî al-Kurdî; Hüseyin was known for his courage and generosity in his society, and by marrying the sister of Vindâd and Ğânım, leaders of the influential Ayşânî tribe in the region, he became a partner in the administration of places under this tribe's dominion, such as Dînever, Hemedân, Nihâvend, Sameğan, and Şehrezor (Volume 1, p. 119). Although it is claimed in classical sources that the Hasanveyhî family was Shiite, there is no information definitively confirming this claim (Volume 1, p. 119). According to another account, Hasanveyh succeeded in effectively bringing the Cibâl region under his rule with the help of the Şazincân tribe, and the Hasanveyhîs emerged as a new power in the region (Volume 2, p. 58).

Relations with the Buyids

Hasanveyh pursued a balanced policy with the Buyids, the dominant political power of the period, involving both conflict and reconciliation. He forced the Buyid vizier Ebü'l-Feth into a peace agreement on the condition that he would give 50,000 dinars and numerous goods and pack animals (Volume 1, p. 120). Despite developing good relations with the Buyid ruler Rüknüddevle, the Buyid ruler in Iraq, Muizüddevle, saw him as a threat to his reign and sent a large army against Şehrezor in 355/965. Hasanveyh defeated this Buyid army, which had set out from Musul, somewhere west of Erbil. Thereupon, although Muizüddevle sent a second army against Dînever, Hasanveyh continued his resistance despite the destruction in Dînever; consequently, Muizüddevle had to make peace with him by sending 50,000 dinars (Volume 1, p. 120).

Successors

Following Hasanveyh's death, the emirate passed to his son Bedir b. Hasanveyh; the Buyid ruler Adudüddevle appointed Bedir as emir to the Hasanveyhîs by dressing him in a hil'at (Volume 1, p. 121). Şerefhan Bidlisî mentions the conflicts within the Hasanveyh family and the dramatic events of the dynasty after Hasanveyh's death (Volume 2, p. 58).

Historical Sources

The most valuable information regarding the period of Hasanveyh and his successors is found in Islamic-era historical sources. Ibn Miskawayh's work titled Tecâribü'l-ümem ve te'akibü'l-himem, which narrates events from the flood up to 372/983, the year of Adudüddevle's death, is one of the most valuable sources shedding light on this period because the author wrote the section concerning the Buyid era based on his personal observations (Volume 1, p. 123). Hilâl es-Sâbî records extremely valuable information about Bedir b. Hasanveyh's construction activities, his relations with the Buyids, and his active role within the dynasty, which is not found in any other source (Volume 1, p. 124). Ibn al-Athir's general history book, el-Kâmil fi't-târîh, is also one of the primary reference sources for the establishment of the Hasanveyhîs and the activities of their emirs (Volume 1, p. 125).