Majd al-Dawla
Majd al-Dawla مجد الدوله | |
---|---|
Ghaznavid dynasty) | |
Born | 993 |
Died | after 1029 Ghazni |
Issue | Fana-Khusrau Abu Dulaf |
Dynasty | Buyid dynasty |
Father | Fakhr al-Dawla |
Mother | Sayyida Shirin |
Religion | Shia Islam |
Abu Talib Rustam (
Majd al-Dawla's reign saw the gradual shrinking of Buyid holdings in central Iran;
Majd al-Dawla was reportedly sent to the Ghaznavid capital of Ghazni, where he died.
Background
Abu Talib Rustam was a member of the
Reign
Accession
Following Fakhr al-Dawla's death by stomach illness in 997, his realm in Jibal was divided between Abu Talib Rustam, who received the capital of Ray and its surroundings, and the younger son Shams al-Dawla, who received the cities of Hamadan and Qirmisin as far as the borders of Mesopotamia.[3][1] They were both installed as co-rulers by Sayyida Shirin, who became the regent of the realm due to their young age.[7][8] Regardless, Shams al-Dawla was Abu Talib Rustam's subordinate.[9] The senior Buyid amir Samsam al-Dawla (r. 983–998), who ruled Fars, had faithfully acknowledged Fakhr al-Dawla as senior amir during the latter's reign. Because of this, Samsam al-Dawla was now entitled to ask for the allegiance of Majd al-Dawla in return.[10]
An arrangement with the Buyid amir of Iraq,
Samsam al-Dawla soon died afterwards, and by 999 Fars was under the control of Baha al-Dawla, who had now become senior amir.[11]
Early reign
Following Fakhr al-Dawla's death, the
In 1005, Majd al-Dawla assumed the imperial Persian title of shahanshah (King of Kings) in order to signal his ascendancy over that of his brothers and vassals.[16] Nevertheless, he did not attempt to challenge the dominant position of Baha al-Dawla. From 1009/10 and onwards, Majd al-Dawla officially recognized Baha al-Dawla as senior amir on his coins. Some of them later on even refers Baha al-Dawla by the title of shahanshah.[17] Baha al-Dawla died in December 1012, and was succeeded by his son Abu Shuja Fanna Khusraw (Sultan al-Dawla), who assumed the title of shahanshah as a claim over his father's dominant position. Majd al-Dawla did not acknowledge Sultan al-Dawla's claim, as he himself had in reality become the senior amir.[18]
Internal affairs
In 1008, with the assistance of his
In 1016, Majd al-Dawla and Sayyida Shirin declined the demand of the Daylamite military officer Ibn Fuladh to become the governor of Qazvin. As a result, the latter started attacking the outskirts of Ray. With the help of the Bavandid prince Abu Ja'far Muhammad (died 1028), Majd al-Dawla repelled Ibn Fuladh from Ray, who fled to the Ziyarid ruler Manuchihr (r. 1012–1031). There Ibn Fuladh secured Manuchihr's assistance in exchange for his fealty. Reinforced by 2,000 troops by Manuchihr, Ibn Fuladh laid siege to Ray, thus forcing Majd al-Dawla to appoint him as the governor of Isfahan. Following this event, records of Ibn Fuladh disappear, which suggests he was unable to dislodge the then incumbent governor of Isfahan, Ala al-Dawla Muhammad.[23]
The fragility of Majd al-Dawla's kingdom allowed Ala al-Dawla Muhammad to rule autonomously, as well as expand his realm into the northern and western mountains, then controlled by autonomous Kurdish dynasties such as the Annazids. In 1023, Ala al-Dawla Muhammad captured Hamadan, putting an end to the rule of Shams al-Dawla's son and successor Sama' al-Dawla (r. 1021–1023). Majd al-Dawla was powerless to interfere. Although Ala al-Dawla Muhammad was virtually an independent monarch and the most powerful figure in Jibal, he continued to mint coins inscribed with the name of Majd al-Dawla as his suzerain until the latter's downfall in 1029.[15][24] A distinguished coin minted by Ala al-Dawla Muhammad in 1019/20 at Isfahan mentions Majd al-Dawla as shahanshah.[25]
Downfall
When Sayyida Shirin died in 1028, the consequences of the political seclusion of Majd al-Dawla became apparent. He was soon faced with a revolt by his Daylamite soldiers, and requested the assistance of the Ghaznavid ruler Mahmud (r. 998–1030) in dealing with them. Mahmud had been keen to expand his power to the west, but had refrained from attacking Ray due to the resolute presence of Sayyida Shirin.[1][26] Using Majd al-Dawla's request for help as a pretext, Mahmud conquered Ray in March/April 1029. He deposed Majd al-Dawla as ruler, and sacked the city, bringing an end to Buyid rule there. Much of the great library in Ray was burned, while many inhabitants were assembled and stoned as heretics. Mahmud justified his onslaught as a way of purging "infidel Batiniyya and evil-doing innovators".[1][27]
The
Culture
From the end of the 10th-century to 1029, Ray had flourished as a center of learning, possibly partly due to maintaining its independence from other Buyid principalities, as well as only occasionally being involved in dynastic struggles.
References
- ^ a b c d e f g Nagel 1990, pp. 578–586.
- ^ Tor 2017, p. 52.
- ^ a b Spuler 2014, p. 101.
- ^ a b Bosworth 1975, p. 215.
- ^ Herzig & Stewart 2011, p. 125.
- ^ Bosworth 1975, pp. 295–296.
- ^ Spuler 2014, p. 108.
- ^ Bosworth 1975, p. 293.
- ^ a b Bosworth 1970, p. 74.
- ^ Madelung 1969, pp. 174–176.
- ^ a b Madelung 1969, p. 176.
- ^ Bosworth 1975, p. 294.
- ^ Bosworth 1996, p. 158.
- ^ Kennedy 2004, p. 244.
- ^ a b Bosworth 2010, pp. 359–362.
- ^ Madelung 1969, pp. 176–177.
- ^ Madelung 1969, p. 177.
- ^ Madelung 1969, pp. 177–178.
- ^ a b c Sajjadi, Asatryan & Melvin-Koushki.
- ^ Gutas 1987, pp. 67–70.
- ^ Adamson 2013, p. 14.
- ^ Adamson 2013, p. 18.
- ^ Bosworth 1997, pp. 26–27.
- ^ Bosworth 1970, pp. 75–76.
- ^ Miles 1975, p. 373.
- ^ Nashat & Beck 2003, p. 84.
- ^ a b Bosworth 1975, p. 177.
- ^ Askari 2016, pp. 81–82.
- ^ Peacock 2007, p. 12.
- ^ Bosworth 1975, pp. 299–300.
- ^ Bosworth 1975, p. 285.
- ^ Lazard 1975, p. 619.
Sources
- Askari, Nasrin (2016). The medieval reception of the Shāhnāma as a mirror for princes. Brill. ISBN 978-90-04-30790-2.
- ISBN 978-0521190732.
- ISBN 0-521-20093-8.
- Bosworth, C. E. (1970). "Dailamīs in Central Iran: The Kākūyids of Jibāl and Yazd". Iran. 8: 73–95. JSTOR 4299634. (registration required)
- Bosworth, C. E. (1996). The New Islamic Dynasties: A Chronological and Genealogical Manual. New York City: Columbia University Press. ISBN 0-231-10714-5.
- Bosworth, C. E. (1997). "Ebn Fūlād". In ISBN 978-1-56859-050-9.
- Bosworth, C. E. (2010). "Kākuyids". In ISBN 978-1-934283-26-4.
- ISBN 978-0-71009-113-0.
- Herzig, Edmund; Stewart, Sarah (2011). Early Islamic Iran. I. B. Tauris. ISBN 978-1780760612.
- ISBN 978-0-582-40525-7.
- Lazard, G. (1975). "The Rise of the New Persian Language". In ISBN 0-521-20093-8.
- S2CID 222439877. (registration required)
- Nagel, Tilman (1990). "Buyids". In ISBN 978-0-71009-129-1.
- Nashat, Guity; Beck, Lois (2003). Women in Iran from the Rise of Islam to 1800. University of Illinois Press. ISBN 978-0-252-07121-8.
- Miles, G. C. (1975). "Numismatics". In ISBN 0-521-20093-8.
- ISBN 978-0415583114.
- Sajjadi, Sadeq; Asatryan, Mushegh; Melvin-Koushki, Matthew. "Būyids". In ISSN 1875-9831.
- Spuler, Bertold (2014). Iran in the Early Islamic Period: Politics, Culture, Administration and Public Life between the Arab and the Seljuk Conquests, 633-1055. Brill. ISBN 978-90-04-28209-4.
- Tor, D. G. (2017). The ʿAbbasid and Carolingian Empires: Comparative Studies in Civilizational Formation. Brill. ISBN 978-9004349896.
Further reading
- Curtis, Vesta Sarkhosh; Stewart, Sarah (2009). The Rise of Islam: The Idea of Iran Vol 4. I.B. Tauris. ISBN 978-1845116910.