BUYYID

Three brothers are attributed to founding the Buyyid Dynasty [i]. Peasant boys from the mountains of Northern Iran rose to power through their military prowess and ability to lead mercenary armies [ii]. With this newfound power and influence, the brothers Ali ibn Buya, Hasan ibn Buya, and Ahmad ibn Buya founded the Buyyid Dynasty. The death of ruler Adud al-Dawlah was followed by a weakened economy, military mutiny, and disunity of the Buyyid ruling class. The final Buyyid ruler, Abu Nasr al-Malik al-Rahim, was deposed by Tuhgrul of the Seljuk Empire [iii] in 1055 CE when he captured Baghdad thus ending the Buyyid rule.

The Buyyid Empire's primary allies and rivals often came via domestic competition for power within their respective emirates. The internal feuds within the Buyyid aristocratic structure led to complex court politics, which stoked division among the ruling class. The Buyyids often relied on local tribes and clans for military alliances [iv] and support in their military campaigns. The Seljuk Empire was the primary adversary of the Byuyid Dynasty, as the Turkic Sunni tribes of Central Asia began their expansion West. Towards the end of the Buyyid Dynasty, the Ghaznavids grew to be a significant rival and began to expand into Buyyid territory.

The cultural centers of the Buyyid Empire were the cities Rayy and Baghdad in modern-day Iran and Iraq, respectively [v]. The Buyyid culture served an important key role in developing and preserving Iranian Shiite customs and traditions. As a Persian Shiite dynasty who had taken control of the Sunni Abbasid caliphs, the Buyyids practiced the Shiite Islamic tradition. However, they were also able to recall pre-Islamic Persian culture, which they then combined with their Shiite practices. Overall, the Shiite Buyyid influence on the Abbassid caliphate played an essential role in the history of Islam of Iran and the greater Middle East region.

While the Buyyid Dynasty is often referred to as a collective empire, it would be more accurately described as a federation of emirates. Each Buyyid Emirate was ruled by various members of the Buyyid family. The original three emirates of the empire consisted of Baghdad to the West, Ray to the North, and Shiraz to the Southeast [vi]. As for the political system in place among the emirates, there was a strong military presence within the government, not dissimilar to a military dictatorship system. The Dailamites had a long tradition of military prowess that led to the development of this military aristocracy.

The Buyyid Dynasty’s rule lasted for a little over 100 years [vii]; internal disputes permeated through the rise and fall of their empire. Despite this, the powerful military of the Buyyid Dynasty [viii] was able to campaign and ultimately conquer land across the Middle East and Central Asia. Al-Dawlah was the only ruler in the dynasty’s history that was able to unify the Buyyids and centralize power under one single authority. With this newfound unity, the Buyyids reached the height of their power. However, this cohesive and harmonious state did not last long, as they could not withstand Turkic expansion in the East.

Three Buyyid brothers, born in a mountain village, came to control large swaths of land and even make a vassal of the Abbasid Caliphs. The powerful Persian Dailamite warriors and military leadership of the Buyyid brothers were able to take over the region by storm. At the time of weakness in the Abbasid Empire, the Buyyid family came to fill in the power vacuum [ix]. At the height of their power, the Buyyids underwent a cultural golden age filled with various forms of art and thriving education. They were also able to complete massive infrastructure projects such as building aqueducts and roads.

The Buyyid Dynasty maintained economic trade relations with kingdoms and empires in the region such as the Samanids, Ḥamdānids, Byzantines [x], and Fatimids [xi]. The Buyyid Civilization produced and traded a variety of goods with their regional neighbors which bolstered their economy. The Buyyids produced metal and silver goods, as they were famous for their metalwork and silverwork. Buyyid territory connected greater Asia to the Middle East and Africa. The web of trade routes that operated within their borders was essential for their economic foundation. Their empire's geographic location [xii] allowed the rulers to impose tariffs and taxations on the state's imports and exports.