Buyid Dynasty

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The Būyids, also known as The Būya or Būyid dynasty, was a Shi'a dynasty that reigned over parts of Iran and Iraq from 322/934 to 448/1056-7. The dynasty was founded by Ali b. Buya (d. 338/949-50) with the assistance of his brothers Ahmad and Hasan, and was named after their father, Buya. During their reign, the mourning ceremonies for Imam al-Husayn (a) and celebrations of Imam Ali's imamate on Eid al-Ghadir were publicly and officially held. Additionally, "Hayy-a 'ala khayr al-'amal" (hasten towards the best action) was recited during adhan, and the use of turbah for prayer and as a rosary was common. The rulers of this dynasty reconstructed the mausoleums of Imams of the Shia in Iraq, which resulted in an increase in pilgrims visiting those holy sites.

Some researchers cite historical and other evidence to show that this dynasty was Shi'a. However, there is a divergence of opinion on whether they were Twelver Shias from the beginning or were Zaydis at first and then converted to Twelver Shiism. Among the prominent rulers of this dynasty were Rukn al-Dawla, Mu'izz al-Dawla, and 'Adud al-Dawla. Various works have been written on the Buyid dynasty. A valuable source of information about the history of this dynasty is Ibn Miskawayh’s Tajarib al-umam (written in the fifth/eleventh century).

Place and Significance

For more than 120 years, the Buyids, a Shi'a dynasty, ruled over regions in Iran and Iraq. (322/934 - 448/1056-7).[1] During their reign, certain Shi'a rituals were officially and publicly held for the first time, such as commemorations of Imam al-Husayn (a) through mourning ceremonies and the celebration of al-Ghadir. This era is widely regarded as one of the most splendid epochs in the annals of Islamic civilization.[2]

The Buyid government was established by 'Ali, the son of Abu Shuja' Buya, with the support of his brothers Ahmad and al-Husayn; hence its appellation as “Al Buya” (the Buyid dynasty) or “Buyids.”[3] They are also known as Dayalima or Daylamites.[4]

Denomination

According to Sadiq Sajjadi, the author of the Buyid dynasty entry in the Great Islamic Encyclopedia, it is unclear which Islamic denomination the Buyids followed.[5] However, some historians[6] such as Rasul Ja'fariyan,[7] a Shi'a historian (b. 1964), argue that the Buyids were Twelver Shias based on historical and other evidence. This evidence includes the revival of Shi'a rituals by the Buyids, their appointment of Shi'a viziers or ministers, the use of Shi'a names among their rulers, and close associations with Shi'a scholars.[8] Additionally, Ibn al-Kathir al-Dimashqi, an eighth/fourteenth-century Sunni historiographer, stated that the Buyid rulers were Shi'as or Rafidis as he pejoratively referred to them.[9] In his book al-Naqd, 'Abd al-Jalil al-Qazwini, a sixth/twelfth-century Shi'a scholar, also asserts that the Buyids were Imamis.[10]

Scholars have speculated that the Buyid rulers were originally Zaydis due to the background of Zaydiyya in Tabaristan.[11] According to some, the Buyids converted to Imamiyya from Zaydiyya at a later point in time.[12].[13] In support of this theory, Rasul Jafarian cites Muntajab al-Din al-Razi's Tarikh-i Rey (History of Rey) from the sixth/twelfth-century, which states that Ibn Shahrashub believed the Buyid dynasty converted to Shiism under the guidance of Taj al-Ru'asa b. Abi l-Sa'da, a Shi'a scholar.[14] Jafarian suggests that it is possible that the Buyid rulers switched from Zaydiyya to Twelver Shiism so that they could maintain control over the government themselves as if they had remained committed to Zaydiyya, they would have had to surrender power to the 'Alawites.[15]

Ilya Pavlovich Petrushevsky (1898-1977), a Russian Orientalist, believes that the founders of the Buyid dynasty were Shi'as, but later rulers of the dynasty were officially Sunni Muslims, although they harbored inclinations towards Shiism.[16] The author of the article “The Buyid dynasty and their role in holding Imami Shi'a ceremonies and rituals in Iraq” rejects Petrushevsky’s account, speculating that it may be based on the Buyid recognition of the Abbasid caliphate. [17]Moreover, Bertold Spuler (1990-1911), a German Orientalist, asserts in his book Iran in early Islamic times that the Buyids were Twelver Shias from the outset and remained so throughout their reign.[18]

Commemoration of Shi'a Rituals

The Buyid dynasty promoted certain Imami Shi'a rituals, including the following:

  • 'Ashura mourning ceremonies: On the Day of 'Ashura, in the year 352/963, Mu'izz al-Dawla al-Daylami commanded that public mourning ceremonies be held, and people were asked to wear black garments as a sign of remorse. Women could be seen leaving their homes with disheveled hair and blackened faces, hitting their heads, and weeping over the tragedy of Imam al-Husayn (a), according to Ibn al-Khaldun.[19] In addition, Sunni historiographer Ibn al-Jawzi (d. 597/1200-1) reported that businesses were shut down on this day, tents were erected in bazaars, and mourning ceremonies were held for Imam al-Husayn (a).[20] Al-Kamil al-Shaybi believed that the mourning processions for Imam al-Husayn (a) were first formed in 352/963.[21]
  • Celebration of Eid al-Ghadir: As per Mu'izz al-Dawla al-Daylami’s command, celebration of Eid al-Ghadir was permitted in Baghdad since 351/963.[22] Later rulers of the Buyid dynasty also held celebrations of al-Ghadir.[23]
  • A greater number of visits to the mausoleums of Shi'a Imams: The Buyid dynasty repaired and reconstructed the mausoleums of Imams of the Shi'a, installed domes over their mausoleums,[24] dedicated endowments and vows to them, facilitated pilgrimage to these sites, and encouraged people to live adjacent to the mausoleums of Shi'a Imams, and allocated allowances for individuals residing near the mausoleums.[25]
  • Promotion of the use of Imam al-Husayn’s turba for muhr and rosary: In the era of the Buyid dynasty, there were individuals who crafted rosaries and muhrs from the turba (soil) of Imam al-Husayn's shrine, which they distributed to people.[27]

According to some authors, a coin that dates back to the Buyid era bears the minted words and phrases "Allah," "Muhammad Rasul Allah," and "'Ali Wali Allah."[28]

Renowned Buyid Rulers

Here are some of the most prominent Buyid rulers:

  • 'Ali b. Buya, titled 'Imad al-Dawla al-Daylami, the son of Abu Shuja' al-Daylami. He was the founder of the Buyid dynasty in Fars.
  • Al-Hasan b. Buya, titled Rukn al-Dawla, was the son of Abu Shuja' al-Daylami and the ruler of the Jibad region. He waged several wars in Ray, Jibal, Tabaristan, and Gorgan to expand the Buyid domain.
  • Ahmad b. Buya, titled Muʿizz al-Dawla al-Daylami, was the brother of 'Ali and al-Hasan. He conquered Baghdad in 334/945-6. He ordered the holding of mourning ceremonies on the Day of Ashura'[29] and Eid al-Ghadir[30] celebration in Baghdad.
  • 'Adud al-Dawla al-Daylami, the son of al-Hasan b. Buya. He succeeded his uncle 'Imad al-Dawla in Fars. He was among the most powerful Shi'a emirs who ruled extensive territories of Iran and the rest of the Islamic world. During his reign, he implemented various measures to improve the infrastructure and well-being of his people. These included initiatives such as reconstructing the ruined parts of Baghdad,[31] building large cisterns in Fars,[32] constructing the al-'Adudi Hospital in Baghdad,[33] renovating the graves of Imams of the Shi'a (such as the Shrine of al-Kazimayn[34] and that of al-'Askariyyayn),[35] and fortifying the city of Medina[36] by enclosing it with a wall.

History of Its Formation

An example of the Buyid coins

In the early fourth/tenth century, the Daylamites launched movements in Iran against the Abbasid caliphate.[37] Makan b. Kaki, Asfar b. Shiruya, and Mardawij al-Ziyari led uprisings with their armies. The sons of Abu Shuja', 'Ali, and al-Hasan, joined forces with Makan, who was a Samanid commander. In 321/933, Mardawij al-Ziyari gained control of Jurjan and Tabaristan. 'Ali and al-Hasan convinced Makan to allow them to join Mardawij. Mardawij appointed 'Ali as ruler of Karaj,[38] where he took over nearby forts, causing concern for Mardawij. Initially planning to seize Isfahan, 'Ali was defeated by the army of Mardawij’s brother. Later, he dominated Arrajan and Nawbandjan, and at his command, his brother al-Hasan captured Kazerun.[39] In 322/934, 'Ali conquered Shiraz, where he established the Buyid dynasty.[40] However, according to Sadiq Sajjadi, some historiographers believe that the conquest of Arrajan (321/933) marked the beginning of the Buyid dynasty.[41] In the last twelve years, al-Hasan and Ahmad respectively captured Ray, Kerman, and Iraq. Thus, the Buyid government was divided into three large branches and a small branch in Kerman and Oman.[42]

According to Ali Asghar Faqihi, a Shi'a researcher of history (d. 2003), the book Tajarib al-umam is the main source of the Buyid history.[43] Its author Ibn Miskawayh (320/932 – 420/1029 or 421/1030) lived during the Buyid era.[44]

Monograph

Some works have been written about the Buyid dynasty, including:

  • The book Tarikh-i Al-i Buya (History of the Buyid Dynasty) by Ali Asghar Faqihi: this book offers a detailed historical account of the Ziyarid and Buyid dynasties. Originally published in 2000, the book was intended as a textbook for master's degree students of history in Iranian universities.[45]
  • Humanism in the Renaissance of Islam by Joel L. Kraemer: this book studies the intellectual and cultural burgeoning of Buyid centers, particularly Baghdad. It was translated into Persian.[46]
  • Hayat-i 'ilmi dar 'ahd-i Al-i Buya (Scholarly life in the Buyid era) by Ghulam Rida Fada'i, professor of the University of Tehran (b. 1945-6): This book is part of a series on the scholarly life of Shi'a governments. It discusses scholars and scientists during the Buyid dynasty.[47]
  • Al-Taji fi akhbār al-dawlat al-Daylamiyya by Ibrahim b. Hilal al-Sabi (d. 384994-5), a scribe in the Buyid era: This book provides a historical account of the Buyid dynasty during the reign of 'Adud al-Dawla. Indeed, the book was written at 'Adud al-Dawla’s own command to praise the Daylamites and their government. Ibn Miskawayh cited this book in his Tajarib al-umam. A manuscript of part of this book is kept in Tawakkuliyya Library in the Great Mosque of Sana'a. Muhammad Husayn al-Zabidi published this under al-Muntaza' min kitab al-taji in 1977 in Baghdad.

Notes

  1. ↑ Sajjādī, "Āl Būya", vol. 1, p. 629.
  2. ↑ Gulīzawāra, "Barrasī-yi naqsh-i dawlat Āl būya dar gustarish-i tashayyuʿ wa ʿumrān āatabāt-i Irāq", p. 122.
  3. ↑ Mustawfī, Nuzhat al-qulūb, p. 98, 99, and 174.
  4. ↑ Gulīzawāra, "Barrasī-yi naqsh-i dawlat Āl būya dar gustarish-i tashayyuʿ wa ʿumrān āatabāt-i Irāq", p. 122.
  5. ↑ Sajjādī, "Āl Būya", vol. 1, p. 640.
  6. ↑ Jaʿfarīyān, Tārīkh-i tashayyuʿ dar Irān, p. 375; Jaʿfarnīya, "Sīyāsat-hā-yi ḥukūmat-i Āl būya dar jahat-i taḥkīm-i waḥdat mīyān-i Shīʿa wa ahl-i sunnat", p. 24.
  7. ↑ Jaʿfarīyān, Tārīkh-i tashayyuʿ dar Irān, p. 375.
  8. ↑ Jaʿfarnīya, "Sīyāsat-hā-yi ḥukūmat-i Āl būya dar jahat-i taḥkīm-i waḥdat mīyān-i Shīʿa wa ahl-i sunnat", p. 24.
  9. ↑ Ibn Kathīr, al-Bidāya wa l-nihāya, vol. 11, p. 307.
  10. ↑ Qazwīnī, al-Naqḍ, p. 42.
  11. ↑ Jaʿfarnīya, "Sīyāsat-hā-yi ḥukūmat-i Āl būya dar jahat-i taḥkīm-i waḥdat mīyān-i Shīʿa wa ahl-i sunnat", p. 24.
  12. ↑ Shaybī, al-Ṣila bayn al-taṣawwuf wa l-tashayyuʿ, vol. 2, p. 39.
  13. ↑ According to Fatima Ja'farniya, people of Daylam were introduced to Islam and Shiism by Alawite figures such as Nasir al-Utrush and al-Hasan b. al-Qasim. While the latter was known to be Zaydi, there are varying views with regard to the denomination of Nasir al-Utrush.
  14. ↑ Jaʿfarīyān, Tārīkh-i tashayyuʿ dar Irān, p. 380.
  15. ↑ Jaʿfarīyān, Tārīkh-i tashayyuʿ dar Irān, p. 378.
  16. ↑ Pūraḥmadī, "Āl Būya wa naqsh-i ānān dar barpāyī-yi marāsim wa mawāsim-i Shīʿa-yi Imāmīyya dar Irāq", p. 112.
  17. ↑ Pūraḥmadī, "Āl Būya wa naqsh-i ānān dar barpāyī-yi marāsim wa mawāsim-i Shīʿa-yi Imāmīyya dar Irāq", p. 112.
  18. ↑ Jaʿfarīyān, Tārīkh-i tashayyuʿ dar Irān, p. 375.
  19. ↑ Ibn Khaldūn, Tārīkh Ibn Khaldūn, vol. 3, p. 425.
  20. ↑ Ibn al-Jawzī, al-Muntaẓam, vol. 7, p. 15.
  21. ↑ Shaybī, al-Ṣila bayn al-taṣawwuf wa l-tashayyuʿ, vol. 2, p. 39.
  22. ↑ Ibn Khaldūn, Tārīkh Ibn Khaldūn, vol. 3, p. 420-425.
  23. ↑ Ibn al-Jawzī, al-Muntaẓam, vol. 6, p. 163.
  24. ↑ Dhahabī, al-ʿIbar fī khabar man ghabar, p. 232.
  25. ↑ Khaṭīb Baghdādī, Tārīkh-i Baghdād, vol. 1, p. 424.
  26. ↑ Ibn al-Jawzī, al-Muntaẓam, vol. 8, p. 164; Ibn Khaldūn, Tārīkh Ibn Khaldūn, vol. 3, p. 460.
  27. ↑ Thaʿālibī, Yatīmat al-dahr, vol. 3, p. 183.
  28. ↑ Jaʿfarīyān, Tārīkh-i tashayyuʿ dar Irān, p. 380.
  29. ↑ Ibn Khaldūn, Tārīkh Ibn Khaldūn, vol. 3, p. 527.
  30. ↑ Ibn al-Athīr al-Jazarī, al-Kāmil fī l-tārīkh, vol. 8, p. 549.
  31. ↑ Abū ʿAlī Miskawayh, Tajārub al-umam, vol. 6, p. 477 and 478.
  32. ↑ Farshād, Tārīkh-i ʿilm dar Irān, vol. 2, p. 790.
  33. ↑ Farshād, Tārīkh-i ʿilm dar Irān, vol. 2, p. 749-751.
  34. ↑ Āl Yāsīn, Tārīkh al-mashhad al-kāẓimī, p. 24.
  35. ↑ Maḥallātī, Maʾthar al-kubrā fī tārīkh Sāmarrāʾ, vol. 1, p. 321.
  36. ↑ Samhudī, Wafāʾ al-wafā, vol. 2, p. 269-270.
  37. ↑ Sajjādī, "Āl Būya", vol. 1, p. 629.
  38. ↑ Ibn al-Athīr al-Jazarī, Al-Kāmil fī l-tārīkh, vol. 8, p. 267.
  39. ↑ Maqrizī, al-Sulūk, vol. 1, p. 27.
  40. ↑ Ibn Taghrī-Birdī, al-Nujūm al-zāhira, vol. 3, p. 244-245.
  41. ↑ Sajjādī, "Āl Būya", vol. 1, p. 629.
  42. ↑ Sajjādī, "Āl Būya", vol. 1, p. 629.
  43. ↑ Faqīhī, Tārīkh-i Āl būya, p. 17.
  44. ↑ Faqīhī, Tārīkh-i Āl būya, p. 17.
  45. ↑ Faqīhī, Tārīkh-i Āl būya, p. 4.
  46. ↑ Kramer, Iḥyā-yi farhangī dar ʿahd-i Āl būya: Insān garāyī dar ʿaṣr-i runisāns-i islāmī.
  47. ↑ Fadāʾī ʿIrāqī, Ḥayāt-i ʿilmī dar ʿahd-i Āl būya, p. ?

References

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