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{{Short description|Shia Iranian dynasty in Iran and Iraq (934–1062)}}
{{Infobox Former Country
| native_name            = {{small|{{small|[[Persian language|Persian]]: {{Script|Arab|آل بویه}}, {{small|[[Romanization of Persian|romanized]]:}} ''Âl-i Būya''}}}}
| conventional_long_name = Buyid dynasty
| common_name            = Buyids
| era                    = [[Middle Ages]]<br />[[Islamic Golden Age]]<br />[[Iranian Intermezzo]]
| government_type        = [[Hereditary monarchy]]
| year_start             = 934
| flag_type              = 
| year_end               = 1062{{sfn|Bosworth|1996|pp=154}}
| event_pre              = 
| date_pre               = 
| event1                 = [[Imad al-Dawla]] proclaimed himself Emir
| date_event1            = 934
| event2                 = [[Adud al-Dawla]] becomes the supreme ruler of the Buyid dynasty
| date_event2            = 979
| event3                 = [[Ghaznavid campaigns in Persia|Ghaznavid invasion]]
| date_event3            = 1029
| event_start            = 
| date_start             = 
| event_end              = 
| date_end               = 
| p1                     = Abbasid Caliphate
| p2                     = Ziyarids
| p3                     = Banu Ilyas
| p4                     = Abu Abdallah al-Baridi
| s1                     = Ghaznavids
| s2                     = Seljuk Empire
| s3                     = Kakuyids
| s4                     = Uqaylid dynasty
| s5                     = Marwanids (Diyar Bakr){{!}}Marwanids
| s6                     = Shabankara
| s7                     = Banu Mazyad
| s8                     = Annazids
| image_flag             = 
| image_coat             = 
| image_map              = Buyids_970.png
| image_map2             = File:Buyid Dynasty 934 1055 (AD).PNG
| image_map_caption      = The Buyid dynasty in 970
| map_caption2           = The Buyid realm at the time of [[Adud al-Dawla]]'s death ([[Yemen]] not shown)
| capital                = {{plainlist|

* [[Shiraz]]<br />(Buyids of [[Fars province|Fars]], 934–1062)
* [[Ray, Iran|Ray]]<br />(Buyids of [[Jibal]], 943–1029)
* [[Baghdad]]<br />(Buyids of [[Iraq]], 945–1055)
}}
| national_motto         = 
| national_anthem        = 
| common_languages       = {{plainlist}}
* [[Arabic]] (official and court language; ''[[lingua franca]]''){{sfn|Davaran|2010|p=156}}
* [[Middle Persian]] (secondary court language){{sfn|Davaran|2010|p=156}}
* [[Persian language|New Persian]] (popular, literature){{sfn|Davaran|2010|p=156}}{{sfn|Sajjadi|Asatryan|Melvin-Koushki}}
* [[Daylami language|Daylami]] (ruling dynasty)
{{endplainlist}}
| religion               = [[Shia Islam]] (dynasty){{sfn|Sajjadi|Asatryan|Melvin-Koushki}}<br />[[Sunni Islam]] (majority)<br />[[Zoroastrianism]]<br /> [[Christianity]]<br />[[Judaism]]
| currency               = [[dirham]], [[dinar]]
| leader1                = [[Imad al-Dawla]]
| year_leader1           = 934–949
| leader2                = [[Abu Mansur Fulad Sutun]]
| year_leader2           = 1048–1062
| title_leader           = [[Emir]], [[Shah]]anshah
| stat_year1             = 980 est.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Turchin|first1=Peter|last2=Adams|first2=Jonathan M.|last3=Hall|first3=Thomas D|title=East-West Orientation of Historical Empires|journal=Journal of World-Systems Research|date=December 2006|volume=12|issue=2|page=222|url=http://jwsr.pitt.edu/ojs/index.php/jwsr/article/view/369/381|access-date=12 September 2016|issn=1076-156X}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal|date=September 1997|title=Expansion and Contraction Patterns of Large Polities: Context for Russia|journal=[[International Studies Quarterly]]|volume=41|issue=3|pages=475–504|doi=10.1111/0020-8833.00053|author=Rein Taagepera|author-link=Rein Taagepera|jstor=2600793|url=http://www.escholarship.org/uc/item/3cn68807|url-access=subscription}}</ref><ref name="OxfordArea">{{Cite book|last1=Bang|first1=Peter Fibiger|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9mkLEAAAQBAJ&pg=PA92|title=The Oxford World History of Empire: Volume One: The Imperial Experience|last2=Bayly|first2=C. A.|last3=Scheidel|first3=Walter|year=2020|publisher=Oxford University Press|isbn=978-0-19-977311-4|pages=92–94|language=en}}</ref>
| stat_area1             = 1600000
}}
The '''Buyid dynasty'''{{efn|{{langx|fa|{{Script|Arab|آل بویه}}|Âl-i Būya}}}}{{efn|Also spelled as '''Bowayhids''', '''Buwaihids'''<ref>{{harvnb|Nagel|1990|pp=578–586}}</ref> or '''Buwayhids''' etc.<br />{{langx|ar|{{Script|Arab|البويهية}}|al-Buwayhiyyah}}}} or '''Buyid Empire'''  was a [[Zaydism|Zaydi]] and later [[Twelver Shi'ism|Twelver Shi'a]] dynasty of [[Daylamites|Daylamite]] origin.{{sfn|Sajjadi|Asatryan|Melvin-Koushki}}{{efn|Historiography and scholarship agree that the Buyids were Daylamites.<ref>{{harvnb|Busse|1975|pp=251–252}}; {{harvnb|Bürgel|Mottahedeh|1988|pp=265–269}}; {{harvnb|Nagel|1990|pp=578–586}}; {{harvnb|Bosworth|1996|pp=154–155}}; {{harvnb|Kennedy|2004|p=211}}; {{harvnb|Karsh|2007|pp=60}}; {{harvnb|Cahen|1960|pp=1350–1357}}; {{harvnb|Felix|Madelung|1995|pp=342–347}}.</ref>}} Founded by [[Imad al-Dawla]],<ref>{{Harvnb|Busse|1975|p=262}}: "ʿImād al-Daula may therefore accurately be said to have founded the Būyid Empire, but not to have moulded it into shape."</ref> they mainly ruled over central and southern [[Iran]], and [[Iraq]] from 934 to 1062. The Buyids, together with the rise of other Iranian dynasties in the region, represents a period in Iranian history sometimes referred to as the [[Iranian Intermezzo]].{{sfn|Blair|1992|p=103}} 

The Buyid dynasty was founded by [[Imad al-Dawla|Ali ibn Buya]], who in 934 conquered [[Fars province|Fars]] and made [[Shiraz]] his capital. He received the ''[[laqab]]'' or honorific title of ''Imad al-Dawla'' ({{Literal translation|Fortifier of the State}}). His younger brother, [[Rukn al-Dawla|Hasan ibn Buya]] ({{Reign|935|976}}) conquered parts of [[Jibal]] in the late 930s, and by 943 managed to capture [[Ray, Iran|Ray]], which he made his capital. Hasan was given the ''laqab'' of ''Rukn al-Dawla'' ({{Literal translation|Pillar of the State}}). In 945, the youngest brother, Ahmad ibn Buya, conquered [[Iraq]] and made [[Baghdad]] his capital. He was given the laqab [[Mu'izz al-Dawla]].

As Iranians of [[Daylamites|Daylamite]] origin, the Buyids consciously revived the symbols and practices of the [[Sasanian Empire]].<ref>{{cite book|last1=Goldschmidt|first1=Arthur|title=A Concise History of the Middle East|date=2002|publisher=Westview Press|location=Boulder, CO|isbn=978-0813338859|page=[https://archive.org/details/concisehistoryof00gold/page/87 87]|edition=7|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/concisehistoryof00gold/page/87}}</ref> Beginning with Imad al-Dawla, some of the Buyid rulers used the ancient Sasanian title of ''[[Shah]]anshah'', literally "king of kings".{{sfn|Sajjadi|Asatryan|Melvin-Koushki}} The Buyids had many inscriptions carved into the [[Achaemenid Empire|Achaemenid]] ruins at [[Persepolis]], thus suggesting a form of veneration of the site, which the Buyids thought was built by the mythical Iranian king [[Jamshid]].{{sfn|Herzig|Stewart|2011|p=36}}

The Buyid dynasty reached its zenith under [['Adud al-Dawla|Fannā Khusraw]] ({{reign|949|983}}), whose ''laqab'' was ''Adud al-Dawla.'' He is remembered for his open-mindedness and building projects such as the [[Band-e Amir (dam)|Band-e Amir]] dam near Shiraz.{{sfn|Frye|Keshk|2014}} Under him, the Buyid realm stretched from the [[Byzantine]] border in [[Syria (region)|Syria]] in the west to the borders of [[Greater Khorasan|Khorasan]] in the east.{{sfn|Bürgel|Mottahedeh|1988|pp=265–269}}

Although the Buyids were initially [[Zaydism|Zaydi Shia]], they became [[Twelver Shi'ism|Twelver Shia]] following the [[Major Occultation]] of [[Muhammad al-Mahdi]] after the death of his fourth agent in 941. Regardless, the Buyids were known for supporting the Sunni [[Abbasid Caliphate|Abbasid]] caliphs and being tolerant of the [[Sunni Islam|Sunni]] population, who were the majority in their realm. They were, by contrast, unfriendly towards the [[Fatimid Caliphate|Fatimids]], centered in Egypt, who were [[Isma'ilism|Isma'ilis]].{{sfn|Frye|Keshk|2014}}

In contrast to the [[Samanids]], who ruled over a mostly Sunni Muslim population in [[Central Asia]], the Buyid realm contained many [[Zoroastrianism|Zoroastrians]] and Christians (primarily from the [[Church of the East]]). Because of this, many records written under the Buyids were composed in [[Middle Persian]], [[Syriac language|Syriac]] and [[Arabic]].{{sfn|Frye|Keshk|2014}}
== Etymology ==
The etymology of the name ''Būya'' (''Būyāk'' in [[Middle Persian]]) is defined by the [[Dehkhoda Dictionary]] as something that is "pleasant-smelling" or "aromatic".<ref>{{cite web |last1=Akbar |first1=Ali |title=Dehkhoda Dictionary |url=https://dehkhoda.ut.ac.ir/en/dictionary/بویا |publisher=University of Tehran Press |access-date=7 November 2025}}</ref> The ''[[Amid Dictionary]]'' lists the word ''Būya'' as equivalent to New Persian ''ārzū'', also meaning "aromatic", as well as "hope", "desire", and "wish".<ref>{{cite web |last1=Amid |first1=Hasan|authorlink=Hasan Amid|title=Amid Dictionary |url=https://archive.org/details/AmidPersianToPersianDictionary/page/n247/mode/2up?q=%D8%A8%D9%88%DB%8C%D8%A7 |page=239}}</ref>

This name was given to Abu Shoja Buya, the [[Eponym|eponymous]] ancestor of the Buyid dynasty.

==Origins==
The Buyids were descendants of Panah-Khusrow, a [[Zoroastrianism|Zoroastrian]] from [[Daylam]]. He had a son named Buya, who was a fisherman from Lahijan,{{sfn|Felix|Madelung|1995|pp=342–347}} and later left Zoroastrianism and converted to [[Islam]].{{sfn|Busse|1975|pp=274}} Buya later had three sons, named [[Mu'izz al-Dawla|Ahmad]], [[Imad al-Dawla|'Ali]], and [[Rukn al-Dawla|Hasan]], who would later carve out the Buyid kingdom together. The Buyids claimed royal lineage from [[Bahram V]] ({{reign|420|438}}), the [[King of Kings]] (''[[shah]]anshah'') of the [[Sasanian Empire]].{{sfn|Davaran|2010|p=157}}

==History==
=== Daylam in the 10th century ===
===Rise (934–945)===
The founder of the dynasty, '[[Ali ibn Buya]], was originally a soldier in the service of the Daylamite warlord [[Makan ibn Kaki]],{{sfn|Nagel|1990|pp=578–586}} but later changed his allegiance to the Iranian ruler [[Mardavij]], who had established the [[Ziyarid dynasty]], and was himself related to the ruling dynasty of [[Gilan]],{{sfn|Kennedy|2004|p=211}} a region bordering Daylam. 'Ali was later joined by his two younger brothers, Hasan ibn Buya and Ahmad ibn Buya. In 932, 'Ali was given [[Karaj]] as his fief, and thus was able to enlist other Daylamites into his army. However, 'Ali's initiative proved too much for Mardavij, who planned to have him killed, but 'Ali was informed of Mardavij's plan by the latter's own ''[[vizier]]''. The brothers, with 400 of their Daylamite supporters, then fled to [[Fars province|Fars]],{{sfn|Kennedy|2004|p=212}} where they managed to take control of [[Arrajan]].{{sfn|Busse|1975|p=255}} However, the Buyids and the [[Abbasid Caliphate|Abbasid]] general Yaqut shortly fought for control of Fars, with the Buyids eventually emerging victorious.{{sfn|Nagel|1990|pp=578–586}} This victory opened the way for the conquest of the capital of Fars, [[Shiraz]].{{sfn|Kennedy|2004|p=213}}

'Ali also allied with the landowners of Fars, which included the [[Fasanjas family]], which would later produce many prominent statesmen for the Buyids. 'Ali also enlisted more soldiers—including [[Turkish people|Turks]], who were made part of the cavalry. 'Ali then sent his brother Ahmad on an expedition to [[Kerman province|Kerman]], but was forced to withdraw after opposition from the [[Baloch people]] and the Qafs.{{sfn|Busse|1975|p=257}} However, Mardavij, who sought to depose the Abbasid caliph of [[Baghdad]] and recreate a Zoroastrian Iranian Empire, shortly wrested [[Khuzestan province|Khuzestan]] from the Abbasids and forced 'Ali to recognize him as his suzerain.{{sfn|Busse|1975|p=256}}

Luckily for the Buyids, Mardavij was assassinated shortly thereafter in 935, which caused chaos in the Ziyarid territories, a perfect situation for the Buyid brothers; Ali and Ahmad conquered Khuzistan, while Hasan captured the Ziyarid capital of [[Isfahan]], and, in 943, captured [[Rey, Iran|Rey]], which became his capital, thus conquering all of [[Jibal]]. In 945, Ahmad entered [[Iraq]] and seized control of Baghdad, leaving the Abbasid court with no real option but to submit to their authority as de facto rulers.{{sfn|Rustow|2020|p=191}} He received the [[Arabic name#Laqab|laqab]] ''Mu'izz ad-Dawla'' ("Fortifier of the State"), while 'Ali was given the laqab ''Imād al-Dawla'' ("Support of the State"), and Hasan was given the laqab ''Rukn al-Dawla'' ("Pillar of the State"). The Buyids constructed a royal palace (Dar al-Mamlaka) in Baghdad, situated just north of the caliphal palace (Dar al-Khilafa), symbolizing a division of authority.{{sfn|El-Hibri|2021|p=177}} Meanwhile, the caliph’s influence continued to decline—he no longer had a vizier and effectively became a figurehead under Buyid control.{{sfn|El-Hibri|2021|p=177}}

===Height of power and Golden age (945–983)===
[[File:Gold Ewer Iran Buyid Period Third quarter of 10th century CE (cleaned up).jpg|thumb|Gold ewer of the Buyid Period, mentioning Buyid ruler [[Izz al-Dawla Bakhtiyar ibn Mu'izz al-Dawla]], 966–977 CE, Iran.<ref>{{cite web|title=Ewer|url=https://asia.si.edu/object/F1943.1/|website=Smithsonian's National Museum of Asian Art}}</ref>]]
In addition to the other territories the Buyids had conquered, Kerman was conquered in 967, followed by [[Oman]] (967), the [[Al Jazira, Mesopotamia|Jazira]] (979), Tabaristan (980), and [[Gorgan]] (981). After this, however, the Buyids went into a slow decline, with pieces of the confederation gradually breaking off and local dynasties under their rule becoming ''de facto'' independent.

===Decline and fall (983–1062)===
The death of [['Adud al-Dawla|Adud al-Dawla]] is considered the start of the decline of the Buyid dynasty;{{sfn|Kennedy|2004|p=234}} his son [[Samsam al-Dawla|Abu Kalijar Marzuban]], who was in Baghdad when he died, at first kept his death secret to ensure his succession and avoid civil war. When he eventually made the death of his father public, he was given the title of "Samsam al-Dawla". However, Adud's other son, [[Sharaf al-Dawla|Shirdil Abu'l-Fawaris]], challenged his authority, and the feared civil war occurred anyway.{{sfn|Busse|1975|p=289}} Meanwhile, a [[Kurds|Kurdish]] [[Marwanids (Diyar Bakr)|Marwanid]] chieftain named [[Badh ibn Dustak]] seized [[Diyarbakır|Diyabakr]] and forced Samsam al-Dawla to recognize him as the vassal ruler of the region.{{sfn|Busse|1975|p=289}} Furthermore, Mu'ayyad al-Dawla, son of and successor to Rukn al-Dawla, also died during this period. Mu'ayyad al-Dawla was succeeded by his brother Fakhr al-Dawla, who, with the aid of Mu'ayyad al-Dawla's vizier [[Sahib ibn 'Abbad]], became the ruler of Mu'ayyad al-Dawla's possessions.{{sfn|Busse|1975|p=290}} Another son of Adud al-Dawla, [[Abu Tahir Firuzshah]], established himself as the ruler of [[Basra]] and took the title of "Diya' al-Dawla", while another son, [[Abu'l-Husain Ahmad]], established himself as the ruler of Khuzistan, taking the title of "Taj al-Dawla".

[[File:AbuKalijarBuyidCoinHistoryofIran.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.2|Coinage of Buyid amir [[Abu Kalijar]] (r.1024–1048)]]
Shirdil Abu'l-Fawaris (known by his title of "Sharaf al-Dawla") quickly seized Oman from Samsam al-Dawla, and, in 983, the Turkic troops of Samsam al-Dawla mutinied against him and some left Iraq for Fars, but most of them were persuaded by his relative [[Ziyar ibn Shahrakawayh]] to stay in Iraq. However, Iraq was in a grim state, and several rebellions occurred, which he managed to suppress, the most dangerous being that of [[Asfar ibn Kurdawayh]], who tried to make [[Baha' al-Dawla|Abu Nasr Firuz Kharshadh]] (known by his title of "Baha' al-Dawla") the ruler of Iraq. During the same period, Samsam al-Dawla also managed to seize Basra and Khuzistan, forcing his two brothers to flee to Fakhr al-Dawla's territory.

During the mid-11th century, the Buyid amirates gradually fell to the [[Ghaznavids]] and [[Seljuk Turks]]. In 1029, Majd al-Dawla, who was facing an uprising by his Daylami troops in [[Rey, Iran|Ray]], requested assistance from [[Mahmud of Ghazna]].{{sfn|Bosworth|1963|pp=53, 59, 234}} When Sultan Mahmud arrived, he deposed Majd al-Dawla, replaced him with a [[Ghaznavid]] governor and ended the Buyid dynasty in [[Rey, Iran|Ray]].{{sfn|Bosworth|1963|pp=53, 59, 234}}{{sfn|Bosworth|1968|p=37}}

In 1055, [[Tughril]] conquered [[Baghdad]], the seat of the caliphate, and ousted the last of the Buyid rulers.{{sfn|Sajjadi|Asatryan|Melvin-Koushki}} Like the Buyids, the [[Seljuks]] kept the [[Abbasid caliphate|Abbasid caliphs]] as figureheads.<ref name="Lewis">Bernard Lewis, ''The Middle East: A Brief History of the Last 2,000 Years'', (New York: Scribner, 1995) p. 89.</ref>

== Government ==
The Buyids established a confederation in Iraq and western Iran. This confederation formed three principalities: one in Fars, with Shiraz as its capital, the second one in Jibal, with Ray as its capital, and the last one in Iraq, with Baghdad as its capital. However, during their late period, more principalities formed in the Buyid confederation. Succession was [[heredity|hereditary]], with rulers dividing their land among their sons.

The title used by the Buyid rulers was ''[[amir]]'', meaning "governor" or "prince". Generally, one of the amirs would be recognized as having seniority over the others; this individual would use the title of ''[[amir al-umara]]'',{{sfn|Kabir|1964}} or senior ''amir''. Although the senior ''amīr'' was the formal head of the Būyids, he did not usually have any significant control outside of his amirate; each amir enjoyed a high degree of autonomy within his territories. As mentioned above, some stronger ''amirs'' used the [[Sassanid]] title of ''[[Shahanshah]]''. Furthermore, several other titles such as ''[[malik]]'' ("king"), and ''malik al-muluk'' ("king of kings"), were also used by the Buyids. On a smaller scale, the Buyid territory was also ruled by princes from other families, such as the Hasanwayhids.

=== Military ===
[[File:Buyid silk.jpg|thumb|upright=1.5|Silk with depiction of horsemen, produced under the Buyids]]
During the beginning of the Buyid dynasty, their army consisted mainly of their fellow Daylamites, a warlike and brave people of mostly peasant origin, who served as foot soldiers. The Daylamites had a long history of military activity dating back to the Sasanian period, and had been mercenaries in various places in Iran and Iraq, and even as far as [[Egypt]]. The Daylamites, during a battle, normally bore a sword, a shield, and three spears. Furthermore, they were also known for their formidable shield formation, which was hard to break through.{{sfn|Busse|1975|p=251}}

However, when the Buyid territories increased, they began recruiting Turks into their cavalry,{{sfn|Kennedy|2004|p=213}} who had played a prominent role in the Abbasid military.<ref>''Sohar and the Daylamī interlude (356–443/967–1051)'', Valeria Fiorani Piacentini, ''Proceedings of the Seminar for Arabian Studies'', Vol. 35, Papers from the thirty-eighth meeting of the Seminar for Arabian Studies held in London, 22–24 July 2004 (2005), 196.</ref> The Buyid army also consisted of [[Kurds]], who, along with the Turks, were [[Sunni Islam|Sunnis]], while the Daylamites were [[Shia Islam|Shi'i Muslims]].{{sfn|Busse|1975|p=287}} However, the army of the Buyids of Jibal was mainly composed of Daylamites.{{sfn|Kennedy|2004|p=244}}

The Daylamites and Turks often quarrelled with each other for dominance within the army.{{sfn|Busse|1975|pp=265, 298}} To compensate their soldiers, the Buyid amīrs often distributed [[Iqta'|''iqtāʾ'']]s, or the rights to a percentage of tax revenues from a province ([[Farm (revenue leasing)|tax farming]]), although the practice of [[in kind|payment in kind]] was also frequently used.<ref>Sourdel-Thomine, J. "Buwayhids." ''The Encyclopedia of Islam, Volume I.'' New Ed. Leiden: E. J. Brill, 1960. p. 1353.</ref> While the Turks were favoured in Buyid Iraq, the Daylamites were favoured in Buyid Iran.{{sfn|Busse|1975|p=252}}

==Culture==

===Language===
Contrary to the Samanids, the Buyids did not adopt Dari (also known as [[New Persian]]) as their official language.{{sfn|Davaran|2010|pp=154–156}} Instead, [[Arabic]] served as the ''[[lingua franca]]'' of their realm, while [[Middle Persian]] was occasionally used as a secondary court language.{{sfn|Davaran|2010|p=156}}

Buyids were notable as patrons of Arabic language and culture, and used Arabic in correspondence as well as poetry.{{sfn|Sajjadi|Asatryan|Melvin-Koushki}} Under the Buyids, Arabic culture experienced a remarkable flourishing, and the Dailami rulers who succeeded the founding brothers—the sons of Buya—readily and enthusiastically embraced this culture.{{sfn|Bosworth|1976|p=54}} Adud al-Dawla, Shāhanshāh of the Buyid dynasty, patronized the writing of the ''[[Kitab al-Taji]]'', a history of the Buyid dynasty written in Arabic by Abu Ishaq Ibrahim al-Sabi.{{sfn|Khan|1965|p=32}} One notable example of Buyid patronage of Arabic literature is the well-known account of [[Al-Mutanabbi|al-Mutanabbī]]—a great Arabic poet—being warmly received at the court of ʿAḍud al-Dawla in Shiraz.{{sfn|Mottahedeh|2023|p=566}} [[Abu al-Faraj al-Isfahani]], an Arab historian, was primarily patronized by the Buyids, though his magnum opus, ''[[Kitab al-Aghani]]'', was sponsored by an anonymous patron.{{sfn|Khan|2008|p=137-138}}

[[File:Adud al-Dawla.jpg|thumb|Silver medallion of Adud al-Dawla with Middle Persian legends]]
[[File:Inscription of Adud al-Dawla in Persepolis.jpg|thumb|One of the two Arabic inscriptions of Adud al-Dawla in [[Persepolis]]]]
It is uncertain why the Buyids did not promote the use of New Persian. According to the historians Edmund Herzig and Sarah Stewart in their book ''Early Islamic Iran'' (2011), it may have been due to three factors; the Buyids had been influenced during their stay in Baghdad and thus aspired to be important supporters of Arabic writing; New Persian may have been discouraged by the Zoroastrian priests, who still wrote in Middle Persian in regions such as Fars; New Persian may have been very different/at odds with the dialects of western Iran, and was only mostly welcomed in eastern Iran.{{sfn|Herzig|Stewart|2011|p=157}}

However, New Persian was still used as language of poetry at the Buyid courts. Many prominent poets in the Buyid realm wrote in New Persian, such as Abu Muhammad Mansur ibn Ali al-Mantiqi al-Razi, Khusrawi Sarakhsi and Abu Zayd Muhammad ibn Ali al-Ghada'iri al-Razi.{{sfn|Sajjadi|Asatryan|Melvin-Koushki}} The Persian vizier [[Sahib ibn Abbad]] (died 995), who was the leading figure at the Buyid court at Ray for a lengthy period, wrote only in Arabic, which he preferred instead of his native tongue. However, he also accepted New Persian [[panegyric]]s that were dedicated to him.{{sfn|Herzig|Stewart|2011|p=155}}

The Buyids also promoted the use of ''[[Fahlavīyāt|fahlaviyat]]'',{{sfn|Herzig|Stewart|2011|p=157}} a designation for poetry composed in the local [[Western Iranian languages|northwestern Iranian dialects and languages]].{{sfn|Paul|2000}}{{sfn|Tafazzoli|1999|pp=158–162}} Due to having a large Zoroastrian and Christian population, many records written under the Buyids were composed in Middle Persian, [[Syriac language|Syriac]] and Arabic.{{sfn|Frye|Keshk|2014}}

=== Naming traditions, celebrations and identity ===
While the brothers that established the Buyid kingdom had the Arabic names of Ali, Hasan, and Ahmad, the second Buyid generation notably had Iranian names, such as Kamrava, Marzuban, Bahram and Khusraw.{{sfn|Davaran|2010|p=156}} The Buyids had many inscriptions carved at the [[Achaemenid Empire|Achaemenid]] ruins of [[Persepolis]], thus suggesting a form of veneration of the site, which the Buyids thought was built by the mythical Iranian king [[Jamshid]].{{sfn|Herzig|Stewart|2011|p=36}} Adud al-Dawla celebrated the ancient Iranian festivals of [[Sadeh]] and [[Mehregan]], and like many previous Islamic rulers—including the caliphs—he most likely celebrated [[Nowruz]] as well. He used Nowruz as a model for two newly created festivals, which were celebrated annually in the town of Fana Khusraw-gird.{{sfn|Bürgel|Mottahedeh|1988|pp=265–269}}

Under the Buyids, the idea of "Iranshahr" (Iran) appears in geographical works, which were all written in Arabic by mostly Iranian authors. The geographer [[Istakhri]], who was active in the late 10th-century and wrote; "The best cultivated (''ma‘mur''), fairest and most fertile part of the world, and the most established in its political life is the kingdom of Iranshahr."{{sfn|Herzig|Stewart|2011|p=155}}

Herzig and Stewart adds that;{{sfn|Herzig|Stewart|2011|p=157}}

{{blockquote|Considered together the preceding materials offer important clues to the question of Iranian identity under the Buyids. In the first instance we have rulers who are unashamedly Iranian and who sought by genealogy, title and homage to Persepolis to show their connection with the pre-Islamic Iranian past. At the same time, the inhabitants of the Buyid kingdoms and eastern Iranians showed a sometimes embarrassingly high level of self-esteem as the people of Iranshahr.}}

===Religion===
Like most Daylamites at the time, the Buyids were Shia and have been called [[Twelver]]s.{{sfn|Afsaruddin|2018|p=-235-236}} However, it is likely that they began as [[Zaydiyyah|Zaydis]].<ref name=Momen/><ref>{{cite book|last=Berkey|first=Jonathan|author-link=Jonathan Berkey|title=The Formation of Islam: Religion and Society in the Near East, 600–1800|url=https://archive.org/details/formationofislam0000berk|url-access=registration|year=2003|publisher=Cambridge University Press|isbn=978-0-521-58813-3}}, p. 135</ref> Moojen Momen explains this transition from Zaydism to Twelverism, by noting that, since the Buyids were not descendants of [[Ali]], the first Shi'i Imam, Zaydism would have required them to install an Imam from Ali's family. So, Buyids tended toward Twelverism, which has an [[Muhammad al-Mahdi|occulted Imam]], a more politically attractive option to them.<ref name=Momen>{{Citation|last=Momen|first=Moojan|title=An Introduction to Shi'i Islam|year=1985|publisher=Yale University Press|pages=75–76|isbn=978-0-300-03531-5}}</ref>

The Buyids rarely attempted to enforce a particular religious view upon their subjects except in matters where it would be politically expedient. The Sunni Abbasids retained the caliphate but were deprived of all secular power.<ref>''Abbasids'', Bernard Lewis, ''The Encyclopaedia of Islam'', Vol. I, ed. H. A. R. Gibb, J. H. Kramers, E. Levi-Provençal, J. Schacht, (E.J. Brill, 1986), 19.</ref> In addition, to prevent tensions between the Shia and the Sunnis from spreading to government agencies, the Buyid amirs occasionally appointed [[Christians]] to high offices instead of Muslims from either sect.<ref>Heribert, pp. 287–8</ref>

== Architecture ==
Under the supervision of the Buyids, large construction and engineering projects took place, such as irrigation systems and agricultural developments, all of which led to an increase in income. In comparison to other local rulers in Iraq, particularly the Baridis and [[Hamdanids]], it was clear that the Buyids had a liking to construction projects. When Mu'izz al-Dawla arrived in Iraq, the country had been ravaged as a result of local struggles over control of Baghdad. Under his instructions, the Baduriya dam on the Rufayl river was restored, subsequently resulting in lower prices of common foods, such as bread. This also inspired people to migrate to Baghdad.{{sfn|Sajjadi|Asatryan|Melvin-Koushki}}

It was during the reign of Adud al-Dawla that most of the Buyid construction and restoration projects took place. Under him, Shiraz became so crowded that the garrison had no place to roam, which led Adud al-Dawla to have a special quarter created, Fana Khusraw-gird ("Fana Khusraw made it"), a name which deliberately reflected the name of towns established by the Sasanian kings.{{sfn|Sajjadi|Asatryan|Melvin-Koushki}}{{sfn|Bürgel|Mottahedeh|1988|pp=265–269}} The town of [[Firuzabad, Fars|Firuzabad]], considered to be linked to the Sasanian king [[Ardashir I]] ({{reign|224|242}}), was revamped by Adud al-Dawla, possibly done in order to stress his claim to Sasanian ancestry. One of Adud al-Dawla's lasting building projects was the [[Imam Ali Shrine|mausoleum]] erected on the burial place of [[Ali]].{{sfn|Sajjadi|Asatryan|Melvin-Koushki}}

==Buyid rulers==
[[File:Plate Buwayhid.JPG|right|thumb|Buyid era art: Painted, incised, and glazed earthenware. Dated 10th century, [[Iran]]. [[New York Metropolitan Museum of Art]].]]

===Major rulers===
Generally, the three most powerful Buyid amirs at any given time were those controlling [[Fars province|Fars]], [[Jibal]] and [[Iraq]]. Sometimes a ruler would come to rule more than one region, but no Buyid rulers ever exercised direct control of all three regions.

'''Buyids in Fars'''
* [[Imad al-Dawla]] (934–949)
* [['Adud al-Dawla]] (949–983)
* [[Sharaf al-Dawla]] (983–989)
* [[Samsam al-Dawla]] (989–998)
* [[Baha' al-Dawla]] (998–1012)
* [[Sultan al-Dawla]] (1012–1024)
* [[Abu Kalijar]] (1024–1048)
* [[Abu Mansur Fulad Sutun]] (1048–1051)
* [[Abu Sa'd Khusrau Shah]] (1051–1054)
* [[Abu Mansur Fulad Sutun]] (1051–1062)

'''Buyids in Ray'''
* [[Rukn al-Dawla]] (935–976)
* [[Fakhr al-Dawla]] (976–980)
* [[Mu'ayyad al-Dawla]] (980–983)
* Fakhr al-Dawla (restored; 984–997)
* [[Majd al-Dawla]] (997–1029)

'''Buyids in Iraq'''
* [[Mu'izz al-Dawla]] (945–967)
* [['Izz al-Dawla]] (966–978)
* 'Adud al-Dawla (978–983)
* [[Samsam al-Dawla]] (983–987)
* [[Sharaf al-Dawla]] (987–989)
* [[Baha' al-Dawla]] (989–1012)
* [[Sultan al-Dawla]] (1012–1021)
* [[Musharrif al-Dawla]] (1021–1025)
* [[Jalal al-Dawla]] (1025–1044)
* [[Abu Kalijar]] (1044–1048)
* [[Al-Malik al-Rahim]] (1048–1055)

===Minor rulers===
It was not uncommon for younger sons to found collateral lines, or for individual Buyid members to take control of a province and begin ruling there. The following list is incomplete.

'''Buyids in Basra'''
* [[Diya' al-Dawla]] (980s)

'''Buyids in Hamadan'''
* [[Mu'ayyad al-Dawla]] (976–983)
* [[Shams al-Dawla]] (997–1021)
* [[Sama' al-Dawla]] (1021–1024)

'''Buyids in Kerman'''
* [[Qawam al-Dawla]] (1012–1028)

'''Buyids of Khuzistan'''
* [[Taj al-Dawla]] (980s)

==Family tree==
{{Tree chart/start}}
{{Tree chart| | | | | | | | | | | | | BUY | | | | | | |BUY = '''Buya''' | border=1}}
{{Tree chart| | | | | | | | | | | | | |!| | | | | | | | | | border=1}}
{{Tree chart| | | | |,|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|+|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|v|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|.| |border=1}}
{{Tree chart| | | | ALI | | | | | | | HAS | | | | | | AHM | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | UNQ | |ALI='''[[Imad al-Dawla]]'''<br />934–949 |HAS='''[[Rukn al-Dawla]]'''<br />935–976 |AHM='''[[Mu'izz al-Dawla]]'''<br />945–967 |UNQ='''Kama''' | border=1}}
{{Tree chart| | | | | | | | | | | | | |!| | | |,|-|-|-|+|-|-|-|v|-|-|-|v|-|-|-|v|-|-|-|.| | | |!| | border=1}}
{{Tree chart| | | | | | | | | | | | | |!| | | AIØ | | BAK | | SAN | | MØX | | ZUB | | ATA | | ALM | | ALM = '''[[Ali ibn Kama]]''' |BAK='''[[Izz al-Dawla]]'''<br />967–978 |SAN='''Sanad al-Dawla''' |AIØ='''[[Abu Ishaq Ibrahim (Buyid)|Abu Ishaq Ibrahim]]''' | MØX='''Marzuban''' | ZUB='''Zubayda''' |ATA='''Abu Tahir''' | border=1}} 
{{Tree chart| | | | | | | | | | | | | |!| | | | | | | |!|border=1}}
{{Tree chart| | | | | | | | | | | | | |!| | | | | | | |)|-|-|-|v|-|-|-|.| border=1}}
{{Tree chart| | | | | | | | | |,|-|-|-|+|-|-|-|.| | | ØZI | | SAL | | UQS | | | | |ØZI='''[[Marzuban ibn Bakhtiyar]]''' |SAL='''Salar''' |UQS='''Unnamed princess''' |border=1}}
{{Tree chart| |,|-|-|-|v|-|-| ABU | | PAN | | AB1 | | | | | |ABU='''[[Fakhr al-Dawla]]'''<br />976–997 |PAN='''[['Adud al-Dawla]]'''<br />949–983 |AB1='''[[Mu'ayyad al-Dawla]]'''<br />980–983 | border=1}}
{{Tree chart| |!| | | |!| | | | | | | |!| | | | | | | | | | | border=1}}
{{Tree chart| |!| | | |!| | | |,|-|-|-|+|-|-|-|v|-|-|-|.| | | | border=1}}
{{Tree chart| AB2 | | AB3 | | SH1 | | AB4 | | AB5 | | SHA | | | |AB2='''[[Shams al-Dawla]]'''<br />997–1021 |AB3='''[[Majd al-Dawla]]'''<br />997–1029 |SH1='''[[Sharaf al-Dawla]]'''<br />983–989  |AB4='''[[Samsam al-Dawla]]'''<br />983–998 |AB5='''[[Baha' al-Dawla]]'''<br />998–1012 |SHA= '''Shahnaz''' | border=1}}
{{Tree chart| |!| | | |!| | | | | | | |,|-|-|-|+|-|-|-|v|-|-|-|.| border=1}}
{{Tree chart| AO1 | | |)|-|-|-|.| | | FAR | | AB6 | | AB7 | | AB9 | | |FAR='''[[Qawam al-Dawla]]'''<br />1012–1028 |AO1='''[[Sama' al-Dawla]]'''<br />1021–1024 |AB6='''[[Sultan al-Dawla]]'''<br />1012–1024  |AB7='''[[Musharrif al-Dawla]]'''<br />1021–1025 |AB9='''[[Jalal al-Dawla]]'''<br />1027–1044 | border=1}}
{{Tree chart| | | | | AFQ | | ADU | | | | | | |!| | | |,|-|-|-|^|-|-|-|.| |AFQ = '''[[Fana-Khusrau]]''' | ADU='''Abu Dulaf''' | border=1}}
{{Tree chart| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | AB8 | | AZI | | | | | | MAQ | |AB8='''[[Abu Kalijar]]'''<br />1024–1048 | AZI='''[[Al-Malik al-Aziz]]''' | MAQ='''Abu Mansur Ali''' | border=1}}
{{Tree chart| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |!| | | | | | | | | }}
{{Tree chart| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |!| | | | | | | | | }}
{{Tree chart| | | | | | | | | | | |,|-|-|-|v|-|^|-|v|-|-|-|v|-|-|-|v|-|-|-|.| | border=1}}
{{Tree chart| | | | | | | | | | | AFK | | A10 | | A11 | | KAM | | AMB | | ASK | |A10='''[[Abu Mansur Fulad Sutun]]'''<br />1048–1062 |A11='''[[Al-Malik al-Rahim]]'''<br />1048–1055 |AFK='''[[Abu Ali Fana-Khusrau]]''' | KAM = '''Kamrava''' | AMB = '''Abu'l-Muzaffar Bahram''' | ASK = '''[[Abu Sa'd Khusrau Shah]]''' | border=1}}
{{Tree chart| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |!| | | |!| | | | | |border=1}}
{{Tree chart| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | AGM | | SUR | | | | SUR = '''Surkhab''' | AGM = '''Abu'l-Ghana'im al-Marzuban''' | |border=1}}
{{Tree chart/end}}

==See also==
{{History of Iran}}
*[[Iranian Intermezzo]]
*[[List of kings of Persia]]
*[[List of Shi'a Muslims dynasties]]

== Notes ==
{{notelist}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

==Sources==
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{{refend}}

{{Buyid dynasty}}
{{Iran topics}}
{{Iranian Intermezzo}}
{{Empires}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Buyid Dynasty}}
[[Category:Buyid dynasty| ]]
[[Category:States and territories established in the 930s]]
[[Category:States and territories disestablished in the 1060s]]
[[Category:934 establishments]]
[[Category:Medieval history of Iraq]]
[[Category:Dynasties in Persia and Iran]]
[[Category:Shia dynasties]]
[[Category:Shia Muslims]]