Sayyida Shirin

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Sayyida Shirin

Died 1028

Ray

Spouse Fakhr al-Dawla

Issue Majd al-Dawla

Shams al-Dawla

Dynasty Bavand dynasty

Father Rustam II

Religion Shia Islam

Sayyida Shirin (Persian: ‫ ;سیده شیرین‬died 1028), also simply known as Sayyida (‫)سیدا‬,
was a Bavandid princess, who was the wife of the Buyid amir (ruler) Fakhr al-
Dawla (r. 976–980, 984–997).
She was the regent of most of Jibal during the minority of her son, Majd al-
Dawla (r. 997–1029), and served as de facto ruler also after her formal regency had
ended during the reign of her son. She is notable for securing the governorship
of Isfahan to her first cousin Ala al-Dawla Muhammad, thus marking the start of
the Kakuyid dynasty.

Contents

 1Background
 2Regency
 3References
 4Sources

Background[edit]
Sayyida Shirin was the daughter of Rustam II (r. 964–979), the ispahbadh (ruler) of
the Bavand dynasty in Tabaristan, a region in northern Iran.[1] The Bavandid family
traced its descent back to Bav, who was alleged to be a grandson of
the Sasanian prince Kawus, son of the King of Kings (shahanshah) Kavad I (r. 488–
496, 498/9–531).[2] Sayyida Shirin was married to the Buyid amir (ruler) Fakhr al-
Dawla (r. 976–980, 984–997), who ruled Jibal, Tabaristan and Gurgan.[3][4] Together they
had two sons, Majd al-Dawla and Shams al-Dawla.[3]

Regency[edit]

Coin of Majd al-Dawla (r. 997–1029)

Following Fakhr al-Dawla's death by stomach illness in 997, his realm in Jibal was
divided between Majd al-Dawla, 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.[1][4] They were both installed as co-
rulers by Sayyida Shirin, who became the regent of the realm due to their young
age.[5][6] Regardless, Shams al-Dawla was Majd al-Dawla's subordinate.[7] During this
period, the Ziyarid ruler Qabus (r. 977–981, 997–1012) conquered Tabaristan and
Gurgan, which he had previously ruled before being defeated by the Buyids. Following
Majd al-Dawla's failure to repel Qabus, the latter ruled Tabaristan and Gurgan with little
disturbance.[3] Majd al-Dawla also lost several western towns (including Zanjan) to
the Sallarids of Azerbaijan.[8] The Hasanwayhid chieftain Badr ibn Hasanwayh (r. 979–
1013), who ruled around Qirmisin as a Buyid vassal,[9] went to Ray to help Majd al-
Dawla administer the local affairs, but his help was rebuffed. As a result, Badr kept
gradually dissociating himself from the affairs at Ray.[10] By at least as early as 1003,
Sayyida Shirin had secured the governorship of Isfahan to her first cousin Ala al-Dawla
Muhammad, thus marking the start of the Kakuyid dynasty.[7][11]

Coin of Shams al-Dawla (r. 997–1021)

In 1008, with the assistance of his vizier Abu 'Ali ibn 'Ali, Majd al-Dawla attempted to
throw off the regency of his mother. Sayyida Shirin, however, escaped to the Badr ibn
Hasanwayh, and together with Shams al-Dawla they put Ray under siege. After several
battles, the city was taken and Majd al-Dawla was captured. He was imprisoned by his
mother in the fort of Tabarak, while Shams al-Dawla took to power in Ray. A year later
(in 1009), Sayyida Shirin fell out with Shams al-Dawla, and thus freed and reinstated
Majd al-Dawla in Ray, while Shams al-Dawla returned to Hamadan. Power continued to
be held by Sayyida Shirin.[4][12]
In 1014, Majd al-Dawla and Sayyida Shirin were forced to flee to Damavand following
an attack on Ray by Shams al-Dawla. However, a mutiny amongst the troops of Shams
al-Dawla forced the latter to return to Hamadan, while Majd al-Dawla and Sayyida Shirin
returned to Ray.[12] In the same year, the distinguished Persian polymath Avicenna (died
1037) went to Ray, where he entered into the service of Majd al-Dawla and Sayyida
Shirin. There he served as the physician at the court, treating Majd al-Dawla, who was
suffering from melancholia. Avicenna reportedly later served as the "business manager"
of Sayyida Shirin in Qazvin and Hamadan, though details regarding this tenure are
unclear.[13][14] Avicenna later joined Shams al-Dawla, possibly due to his opponent Abu'l-
Qasim al-Kirmani also working under Sayyida Shirin.[15]
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,
Ibn Fuladh 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.[16]
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.[17] According to the historian Clifford Edmund Bosworth, this was a foolish
decision:[17] 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. [4][18] Using the Buyids'
Shi'a beliefs as a pretext, Mahmud came to Ray in 1029, deposed Majd al-Dawla as
ruler, and sacked the city, bringing an end to Buyid rule there.[4][17]