Sultan al-Dawla

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Sultan al-Dawla
Sultan al-Dawla coin.jpg
Coin of Sultan al-Dawla
Amir of Oman
Predecessor Baha' al-Dawla
Successor Abu Kalijar
Amir of Fars
Reign 1012–1024
Predecessor Baha' al-Dawla
Successor Abu Kalijar
Amir of Iraq
Reign 1012-1021
Predecessor Baha' al-Dawla
Successor Musharrif al-Dawla
Born 993
Died December 1024
Full name
Abu Shuja Sultan al-Dawla
Father Baha' al-Dawla
Religion Shia Islam

Abu Shuja (Persian: ابو شجاع‎‎; 993 – December 1024), better known by his laqab of Sultan al-Dawla (Persian: سلطان الدوله, "Power of the Dynasty"), was the Buyid amir of Fars (1012–1024) and Iraq (1012–1021). He was the son of Baha' al-Dawla.


Abu Shuja lived in Baghdad during his youth. Shortly before Baha' al-Dawla's death, he named Abu Shuja as his successor. Upon succeeding his father, he took the title Sultan al-Dawla wa 'Izz al-Milla ("Power of the Dynasty and Glory of the Community").[1] Travelling to his father's capital in Shiraz, he did seek for the traditional investiture by the Abbasid caliph, but instead had the required materials sent to him. He entrusted his oldest brothers Jalal al-Dawla and Qawam al-Dawla with the governorships of Basra and Kerman, respectively.[1] He stayed in Persia for a long time; when he returned to Iraq three years later, he only went to Ahvaz to meet with his governor.

In 1018 Sultan al-Dawla again came to Iraq, in an attempt to maintain friendly terms with the neighboring Amirate of Mosul. Qawam al-Dawla, taking advantage of his brother's presence in the west, invaded Fars with the support of the Ghaznavids. The attack failed, Qawam al-Dawla's marked the division of the Buyid state. After repulsing Qawam al-Dawla's attack, Sultan al-Dawla returned to Iraq in order to solidify his rule there. The marchlands of the region, which had long resisted Buyid authority, were finally subjugated.

The Turkish mercenaries, however, became discontented over the presence Sultan al-Dawla's Daylamite troops. They therefore raised a brother of the amir, Musharrif al-Dawla, as their ruler in 1021.[2] After a long series of negotiations, Sultan al-Dawla recognized his brother as "King of Iraq", in exchange for the latter's submission as a vassal. Sultan al-Dawla, however, wanted to retain direct rule over the region, and he invaded with his army. His defeat by Musharrif al-Dawla's forces put an end to this plan, and Iraq became fully independent. The concept of the senior amir temporarily died; each region of the Buyid state was now ruled independently of one another. Having overseen the fragmentation of the Buyids, Sultan al-Dawla died in Shiraz in December 1024. He was succeeded in Fars by his son Abu Kalijar.


  1. ^ a b Bosworth 1975, pp. 296–300.
  2. ^ Nagel 1990, pp. 578-586.


Preceded by
Baha' al-Dawla
Buyid amir of Fars
Succeeded by
Abu Kalijar
Buyid amir of Iraq
Succeeded by
Musharrif al-Dawla