Rukn ad-Dawlah

Būyid ruler

Also known as: Ḥasan

Written by

The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Last updated

July 13, 2026

Quick Summary

Rukn ad-Dawlah, born Abu'l-Hasan Ali ibn Buya, was a prominent Buyid ruler and a key figure in the Buyid dynasty, which governed western Iran and Iraq between the Abbasid and Seljuq eras. He was one of the three sons of Buya who founded the dynasty. Rukn ad-Dawlah, along with his brothers Imad al-Dawlah and Mu'izz al-Dawlah, established Buyid rule in Baghdad in 946, reducing the Abbasid caliphs to figureheads.1

Rukn ad-Dawlah's reign was marked by his role in consolidating Buyid power. His brother, 'Adud al-Dawlah, later expanded the dynasty's territories to their greatest extent and patronized arts and sciences, fostering a period of cultural flourishing. The Buyid state was known for its Shi'i character, promoting Shi'i festivals and pilgrimages. The dynasty's influence waned after 'Adud al-Dawlah's death, eventually being overthrown by the Seljuqs in 1055.21

Summary created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

2 Britannica Sources

Ask Britannica AI about this topic

Britannica doesn't have a full article on this topic, so we've curated a list of our relevant coverage.

Buyid dynasty
…seized Eṣfahān and Fārs, while Ḥasan and Aḥmad took Jibāl, Khūzestān, and Kermān (935–936). In December 945 Aḥmad occupied the Abbasid capital of Baghdad as amīr al-umarāʾ (commander in chief) and, reducing the Sunni caliphs to puppet status, established Buyid rule (January 946). Thereafter the brothers were known by their…
Read More
…seized Eṣfahān and Fārs, while Ḥasan and Aḥmad took Jibāl, Khūzestān, and Kermān (935–936). In December 945 Aḥmad occupied the Abbasid capital of Baghdad as amīr al-umarāʾ (commander in chief) and, reducing the Sunni caliphs to puppet status, established Buyid rule (January 946). Thereafter the brothers were known by their…
Read More

Iran
The Buyids
…the caliph’s recognition; another brother, Ḥasan, occupied Rayy and Hamadan; and the youngest brother, Aḥmad, took Kerman in the southeast and Khuzestan in the southwest. The caliphs al-Muttaqī and al-Mustakfī of the 940s were at the mercy of the enslaved Turkic men in their palace guard. The generals of the…
Read More
…the caliph’s recognition; another brother, Ḥasan, occupied Rayy and Hamadan; and the youngest brother, Aḥmad, took Kerman in the southeast and Khuzestan in the southwest. The caliphs al-Muttaqī and al-Mustakfī of the 940s were at the mercy of the enslaved Turkic men in their palace guard. The generals of the…
Read More