The role of the Islamic emirates in the political relations between the Buyids and the Fatimids in Mosul and the Euphrates region, 334-447 AH/945-1055 AD

Abstract

Abstract :

This study explores the dynamics of Buyid–Fatimid political relations in Mosul and the Euphrates region during the era of Buyid dominance. It investigates the Fatimid Caliphate's position toward the Abbasid Caliphate, particularly its persistent efforts to seize control of Baghdad prior to the Buyid ascendancy. Following the Buyid conquest of Iraq, the nature of these relations shifted significantly, shaped by the policies of the Buyid princes toward the Fatimids. As the de facto rulers of the Abbasid state—especially after the caliph was reduced to a purely spiritual figure—the Buyids played a central role in redefining the political landscape of the time. The Fatimid Caliphate, in turn, sought to forge strategic alliances with regional powers in the Euphrates area, aiming to secure their loyalty and extend its influence. These efforts included numerous attempts to establish diplomatic and political relations with various emirates, notably the Hamdanids, the Uqaylids, and Kurdish dynasties such as the Marwanids.

This research reveals the nature of the relationship between the Buyids and the Fatimid Caliphate, and the positions of the various Islamic powers towards it. The Fatimid Caliphate sought to cultivate close ties with the princes of the Euphrates region and the peripheral regions, in an attempt to gain their loyalty and bring them to its side. It initiated political relations with a number of emirates, such as the Hamdanids and the Uqaylids, and some Kurdish emirates, such as the Marwanids. The political situation underwent a major change after the Buyids entered Baghdad (334–447 AH/945–1056 AD), seizing effective power and wresting political influence from the Abbasid caliphs. This shift prompted the Fatimid Caliphate to intensify its attempts to reach out to the political forces in Iraq and win them over.