MARWANIDS

The Marwanids were a Kurdish dynasty that held sway fromDiyarbakirsouthwards into the northern parts of what are nowSyriaandIraqfrom approximately 984 to 1083.Islamand family ties, however, defined such dynasties more than the Kurdish ethnicity of its rulers. Indeed, it is likely that the Marwanids ruled a largelyChristianpopulation, at least in the city ofDiyarbakirat that time.

The founder of the dynasty was a Kurdish chief named Badh. The Marwanids took their name, however, from Marwan, a miller who had married Badh's sister. Their third son, Nasr al-Dawla Ahmad, brought Marwanid power to its zenith. During his long rule (10111061), Nasr al-Dawla skillfully balanced his buffer state among the three main powers of theBuyidsultan, the Fatimid caliph, and the Byzantine emperor. His court at Mayyafarikin was frequented by famousulama(Islamic scholars and jurists) and poets. He also built bridges and citadels, as confirmed by inscriptions found on the walls ofDiyarbakir.

Turkic invasions eventually overthrew the dynasty. The Mar-wanids are one of the five Kurdish dynasties mentioned bySharaf Khan Bitlisiin theSharafnamaas enjoying royalty.