emirate · Mesopotamia and Iran

Kakuyid dynasty

1008 CE – 1141 CE (approx.) · capital Isfahan

A Daylamite dynasty that ruled Isfahan and Hamadan in the early 11th century, in whose service the philosopher Avicenna wrote some of his major works.

Origins

Ala al-Dawla Muhammad, called Ibn Kakuya because he was the maternal uncle (kaku) of the Buyid regent Sayyida, was appointed governor of Isfahan around 1008. As Buyid authority fragmented, he made himself an independent ruler and took Hamadan from the Buyids in the 1020s.

Rule and society

Ala al-Dawla held a court at Isfahan where Ibn Sina (Avicenna) served as physician and adviser from about 1024 to his death in 1037, completing works such as the Danishnama-yi Ala'i, written in Persian and named after his patron. The Kakuyids fought the Ghaznavid Empire, which occupied Isfahan more than once. They patronised building in Isfahan, including works at the Friday Mosque.

Decline and legacy

Ala al-Dawla's son Faramurz surrendered Isfahan to the Seljuk sultan Tughril in 1051 and received Yazd and Abarquh instead. The Kakuyids ruled there as Seljuk vassals until about 1141, when power passed to the Atabegs of Yazd.

Lineage

Kakuyid dynastyAtabegs of Yazd 1141 CE – 1319 CE

Connections (2)

Kakuyid dynasty was a vassal of Buyid dynasty1008 CE – 1029 CE
Kakuyid dynasty was a vassal of Seljuk Empire1051 CE – 1141 CE

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Cite this page

APA: The Epoch Institute. (2026). Kakuyid dynasty. In The Epoch Institute States Register. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/kakuyid-dynasty
MLA: “Kakuyid dynasty.” The Epoch Institute States Register, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/kakuyid-dynasty. Accessed .
Chicago: The Epoch Institute. “Kakuyid dynasty.” The Epoch Institute States Register. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/kakuyid-dynasty.
Harvard: The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Kakuyid dynasty’, The Epoch Institute States Register. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/kakuyid-dynasty (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random state ↻