Badr ibn Hasanwayh (died 1014) was the second ruler of the Kurdish dynasty known as the Hasanāwīdhids, governing from 979 to 1014. He succeeded his father, Hasanwayh (r. 961–979), and continued his predecessor’s policy of nominal allegiance to the Buyid emirs while exercising de facto autonomy over the western Iranian highlands, particularly the Zagros region that straddles present‑day Iran and Iraq.
During the civil war between the Buyid brothers Adūd al‑Dawla (r. 949–983) and Izz al‑Dawla (r. 967–978), Hasanwayh had supported Izz al‑Dawla. After Hasanwayh’s death, Adūd al‑Dawla invaded the Hasanāwīdhid territories, executed several of Hasanwayh’s sons, and installed Badr as his deputy over the Kurdish lands. This arrangement gave Badr a degree of internal authority while binding him to Buyid overlordship.
Following Adūd al‑Dawla’s death in 983, Badr expressed gratitude by sending twenty men each year on pilgrimage (ḥajj) to Mecca in the name of his former patron and his own parents. Contemporary historians portray Badr as an “ideal ruler,” noting his protection of settled agrarian populations from raids by nomadic groups allied with him. Unlike his father, he is recorded as having attended several Buyid court sessions.
After the death of the Buyid ruler Fakhr al‑Dawla (r. 976–980, 984–997), Badr travelled to Ray to assist the local ruler Majd al‑Dawla (r. 997–1029) but was rebuffed, leading him to distance himself from Ray’s political affairs.
Badr’s rule ended violently in 1014 when his commanders killed him during a siege of a Kurdish fortress after he ignored their counsel to avoid winter campaigning. The ensuing power vacuum allowed the Annazid dynasty to capture much of his former domain, while the Buyid ruler Shams al‑Dawla seized remaining territories.
His lineage continued briefly: Badr’s son Hilāl ibn Badr succeeded him, and his grandson Zahir ibn Hilāl ibn Badr attempted a restoration with support from the Buyids of Hamadān, though this effort ultimately failed.
The Hasanāwīdhid dynasty, under Badr’s leadership, played a notable role in the politics of western Iran during the late 10th and early 11th centuries, navigating between local Kurdish interests and the broader dominance of the Buyid confederation.
