Nasir al-Dawla

Nasir al-Dawla
Emir of Mosul
Gold dinar minted at Baghdad in the names of Nasir al-Dawla and Sayf al-Dawla, 943/944 CE
Reign	935–967
Successor	Abu Taghlib
Died	968 or 969 Ardumusht
Issue	Abu Taghlib, Abu'l-Fawaris, Abu'l-Qasim
Full name al-Hasan ibn Abdallah ibn Hamdan Nasir al-Dawla al-Taghlibi
Dynasty	Hamdanid
Father	Abdallah ibn Hamdan

Abu Muhammad al-Hasan ibn Abu'l-Hayja 'Abdallah ibn Hamdan al-Taghlibi (Arabic: أبو محمد الحسن ابن أبو الهيجاء عبدالله ابن حمدان ناصر الدولة التغلبي‎‎; died 968 or 969), more commonly known simply by his laqab (honorific epithet) of Nasir al-Dawla ("Defender of the [Abbasid] Dynasty"), was the second Hamdanid ruler of the Emirate of Mosul, encompassing most of the Jazira.

As the senior member of the Hamdanid dynasty, he inherited the family power base around Mosul from his father, and was able to secure it against challenges by his uncles. Hasan became involved in the court intrigues of the Abbasid Caliphate in Baghdad, and, between 942 and 943, he, with the assistance of his brother Ali (known as Sayf al-Dawla), established himself as amir al-umara, or de facto regent for the Abbasid caliph. He was driven back to Mosul by Turkish troops, however, and subsequent attempts to challenge the Buyids who seized control of Baghdad and lower Iraq ended in repeated failure. Twice, his capital Mosul was captured by Buyid forces, which were, however, unable to defeat local opposition to their rule. As a result of his failures to retain power, Nasir al-Dawla declined in influence and prestige. He was eclipsed by the actions of his brother Ali, who established his rule more firmly over Aleppo and northern Syria. After 964, Nasir al-Dawla's eldest son Abu Taghlib exercised de facto rule over his domains, and in 967, Abu Taghlib and his brothers deposed and imprisoned their father, who died in captivity a year or two later.

Nasir al-Dawla was born al-Hasan ibn Abdallah, the eldest son of Abu'l-Hayja Abdallah ibn Hamdan (died 929), son of Hamdan ibn Hamdun ibn al-Harith, who gave his name to the Hamdanid dynasty. The Hamdanids were a branch of the Banu Taghlib, an Arab tribe resident in the area of the Jazira (Upper Mesopotamia) since pre-Islamic times. The Taghlibs had traditionally controlled Mosul and its region until the late 9th century, when the Abbasid government tried to impose firmer control over the province. Hamdan ibn Hamdun was one of the most determined Taghlibi leaders in opposing this move. Notably, in his effort to fend off the Abbasids, he secured the alliance of the Kurds living in the mountains north of Mosul, a fact which would be of considerable importance in his family's later fortunes. Family members intermarried with Kurds, who were also prominent in the Hamdanid military.