His early reign was dominated by struggles with his rival relatives over control of the western Persian provinces, but by 998 he managed to establish his supremacy over the Buyid confederation.

However, Asfar quickly changed his mind, and declared allegiance to the latter's other brother Abu Nasr Firuz Kharshadh, who was shortly given the honorific epithet of "Baha' al-Dawla."

He also managed to defeat the former governor of Iraq, Abu Ja'far al-Hajjaj, who was supported by Kurds and Shayban Arabs.

This treaty was highly in favor of Baha' al-Dawla, who managed to use Ali ibn Mazyad as the keeper of Buyid influence in Iraq and its surrounding regions.

[2] In 1011, Ibn Ustadh-Hurmuz died and was succeeded by Baha' al-Dawla's new vizier Fakhr al-Mulk as the governor of Iraq.

The Kurdish chief Badh laid the foundations for the Marwanid amirate in Diyarbakr, while the initially subservient 'Uqaylids of Mosul expanded into Iraq at the Buyids' expense.

By the time Baha' al-Dawla died, Baghdad and Wasit were the only two major Iraqi cities directly under his control.

Having gained undisputed control of the Buyid state, he seemed content to allow external enemies to seize territories in the west and north.