Bakhtiyar (Persian: بختیار, died 978), better known by his laqab of Izz al-Dawla (Arabic: عز الدولة, romanized: ʿIzz ad-Dawla, lit.

He recommended keeping the services of the Turkish commander Sebük-Tegin, respecting the wishes of the Turks, recognizing his uncle Rukn al-Dawla, who ruled northern Persia, as senior amir, and respecting his cousin 'Adud al-Dawla, who ruled from Fars.

In 970, Izz al-Dawla, in order to end the hostilities between the Dailamites and Turks in his army, began to make several marriages with high ranking Turks to strengthen the Dailamite-Turkic relationship; his son Marzuban ibn Bakhtiyar married a daughter of Bukhtakin Azadruwayh, and his other son Salar married a daughter of Baktijur.

[2] Izz al-Dawla continued his father's policy of fighting the Shahinids who ruled the Iraqi marshlands, but he was unable to overcome them.

Izz al-Dawla also had financial problems; in 973 he invaded the Amirate of Mosul, against the advice his father had left him.

The campaign was a disaster; the Hamdanids under Abu Taghlib marched on Baghdad, while Sebük-Tegin was probably secretly supporting them.

Despite having prepared his army and his allies, Izz al-Dawla was defeated in Khuzestan in 977 and was forced to retreat to Wasit.

After a long while, Izz al-Dawla was granted freedom of passage to Syria, in exchange for a promise not to ally with the Hamdanids.