Jibal in the context of "Battles of Madhar and Harura"

Lower Mesopotamia is a historical region of Mesopotamia. It is located in the alluvial plain of Iraq from the Hamrin Mountains to the Faw Peninsula near the Persian Gulf.

In the Middle Ages it was also known as the Sawad and al-Jazira al-sflia ("Lower Jazira"), which strictly speaking designated only the southern alluvial plain, and Arab Iraq, as opposed to Persian Iraq, the Jibal. Lower Mesopotamia was home to Sumer and Babylonia.

Mardavij (Gilaki/Persian: مرداویج, meaning "man assailant") was an Iranian prince, who established the Ziyarid dynasty, ruling from 930 to 935.

Born to a Zoroastrian family native to Gilan, Mardavij sought to establish a native Iranian Zoroastrian empire akin to the Sasanian Empire that had been conquered in the 7th century by the Rashidun Caliphate and subsequently ruled by Muslims. He first started his career by joining the army of his kinsman Asfar ibn Shiruya. Mardavij, however, later betrayed and killed him, conquering much of Jibal. He then set out to conquer Hamadan, Dinavar and Isfahan from the Abbasid Caliphate, and thereafter declared himself king of Iran, making Isfahan his capital.

The Buyid dynasty or Buyid Empire was a Zaydi and later Twelver Shi'a dynasty of Daylamite origin. Founded by Imad al-Dawla, they mainly ruled over central and southern Iran, and Iraq from 934 to 1062. The Buyids, together with the rise of other Iranian dynasties in the region, represents a period in Iranian history sometimes referred to as the Iranian Intermezzo.

The Buyid dynasty was founded by Ali ibn Buya, who in 934 conquered Fars and made Shiraz his capital. He received the laqab or honorific title of Imad al-Dawla (lit. 'Fortifier of the State'). His younger brother, Hasan ibn Buya (r. 935–976) conquered parts of Jibal in the late 930s, and by 943 managed to capture Ray, which he made his capital. Hasan was given the laqab of Rukn al-Dawla (lit. 'Pillar of the State'). In 945, the youngest brother, Ahmad ibn Buya, conquered Iraq and made Baghdad his capital. He was given the laqab Mu'izz al-Dawla.

The Kakuyids (also called Kakwayhids, Kakuwayhids or Kakuyah) (Persian: آل کاکویه) were a Shia Muslim dynasty of Daylamite origin that held power in western Persia, Jibal and Kurdistan (c. 1008–c. 1051). They later became atabegs (governors) of Yazd, Isfahan and Abarkuh from c. 1051 to 1141. They were related to the Buyids.

Persian Iraq, also uncommonly spelled Persian Irak (Persian: عراقِ عجم Erāq-e Ajam or عراق عجمی Erāq-e Ajami; Arabic: عراق العجم ʿIrāq al-ʿAjam or العراق العجمي al-ʿIrāq al-ʿAjamī, literally, "Iraq of the Ajam"), is a historical region of the western parts of Iran.

The region, originally known as Media in pre-Islamic times, became known as Jibal ("mountain, hill") by early Islamic geographers, due its mountainous layout. The name was progressively abandoned during the Seljuk era in the 11th and 12th centuries, and was called ʿIrāq-i ʿAjam(ī) ("Persian Iraq") to distinguish it from ʿIrāq-i ʿArab(ī) ("Arab Iraq") in Mesopotamia.

Asfar ibn Shiruya (Gilaki/Persian: اسفار بن شیرویه: died 931) was an Iranian military leader of Gilaki origin, active in northern Iran (esp. Tabaristan and Jibal) in the early 10th century. He played a major role in the succession disputes of the Alids of Tabaristan, and managed to establish himself as the ruler of Tabaristan and northern Jibal briefly from 928 to 930.