Sa'id al-Dawla

Sa'id Abu 'l-Fada'il Sa'id al-Dawla was the third Hamdanid ruler of the Emirate of Aleppo. He succeeded his father Sa'd al-Dawla in 991, but throughout his reign real power rested in the hands of Sa'd al-Dawla's former chamberlain, Lu'lu', to whose daughter he was wed. His reign was dominated by the Fatimid Caliphate's repeated attempts to conquer Aleppo, which was prevented only by the intervention of the Byzantine Empire. Warfare lasted until 1000, when a peace treaty was concluded guaranteeing Aleppo's continued existence as a buffer state between the two powers. Finally, in January 1002 Lu'lu' had Sa'id al-Dawla and his wife poisoned, and installed his two young sons as nominal regents. Finally, in 1003/1004, Lu'lu' deposed the Hamdanids outright and assumed control of Aleppo in his own name.