Kurdish history is replete with examples of rulers acting against the interests of their own realm while benefiting the surrounding Empire. In certain situations, this was due to the custom of retaining captives from royal Kurdish families. The 11th-century Nizam al Mulk writes:
On taking hostages and keeping them at the court
The rulers of the Arabs, Kurds, Dailamites, Rumis and others who have only recently come to terms of submission must be told that each of them should keep a son or a brother resident at the court; there should be, if not a thousand, never less than five hundred of them. At the end of a year they can send replacements and the first ones can go back home, but they are not to start back until their replacements arrive here. In this way no one will be able to rebel against the king because of the hostages. In the case of the Dailamites and the people of Kuhistan, Tabaristan, Shaban-kara and suchlike who hold assignments and grants, similarly five hundred of them should reside at the court, and then if any need arises the court will never be lacking in useful men.
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