Dizkuh ( fa, دزکوه) or Shahdiz () was a fortress near
Isfahan
Isfahan ( fa, اصفهان, Esfahân ), from its Achaemenid empire, ancient designation ''Aspadana'' and, later, ''Spahan'' in Sassanian Empire, middle Persian, rendered in English as ''Ispahan'', is a major city in the Greater Isfahan Regio ...
,
Iran
Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called Persia, is a country located in Western Asia. It is bordered by Iraq and Turkey to the west, by Azerbaijan and Armenia to the northwest, by the Caspian Sea and Turkmeni ...
, notably held by the
Nizari Ismailis. It was captured and destroyed in
Seljuk Seljuk or Saljuq (سلجوق) may refer to:
* Seljuk Empire (1051–1153), a medieval empire in the Middle East and central Asia
* Seljuk dynasty (c. 950–1307), the ruling dynasty of the Seljuk Empire and subsequent polities
* Seljuk (warlord) (di ...
sultan
Muhammad Tapar's anti-Nizari campaign
Muhammad ( ar, مُحَمَّد; 570 – 8 June 632 CE) was an Arab religious, social, and political leader and the founder of Islam. According to Islamic doctrine, he was a prophet divinely inspired to preach and confirm the monot ...
. Its conspicuous, picturesque ruins lie about 8km south of Isfahan on a subpeak of
Mount Soffeh
Mount Soffeh or Kuh-e Soffeh is a mountain that is situated just south of the city of Isfahan, southeast of Mount Donbeh and south of the Zayanderud River in Iran.
Etymology
The term "soffeh" in Persian is derived from an Arabic word "soffa" t ...
.
History
Dizkuh was a fortress in central
Persia
Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called Persia, is a country located in Western Asia. It is bordered by Iraq and Turkey to the west, by Azerbaijan and Armenia to the northwest, by the Caspian Sea and Turkmeni ...
, located in the strategic route leading to
Isfahan
Isfahan ( fa, اصفهان, Esfahân ), from its Achaemenid empire, ancient designation ''Aspadana'' and, later, ''Spahan'' in Sassanian Empire, middle Persian, rendered in English as ''Ispahan'', is a major city in the Greater Isfahan Regio ...
, capital of the
Seljuq Empire.
The historian
Ibn al-Athir
Abū al-Ḥasan ʿAlī ibn Muḥammad ibn Muḥammad ash-Shaybānī, better known as ʿAlī ʿIzz ad-Dīn Ibn al-Athīr al-Jazarī ( ar, علي عز الدین بن الاثیر الجزري) lived 1160–1233) was an Arab or Kurdish historian a ...
attributes the construction of the fortress (which he called the "Fortress (''qal'a'') of Isfahan") to the
Seljuq Seljuk or Saljuq (سلجوق) may refer to:
* Seljuk Empire (1051–1153), a medieval empire in the Middle East and central Asia
* Seljuk dynasty (c. 950–1307), the ruling dynasty of the Seljuk Empire and subsequent polities
* Seljuk (warlord) (d ...
sultan
Malikshah
Jalāl al-Dawla Mu'izz al-Dunyā Wa'l-Din Abu'l-Fatḥ ibn Alp Arslān (8 August 1055 – 19 November 1092, full name: fa, ), better known by his regnal name of Malik-Shah I ( fa, ), was the third sultan of the Great Seljuk Empire from 1072 to ...
, but it is more likely that it dates back earlier, even as early as the pre-Islamic
Sasanian
The Sasanian () or Sassanid Empire, officially known as the Empire of Iranians (, ) and also referred to by historians as the Neo-Persian Empire, was the last Iranian empire before the early Muslim conquests of the 7th-8th centuries AD. Named ...
period, and the Seljuq sultan simply rebuilt the castle which was near his capital. Since then, the name ''Shahdiz'' became more common.
The castle gained its fame due to the activities of the
Nizari Ismailis. The Ismailis were active in the Isfahan region in the 11th century, and the chief ''
da'i
A da'i ( ar, داعي, dāʿī, inviter, caller, ) is generally someone who engages in Dawah, the act of inviting people to Islam.
See also
* Dawah
* Da'i al-Mutlaq, "the absolute (unrestricted) missionary" (Arabic: الداعي المطلق)
* ...
'' of Persia and Iraq
Abd al-Malik ibn Attash had established his headquarters at Isfahan. After
Hassan-i Sabbah
Hasan-i Sabbāh ( fa, حسن صباح) or Hassan as-Sabbāh ( ar, حسن بن الصباح الحميري, full name: Hassan bin Ali bin Muhammad bin Ja'far bin al-Husayn bin Muhammad bin al-Sabbah al-Himyari; c. 1050 – 12 June 1124) was the ...
's capture of the
Alamut Castle
Alamut ( fa, wikt:الموت, الموت, meaning "eagle's nest") is a ruined mountain fortress located in the Alamut region in the South Caspian Sea, Caspian province of Qazvin near the Masudabad, Qazvin, Masoudabad region in Iran, approximately ...
,
Abd al-Malik ibn Attash's son,
Ahmad ibn Abd al-Malik ibn Attash
Ahmad ( ar, أحمد, ʾAḥmad) is an Arabic male given name common in most parts of the Muslim world. Other spellings of the name include Ahmed and Ahmet.
Etymology
The word derives from the root (ḥ-m-d), from the Arabic (), from the ve ...
was encouraged to seize the castle. He posed as a schoolmaster and gradually converted the garrison force of the fortress, most of whom were of
Daylami
Daylami (20 April 1994– 6 June 2016) was a Thoroughbred Champion racehorse and sire who was bred in Ireland, but trained in France, Dubai and the United Kingdom. In a career which lasted from 1996 and 1999, he raced in five different countri ...
origin with
Shiite tendencies. By 1100, he had seized the fortress and began its re-fortification similar to the other
Ismaili castles
List of the strongholds or dar al-hijra of the Nizari Ismaili state in Persia (Iran) and Syria.
Most of the Persian Ismaili castles were in the Alborz mountains, in the regions of Daylaman (particularly, in Alamut and Rudbar; north of modern-d ...
of Persia. Ahmad began to collect taxes from nearby districts.
He had reportedly converted 30,000 people in Isfahan. Shahdiz was strategically important as it guarded the main route to Isfahan, the Seljuq capital city. Its capture had been a major strategic success for the Nizaris.
Siege of Shahdiz
In 1107, soon after gaining power, Seljuq sultan
Muhammad I Tapar
Abu Shuja Ghiyath al-Dunya wa'l-Din Muhammad ibn Malik-Shah ( fa, , Abū Shujāʿ Ghiyāth al-Dunyā wa ’l-Dīn Muḥammad ibn Malik-Šāh; 1082 – 1118), better known as Muhammad I Tapar (), was the sultan of the Seljuk Empire from 1105 to 111 ...
, son of Malikshah, began
a campaign against the Nizari Ismailis, focusing on Shahdiz, besieging the fortress with a large force. In an attempt to lift the siege, Ahmad tried to involve the Ismaili sympathizers in the Seljuq camp and the
Sunni
Sunni Islam () is the largest branch of Islam, followed by 85–90% of the world's Muslims. Its name comes from the word '' Sunnah'', referring to the tradition of Muhammad. The differences between Sunni and Shia Muslims arose from a disagr ...
religious scholars (''
ulama
In Islam, the ''ulama'' (; ar, علماء ', singular ', "scholar", literally "the learned ones", also spelled ''ulema''; feminine: ''alimah'' ingularand ''aalimath'' lural are the guardians, transmitters, and interpreters of religious ...
'') of Isfahan in a long religious debate, trying to convince them that the
Ismailis
Isma'ilism ( ar, الإسماعيلية, al-ʾIsmāʿīlīyah) is a branch or sub-sect of Shia Islam. The Isma'ili () get their name from their acceptance of Imam Isma'il ibn Jafar as the appointed spiritual successor (imām) to Ja'far al-Sa ...
are true Muslims, too, differing only in the matter of
imamate
{{expand Arabic, date=April 2021
The term imamate or ''imamah'' ( ar, إمامة, ''imāmah'') means "leadership" and refers to the office of an ''imam'' or a state ruled by an ''imam''.
Theology
*Imamate, in Sunni doctrine the caliphate
:* Naqshb ...
; therefore, sultan's campaign is religiously illegitimate. The debate finally ended after a year and the siege continued. In another negotiation initiated by the Seljuq sultan, the Nizaris bargained for another fortress, but this negotiation was unsuccessful and ended with a ''
fida'i
"" ( ar, فدائي ; lit. " Fedayeen warrior"), is the national anthem of Palestine.
History
The anthem was adopted by the Palestinian Liberation Organization in 1996, in accordance with Article 31 of the Palestinian Declaration of Independenc ...
'' attacking and wounding a particularly anti-Nizari commander ''(
amir'') of the Seljuq sultan. Later, an agreement was reached: part of the garrison to be given a safe passage to other
Ismaili castles
List of the strongholds or dar al-hijra of the Nizari Ismaili state in Persia (Iran) and Syria.
Most of the Persian Ismaili castles were in the Alborz mountains, in the regions of Daylaman (particularly, in Alamut and Rudbar; north of modern-d ...
in
Arrajan and
Quhistan, and the remainder, around eighty men in all, who held only a wing of the fortress, was to surrender and then go to
Alamut
Alamut ( fa, الموت) is a region in Iran including western and eastern parts in the western edge of the Alborz (Elburz) range, between the dry and barren plain of Qazvin in the south and the densely forested slopes of the Mazandaran provinc ...
after receiving the news of the arrival of their fellow Ismailis. This news was received, but Ahmad refused to leave the fortress, apparently deciding to fight to the end. The Seljuqs attacked the fortress, and Ahmad and his small group of fighters defended themselves gallantly from tower to tower.
Most of the Ismaili fighters were killed, while a few managed to escape. Ahmad was captured, while his wife committed suicide. Ahmad and his son were executed and their heads were sent to the
Abbasid
The Abbasid Caliphate ( or ; ar, الْخِلَافَةُ الْعَبَّاسِيَّة, ') was the third caliphate to succeed the Islamic prophet Muhammad. It was founded by a dynasty descended from Muhammad's uncle, Abbas ibn Abdul-Muttalib ...
Caliph
Al-Mustazhir in Baghdad. The castle was demolished by the Seljuq sultan, who feared its recapture by the Ismailis. Apparently, the
Khanlanjan fortress, a nearby Ismaili stronghold, was also destroyed during this campaign. The Nizari Ismailis therefore lost their influence in the Isfahan region.
See also
*
List of Ismaili castles
References
{{Ismaili castles
Castles of the Nizari Ismaili state
Castles in Iran
Seljuk castles
Buildings and structures in Isfahan Province
12th-century fortifications
Tourist attractions in Isfahan Province
Buildings and structures demolished in the 12th century
Sieges involving the medieval Islamic world
Nizari Ismaili–Seljuk conflicts
Battles involving the Seljuk Empire
National works of Iran
Last stands