Abu Ja'far Muhammad (), was the ruler of the
Bavand dynasty
The Bavand dynasty () (also spelled Bavend), or simply the Bavandids, was an Iranian dynasty that ruled in parts of Tabaristan (present-day Mazandaran province) in what is now northern Iran from 651 until 1349, alternating between outright inde ...
from an unknown date until his capture and defeat by the
Kakuyids
The Kakuyids (also called Kakwayhids, Kakuwayhids or Kakuyah) () 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, Isfa ...
in 1027.
Background
In 1006, the Bavand dynasty was put to an end by the
Ziyarid
The Ziyarid dynasty () was an Iranian peoples, Iranian dynasty of Gilaki people, Gilaki origin that ruled Tabaristan from 931 to 1090 during the Iranian Intermezzo period. The empire rose to prominence during the leadership of Mardavij. After his ...
ruler
Qabus (r. 977–981 & 997–1012). Nevertheless, several Bavandid princes continued to rule in small local parts of
Mazandaran
Mazandaran Province (; ) is one of the 31 provinces of Iran. Its capital is the city of Sari, Iran, Sari. Located along the southern coast of the Caspian Sea and in the adjacent Central Alborz mountain range and Hyrcanian forests, it is border ...
. Abu Ja'far, a son of a certain Vandarin, is mentioned as the ruler of Bavand dynasty. It is not known if Abu Ja'far was the successor of Al-Marzuban or not. Abu Ja'far, during his reign, was a vassal of the
Buyid
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. Coupled with the rise of other Iranian dyna ...
ruler
Majd al-Dawla (r. 997–1029), who was himself of Bavandid descent through his mother
Sayyida Khatun.
Reign
Ibn Fuladh, a
Daylamite military officer, who claimed
Qazvin
Qazvin (; ; ) is a city in the Central District (Qazvin County), Central District of Qazvin County, Qazvin province, Qazvin province, Iran, serving as capital of the province, the county, and the district. It is the largest city in the provi ...
for himself, revolted against Majd al-Dawla in 1016. Majd al-Dawla, however, refused to make him governor of Qazvin, which made Ibn Fuladh threaten him around the countryside of his capital in
Ray. Majd al-Dawla then requested the aid of Abu Ja'far, who managed to defeat Ibn Fuladh and repel him from Ray. Ibn Fuladh then requested aid from the Ziyarid ruler
Manuchihr (r. 1012–1031). Ibn Fuladh agreed to become Manuchihr's vassal in return for his aid. The following year, a combined army of Ibn Fuladh and Manuchihr besieged Ray, which forced Majd al-Dawla to make Ibn Fuladh the governor of
Isfahan
Isfahan or Esfahan ( ) is a city in the Central District (Isfahan County), Central District of Isfahan County, Isfahan province, Iran. It is the capital of the province, the county, and the district. It is located south of Tehran. The city ...
.
In 1023, the
Kakuyid ruler
Muhammad ibn Rustam Dushmanziyar (r. 1008–1041), who was himself of Bavandid descent, revolted against the Buyids, and seized
Hamadan
Hamadan ( ; , ) is a mountainous city in western Iran. It is located in the Central District of Hamadan County in Hamadan province, serving as the capital of the province, county, and district. As of the 2016 Iranian census, it had a po ...
from the Buyid ruler
Sama' al-Dawla (r. 1021–1023). He spent the following years in protecting his realm from invasions by the forces of Abu Ja'far. Five years later, Majd al-Dawla sent a combined Buyid-Bavandid army under Abu Ja'far and his two sons against Muhammad. Muhammad, however, managed win a great victory over the Buyid-Bavandid army at
Nahavand
Nahavand () is a city in the Central District of Nahavand County, Hamadan province, Iran, serving as capital of both the county and the district. It is south of the city of Hamadan, west of Malayer and northwest of Borujerd.
Inhabited ...
, and managed to capture Abu Ja'far including his two sons. Abu Ja'far died one year later in prison, and after his death, the Bavandids disappear from sources, and are first later mentioned in 1057 under the Bavandid ruler
Qarin II.
The ''Mil-e Radkan''
During his reign, Abu Ja'far ordered the construction of the ''Mil-e Radkan'' near
Gorgan
Gorgan (; ) is a city in the Central District (Gorgan County), Central District of Gorgan County, Golestan province, Golestan province, Iran, serving as capital of the province, the county, and the district. It lies approximately to the nor ...
, where he was later buried. The building of the tower was completed in 1016, between 7 September-5 October—several inscriptions are written on the entrance, both in
Arabic
Arabic (, , or , ) is a Central Semitic languages, Central Semitic language of the Afroasiatic languages, Afroasiatic language family spoken primarily in the Arab world. The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) assigns lang ...
and
Pahlavi, which states;
Another inscription, states the following;
References
Sources
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Abu Jafar Muhammad
Bavand dynasty
11th-century monarchs in Asia
11th-century Iranian people
1028 deaths
Buyid generals
Year of birth unknown