Abū Muḥammad al-Ḥasan ibn Zayd ibn Muḥammad ibn Ismaʿīl ibn
al-Ḥasan ibn Zayd (; died 6 January 884), also known as ''al-Dāʿī al-Kabīr'' (, "the Great/Elder Missionary"), was an
Alid who became the founder of the
Zaydid dynasty of
Tabaristan
Tabaristan or Tabarestan (; ; from , ), was a mountainous region located on the Caspian coast of northern Iran. It corresponded to the present-day province of Mazandaran, which became the predominant name of the area from the 11th-century onward ...
.
Biography
''Al-Ḥasan'' was a descendant of
Hasan ibn Zayd ibn Hasan, a great-grandson of
Ali, the son-in-law of
Muhammad
Muhammad (8 June 632 CE) was an Arab religious and political leader and the founder of Islam. Muhammad in Islam, According to Islam, he was a prophet who was divinely inspired to preach and confirm the tawhid, monotheistic teachings of A ...
and fourth
Caliph
A caliphate ( ) is an institution or public office under the leadership of an Islamic steward with Khalifa, the title of caliph (; , ), a person considered a political–religious successor to the Islamic prophet Muhammad and a leader of ...
.
[Buhl (1971), p. 245] In 864, he was living at
Rayy in northern
Iran
Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) and also known as Persia, is a country in West Asia. It borders Iraq to the west, Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Armenia to the northwest, the Caspian Sea to the north, Turkmenistan to the nort ...
, when he was invited by pro-
Alid elements in the neighbouring province of
Tabaristan
Tabaristan or Tabarestan (; ; from , ), was a mountainous region located on the Caspian coast of northern Iran. It corresponded to the present-day province of Mazandaran, which became the predominant name of the area from the 11th-century onward ...
to join them in an uprising against the Abbasid authorities.
Tabaristan, a mountainous region on the southern shore of the
Caspian Sea
The Caspian Sea is the world's largest inland body of water, described as the List of lakes by area, world's largest lake and usually referred to as a full-fledged sea. An endorheic basin, it lies between Europe and Asia: east of the Caucasus, ...
, had remained largely untouched by the
Muslim conquests The Muslim conquests, Muslim invasions, Islamic conquests, including Arab conquests, Arab Islamic conquests, also Iranian Muslim conquests, Turkic Muslim conquests etc.
*Early Muslim conquests
** Ridda Wars
**Muslim conquest of Persia
*** Muslim co ...
of the 7th century. Until conquered by the
Abbasid Caliphate
The Abbasid Caliphate or Abbasid Empire (; ) was the third caliphate to succeed the Islamic prophet Muhammad. It was founded by a dynasty descended from Muhammad's uncle, Abbas ibn Abd al-Muttalib (566–653 CE), from whom the dynasty takes ...
in 759/60, it had been ruled by a native
Iran
Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) and also known as Persia, is a country in West Asia. It borders Iraq to the west, Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Armenia to the northwest, the Caspian Sea to the north, Turkmenistan to the nort ...
ian dynasty of
Caspian origins, the
Dabuyids, and even after the imposition of direct Muslim rule local dynasties retained a large measure of autonomy in the mountainous interior. It was only after 840, when Tabaristan came under
Tahirid rule (the Abbasids' viceroys for the East), that the Islamization of the province began. It proceeded rapidly, and although the majority of the people adopted
Sunni Islam
Sunni Islam is the largest Islamic schools and branches, branch of Islam and the largest religious denomination in the world. It holds that Muhammad did not appoint any Succession to Muhammad, successor and that his closest companion Abu Bakr ...
, the province offered opportunities for the activities of pro-Alid
Shi'ite
Shia Islam is the second-largest branch of Islam. It holds that Muhammad designated Ali ibn Abi Talib () as both his political successor (caliph) and as the spiritual leader of the Muslim community (imam). However, his right is understood to ...
missionaries as well.

In the 860s, western Iran was governed by the Tahirid
Muhammad ibn Abdallah ibn Tahir, whose brother
Sulayman ibn Abdallah ibn Tahir deputized him in Tabaristan and
Gurgan. Popular resentment of the Tahirids' rule increased through the oppression of their officials, especially their fiscal agents in the province. Consequently, in 864 a rebellion broke out in the towns of
Ruyan,
Kalar and
Chalus, led by two "sons of
Rustam". The rebels called upon Hasan to lead them, and allied themselves with the neighbouring
Daylam
Daylam (), also known in the plural form Daylaman () (and variants such as Dailam, Deylam, and Deilam), was the name of a mountainous region of inland Gilan, Iran. It was so named for its inhabitants, known as the Daylamites.
The Church of the Ea ...
ites. Hasan, who assumed the
regnal name
A regnal name, regnant name, or reign name is the name used by monarchs and popes during their reigns and subsequently, historically. Since ancient times, some monarchs have chosen to use a different name from their original name when they accede ...
''al-Dāʿī ilaʾl-Ḥaqq'' ("He who summons to the Truth"), was recognized as
emir
Emir (; ' (), also Romanization of Arabic, transliterated as amir, is a word of Arabic language, Arabic origin that can refer to a male monarch, aristocratic, aristocrat, holder of high-ranking military or political office, or other person po ...
by a part of the local population, and even secured the allegiance of the
Justanid king of Daylam,
Vahsudan ibn Marzuban.
Despite the rapid success of the rebellion, Hasan's reign was troubled due to repeated invasions, and he was several times forced to seek refuge in Daylam.
[Madelung (1975), p. 206] Thus he was chased out of Tabaristan in 865 by Sulayman ibn Abdallah, but returned within the same year and recovered the province.
Another Alid uprising occurred in
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 ...
and
Zanjan in 865, led by
Husayn ibn Ahmad al-Kaukabi and aided by the Justanids, but it was suppressed two years later by the Abbasid general
Musa ibn Bugha.
[Bosworth (1975), p. 103] Hasan was forced into Daylam again by the Abbasid general
Muflih in 869, but the latter withdrew shortly after.
In 874, Hasan came into conflict with
Ya'qub al-Saffar for sheltering one of the latter's enemies, Abdallah al-Sijzi. Ya'qub invaded Tabaristan and defeated the Zaydid forces at
Sari
A sari (also called sharee, saree or sadi)The name of the garment in various regional languages include:
*
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*
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* is a drape (cloth) and a women's garment in the Indian subcontinent. It consists of an un-sti ...
, forcing Hasan once again to flee to the mountains of Daylam. Nevertheless, Ya'qub's army soon became bogged down by torrential rainfall and suffered many casualties to disease in the unaccustomed
subtropical
The subtropical zones or subtropics are geographical zone, geographical and Köppen climate classification, climate zones immediately to the Northern Hemisphere, north and Southern Hemisphere, south of the tropics. Geographically part of the Ge ...
climate of Tabaristan, forcing him to withdraw from the region shortly after.
In the complex struggle for control of
Khurasan
KhorasanDabeersiaghi, Commentary on Safarnâma-e Nâsir Khusraw, 6th Ed. Tehran, Zavvâr: 1375 (Solar Hijri Calendar) 235–236 (; , ) is a historical eastern region in the Iranian Plateau in West Asia, West and Central Asia that encompasses wes ...
between
Abu Talha Mansur ibn Sharkab and
Ahmad ibn Abdallah al-Khujistani, Hasan sided with the former, but was defeated with him in 878/879, when al-Khujistani recovered
Nishapur
Nishapur or Neyshabur (, also ) is a city in the Central District (Nishapur County), Central District of Nishapur County, Razavi Khorasan province, Razavi Khorasan province, Iran, serving as capital of both the county and the district.
Ni ...
. Exploiting the turmoils of the period, from 867 Hasan also usually controlled Gurgan to the east, and expanded his control temporarily over some neighbouring regions as well: Rayy (864–865, 867, 870 and 872), Qazvin (865–868) and
Qumis (873–879).
Hasan died at
Amul in 884, and was succeeded by his brother
Muhammad ibn Zayd. The Zaydids continued to rule Tabaristan until 928.
Historians praised him as a just and equitable ruler,
but outside the early strongholds of Ruyan and Kalar, the initial enthusiasm for his rule seems to have waned quickly among the broad populace of Tabaristan and Gurgan. This was a result of both his ardent enforcement of Shi'ism and repression of the
Sunni
Sunni Islam is the largest branch of Islam and the largest religious denomination in the world. It holds that Muhammad did not appoint any successor and that his closest companion Abu Bakr () rightfully succeeded him as the caliph of the Mu ...
majority, as well as his regime's reliance on the semi-barbarous Daylamite soldiery. Relations with the autonomous local Iranian rulers also varied: the
Qarinids, who ruled the western mountains of Tabaristan, supported Hasan, but the
Bavandids in the eastern mountains were usually hostile, and relations with the Justanid Vahsudan and his son and successor
Khurshid also turned hostile. In the event, Hasan managed to have the latter replaced by his brother
Justan, who once again loyally supported the Zaydid ruler.
[Madelung (1975), pp. 207–208] The Orientalist Frants Buhl assesses Hasan's character thus: he "possessed rare energy and the capacity for stubborn resistance, was a sincerely religious man, well educated, and a patron of letters".
See also
*
Caspian expeditions of the Rus'
The Caspian expeditions of the Rus' were military raids undertaken by the Rus' between the late 9th century and 1041 on the Caspian Sea shores, of what are nowadays Iran, Dagestan, and Azerbaijan. Initially, the Rus' appeared in Serkland in the ...
References
Sources
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External links
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{{Alavids
884 deaths
9th-century monarchs in the Middle East
Alavid dynasty
Zaydi imams of Tabaristan
Year of birth unknown
9th-century Arab people
9th-century Zaydis