Alid dynasties of northern Iran or Alavids (). In the 9th–10th centuries, the 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 ...

ian regions 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 ...

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 ...

and

Gilan Gilan Province () is one of the 31 provinces of Iran, in the northwest of the country and southwest of the Caspian Sea. Its capital is the city of Rasht. The province lies along the Caspian Sea, in Iran's Region 3, west of the province of ...

, sandwiched between 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, ...

and the

Alborz The Alborz ( ) range, also spelled as Alburz, Elburz or Elborz, is a mountain range in northern Iran that stretches from the border of Azerbaijan along the western and entire southern coast of the Caspian Sea and finally runs northeast and merge ...

range, came under the rule of a number of

Arab Arabs (, , ; , , ) are an ethnic group mainly inhabiting the Arab world in West Asia and North Africa. A significant Arab diaspora is present in various parts of the world. Arabs have been in the Fertile Crescent for thousands of years ...

Alid dynasties, espousing the

Zaydi Zaydism () is a branch of Shia Islam that emerged in the eighth century following Zayd ibn Ali's unsuccessful rebellion against the Umayyad Caliphate. Zaydism is one of the three main branches of Shi'ism, with the other two being Twelverism ...

branch of

Shia Islam Shia Islam is the second-largest Islamic schools and branches, branch of Islam. It holds that Muhammad in Islam, Muhammad designated Ali ibn Abi Talib () as both his political Succession to Muhammad, successor (caliph) and as the spiritual le ...

. The first and most powerful Zaydi emirate was established in

in 864 and lasted until 928. It was interrupted by

Samanid The Samanid Empire () was a Persianate society, Persianate Sunni Islam, Sunni Muslim empire, ruled by a dynasty of Iranian peoples, Iranian ''dehqan'' origin. The empire was centred in Greater Khorasan, Khorasan and Transoxiana, at its greatest ...

occupation in 900, but restored in 914 by another Alid branch. The second period of the Alid emirate was plagued by internal dissensions and power struggles between the two branches, and ended in the second conquest of the region by the Samanids in 928. Subsequently, some of the soldiers and generals of the Alavids joined the Samanids, among them Mardavij, founder of 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 ...

dynasty, and the three sons of Buya ( Ali, Hassan and Ahmad), founders 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 ...

dynasty. Local Zaydi rulers survived in Daylam and Gilan until the 16th century.

List of Zaydi emirs and imams of Tabaristan

* Hasan ibn Zayd, adopted 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-Da'i ila'l-Haqq'' (864–884). He was forced to abandon Tabaristan briefly for

in 869 and 874 due to invasions * Muhammad ibn Zayd, also adopted the regnal name ''al-Da'i ila'l-Haqq'' (884–900). Rule in Tabaristan proper was usurped by Abu'l-Husayn Ahmad ibn Muhammad for a few months as Muhammad was in Gurgan at the time of Hasan's death. Tabaristan was overrun briefly by Rafi ibn Harthama in 891–893, and in 900 Muhammad tried to conquer Khurasan, but was defeated and killed by the Samanids. The Samanids captured Tabaristan, and the Alavids fled to Daylam in exile (900-913). * Hasan ibn Ali al-Utrush, adopted the regnal name ''al-Nasir li'l-Haqq'' (914–917). A

Husaynid The Husaynids ( or حسینیون, Ḥusayniyyūn) are a branch of the Alids who are descendants of Husayn ibn Ali, a grandson of the Islamic prophet Muhammad. It is one of the two main branches of the (the other being the descendants of Husyan ...

from

Medina Medina, officially al-Madinah al-Munawwarah (, ), also known as Taybah () and known in pre-Islamic times as Yathrib (), is the capital of Medina Province (Saudi Arabia), Medina Province in the Hejaz region of western Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, ...

, he converted the Gilites and Daylamites to the Zaydi doctrine, recovered Tabaristan. * Abu Muhammad Hasan ibn Qasim, also adopted the regnal name ''al-Da'i ila'l-haq'' (917–919, 919–923, 927–928). A Hasanid, he was the commander of the army under al-Utrush and named by the latter as his heir. His rule was challenged by al-Utrush's sons and their numerous supporters (the "Nasiris"), who seized power twice, briefly in 919 and again in 923. Regained the throne with the help of Makan ibn Kaki, and ruled until he was killed in battle with Asfar ibn Shiruya. * Abu 'l-Husayn Ahmad ibn Hasan, surnamed ''Nasir'' (919, 923). Reigned jointly with his brother in 919, thereafter reconciled himself with Abu Muhammad Hasan al-Da'i until 923, when he reigned briefly until his death. * Abu 'l-Qasim Ja'far ibn Hasan, surnamed ''Nasir'' (919, 923–925). Reigned jointly with his brother in 919 and from 923 until his death. * Abu Ali Muhammad ibn Abu 'l-Husayn Ahmad, surnamed ''Nasir'' (925–927). Son of Ahmad ibn Hasan, he was chosen as emir after Ja'far died. Deposed briefly by Makan ibn Kaki, who installed Isma'il ibn Ja'far as a puppet ruler, regained the throne with the aid of Asfar ibn Shiruya. *Abu Ja'far Husayn ibn Abu 'l-Husayn Ahmad, surnamed ''Nasir'' (927). Brother of Abu Ali Muhammad, he was deposed by Makan ibn Kaki, who brought back Abu Muhammad Hasan al-Da'i. Installed once more as imam briefly by Asfar ibn Shiruya under

suzerainty, but later removed to the Samanid court at

Bukhara Bukhara ( ) is the List of cities in Uzbekistan, seventh-largest city in Uzbekistan by population, with 280,187 residents . It is the capital of Bukhara Region. People have inhabited the region around Bukhara for at least five millennia, and t ...

. Tried to recover Tabaristan in 931 with the help of Mardavij, but failed.

References

* * {{Authority control 928 disestablishments States and territories established in the 860s Former emirates Medieval history of Iran 864 establishments Arab dynasties States and territories disestablished in the 920s

List of Zaydi emirs and imams of Tabaristan

See also

References