Muhammad ibn Zayd facts for kids

Muhammad ibn Zayd (died October 3, 900) was an important ruler in a region called Tabaristan. He was also known as al-Dāʿī al-Ṣaghīr, which means "the Younger Missionary." He became the leader (or Emir) of the Zaydid dynasty in Tabaristan in 884.

Muhammad took over after his brother, Hasan ibn Zayd, who was known as "the Elder Missionary." Muhammad continued his brother's policies. His time as ruler was full of challenges, including rebellions and wars. One major event was an invasion by Rafi ibn Harthama from 889 to 892. This invasion took over most of Muhammad's lands.

Later, Rafi' lost support from the Abbasid rulers. This allowed Muhammad to get his lands back. He even formed an alliance with Rafi'. However, Muhammad did not fully support Rafi' against another powerful group, the Saffarids. In 900, after the Saffarids were defeated by the Samanids, Muhammad tried to invade Khurasan. But he was defeated in battle and died from his injuries. After his death, Tabaristan was taken over by the Samanids.

Becoming a Leader

Muhammad was the younger brother of Hasan ibn Zayd. Hasan founded the Zaydid rule in Tabaristan in 864. We don't know much about Muhammad's early life. Historians believe his family lived in Iraq before moving to Tabaristan. Muhammad likely arrived in Tabaristan around 867.

Serving His Brother

During Hasan's rule, Muhammad was a general and governor. He was once captured by Ya'qub ibn al-Layth al-Saffar during an invasion in 874. He was later released in Gurgan in 876. After visiting his mother, he returned to Gurgan to help Hasan's brother-in-law.

The Zaydids briefly lost Gurgan in 877 but quickly got it back. In 880, Muhammad stopped a rebellion by Rustam I. Rustam was a local ruler from the Bavand dynasty who opposed the Zaydids. Muhammad also put down another rebellion in Gurgan. He probably continued to govern Gurgan for his brother until Hasan died in 884.

Taking Control of Tabaristan

When Hasan died, Muhammad was in Gurgan. His brother-in-law, Abu'l-Husayn Ahmad ibn Muhammad, tried to take power in Tabaristan. Muhammad couldn't return right away because his soldiers rebelled. He only regained control of Gurgan with help from Rafi ibn Harthama. Rafi' was a former general who now ruled Khurasan.

Finally, in October 884, Muhammad returned to Tabaristan. He captured the capital city, Amul. He also defeated and killed the person who had tried to take his place.

Muhammad's Rule

Muhammad took the same royal title as his brother: al-Dāʿī ilaʾl-Ḥaqq, meaning "He who summons to the Truth." He was called al-Dāʿī al-Ṣaghīr ("the Younger Missionary"). This was to tell him apart from Hasan, who was "the Elder Missionary." Some sources also called him al-Qāʾim bi al-Ḥaqq, or "Upholder of the Truth."

Muhammad immediately attacked Rustam, who had supported the usurper Ahmad. Rustam fled to the Saffarid court for safety. With the Saffarids' help, Rustam was allowed to return.

Expanding His Territory

Like his brother, Muhammad wanted to expand his lands through military campaigns. These wars took up a lot of his time as ruler. In August 885, he tried to capture Rayy but was forced back. Rafi' ibn Harthama used this chance to take Gurgan. However, Muhammad quickly got Gurgan back when Rafi' left.

In 888 or 889, Muhammad attacked Rustam again. Rustam then fled to Rafi' and asked for his help. Rafi' launched a major invasion of the Zaydid lands. He conquered most of them, forcing Muhammad to hide in mountain forts. Muhammad got help from Justan ibn Vahsudan, a lord from Daylam. With this help, Muhammad fought Rafi' constantly but couldn't get his kingdom back.

Changing Alliances

Eventually, Rafi' made peace with Justan, and the Daylamite soldiers left. At this point, Muhammad's luck changed. A new Caliph, al-Mu'tadid, came to power in the Abbasid Caliphate in 892. The Caliph was worried about Rafi's power. So, he took away Rafi's governorship of Khurasan and gave it to Rafi's rival, the Saffarid leader Amr ibn al-Layth.

Because of this, Rafi' made peace with Muhammad. He gave Tabaristan (but not Gurgan) back to Muhammad. Rafi' even promised to support the Zaydid cause. Muhammad returned to Amul on June 24, 893. Even though they were allies, Muhammad did not help Rafi' in his wars against the Saffarids. They even clashed briefly when Muhammad tried to take Sari.

After they made up, Rafi' killed Muhammad's old enemy Rustam in 895. In 896, when Rafi's forces briefly conquered Nishapur, prayers were read in Muhammad's name. Rafi' was killed shortly after by the Saffarids. Then, Muhammad got Gurgan back as well.

Final Years and Death

In 897, Muhammad gave shelter to Bakr ibn Abd al-Aziz. Bakr was from the deposed Dulafid dynasty. Muhammad first welcomed him and even made him governor of some towns. But in 898, Muhammad had Bakr poisoned.

In 900, the power balance in the region changed suddenly. The Saffarid leader Amr ibn al-Layth was defeated and died by the Samanids in April. The Samanids then demanded that Muhammad give them Gurgan. However, Muhammad was planning to use the chaos to invade Khurasan himself.

Muhammad and his army met the Samanid army in Gurgan. The Samanids won the battle. Muhammad was badly wounded and captured. He died the next day, on October 3, 900. His body was buried at the gate of Gurgan. His tomb later became a place where people would visit, according to al-Mas'udi.

Muhammad's son and chosen heir, Zayd, was also captured. He was sent to Bukhara. The Zaydid leaders then decided to name Zayd's baby son, al-Mahdi, as their ruler. But disagreements broke out among them. One leader declared loyalty to the Abbasids instead. His troops attacked and killed many Zaydid supporters. The Samanids then took over the province.

The Samanid conquest brought back Sunni Islam to the province. However, the Shi'a cause was kept alive by another Alid, Hasan al-Utrush. In 914, he managed to conquer Tabaristan and bring back Zaydid rule.

Beliefs and Character

Like his brother, Muhammad supported and promoted Zaydi Shi'ism and Mu'tazilism. He also tried to stop Sunni opposition. This religious control, combined with his reliance on Daylamite mountain soldiers, made many people unhappy. The Daylamite soldiers were not always disciplined, and their behavior bothered the local people. This caused many people to feel distant from Zaydid rule.

Muhammad became well-known among Shi'ites. He helped rebuild the shrine to Ali and his son Husayn after the Abbasids destroyed it. He also gave a lot of money to other members of the Alid family across the Muslim world. However, later Zaydi leaders did not consider him or Hasan to be true imams.

Even with his strong religious beliefs, Muhammad did not seem to be a bitter enemy of the Abbasids. There is a story that the Caliph al-Mu'tadid was sad when Muhammad died. Muhammad was also a cultured man. He enjoyed good poetry and even wrote some poems himself. Only a few lines of his poems still exist today.