Shaddadids facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Shaddadids
951–1199
Map of the Shaddadids ( ,  ), 11th-12th centuries CE
Capital	Dvin, Janza, Ani
Common languages	Persian (court, poetry)
Religion	Sunni Islam
Government	Emirate
Historical era	Middle Ages
• Established	951
• Muhammad ibn Shaddad conquers Dwin	951
• Lashkari ibn Muhammad established himself in Ganja	971
• Manuchihr ibn Shavur founded the Shaddadis emirate of Ani	c. 1072
• Disestablished	1199
Preceded by Succeeded by Sallarid dynasty Byzantine empire Seljuk Empire Kingdom of Georgia

The Shaddadids were a Sunni Muslim dynasty of Kurdish origin. who ruled in various parts of Armenia and Arran from 951 to 1199 AD. They were established in Dvin. Through their long tenure in Armenia, they often intermarried with the Bagratuni royal family of Armenia.

They began ruling in the city of Dvin, and eventually ruled other major cities, such as Barda and Ganja. A cadet line of the Shaddadids were given the cities of Ani and Tbilisi as a reward for their service to the Seljuqs, to whom they became vassals. From 1047 to 1057, the Shaddadids were engaged in several wars against the Byzantine army. The area between the rivers Kura and Aras was ruled by a Shaddadid dynasty.

History

Origins

The Shaddadids were of Kurdish origin, hailing from the Hadhabani Tribe. The historian Andrew Peacock notes that the Shaddadids "aspired to a more illustrious origin than that of Kurdish tribesmen". Some members of the Shaddadid family, such as Manuchihr, Anushirvan, Gudarz and Ardashir, were named after the Sasanian shahanshahs of pre-Islamic Iran (224-651 AD), and the dynasty claimed descent from the Sasanians as well. The notion of claiming links with the pre-Islamic Iranian past as they "sought to legitimize themselves as heirs to pre-Islamic Iranian traditions" was a feature which the Shaddadids shared with numerous other contemporaneous dynasties. In addition to Iranian influences, there were strong Armenian influences among the Shaddadid ruling house, which is attested in members of the family bearing Armenian names such as Ashot.

Shaddadids of Ani

The ruins of Manuchihr Mosque, an 11th-century Shaddadid mosque built among the ruins of Ani.

Inside view of Manuchihr Mosque, 1881.

In 1072, the Seljuks sold Ani to the Shaddadid emir of Manuchihr. Manuchihr repaired and enlarged the walls of Ani. The Shaddadids generally pursued a conciliatory policy towards the city's overwhelmingly Armenian and Christian population and actually married several members of the Bagratid nobility.

A son and successor of Manuchihr, Abu'l-Aswar was accused by the contemporary Armenian historian Vardan Areveltsi of persecuting Christians and attempting to sell Ani to the emir of Kars. His rule was terminated by the resurgent King David IV of Georgia, whom Ani surrendered without a fight in 1124. Abu'l-Aswar Shavur ended his days as a captive of the Georgians, while Ani was given by David IV to his general, Abuleti. Abu'l-Aswar Shavur's son Fadl IV would be able to resume the Shaddadid reign in Ani in 1125.

In 1130 Georgia was attacked by the Sultan of Ahlat, Shah-Armen Sökmen II (c.1128-1183). This war was started by the passage of Ani into the hands of the Georgians; Demetrius I had to compromise and give up Ani to Fadl IV on terms of vassalage and inviolability of the Christian churches. Fadl extended his rule to Dvin and Ganja, but failed to maintain these cities. He was murdered by his courtiers following the fall of Dvin to the Turkish emir Qurti c. 1030. His brothers, Mahmud and Khushchikr, ruled briefly in quick succession until the emirate was taken over by Fadl's nephew, Fakr al-Din Shaddad.

In 1139, Demetrius raided the city of Ganja in Arran. He brought the iron gate of the defeated city to Georgia and donated it to Gelati Monastery at Kutaisi. Despite this brilliant victory, Demetrius could hold Ganja only for a few years. In reply to this, the sultan of Eldiguzids attacked Ganja several times, and in 1143 the town again fell to the sultan who appointed his own emir to rule it.

Fakr al-Din Shaddad asked for Saltuk II's daughter's hand, however Saltuk refused him. This caused a deep hatred in Shaddad towards Saltuk. In 1154 he planned a plot and formed a secret alliance with the Demetrius I. While a Georgian army waited in ambush, he offered tribute to Saltukids, ruler of Erzerum and asked the latter to accept him as a vassal. In 1153-1154 Emir Saltuk II marched on Ani, but Shaddad informed his suzerain, the King of Georgia, of this. Demetrius marched to Ani, defeated and captured the emir. At the request of neighbouring Muslim rulers and released him for a ransom of 100,000 dinars, paid by Saltuk's sons in law and Saltuk swore not to fight against the Georgians he returned home.

Interior ceiling of the Manuchihr Mosque

In 1156 the Christian population of Ani rose against the emir Fakr al-Din Shaddad, and turned the town over to his brother Fadl V. But Fadl, too, apparently could not satisfy the people of Ani, and this time the town was offered to the George III of Georgia, who took advantage of this offer and subjugated Ani, appointing his general Ivane Orbeli as its ruler in 1161. A coalition of Muslim rulers led by Shams al-Din Eldiguz, ruler of Adarbadagan and some other regions, embarked upon a campaign against Georgia in early 1163. He was joined by the Shah-Armen Sökmen II, Ak-Sunkur, ruler of Maragha, and others. With an army of 50,000 troops they marched on Georgia. The Georgian army was defeated. George had no choice but to make peace.

Eldiguz, a resurgent atabeg of Azerbaijan handed the city over to Shahanshah on terms of vassalage. The Shaddadids, ruled the town for about 10 years, but in 1174 King George took the Shahanshah as a prisoner and occupied Ani once again. Ivane Orbeli, was appointed governor of the town. In 1175 the southern provinces of Georgia were again overrun by a united Muslim host. This marked the beginning of another long struggle for Ani. The chronicles do not allow the reconstruction of any coherent picture of this struggle, but we can assume that the town and region frequently changed hands. The Georgians captured Ani four times; 1124, 1161, 1174 and 1199. The first three times, it was recaptured by the Shaddadids. In the year 1199, Georgia's Queen Tamar captured Ani, she granted the city to the Armeno–Georgian Mkhargrzeli family.

Shaddadid rulers

Emirs in Ani

• Manuchihr (1072–1118)
• Abu'l-Aswar Shavur II (1118–24)
• Fadl IV (1125–?)
• Mahmud (?–1131)
• Khushchikr (1131–?)
• Fakr al-Din Shaddad (?–1155)
• Fadl V (1155–61)
• Shahanshah (1164–74)
• Sultan ibn Mahmud (?–ca. 1198/9)

See also

• List of Sunni Muslim dynasties
• List of Kurdish dynasties and countries