Ziyarid dynasty facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Ziyarid dynasty زیاریان
931–1090
Map of the Ziyarid dynasty, lighter blue shows their greatest extent for a small period of time.
Capital	Isfahan (931–935) Ray (935–943) Gorgan (943–1035) Amol (1035–1090)
Common languages	Persian Gilaki Tabari
Religion	Zoroastrianism & Islam
Government	Monarchy
King
• 931–935	Mardavij (first)
• 1087–1090	Gilanshah (last)
Historical era	Middle Ages
• Established	931
• Disestablished	1090
Preceded by Succeeded by Abbasid Caliphate Samanid Empire Alid dynasties of northern Iran Nizari Ismaili state Buyid dynasty

The Ziyarid dynasty (Persian: زیاریان) was an Iranian family of Gilaki origin. They ruled a region called Tabaristan from 931 to 1090. This time was part of a period known as the Iranian Intermezzo. The Ziyarid empire became very strong under its first leader, Mardavij.

After Mardavij died, his brother Vushmgir took over. Vushmgir and his allies, the Samanids, often fought against the Buyids for control of land. When Vushmgir died, his sons Bisutun and Qabus struggled for power. Qabus eventually won and became the ruler.

However, Qabus was forced into exile from 980 to 998 by a powerful Buyid ruler named Adud al-Dawla. During this time, the Buyids controlled Tabaristan, which was the main area of Ziyarid power. Later, other rulers took charge of the Ziyarid kingdom with help from the Ghaznavids in the early 11th century. The Nizari Ismaili state eventually invaded and ended the Ziyarid rule in 1090.

At its largest, the Ziyarid kingdom controlled much of what is now western and northern Iran. Many smart people, especially the famous scholar al-Biruni, came to the kingdom during this time.

Who were the Ziyarids?

The Ziyarid family came from a leader named Vardanshah. He was the head of the Shahanshahvand tribe. This tribe believed they were related to a legendary king named Arghush Farhadan, who ruled Gilan a long time ago.

Vardanshah had a son named Ziyar. Ziyar married the sister of a Gilaki king named Harusindan. They had a son named Mardavij. Mardavij first worked for another Gilaki military leader. But he later turned against him and took over Tabaristan. This is how he started the Ziyarid dynasty, naming it after his father, Ziyar.

Important Events in Ziyarid History

Mardavij quickly started to expand his lands. He defeated his former leader and captured many important cities in Iran. These cities included Hamadan, Isfahan, and Shiraz. He took them from the Abbasids, who were a powerful caliphate.

Mardavij even planned to bring back the Sasanian Empire. He wanted to conquer Baghdad and remove the Abbasid Caliph. But he was killed in 935 before he could do this. After Mardavij's death, his brother Vushmgir became the new Ziyarid ruler in Ray.

Hasan ibn Buya, a brother of the Buyid ruler, took advantage of Mardavij's death. He seized Isfahan from the Ziyarids. The Samanids also tried to gain land, but Vushmgir defeated them. He then took Gorgan from Samanid control.

Vushmgir's Reign (930s–960s)

Vushmgir later decided to accept the Samanids as more powerful. In 936, he gave Gorgan to Makan, another leader. He then turned against Hasan and took back Isfahan in 938.

In 939 or 940, the Samanid governor attacked Gorgan. Vushmgir sent help, but the city fell after a long fight. The Samanid governor then fought Vushmgir in Ray and won. Vushmgir fled to Tabaristan. But he faced a rebellion there from his governor of Sari, who blamed Vushmgir for Makan's death. Vushmgir defeated the rebel, but the rebel convinced the Samanids to invade Tabaristan. Vushmgir had to accept Samanid rule again. Hasan also took Isfahan back in 940.

When the Samanid governor left, Vushmgir took back Ray. But he lost it for good in 943 to the Buyids. He returned to Tabaristan but was defeated there. Vushmgir fled to the mountains, then to the Samanid court.

In 947, Vushmgir was able to take Gorgan and Tabaristan back with a large Samanid army. However, in 948, the Buyid ruler, now called Rukn al-Dawla, invaded and took Tabaristan and Gorgan from Vushmgir. Tabaristan and Gorgan changed hands many times. In 955, a peace treaty was made, promising to leave Vushmgir alone in Tabaristan. But this peace did not last long.

Qabus Takes Power (970s–990s)

Vushmgir died in 967 while hunting. His oldest son Bisutun became the new ruler. But the Samanid army preferred another son, Qabus. Bisutun then made a deal with the Buyid ruler for protection, which made the Samanid army leave. In 971, the Abbasid caliph gave Bisutun a special title.

Bisutun died in 977, and Qabus became the ruler. However, the Buyid ruler Adud al-Dawla forced Qabus out in 980. This was because Qabus had given shelter to Adud al-Dawla's rival brother. The Buyids then controlled Tabaristan for 17 years while Qabus was in exile.

In 998, Qabus returned to Tabaristan and took back control. He made good friends with the Ghaznavid ruler Mahmud of Ghazni. Qabus's kingdom became a center for scholars. Abu Rayhan Biruni, a great scientist, was supported by Qabus. Biruni even dedicated his book Chronology to Qabus around 1000.

Later Rulers and Decline (1000s–1090)

Manuchihr speaks to his people and army. This image is from a history book called Tarikhnama, made in the early 14th century.

Because he was a harsh ruler, Qabus was overthrown by his own army in 1012. His son Manuchihr took his place. Manuchihr quickly accepted the rule of Mahmud of Ghazni and married one of his daughters.

Manuchihr died in 1031. His son Anushirvan Sharaf al-Ma'ali became the next ruler. Mahmud of Ghazni had chosen Anushirvan as the heir. From 1032 to 1040, a relative named Abu Kalijar held the real power. In 1035, Abu Kalijar stopped paying tribute to the Ghaznavids. This led to the Ghaznavids invading Tabaristan and attacking the Ziyarid capital of Amol. Abu Kalijar then agreed to continue paying tribute. This allowed Anushirvan to imprison Abu Kalijar and take full control of his kingdom. In 1041 or 1042, the Seljuqs, who were now powerful in Khorasan, invaded Anushirvan's lands. He had to accept their authority.

Anushirvan died in 1059. His cousin Keikavus became the next ruler. Keikavus was a famous writer who wrote the Qabus nama, an important work of Persian literature. Keikavus died in 1087. His son Gilanshah took over. However, Gilanshah's rule was short. In 1090, the Nizari Ismaili state under Hassan-i Sabbah invaded and conquered his lands. This brought an end to Ziyarid rule in Tabaristan.

Art and Buildings

One of the most famous buildings from the Ziyarid dynasty is the Gonbad Kavous. This means "Dome of Qabus." It is one of the oldest buildings with a date written on it that still exists in Iran after the Islamic period.

The tomb is made of fired brick. It is a huge cylinder with a cone-shaped roof. It has a round shape with 10 flat sections. It is 17 meters wide, and its walls are 3 meters thick. The tower is 49 meters tall from the bottom to the top. A story says that Qabus's body was placed in a glass coffin. This coffin was hung by chains from the inside of the tower's dome.

Culture and Learning

Qabus, who was a good writer in Arabic, supported many poets and scholars. These included Kamalu'd-din Bundar and Abu'l-Qasim Ziyad. Kamalu'd-din Bundar wrote poetry in Arabic, Persian, and Gilaki. The poet Manuchihri later took his pen name from his first supporter, Falak al-Ma'ali Manuchihr, who was Qabus's son.

By the time Keikavus ruled, the Ziyarid court used Persian culture a lot. Keikavus himself wrote the famous Persian book, Qabus-nama.

Ziyarid Rulers

• Mardavij (930–935)
• Vushmgir (935–967)
• Bisutun (967–977)
• Qabus (977–981)
• Buyid occupation (977–997)
• Qabus (997–1012)
• Manuchihr (1012–1031)
• Anushirvan Sharaf al-Ma'ali (1030–1050)
• Keikavus (1050–1087)
• Gilanshah (1087–1090)

Family Tree

See also

• Bavand dynasty
• Dabuyid dynasty

Sources

• Bosworth, C. E. (1968). "The Political and Dynastic History of the Iranian World (A.D. 1000–1217)". [Ziyarid dynasty at Google Books The Cambridge History of Iran, Volume 5: The Saljuq and Mongol Periods]. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. pp. 1–202. ISBN 0-521-06936-X. https://books.google.com/books?id=16yHq5v3QZAC&pg=PA1.
• Madelung, W. (1975). "The Minor Dynasties of Northern Iran". [Ziyarid dynasty at Google Books The Cambridge History of Iran, Volume 4: From the Arab Invasion to the Saljuqs]. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. pp. 198–249. ISBN 0-521-20093-8. https://books.google.com/books?id=hvx9jq_2L3EC&pg=PA198.
• Busse, Heribert (1975). "Iran under the Būyids". [Ziyarid dynasty at Google Books The Cambridge History of Iran, Volume 4: From the Arab Invasion to the Saljuqs]. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. pp. 250–304. ISBN 0-521-20093-8. https://books.google.com/books?id=hvx9jq_2L3EC&pg=PA250.