Shirvanshah

Mazyadi/Kasrani/Darbandi
Coat of arms of the Shirvanshahs[1]
Country	Azerbaijan  Russia
Founded	861
Founder	Yazid b. Mazyad al-Shaybani
Final ruler	Abu Bakr Mirza
Titles	Shah of Shirvan Shah of Layzan Emir of Derbent
Dissolution	1538
Cadet branches	Shervashidze House of Black Monk

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Shirvanshah (Persian: شروانشاه‎), also spelled as Shīrwān Shāh or Sharwān Shāh, was the title of the rulers of Shirvan from the mid-9th century to the early 16th century. The title remained in a single family, the Yazidids, an originally Arab but speedily Persianized dynasty, although the later Shirvanshahs are also known as the Kasranids or Kaqanids.^[2][3] The Shirvanshah established a native state in Shirvan (located in modern Azerbaijan Republic).^[4]

The Shirvanshahs dynasty, existing as independent or a vassal state, from 861 until 1538; one of longest existing dynasties in the Islamic world, are known for their support of culture. There were two periods of an independent and strong Shirvan state: first in the 12th century, under kings Manuchehr and his son, Akhsitan I who built the stronghold of Baku, and second in the 15th century under Derbendid dynasty.

Origins[]

The title 'Shirvanshah' appears to date back to the period before Islam's emergence in the Arabian peninsula. Ibn Khordadbeh mentions the Shirvanshah as one of the local rulers who received their title from the first Sassanid emperor, Ardashir I.^[2][3] Al-Baladhuri also mentions that a Shirvanshah, together with the neighbouring Layzanshah, were encountered by the Arabs during their conquest of Persia, and submitted to the Arab commander Salman ibn Rab'ia al-Bahili.^[2][3]

History[]

Rise of the Shirvanshahs[]

From the late 8th century, Shirvan was under the rule of the members of the Arab family of Yazid ibn Mazyad al-Shaybani (d. 801), who was named governor of the region by the Abbasid caliph Harun al-Rashid.^[3][5] His descendants, the Yazidids, would rule Shirvan as independent princes until the 14th century.^[3] By origin, the Yazidids were Arabs of the Shayban tribe and belonged to high ranking generals and governors of the Abbasid army.^[5] In the chaos that engulfed the Abbasid Caliphate after the death of the Caliph al-Mutawakkil in 861, the great-grandson of Yazid b. Mazyad Shaybani, Haytham ibn Khalid, declared himself independent and assumed the ancient title of Shirvanshah. The dynasty continuously ruled the area of Shirvan either as an independent state or a vassal state until the Safavid times.^[2]

One of the important books in the early history of this dynasty is the anonymous Taʾrikh Bab al-Abwab ("History of Darband"), preserved by the Ottoman historian Münejjim Bashi (Chief Astronomer), the last date of which concerning the dynasty is 468/1075. A translation of this important work into English language was published by the orientalist Vladimir Minorsky in 1958.^[5][6] We know from this book that the history of the Shirvan Shahs was closely tied with that of the Arab Hashimid family in Darband (Bab al-Abwab) and intermarriage between the two Arab families was common with Yazidids often ruling for various periods in the latter town.^[2]

V.F Minorsky in his book titled "A History of Sharvan and Darband in the 10th–11th Centuries" distinguishes four dynasties of Shirvanshahs; l. The Shirvanshahs, (the Sassanids designated them for the protection of northern frontier; 2. Mazyadids, 3. Kasranids; 4. House of Derbent or Derbent dynasty.^[7][8]

By the time of the anonymous work Hodud al-Alam (c. 982 AD), the Shirvan Shahs, from their capital of Yazīdiyya (the later Shamakhi), had absorbed neighbouring kingdoms north of the Kur river and thus acquired the additional titles of Layzan Shah and Khursan Shah.^[2] We can also discern the progressive Persianisation of this originally Arab family.^[2] According to Encyclopedia of Islam: After the Shah Yazid b. Ahmad (381-418/991-1028), Arab names give way to Persian ones like Manūčihr, Ḳubādh, Farīdūn, etc., very likely as a reflection of marriage links with local families, and possibly with that of the ancient rulers in Shābarān, the former capital, and the Yazidids now began to claim a nasab (lineage) going back to Sassanid kings Bahrām Gūr or to Khusraw Anushirwan.^[2] According to Vladimir Minorsky, the most likely explanation of the Iranicisation of this Arab family could be marriage link with the family of the ancient rulers of Shabaran.^[5] He further states: The attraction of a Sassanian pedigree proved stronger than the recollection of Shaybani lineage.^[5] The coat of arms with two lions could be a reminder of the story of Bahrām Gur in Shahnama where Bahrām had to claim the crown from between two lions to be recognized as the king.

According to al-Masudi, in 917, Russian merchants attacked the Caspian provinces and Shirvan from the Don River with 500 ships. However, due to the lack of a fleet of Shirvan ruler Ali ibn Haysam, Russian merchants looted the area, as a result, the ruler of Shirvan was dethroned.^[9][10]

During the reign of Ahmad ibn Muhammad, the Shirvanshah state was dependent on the Sallarid dynasty for some time and became independent again after the collapse of the Sallarids.

After Ahmad's death, his son Muhammad ruled for ten years (981-991). In the first years, Mohammad was able to include the city of Gabala in his state. In 983, he rebuilt the castle walls of Shabran, then captured Barda, and appointed Musa as its governor. Khurasan, Tabasaran, Sheki and were also annexed to Shirvanshahs.^[9]

At the end of the 10th - beginning of the 11th century they began wars with Derbent (this rivalry lasted for centuries), and in the 1030's they had to repel the raids of the Rus, and Alans.^[11]

The last ruler of the Mazyadid was Yazid ibn Ahmad, and from 1027 to 1382, the Kasranids dynasty began to rule the Shirvanshahs. In 1032 and 1033, the alans attacked the territory of Shamakhi, but were defeated by the troops of the Shirvanshahs.^[12][13][5]

Seljuqid rule[]

In the mid-11th century, Seljuk Turks ended Abbasid control by invading Shirvan from Central Asia and asserting political dominance. The Kasranid dynasty ruled the state independently until 1066 when the Seljuk tribes came to the territory of Arran, Shirvanshah I Fariburz accepted dependence on them, preserving internal independence.^[13][12][5] The Seljuks brought with them the Turkish language and Turkish customs. The Seljuqs became the main rulers of a vast empire that included most of the Near East until the end of the 12th century. During the Seljuq period, the influential vizier of the Seljuq sultans, Nizam ul-Mulk is noted for having helped introduce numerous educational and bureaucratic reforms. His death in 1092 marked the beginning of the decline of the once well-organized Seljuq state that further deteriorated following the death of Sultan Ahmad Sanjar in 1153.

At the end of 11th and at the beginning of 12th centuries, the Seljuqid state entered to the period of collapse at the result of interior fought for throne among the representatives of Seljuqid dynasty. Utilizing from this circumstance, several governors, who were under the subordination of seljukid state, refused to accept the authority of Sultans.

In the 1080’s Fariburz, taking advantage of the weakening of his neighbors, who were also subjected to the Seljuk invasion, extended his power to Arran and appointed a governor in Ganja.^[11]

Georgian rule[]

Expansion of Kingdom of Georgia under David IV's reign.

In the beginning of the 12th century Shirvan attracted the attention of its expanding Georgian neighbours who on several occasions raided its territory. Shirvanshahs were in position of power shifting between Georgia and Seljuqid states. In 1112 David IV of Georgia gave his daughter Tamar in marriage to son of Shirvanshah Afridun I, Manuchihr III. Afridun lost many castles, including Qabala to David IV of Georgia in 1117 and 1120. After the death of Afridun I, who was murdered in the battle for Derbent, the throne in Shirvan passed to his son, Manuchir III (1120-1160). Manuchir III was under the influence of his wife, Georgian princess Tamar and maintained pro-Georgian orientation. After decisive victory of Battle of Didgori Manuchir rejected to pay tribute to Eldiguzids. Depriving from the tributes in the amount of 40 thousand dinars, the Seljuqid Sultan Mahmud directed to Shirvan at the beginning of 1123, captured Shamakhi and took Shah as hostage contrary to Manuchehr's betrayal.

In June, 1123 David IV attacked and defeated Sultan again and captured the cities and fortresses of Shamakhi, Bughurd, Gulustan, Shabran. Manuchehr restored his own power upon David's death in 1125 and started friendly relations with his brother-in-law Demetrius. After her husband's death, Tamar found herself involved in a power struggle among her sons, favoring the younger, who joined her in an attempt to unite Shirvan with Georgia with the help of Kipchak mercenaries. Manuchehr's older son Akhsitan I was able to secure support from the Eldiguzids of Azerbaijan, winning the contest for the throne and forcing Tamar and his younger brother into flight to Georgia.

Ahsitan conducted independent policy, created close relations with Georgians, as well as with the Eldiguzids in the presence of Shams al-Din Ildeniz and Jahan Pahlavan. In 1173 Akhsitan I came to the aid of his father-in-law, George III by putting down the of Prince Demna. Akhsitan reign saw raids of Rus' with 73 ships in 1174 which sailed from Volga and threatening shores of river Kura and a Kipchak hordes who sacked Derbent and captured Shabran in the same year. Akhsitan called his ally Georgia, which proved to be successful in siege of Derbent. George III subjugated city and turned it over to shah and strengthened the Georgian dominance in the area. They also defeated and burned Rus' navy.

Akhsitan attempted to intervene the interior affairs of the Eldiguzids and opposed Qizil Arslans aspiration to the throne, but he was defeated. In the response to this, Qizil Arslan invaded Shirvan in 1191, reached to Derbent and subordinated the whole Shirvan to his authority. A year later, in 1192, Shamakhi was destroyed by a terrible earthquake, and Akhsitan I moved the Shirvan capital to the city of Baku. Early in the 1190s, the Georgian government under the Tamar the Great began to interfere in the affairs of the Eldiguzids and of the Shirvanshahs, aiding rivaling local princes and reducing Shirvan to a tributary state. The Eldiguzid atabeg Abu Bakr attempted to stem the Georgian advance, but suffered a defeat at the hands of David Soslan at the Battle of Shamkor^[14] and lost his capital to a Georgian protégé in 1195. Although Abu Bakr was able to resume his reign a year later, the Eldiguzids were only barely able to contain further Georgian forays.^[15][16]

Mongol rule[]

Shirvan was greatly devastated by Mongol invasion in 1235, from which it was not able to fully recover for the next century. In the 13th and 14th centuries Shirvan was a vassal of stronger Mongol and Timurid empires. Shirvanshah Ibrahim I revived the country's fortunes, and through his cunning politics managed to resist Timurid conquest, letting the state go with paying a tribute.^{[citation needed]}

Safavid rule[]

The battle between Shah Farrukh Yassar of Shirvan and Shah Ismail of Persia

The Shirvanshah rulers were more or less Sunni. In 1462 Sheykh Junayd, the leader of Safavids, was killed in a battle against Shirvanishans near the town of Khachmaz – an event that Safavids never forgot. In 1500-1, with the intention to avenge his murdered ancestors, the first Safavid king Ismail I invaded Shirvan, and, despite heavily outnumbered, defeated then incumbent Shirvanshah Farrukh Yassar in a pitched battle, in which the latter and his entire army were killed. He then proceeded towards Baku which was sacked, and the mausoleum of the Shirvanshahs exhumed and burned. Most of Baku population was forcibly converted to Shi'ism thereafter.^{[citation needed]}

The vassal Shirvan state managed to hang on for a few more years, until 1538, when Ismail's son and successor Tahmasp I (r. 1524-1576) appointed its first Safavid governor, and made it a fully functioning Safavid province.^[17]

Persian poetry[]

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The Shirvanshah dynasty are known for their patronage of Persian poetry. Amongst famous poets who either appeared at their court or dedicated poetry to them are Khaghani and Nizami. Nizami composed in Persian poetry epic Leylea and Majnoon for Abul-Muzaffar Jalal ad-din Shirvanshah Akhsatan. He also sent his son to be educated with the son of Shirvanshah. Khaghani himself in his youth used the poetic title Haqiqi. After dedicating himself to the court of Fakhr ad-din Manuchehr Fereydoon Shirvanshah (also known as the Khaghan Akbar), he chose the pen name Khaghani and also served as a court poet for Akhsatan, the son of Fakhr ad-din Manuchehr Fereydoon. Other poets and writers who appeared during the rule of the Shirvanshahs include Falaki Shirvani, Aziz Shirvani, Jamal Khalil Shirvani, Bakhtiyar Shirvani and multitude of others mentioned in the book Nozhat al-Majales, an anthology compiled by Jamal Khalil Shirvani.

Architecture[]

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The Palace of the Shirvanshahs (or Shirvanshahs' Palace) is the biggest monument of the Shirvan-Absheron branch of architecture, situated in the Inner City of Baku. The complex contains the main building of the palace, Divanhane, the burial-vaults, the shah's mosque with a minaret, Seyid Yahya Bakuvi's mausoleum, a portal in the east – Murad's gate, a reservoir and the remnants of the bath-house. Shirvanshahs built many defensive castles across all of Shirvan to resist many foreign invasions. From the walled city of Baku with its Maiden Tower (XII) and many medieval castles in Absheron to impregnable strongholds all over mountains of Shirvan and Shaki, there are many great examples of medieval military architecture. Shirvanshahs Khalilullah I and Farrukh Yassar presided over most successful period in a history of Shirvan. Architectural complex of the Palace of the Shirvanshahs in Baku that was also a burial site of the dynasty and Halwatiyya Sufi khaneqa, was built during the reign of those two rulers in mid 15th centuries.

House of Shirvanshah[]

Portrait or Coat of arms	Name	From	Until	Relationship with predecessor
	Haytham I	861	?	appointed by Caliph Al-Mutawakkil as governor of Shirvan
	Muhammad I	?	?	son of predecessor
	Haytham II	?	around 913	son of predecessor
	Ali I	913	?	son of predecessor
	Muhammad II Also Shah of Layzan	?	917	nephew of Haytham I
	Abu Tahir Yazid Also Shah of Layzan	917	948	son of predecessor
Coin of Muhammad III	Muhammad III Also Shah of Layzan and in 917–948	948	956	son of predecessor
	Ahmad I Also Shah of Layzan in 948–956	956	981	son of predecessor
	Muhammad IV Also Shah of Layzan in 956–981	986	991	son of predecessor
	Yazid III	991	1027	brother of predecessor
	Manuchehr I	1027	1034	son of predecessor
	Ali II	1034	1043	brother of predecessor
	Kubad	1043	1049	brother of predecessor
	Ali III Bukhtnassar	1049	1050	nephew of predecessor
	Salar	1050	1063	uncle of predecessor
	Fariburz I	1063	1096	son of predecessor
	Manuchehr II	1096	1106	son of predecessor
Artwork of Afridun I	Afridun I the Martyr	1106	1120	brother of predecessor
	Manuchehr III	1120	1160	son of predecessor
	Afridun II	1160	1160	son of predecessor
	Akhsitan I	1160	1197	brother of predecessor
	Shahanshah	1197	1200	brother of predecessor
	Fariburz II	1200	1204	nephew of predecessor
	Farrukhzad	1204	1204	uncle of predecessor
	Gushtasb I	1204	1225	son of predecessor
	Fariburz III	1225	1243	son of predecessor
	Akhsitan II	1243	1260	son of predecessor
	Farrukhzad II	1260	1282	son of predecessor
	Akhsitan III	1282	1294	son of predecessor
	Keykavus I	1294	1317	son of predecessor
	Keykubad I	1317	1348	uncle of predecessor
	Kavus I	1348	1372	son of predecessor
	Hushang I	1372	1382	son of predecessor
	Ibrahim I	1382	1417	cousin of predecessor
	Khalilullah I	1417	1465	son of predecessor
Coin of Farrukh Yassar I	Farrukh Yassar I	1465	1500	son of predecessor
	Bahram	1501	1501	son of predecessor
	Gazi Beg	1501	1501	brother of predecessor
	Sultan Mahmud	1501	1502	son of predecessor
	Ibrahim II Sheykhshah	1502	1524	brother of predecessor
	Khalilullah II	1524	1535	son of predecessor
	Farrukh Yassar II	1535	1535	brother of predecessor
	Shahrukh of Shirvan	1535	1539	son of predecessor

See also[]

• History of Azerbaijan
• Shamakhi
• List of Sunni Muslim dynasties

References[]

Sources[]

• Fisher, William Bayne; Avery, P.; Hambly, G. R. G; Melville, C. (1986). The Cambridge History of Iran. 6. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0521200943.

External links[]

• Media related to Shirvanshah at Wikimedia Commons