The
Sallarid dynasty (also known as the
Musafirids or
Langarids) was an
IslamicIslam Islam Islam ( al-’islām,
[There are ten pronunciations of Islam in English, differing in whether the first or second syllable has the stress, whether the s is or , and whether the a is pronounced as in father, as in cat, or (when the stress is on the i) as in the a of sofa...]
Iranian dynasty principally known for its rule of
Iranian AzerbaijanAzerbaijan or Azarbaijan , also Iranian Azerbaijan, Iranian Azarbaijan, Persian Azerbaijan, , is a region in northwestern Iran...
and part of
ArmeniaArmenia , officially the Republic of Armenia , is a landlocked mountainous country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia...
from 942 until 979. They constitute the period in history that has been named the
Iranian IntermezzoThe term Iranian Intermezzo represents a period in Middle Eastern history which saw the rise of various native Iranian Muslim dynasties on the Iranian Plateau. This term is noteworthy since it was an interlude between the decline of Abbāsid Arab rule and power and the eventual emergence of the...
, a period that saw the rise of native Iranian dynasties during the 9th to the 11th centuries.
The Sallarids were Dailamites who, probably in the later 9th century, gained control of
ShamiranShamiran may refer to:*Semiramis, legendary Assyrian queen*Shamiram, Armenia, also called Shamiran...
, a mountain stronghold about twenty five miles north of
ZanjanZanjan is the capital of Zanjan Province in northwestern Iran. It lies 298 km north-west of Tehran on the main highway to Tabriz and Turkey and approximately 125 km from the Caspian Sea....
.
The
Sallarid dynasty (also known as the
Musafirids or
Langarids) was an
IslamicIslam Islam Islam ( al-’islām,
[There are ten pronunciations of Islam in English, differing in whether the first or second syllable has the stress, whether the s is or , and whether the a is pronounced as in father, as in cat, or (when the stress is on the i) as in the a of sofa...]
Iranian dynasty principally known for its rule of
Iranian AzerbaijanAzerbaijan or Azarbaijan , also Iranian Azerbaijan, Iranian Azarbaijan, Persian Azerbaijan, , is a region in northwestern Iran...
and part of
ArmeniaArmenia , officially the Republic of Armenia , is a landlocked mountainous country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia...
from 942 until 979. They constitute the period in history that has been named the
Iranian IntermezzoThe term Iranian Intermezzo represents a period in Middle Eastern history which saw the rise of various native Iranian Muslim dynasties on the Iranian Plateau. This term is noteworthy since it was an interlude between the decline of Abbāsid Arab rule and power and the eventual emergence of the...
, a period that saw the rise of native Iranian dynasties during the 9th to the 11th centuries.
Early years
The Sallarids were Dailamites who, probably in the later 9th century, gained control of
ShamiranShamiran may refer to:*Semiramis, legendary Assyrian queen*Shamiram, Armenia, also called Shamiran...
, a mountain stronghold about twenty five miles north of
ZanjanZanjan is the capital of Zanjan Province in northwestern Iran. It lies 298 km north-west of Tehran on the main highway to Tabriz and Turkey and approximately 125 km from the Caspian Sea....
. From Shamiran they established their rule over the surrounding region of
TarumTarum is a moshav in central Israel. Located to the north of Beit Shemesh with an area of 1,800 dunams, it falls under the jurisdiction of Mateh Yehuda Regional Council. In 2006 it had a population of 488....
. The Sallarids also established marriage ties with the neighboring
JustanidThe Justanids , correctly pronounced as "justānids" were the rulers of part of Daylam from the late eight century to approximately eleventh century .- History :The Justanids appear as 'Kings of Daylam' in the end of the 8th century...
dynasty of
RudbarRudbar or Roodbar is a city situated in the mountainous region of Gīlān Province in Iran. It is from Tehran and with a variable climate. It is located on the fringes of a valley through which the Sefid River flows. The civilization of Rudbar and its surroundings date back to 2000 years BCE...
.
Muhammad bin Musafir
In the early 10th century the Sallarid in control of Shamiran was Muhammad bin Musafir. He married a Justanid and subsequently involved himself in their internal affairs. His harsh rule, however, eventually turned even his family against him, and in 941 he was imprisoned by his sons Wahsudan and Marzuban.
Marzuban bin Muhammad
Wahsudan remained in Shamiran while Marzuban invaded Azerbaijan and took it from its ruler,
DaisamDaisam b. Ibrahim al-Kurdi was the ruler of Azerbaijan .-Life:Daisam was a Kurdish Kharijite who rose to prominence while serving the Sajid Yusuf Ibn Abi'l-Saj. With Kurdish support he managed to take over Azerbaijan by 938. His position in Azerbaijan was soon threatened by Lashkari b...
. Marzuban took
DvinDvin was a large commercial city, the capital of early medieval Armenia, the ruins of which are located in the province of Ararat nearby a town by the same name. The city was built by Chosroes III of Armenia in 335 on a site of an ancient settlement and fortress from the third millennium B.C...
and successfully held off attacks from the
RusThe Rus' were the historic population of the medieval Rus' Khaganate and Kievan Rus'.One of the earliest written sources mentioning the people called Rus in the form of Rhos dates back to year 839 AD in a Royal Frankish chronicle Annales Bertiniani, identified as a Germanic tribe called Swedes...
and Hamdanids of
MosulMosul is a city in northern Iraq and the capital of the Ninawa Governorate, some 400 km northwest of Baghdad...
. However, he was captured in a war with the
BuwayhidBuyid dynasty, also known as the Buyid Empire or the Buyids , also known as Buwaihids, Buyahids, or Buyyids, were a Shī‘ah Persian dynasty that originated from Daylaman...
Rukn al-DaulaHasan , known as Rukn al-Dawla, was the first Buyid amir of northern and central Iran . He was the son of Buya.-Struggle for power:...
and control of Azerbaijan was fought over between Muhammad bin Musafir, Wahsudan, the Buyids, and Daisam. Eventually Marzuban escaped and reestablished control over Azerbaijan and made peace with Rukn al-Daula, marrying off his daughter to him. He ruled until his death in 957.
Marzuban's Successors
Marzuban had designated his brother Wahsudan as his successor. When he came to Azerbaijan, however, the commanders of the fortresses refused to surrender to him, recognizing instead Maruban's son Justan as his successor. Unable to establish his rule in the province, Wahusdan returned to Tarum; Justin was recognized as ruler in Azerbaijan, with his brother Ibrahim made governor of Dvin. Justan seems to have been interested primarily in his harem, a fact which alienated some of his supporters, although he and Ibrahim successfully put down a revolt by a grandson of the
caliphThe Caliph is the head of state in a Caliphate, and the title for the leader of the Islamic Ummah, an Islamic community ruled by the Shari'ah. It is a transliterated version of the Arabic word which means "successor" or "representative"...
al-MuktafiAl-Muktafi was the Abbasid Caliph in Baghdad from 902 to 908. He was the son of the previous Caliph, al-Mu'tadid, by a Turkish slave-girl. In command of ar Raqqah at the time of his father's death, he at once returned to the Capital, where he became a favorite of the people for his generosity,...
in 960.
Shortly afterwards Justan and another brother, Nasir, came to Tarum, where they were treacherously imprisoned by Wahsudan, who sent his son Isma'il to take over Azerbaijan. Ibrahim raised an army in Armenia to oppose Isma'il, prompting Wahsudan to execute Justan, his mother and Nasir. Ibrahim was driven out of Azerbaijan by Isma'il, but retained his rule in Armenia.
Isma'il died in 962, however, allowing Ibrahim to occupy Azerbaijan. He then invaded Tarum and forced Wahsudan to flee to Dailaman. In 966 Ibrahim was defeated by an army of Wahsudan's and his soldiers subsequently deserted him. He fled to his brother-in-law, the Buyid Rukn al-Daula, while Wahsudan installed his son Nuh in Azerbaijan. Rukn al-Daula sent an army under his vizier to reinstate Ibrahim in Azerbaijan, and Wahsudan was ejected from Tarum for a time. In 967 however he again sent an army, which burnt
ArdabilArdabil is a historical city in north-western Iran. The name Ardabil probably comes from the Zoroastrian name of "Artavil" which means a holy place. Ardabil is the center of Ardabil province. Its population is estimated to be around 340,386, the dominant majority of whom are ethnic Azerbaijanis...
before Ibrahim concluded a peace with his uncle, ceding part of Azerbaijan to him. In 968 he reaffirmed Sallarid authority over
ShirvanShirvan , also spelled as Shirwan and Šervān, is a historical region in the eastern Caucasus, known by this name in both Islamic and modern times...
, forcing the
ShirvanshahShirvanshah also spelled as Shīrwān Shāh or Sharwān Shāh, was the title in mediaeval Islamic times of a Persianized dynasty of Arabic origin. The Shirvanshah established a native state in Shirvan and were rulers of Shirvan, a historical region in present-day Azerbaijan...
to pay him tribute.
Ibrahim's authority began to decline in the latter part of his reign. In 971 the Shaddadids took
GanjaGanja is Azerbaijan's second-largest city. It was named Elizavetpol in the Russian Empire, and Kirovabad in the USSR.-Foundation of the city and its etymology:...
, and Ibrahim was forced to recognize their rule in that city after a siege failed to dislodge them. In around 979 he was deposed and imprisoned; he died in 983. His deposition marked the end of the Sallarids as a major power in Azerbaijan, as the Rawadids of
TabrizTabriz is the fourth largest city of Iran and the capital of East Azerbaijan Province. Situated at an altitude of 1,350 meters at the junction of the Quri River and Aji River, it was the second largest city in Iran until the late 1960s, one of its former capitals and residence of the crown prince...
overran much of the province. A grandson of Wahsudan named Marzuban b. Isma'il retained a small portion of Azerbaijan until 984 when he was captured by the Rawadids. His son Ibrahim fled to Tarum and would later restore Sallarid rule there after it was seized by the Buwayhids.
In Dvin, meanwhile, a son of Ibrahim b. Marzuban b. Muhammad, Abu'l-Hajja', held power; in 982 or 983 he was persuaded by the King of to invade the domain of the
BagratidThe Bagratuni or Bagratid royal dynasty of Armenia is a royal family whose branches formerly ruled many regional polities, including the Armenian lands of Syunik, Lori, Vaspurakan, Vanand, Taron, and Tayk....
king Smbat II. Some time after this Abu'l-Hajja' led an expedition against Abu Dulaf al-Shaibani, the ruler of Golthn and Nakhchivan, but was defeated and lost Dvin to him. He then traveled throughout
GeorgiaGeorgia Georgia Georgia is a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Situated at the juncture of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bounded to the west by the Black Sea, to the north by Russia, to the south by Turkey and Armenia, and to the east by Azerbaijan...
and Armenia and visited the Byzantine emperor
Basil IIBasil II, later surnamed the Bulgar-slayer , known in his time as Basil the Porphyrogenitus and Basil the Young to distinguish him from his ancestor Basil I the Macedonian, was a Byzantine emperor from the Macedonian dynasty who reigned from 10 January 976 to 15 December 1025.The first part of his...
. In 989 or 990 Smbat II gave him an army to retake Dvin, but afterwards revoked his support. Eventually Abu'l-Hajja' met his end at the hands of his servants, who strangled him.
Tarum Under the Later Sallarids
After Wahsudan's death (some time after 967), his son Nuh succeeded him in Shamiran. Nuh died before 989; in that year the
BuwayhidBuyid dynasty, also known as the Buyid Empire or the Buyids , also known as Buwaihids, Buyahids, or Buyyids, were a Shī‘ah Persian dynasty that originated from Daylaman...
Fakhr al-DaulaFakhr al-Dawla was the Buyid amir of Jibal , Hamadan and Gurgan and Tabaristan . He was the second son of Rukn al-Daula.-Rise to power and deposition:...
married his widow and then divorced her, taking Shamiran in the process. Nuh's young son Justan was brought to
RayRey, Rayy, Rhages or Rages also known as Shahr-e Rey , is the oldest existing city in the province of Tehran, Iran.-History and culture:...
.
In 997, after Fakhr al-Daula died, Ibrahim b. Marzuban b. Isma'il took advantage of the weakness of his successor to seize control of Shamiran, Zanjan,
AbharAbhar is a city in Zanjan Province, Iran, between Ghazvin and Zanjan; located in Abhar County, near the Abhar River. It is the second-largest city in the province after Zanjan. It is a regional center for science because of its universities, which include Abhar Azad University, Payam Noor...
, and Suharavard. When the Ghaznavid
Mahmud of GhazniMahmud of Ghazni , also known as ' was the most prominent ruler of the Ghaznavid dynasty and ruled from 997 until his death in 1030...
conquered Ray in 1029 he sent a force to conquer Ibrahim's territories, but it failed to do so. Ibrahim took
QazvinQazvin is the largest city and capital of the Province of Qazvin in Iran with an estimated population of 331,409 in 2005...
from the Ghaznavids and defeated Mahmud's son
Mas'udMa'sud I seized the throne of the Ghaznavid Empire upon the death of his father Mahmud from his younger twin Mohammad who had been nominated as the heir upon the death of their father Mahmud of Ghazni. His twin was blinded and imprisoned...
in battle. Mas'ud managed to bribe some of Ibrahim's soldiers to capture him. Ibrahim's son refused to give up the fortress of Sarjahan but was compelled to pay tribute. By 1036 the Sallarids were back in Shamiran.
In around 1043 the Seljuk sultan Toghril Beg received the submission of the
salar of Tarum, who became his vassal and submitted tribute. This Sallarid may have been Justan b. Ibrahim, who was named as the ruler of Tarum in 1046. In 1062 Toghril went to Shamiran and again received tribute from its ruler, Musafir. This is the last Sallarid who is known; it is likely that the dynasty was shortly afterwards wiped out by the
AssassinsThe Hashshashin from which the word assassin is thought to originate, was the Arabic designation of the Nizari branch of the Ismā'īlī Shia Muslims during the Middle Ages...
of
AlamutAlamūt was once a mountain fortress located in the central Alborz Mountains south of the Caspian Sea close to Gazor Khan near Qazvin Province, about 100 km from present-day Tehran in Iran. Only ruins remain of this fortress today.-Origins:Alamut lies on the peak known as Alah Amut...
, who dismantled the fortress of Shamiran.