Shaddadid
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The Shaddadids were a Kurdish dynasty, who ruled in various parts of Armenia and Arran from 951-1174 or 1199 A.D. They were established in Dvin. Through their long tenure in Armenia, they often intermarried with the Bagratuni royal family of Armenia. The Armenian rulers of Arran or Gardman-Parisos/ Lori were in the late 10th century and early 11th century hard-pressed by the Shaddadids. (see Encyclopaedia Iranica, p.522)
They began ruling in the city of Dvin, and eventually ruled other major cities such as Barda, Ganja, and were given the city of Ani as a reward for their service to the Great Seljuks, 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 Arax was ruled by a Shaddadid dynasty.[1]
[edit] Shaddadid Rulers
- Muhammad bin Shaddad (A.H.340/951-971 A.D.) (Founded the Shaddadid dynasty in Dvin) [2])
- Ali I bin Muhammad Lashkari ( 971-978 A.D.) (Captured Gandzak (Ganja) from the Sallarids in 971, took possession of the region of Arran).
- Marzuban bin Muhammad(978-986 A.D.)
- Al-Fadl I bin Muhammad (A.H. 375-422/986-1031 A.D.) (Initiated Shaddadid coinage. The mint was at first located in Partav (Barda'a) and was later transferred to Gandzak (Ganja).
- Abu-l-Fa't Musa (A.H. 422-425/1031-1034 A.D.)
- Ali II Lashkari (A.H. 425-441/1034-1049 A.D.)
In 1044, Constantine IX waged war against the Armenian king Gagik II. The Byzantine Emperor, sent letters to al-Lashkari's uncle, Abu'l-Aswar (the Byzantine Aplesphares,emir of Dwin), inviting him to attack the territory of Ani. Abu'l-Aswar wrote back to Nikolaos (the Emperor's chief officer) that he would cooperate as long as the Emperor guaranteed him in writing that he could keep whatever territory he won by the sword. Constantine IX accepted this condition and ordered that his pact with Abu'l-Aswar be confirmed with a chrysoboullos logos or official document sealed with a golden bull. The Kurd rose to the bait and quickly seized a section of Armenian territory with its fortresses and towns.
Right after the annexation of Ani, Constantine IX had the nerve to command Abu'l-Aswar to turn over those Armenian strongholds and towns he had captured as a Byzantine ally against Gagik. When Abu'l-Aswar reminded him of the chrysobull and refused to surrender his gains, the Emperor resorted to military coercion. He commanded that the Byzantine forces combine with the native garrisons of Ani and "Iberican" army and take the field. In the face of such overwhelming force, Abu'l-Aswar craftily withdrew his troops within the walls of Dwin, while damming up the course of the river Azat (Garni Chai) and inundating the level country all around the city, converting it into a swamp. All around the foot of the city walls were rows of vineyards; there the Kurd posted in ambush a strong corps of foot-archers. The Christian soldiers--immobilized in the quagmire and assaulted on all sides by enemies barely visible--was routed with terrible loss; among the dead was Vahram Pahlavuni and his son Gregory. Many of the Byzantine troops, along with their allies, were taken captive and sold as slaves. Iasites and Constantine the Alan escaped with difficulty and made their way back to Ani, where they announced the calamity to Nikolaos (autumn 1045).( see[3], p.6)
In early 1049, Nicephorus (the palatial rector) invaded the emirate of Abu'l-Aswar, ravaging it from end to end and forcing the emir to take refuge inside Dwin. Abu'l-Aswar, temporarily cowed, again made terms and acknowledged Byzantine suzerainty. According to Scylitzes, he had to yield as a hostage his nephew Ardashir (Artasyros in Greek), son of his brother "Phatlun, emir of Kantzakion"
By this time, Al-Lashkari, had been reduced from a border emir of some consequence to a glorified refuge, moving his headquarters from castle to castle until he died in 1049.
- Anushirvan bin Ali II Lashkari(A.H. 441 /1049 A.D.)
Ali II Lashkari was succeeded by Anushirvan apparently a minor, with the hajib or chamberlain Abu'l Mansur serving as regent. Abu-Mansur, along his army chiefs, immediately agreed to surrender several frontier fortresses to the Georgians and Byzantines, in order, says a local chronicle, "to restrain their greed for Arran." This decision provoked the leading men of Shamkur to revolt under al-Haytham ibn Maymun al-Bais, chief of the tanners in that city. Abu-Mansur, then residing at Shamkur, attempted to arrest al-Haytham, but al-Haytham and his ghulams (servants) "drew their daggers" and declared for Abu'l-Aswar, to whom they opened the gates. Abu'l-Aswar occupied Shamkur, settled its affairs, and returned to Ganja. He arrested Anushirvan, whose reign ended abruptly after two months, as well as Abu-Mansur and his relations.
- Abu-l-Asvar Shavur I bin al-Fadl I(A.H. 441-459/1049-1067 A.D.)
Ruled as emir of Dvin and then Ganja. Became vassal to Great Seljuqs. Married the sister of Gagik II, king of Ani. The anonymous chronicle called the Ta'rikh al-Bab wa Sharvan says: "Abu-l-Asvar became strong and the situation of the subjects and the army became orderly." In 1053, he resumed the offensive against the Georgians and took from them the fortress of Basra, which he supplied with "men, victuals and arms." That same year he sent out his son Abu-Nasr Iskander to assume the duties of viceroy over Dwin and its dependencies. Despite the fact that he now controlled all Arran and ruled over a united Shaddadid emirate, Abu'l-Aswar still found himself a pawn between the two expanding powers, Byzantine and the Seljuk Turks. Like all the other princes, Kurdish and Armenian, who ruled buffer states between the two, he could anticipate only a future of vassalage to one or the other. In 1055, Toghrul Beg advanced through Azerbaijan, stopping off at Tabriz, where he received the submission of the Kurdish Rawwadid emir of Tabriz, Wahsudan ibn Mamlan. He moved on to Ganja, where he acknowledged the like subservience of Abu'-Aswar Shawur. Abu'l-Asvar Sharvur (Shuwar), launched a sanguinary raid on Byzantine Armenia between 1055 and 1056. He (or his lieutenants) advanced into the province of Shirak, many inhabitants of which attempted to find shelter behind the walls of Ani. They hastened toward the principal entrance into the city, which led over the river Akhurian, and some made it inside. At nightfall, however, the sentries closed the gates, leaving a great throng of fugitives stranded outside the city. The Shaddadid army, refusing to break stride in the darkness, threw themselves upon the masses huddled at the gates of Ani. They slaughtered a large number without hindrance, took a multitude of captives and much spoil, and returned home in triumph.(see [4], p.7, p.15. p.20)
- Al-Fadl II bin Shavur I (A.H. 459-466/1067-1073 A.D.)
- Ashot bin Shavur I (A.H. 459/1067 A.D.) (Was installed in Gandzak by Georgians for one year).
- Al-Fadl III bin al-Fadl II (A.H. 466-468/1073-1075 A.D.) (or Fazlun bin Fazl)
Last Shaddadid ruler of Gandzak (Ganja). Realm was absorbed by the Great Seljuqs. Shaddadids continued to rule in other parts of Armenia, but the Shaddadid Emirate of Gandzak was added to the realm of the Great Seljuqs.
When the Shaddadids were in full occupation of Arran, the Persian poet Qatran Tabrizi, praises the Shaddadid Amir Fazlun bin Fazl II b. Abi-Aswar (1073-75 CE) for his descent on the maternal side from the Bagratunis, indicating further Muslim-Christian alliances.[5]
- Here are a list of other Shaddadid rulers found online, though their accuracy or place of rule is not certainly accurate.
- Menuchir (1075-1118 A.D.) (The emir of Ani. A mosque in the city is named after him) [6].
- Abu-l-Asvar Shavur II(1118-1124 A.D.)
- Fadl IV bin Shavur II(1125-?)
- Mahmud (?-1131 A.D.)
- Khushchikr (1131-? A.D.)
- Shaddad (?-1155 A.D.)
- Fadl V (1155-1161 A.D.)
- Shahanshah (1164-1174 A.D.)
[edit] References
- Diplomacy gone to seed: a history of Byzantine foreign relations, A.D. 1047-57, , By Paul A. Blaum, International Journal of Kurdish Studies, Jan. 2005.
- History of Ganja
- Kurds, from Home of Tour Armenia
- A Chronology of World Political History (801 - 1000 C.E.)
- Arran, By: C. E. Bosworth, From Encyclopaedia Iranica, page 522.
- The Caucasus (Contains a list of the early Shaddadid Kings)
- V. Minorsky, "Studies in Caucasian History': I. Shaddadids of Ganja II. Shaddadids of Ani III. Prehistory of Salladin"
[edit] External links
- Shaddadid coins (Discusses coinage of the Shaddadid Emirate)
