Justanids

Justanids جستانیان
791–11th-century
Capital	Rudbar
Common languages	Persian Deylami
Religion	Zoroastrianism (791–805) Zaydi Islam (805–11th-century)
Government	Monarchy
King
• 791–805	Justan I (first)
• 972–1004	Khusrau Shah (last)
Historical era	Middle Ages
• Established	791
• Ismaili conquest	11th-century
Preceded by Succeeded by Daylamites Nizari Ismaili state

The Justanids or Jostanids (Persian: جستانیان) were an Iranian Zaydi Shia dynasty that ruled a part of Daylam (the mountainous district of Gilan) from 791 to the late 11th century.

History

The Justanids appear as kings of Daylam at the end of the 8th century. Their centre was in the Rudbar of Alamut, running into the valley of the Shahrood. Two centuries later, this had become the main centre of the historical Nizari Ismailis or Assassins (Hashshashin), as they are known in the west. They appear in Islamic history as part of what Vladimir Minorsky has called "the Iranian Intermezzo". This refers to a period in which indigenous Daylamite and Kurdish principalities took power in northwest Persia after two to three centuries of Arab rule. The Daylamite upsurge eventually culminated in the Buyid dynasty.

After Marzuban ibn Justan converted to Islam in 805, the ancient family of Justans became connected to the Zaydi Alids of the Daylam region. The Justanids adopted the Zaydi form of Shi'ism. In the 10th century, they were eclipsed by the Daylamite dynasty of Sallarids in Tarom (modern Iranian province of Zanjan). Nevertheless, the Justanids were tied by marriage with the Sallarids and preserved their seat of Rudbar in the highlands of Daylam. They also became allies with the Buyids. In the 11th century, they may have recognized the suzerainty of the Ghaznavids. Later, they recognized the suzerainty of the Seljuqs, but, shortly after, they fade from history.

Justanid rulers

• Justan I (791–805)
• Marzuban of Daylam (805–855)
• Justan II (855–856)
• Vahsudan of Daylam (856–865)
• Khurshid of Daylam (865)
• Justan III (865-919)
• Ali of Daylam (919)
• Khusrau Firuz (919)
• Siyahchashm (919–928)
• Justan IV (928–947)
• Manadhar (947–972)
• Khusrau Shah (972–1004)

Family tree

Justan I r. 791–805

Marzuban r. 805–855

Justan II r. 855–856

Vahsudan r. 856–865

Justan III r. 865-919

Khusrau Firuz r. 919

Ali r. 919

Khurshid r. 865

Unknown

Kharasuya

Siyahchashm r. 919–928

Unnamed prince

Justan IV r. 928–947

Manadhar r. 947–972

Khusrau Shah r. 972–1004

Fuladh

Unnamed princess

Ibn Fuladh

Sources

• Donohue, John J. (2003). The Buwayhid Dynasty in Iraq 334 H./945 to 403 H./1012: Shaping Institutions for the Future. Leiden and Boston: Brill. ISBN 90-04-12860-3.
• Madelung, W. (1975). "The Minor Dynasties of Northern Iran". In Frye, Richard N. (ed.). 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.
• Madelung, W. (1992). Religious and ethnic movements in medieval Islam. ISBN 0860783103. Retrieved 13 February 2014.
• Clifford Edmund Bosworth, The New Islamic Dynasties: A Chronological and Genealogical Manual, Columbia University, 1996.
• Minorsky, Vladimir, Studies in Caucasian History. New York: Taylor's Foreign Press, 1953.
• Pezeshk, Manouchehr (2009). "JOSTANIDS". Encyclopaedia Iranica, Vol. XV, Fasc. 1. pp. 44–46.