Manuchihr

Manuchihr (d. c. 1031) was the ruler of the Ziyarids (1012 at the latest - c. 1031). He was the son of Qabus.

During his father's reign Manuchihr was appointed as governor of Tabaristan. When, in the early part of the 11th century, a group of army conspirators rebelled against Qabus and took control of the capital Gurgan, invited Manuchihr to take the throne. Due to his fear that he might lose the succession, he agreed and pursued Qabus to Bistam. His father eventually agreed to step down in favor of his son and retired to a castle, but was eventually killed in 1012.

Manuchihr was granted the title of Falak al-Ma'ali upon his ascension. Shortly after this, he recognized the sovereignty of the Mahmud of Ghazna. He did so in order to prevent the Ghaznavids from attempting to install his brother Dara, who had fled to the Ghaznavid court, on the throne. Manuchihr sent tribute and occasional troop detachments to Mahmud. Their relationship was not always friendly, however; on his way to seize the possessions of the Buyid Majd al-Daula of Ray in 1028, Mahmud invaded the Ziyarid's territory. Manuchihr was forced to flee and only returned to his throne after paying a large sum to Mahmud.

Manuchihr died in around 1031 and was succeeded by his son Anushirvan, who also undertook a promise to pay tribute to the Ghaznavids.

References

• R. N. Frye (1975). The Cambridge History of Iran, Volume Four: From the Arab Invasion to the Saljuqs. ISBN 0-521-20093-8