Abu Mansur Wahsudan

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Abu Mansur Wahsudan
Amir
The Imamzadeh Chaharmenar in Tabriz, where the Rawadid rulers are buried
Ruler of Azarbaijan
Reign1025 (?) – 1058/59
PredecessorAbu Nasr Husayn II (?)
SuccessorAbu Nasr Mamlan II
Died1059
IssueAbu Nasr Mamlan II
Abu'l-Hayja Manuchihr
Abu'l-Qasim Ibrahim
DynastyRawadids
FatherAbu'l-Hayja Mamlan I

Abu Mansur Wahsudan (also spelled Vahsudan;

Tughril (r. 1037–1063) in 1054. He was succeeded by his son Abu Nasr Mamlan II
(r. 1058/59–1070).

Background

Wahsudan was a son of the

amir (ruler) Abu'l-Hayja Mamlan I. Wahsudan's accession date and early reign are uncertain. According to the contemporary Armenian historian, Stephen of Taron, Abu'l-Hayja Mamlan I died in 988/89, however, he most likely confused him with another Abu'l-Hayja, who was from the Sallarid dynasty. The Ottoman historian Münejjim Bashi (d. 1702), who based his work on the now lost 12th century Ta'rikh al-Bab wa'l-Abwab, reports that Abu'l-Hayja Mamlan I died in 1001. However, coinage struck in the name of Muhammad ibn Husayn Rawad (another name of Abu'l-Hayja Mamlan I) appeared in 1002, 1009 and 1014, which indicates that he ruled for longer than reported. Another theory is that another ruler of the same name minted the coins. Münejjim Bashi further reports that Abu'l-Hayja Mamlan I was succeeded by his son Abu Nasr Husayn II, who ruled till his death in 1025. This likewise contradicts coin findings, with one struck in Wahsudan's name in 1016, which suggests that he became ruler between 1014–1016. The modern historian Andrew Peacock suggests that the Rawadid kingdom was divided between Wahsudan and Abu Nasr Husayn II, or that the latter's reign was shortlived. He adds Wahsudan may even have succeeded his father directly.[2]

Reign

See caption
Map of Azarbaijan and its surroundings

In contrast to the other relatively obscure Rawadid amirs, Wahsudan's reign is better attested because of the preservation of the sixty panegyric qasidas (a form of poetry) composed by the Persian poet Qatran Tabrizi. Nevertheless, details of his early reign are almost unknown. At an unspecified date, Wahsudan sent a large force led by his son Abu Nasr Mamlan, who was accompanied by Qatran, against the Ispahbadh of Mughan. The latter was defeated and forced to acknowledge Rawadid authority. Abu Nasr Mamlan subsequently built a fortress in the town of Ardabil.[2][3]

It was during the reign of Wahsudan that Azarbaijan experienced incursions by migrating

Maragha in 1039.[2][4]

In retaliation, Wahsudan and Abu'l-Hayja ibn Rabib al-Dawla defeated the Iraqiya, who were scattered into different groups which went to Ray, Isfahan and Hamadan. Regardless, the Iraqiya continued to pose a threat to the Rawadids, as Wahsudan invited them to a banquet where he massacred them and had forty of their leaders arrested in 1040/41. As a result, most of the Iraqiya subsequently withdrew to Hakkari. In 1041/42, another group of Iraqiya reached Azarbaijan from Ray, where they had fled from the Seljuk commander Ibrahim Inal. They engaged Wahsudan in a number of battles, including one near Sarab where they suffered a heavy defeat. The Wahsudan ultimately expelled them.[2][4]

The eviction of the Iraqiya from Azarbaijan gave Wahsudan the opportunity to improve his relations with the neighbouring

khutba (Friday prayer), while a son of Wahsudan, possibly Abu'l-Hayja Manuchihr, was sent as a Seljuk hostage to Khurasan.[2][5]

The circumstances of the transition of power between Wahsudan and his son Abu Nasr Mamlan are uncertain. According to Münejjim Bashi, Wahsudan died in 1059, but Ibn al-Athir reports that Abu Nasr Mamlan was recognised by Tughril as the ruler of Azarbaijan in 1058/59.[2] Wahsudan also had a third son named Abu'l-Qasim Ibrahim, but nothing is known about him.[2]

Culture

The Rawwadids were promoters of Persian culture demonstrated by Wahsudan and Mamlan II's patronage of Qatran.[2]

References

  1. ^ Bosworth 1996, p. 72.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Peacock 2017.
  3. ^ Minorsky 1954, p. 524.
  4. ^ a b c d e Madelung 1975, p. 238.
  5. ^ Madelung 1975, p. 239.

Sources

  • ISBN 978-90-04-09834-3
    .
  • Bosworth, C.E. (1996). The New Islamic Dynasties: A Chronological and Genealogical Manual. New York City:
    ISBN 0-231-10714-5
    .
  • Dehghan, I. (1978). "Ḳaṭrān". In
    OCLC 758278456
    .
  • ISBN 0-521-20093-8
    .
  • S2CID 159901706
    .
  • Peacock, Andrew (2017). "Rawwadids". Encyclopædia Iranica, online edition. New York.{{cite encyclopedia}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
Abu Mansur Wahsudan
Preceded by Ruler of Azarbaijan
1025 (?) – 1058/59 		Succeeded by
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