The Political Life of the Ismailis of Deylam from the Sixth Century to the End of the Eighth Century AH

Document Type : Research Paper

Author

Associate Professor, Department of History, Payame Noor University, Iran

Abstract

From the sixth century to the end of the eighth century AH, the Deylam region was always a place of conflict between the Nizari Ismailis and the local powers, because this area was constantly considered by the Ismailis after settling in Alamut, and the Ismaili religion was very influential there. The local rulers of Mazandaran and Gilan were always afraid of the Ismaili influence in Deylam and marched there many times. The two ruling families of Kushij and Hazarasbi in Deylam were more inclined to Ismailism, so relations between them and the local rulers of the Kia dynasty were strained and, in turn, they were destroyed by the Kia dynasty. In this research, we seek to describe the political life of the Ismailis of Deylam from the sixth century AH, especially after the fall of Alamut, and to explain what political changes Deylam underwent due to the influence of Ismailism. The result is that the Nizari Ismaili Dais (callers) infiltrated Deylam from the very beginning of their activity, and with the conquest of Alamut, Deylam became an important and strategic area for the Ismailis. With the fall of Alamut, the Mountains of Deylam remained the political base of the Ismailis. They continued their political life until the end of the eighth century AH with the support of the Kushij and Hazarasbi families, and finally disappeared in a political rivalry with the Kia family.

Keywords

References

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