Kasranids
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The Kasranids () were a branch of the Shirvanshahs, who ruled the
Shirvan Shirvan (from ; ; Tat: ''Şirvan'') is a historical region in the eastern Caucasus, as known in both pre-Islamic Sasanian and Islamic times. Today, the region is an industrially and agriculturally developed part of the Republic of Azerbaijan ...
region for 387 years. The word "Kasra" was derived from legendary king
Kai Khosrow Kay Khosrow () is a legendary king of Iran of Kayanian dynasty and a character in the Persian epic book ''Shahnameh''. He was the son of the Iranian prince Siavash who married princess Farangis of Turan while in exile. Before Kay Khosrow ...
of
Iran Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) and also known as Persia, is a country in West Asia. It borders Iraq to the west, Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Armenia to the northwest, the Caspian Sea to the north, Turkmenistan to the nort ...
, reflecting a shift in naming tradition from
Arabic Arabic (, , or , ) is a Central Semitic languages, Central Semitic language of the Afroasiatic languages, Afroasiatic language family spoken primarily in the Arab world. The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) assigns lang ...
to
Persian Persian may refer to: * People and things from Iran, historically called ''Persia'' in the English language ** Persians, the majority ethnic group in Iran, not to be conflated with the Iranic peoples ** Persian language, an Iranian language of the ...
and it was part of an effort to break with their Arabic roots by claiming to be successors of the
Sasanians The Sasanian Empire (), officially Eranshahr ( , "Empire of the Iranians"), was an Iranian empire that was founded and ruled by the House of Sasan from 224 to 651. Enduring for over four centuries, the length of the Sasanian dynasty's reign ...
and the
Kayanian dynasty The Kayanians (; also Kays, Kayanids, Kaianids, Kiyani, Kayani, or Kiani) are a legendary dynasty of Persian/Iranian tradition and folklore which supposedly ruled after the Pishdadians, each of whom held the title Kay (such as Kay Khosrow), me ...
.


Reign

Yazid II of Shirvan Yazid ibn Ahmad or Yazid II () was the tenth Shirvanshah. Reign Yazid was second son of Ahmad of Shirvan, Shirvanshah Ahmad. He followed his brother Muhammad IV of Shirvan, Muhammad IV on throne of Shirvan . Relations with Christians Yazid on ...
was accepted as the last of the Mazyadid dynasty and first of the Kasranids. He fathered eight children, five of which are named according to Persian customs. The Kasranids managed to establish alliances with the Bagrationi dynasty by marriage and with the Emirate of Derbent (whose line they would eventually absorb into the crown). They survived main powers in the region, notably the
Seljuqs The Seljuk dynasty, or Seljukids ( ; , ''Saljuqian'',) alternatively spelled as Saljuqids or Seljuk Turks, was an Oghuz Turkic, Sunni Muslim dynasty that gradually became Persianate and contributed to Turco-Persian culture. The founder of the S ...
, the
Ilkhanate The Ilkhanate or Il-khanate was a Mongol khanate founded in the southwestern territories of the Mongol Empire. It was ruled by the Il-Khans or Ilkhanids (), and known to the Mongols as ''Hülegü Ulus'' (). The Ilkhanid realm was officially known ...
, the Chupanids, and lastly, the
Jalayirids The Jalayirid Sultanate () was a dynasty of Mongol Jalayir origin, which ruled over modern-day Iraq and western Iran after the breakup of the Ilkhanate in the 1330s.Bayne Fisher, William. ''The Cambridge History of Iran'', p. 3: "From then until ...
as a vassal or tributary state. Shirvanshah Hushang was the last member of Kasranids. They were succeeded by House of Derbent, which was a junior branch of the Kasranids itself. Shervashidze is thought to be an early junior branch of Kasranids.


Family tree

Rulers are shown with crown. Notable dynastic alliances are shown. * Yazid ibn Ahmad (991 – 1027) (m. a daughter of a ruler of Shabaran.) ** Anushirwan (d. ) ** Manuchihr I (1027 – 1034) (m. Sitt b. Fadl) ***Hormuzd, Tabasaranshah (d. 9 April 1065) ** Ali II (1034 – 1043) (m. Sitt b. Fadl) ** Qubad (1043 – 1049) ** Shamkuya (m. Abd al-Malik II of Derbent in December 1035, d. October 1067, Gulistan) ** Ahmad ibn Yazid *** Ali III ** Sallar (1050 – 1063) (m. a daughter of
Abu'l-Aswar Shavur ibn Fadl Abu'l-Aswar or Abu'l-Asvar Shavur ibn Fadl ibn Muhammad ibn Shaddad also known as Aplesphares, was a member of the Shaddadid dynasty. Between 1049 and 1067 he was the eighth Shaddadid ruler of Arran (today in western Azerbaijan) from Ganja. Pr ...
) *** Guzdaham (d. 1072) *** Fariburz I (1063 – 1096) (m. a daughter of Tokku of Sarir) **** Manuchihr II (1096 – 1106) **** Afridun I (1106–1120) ***** Manuchihr III (1120 – 1160) (m. Tamar) ****** Akhsitan I ( – 1204) (m. ‘Ismatu’d-Din Safwatud-Din Safwat’l-Islam) *******Fariburz *******Iljik *******Manuchihr () ****** Afridun II () ******
Shahanshah Shāh (; ) is a royal title meaning "king" in the Persian language.Yarshater, Ehsa, ''Iranian Studies'', vol. XXII, no. 1 (1989) Though chiefly associated with the List of monarchs of Iran, monarchs of Iran, it was also used to refer to the ...
( – 1203) ****** Farrukhzad I ( – 1225) ******* Garshasp (d. 1234) ******** Fariburz III (1225 – 1255) ********* Akhsitan II (1255 – 1260) ********** Farrukhzad II (1260 – ) *********** Akhsitan III (1282 – 1294) ************ Siamerk ************ Key Kavus I ( – 1397) *********** Key Qubad ( – 1348) ************ Kavus or Keykavus II (1348 – 1372) *************Nodar () ************* Hushang (1372 – 1382) ************ Sultan Muhammad — ancestor of Darbandid branch, governor of
Derbent Derbent, also historically known as Darband, or Derbend, is the southernmost city in Russia. It is situated along the southeastern coast of the Dagestan, Republic of Dagestan, occupying the narrow gateway between the Caspian Sea and the Caucas ...
, father of Ibrahim I ******** Jalal al-Din Sultanshah () ******* Rashid () ****** ''Ancestor of House of Sharvashidze'' ** Mamlan ibn Yazid (d. 24 February 1067)


Legacy

The Kasranid kings were patrons of arts. Malu castle was erected by order of Shirvanshah Salar. Siniggala mosque was one of the major works completed during the reign of Shirvanshah Fariburz. Pir Husayn Khanqah, one of the most unusual buildings of Shirvan architecture, was built under order of Shirvanshah Afridun I. The Gates of
Baku Baku (, ; ) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Azerbaijan, largest city of Azerbaijan, as well as the largest city on the Caspian Sea and in the Caucasus region. Baku is below sea level, which makes it the List of capital ci ...
were constructed during the reign of Shirvanshah Manuchehr III. His son, Akhsitan I continued building several castles and making reforms among Round tower of Mardakan, Quadrangular tower of Mardakan, Ramana Tower. He was also responsible for changing the capital from Shamakhy to
Baku Baku (, ; ) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Azerbaijan, largest city of Azerbaijan, as well as the largest city on the Caspian Sea and in the Caucasus region. Baku is below sea level, which makes it the List of capital ci ...
after a devastating earthquake in 1192 (it has remained a prominent city in the region and is now the capital of
Azerbaijan Azerbaijan, officially the Republic of Azerbaijan, is a Boundaries between the continents, transcontinental and landlocked country at the boundary of West Asia and Eastern Europe. It is a part of the South Caucasus region and is bounded by ...
). Many poets, including Nizami, Khaqani, Arif Ardabili, Falaki Shirvani, Jamal Khalil Shirvani, lived in the court of Kasranids.


Popular media

Ilgar Aliyev, an Azerbaijani writer, published an historical fiction novel ''The Secret and the Key'' in 2012, which alluded to the lives of Shirvanshah Manuchehr III and his family. The novel was dedicated to
Nizami Ganjavi Nizami Ganjavi (; c. 1141 – 1209), Nizami Ganje'i, Nizami, or Nezāmi, whose formal name was Jamal ad-Dīn Abū Muḥammad Ilyās ibn-Yūsuf ibn-Zakkī,Mo'in, Muhammad(2006), "Tahlil-i Haft Paykar-i Nezami", Tehran.: p. 2: Some commentators h ...
's 870th jubilee. Aliyev claimed that Majnun was a son of Akhsitan I and Layla, a daughter of a wali of Baku. The novel goes on to claim that Nizami wrote Layla and Majnun in their honor and that the Maiden Tower was built in memory of Majnun. The novel received criticism because there is little historical evidence for these claims.A new legend of Maiden Tower, or misinterpreted facts?
/ref> The Kasranids are a playable dynasty in both Crusader Kings II and Crusader Kings III.


References


Sources

* {{Shirvanshahs Shirvanshahs