Rawwad ibn al-Muthanna al-Azdi, (also spelled Rawwad Mussana ) was an

Arab Arabs (, , ; , , ) are an ethnic group mainly inhabiting the Arab world in West Asia and North Africa. A significant Arab diaspora is present in various parts of the world. Arabs have been in the Fertile Crescent for thousands of years ...

military leader and governor in the

8th century The 8th century is the period from 701 (represented by the Roman numerals DCCI) through 800 (DCCC) in accordance with the Julian Calendar. In the historiography of Europe the phrase the long 8th century is sometimes used to refer to the peri ...

under the

Abbasid Caliphate The Abbasid Caliphate or Abbasid Empire (; ) was the third caliphate to succeed the Islamic prophet Muhammad. It was founded by a dynasty descended from Muhammad's uncle, Abbas ibn Abd al-Muttalib (566–653 CE), from whom the dynasty takes ...

. He was known for his role in the conquest and subsequent governance of the Iranian region 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 ...

Biography

At the start of the

Abbasid The Abbasid Caliphate or Abbasid Empire (; ) was the third caliphate to succeed the prophets and messengers in Islam, Islamic prophet Muhammad. It was founded by a dynasty descended from Muhammad's uncle, Abbas ibn Abd al-Muttalib (566–653 C ...

period, Rawwad b. Muthanna held a fief that included the city of

Tabriz Tabriz (; ) is a city in the Central District (Tabriz County), Central District of Tabriz County, in the East Azerbaijan province, East Azerbaijan province of northwestern Iran. It serves as capital of the province, the county, and the distric ...

. He is believed to have lived during the reign of the Abbasid

caliph A caliphate ( ) is an institution or public office under the leadership of an Islamic steward with Khalifa, the title of caliph (; , ), a person considered a political–religious successor to the Islamic prophet Muhammad and a leader of ...

Abu Jaʿfar al-Manṣur (754—775). During this time, Yazid b. Ḥāṭem Mohallabi, the Abbasid governor of Azerbaijan, relocated Yemeni tribesmen from

Basra Basra () is a port city in Iraq, southern Iraq. It is the capital of the eponymous Basra Governorate, as well as the List of largest cities of Iraq, third largest city in Iraq overall, behind Baghdad and Mosul. Located near the Iran–Iraq bor ...

to Azerbaijan. Among these tribesmen, Rawwad settled near

and gained control over lands as far as the town of Bad (modern Qarajadaq), northeast of Ahar. Baladuri and

Ibn al-Faqih Aḥmad ibn Muḥammad ibn al-Faqih al-Hamadani () (fl. 902) was a 10th-century Persian historian and geographer, famous for his ''Mukhtasar Kitab al-Buldan'' ("Concise Book of Lands") written in Arabic. In the 1870s the Dutch orientalist Micha ...

credit Rawwad and his son Wajna with the construction work in Tabriz, including its fortifications. Abbasid 13th century calligrapher

Yaqut Yakut of Yaqut (), sometimes transliterated Yāḳūt or Yācūt, is the Arabic word for ruby. As a personal name, it may refer to: Given name * Yakut Khan (before 1672-1733), Indian general who invaded Bombay in 1689 * Yaqut al-Hamawi (1179-122 ...

also mentions the building efforts in Tabriz, but incorrectly links Rawwad to the time of

al-Mutawakkil Ja'far ibn al-Mu'tasim, Muḥammad ibn Harun al-Rashid, Hārūn al-Mutawakkil ʿalā Allāh (); March 82211 December 861, commonly known by his laqab, regnal name al-Mutawwakil ala Allah (), was the tenth Abbasid Caliphate, Abbasid caliph, rul ...

, likely due to the fact that some of the city's structures were also attributed to that Abbasid caliph.

Legacy

Rawwad ibn al-Muthanna al-Azdi is considered the progenitor of the Rawwadid dynasty. After taking control of a fief that included

at the start of the

period, he established a strong presence in the region.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Muthanna al-Azdi, Rawwad ibn al- 8th-century people from the Abbasid Caliphate Arab Muslims Azerbaijan under the Abbasid Caliphate