Sharwin I ( Persian: شروین) was the fifth ruler of the

Bavand dynasty The Bavand dynasty () (also spelled Bavend), or simply the Bavandids, was an Iranian dynasty that ruled in parts of Tabaristan (present-day Mazandaran province) in what is now northern Iran from 651 until 1349, alternating between outright i ...

from 772 to 817. He was the son and successor of Surkhab II.

Background

In 760, during the reign of Sharwin's father Surkhab II,

Khurshid Khorshīd or Khorshēd ( , meaning ''the Sun'' or the "Radiant Sun"), also spelled as ''Khurshed'' and ''Khurshid'', is a Persian given name. In the modern day as well as historical Iran, Turkey, and Azerbaijan, but also in Iraqi Kurdistan, Egypt, ...

, the head of the

Dabuyid dynasty The Dabuyid or Gaubarid Dynasty was a Zoroastrian Iranian dynasty that started in the first half of the seventh century as an independent group of rulers, reigning over Tabaristan and parts of western Khorasan. Dabuyid rule over Tabaristan and ...

that had ruled Tabaristan since the

Muslim conquest of Persia The Muslim conquest of Persia, also known as the Arab conquest of Iran, was carried out by the Rashidun Caliphate from 633 to 654 AD and led to the fall of the Sasanian Empire as well as the eventual decline of the Zoroastrian religion. The ...

, revolted against the

Abbasid Caliphate The Abbasid Caliphate ( or ; ar, الْخِلَافَةُ الْعَبَّاسِيَّة, ') was the third caliphate to succeed the Islamic prophet Muhammad. It was founded by a dynasty descended from Muhammad's uncle, Abbas ibn Abdul-Mutta ...

. Khurshid was defeated and poisoned himself after learning that his family had been captured by the Abbasids.Madelung (1975), p. 200Pourshariati (2008), p. 317 This marked the end of the Dabuyid dynasty, but other minor dynasties in the region such as the

Bavandids The Bavand dynasty () (also spelled Bavend), or simply the Bavandids, was an Iranian dynasty that ruled in parts of Tabaristan (present-day Mazandaran province) in what is now northern Iran from 651 until 1349, alternating between outright inde ...

, Karenids and

Zarmihrids The Zarmihrid dynasty was a local dynasty of Tabaristan which ruled over parts of the mountainous areas of the region, from the reign of Sasanian king Khosrau I to 785. The family claimed its origin from a powerful Karen lord named Sukhra, a desce ...

, who were all formerly subject to the Dabuyids, continued to control parts of Tabaristan as tributary vassals of the Abbasid government.

Biography

In 772, Surkhab II died, and was succeeded by Sharwin I. During the same period,

Khalid ibn Barmak Khalid ibn Barmak (709–781/82; ar, خالد بن برمك) was the first prominent member of the Barmakids, an important Buddhist family from Balkh, which converted to Islam and became prominent members of the Abbasid court in the second ...

, the Abbasid governor of Tabaristan, left the region. Shortly after Khalid's departure, the Karenid ruler Vandad Hormozd sent Sharwin a letter which urged him to revolt against the Abbasids. Sharwin accepted,Ibn Isfandiyar, p. 128-132 and along with Vandad Hormozd and the Zarmihrid ruler revolted against the Abbasids. Sharwin then began destroying the cities built by the Muslims in the region, and in 782, along with Vandad Hormozd, exterminated all the Muslims in Tabaristan. During the same period, the Karenids assumed the former Dabuyid title of ''Gilgilan'', while Sharwin assumed the title of '' Padashwargarshah'' ("King of the Mountains").Madelung (1984), pp. 747–753 Sharwin and the other rulers of Tabaristan managed to repel several Arab invasions of Tabaristan, until they were finally defeated in 785, and once again agreed to pay tribute to the Abbasid caliphs. In 805, the Abbasid caliph

Harun al-Rashid Abu Ja'far Harun ibn Muhammad al-Mahdi ( ar , أبو جعفر هارون ابن محمد المهدي) or Harun ibn al-Mahdi (; or 766 – 24 March 809), famously known as Harun al-Rashid ( ar, هَارُون الرَشِيد, translit=Hārūn ...

visited Ray where he met Sharwin and Vandad Hormozd, who reaffirmed their submission to him and promised to pay tax. In order to ensure their loyalty, Harun took Sharwin's grandson Shahriyar I and Vandad Hormozd's son Karin as hostages to

Baghdad Baghdad (; ar, بَغْدَاد , ) is the capital of Iraq and the second-largest city in the Arab world after Cairo. It is located on the Tigris near the ruins of the ancient city of Babylon and the Sassanid Persian capital of Ctesipho ...

. The two princes were allowed to return to Tabaristan after Harun's death four years later.Madelung (1975), p. 204 Sharwin died in 817, and was succeeded by his grandson Shahriyar I.

References

Sources

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Sharwin I Bavand dynasty 9th-century monarchs in Asia 8th-century monarchs in Asia 8th-century Iranian people 9th-century Iranian people Rebellions against the Abbasid Caliphate 817 deaths Year of birth unknown Zoroastrian rulers Vassal rulers of the Abbasid Caliphate