Masmughans of Damavand

Masmughans of Damavand Masmughan-e Damavand
← 651–760 →
Capital		Damavand
Languages		Middle Persian, Caspian languages
Religion		Zoroastrianism
Government		Monarchy
Masmughan		Mardanshah of Damavand (first)
Historical era		Middle Ages
-	Muslim conquest of Persia	651
-	Abbasid conquest	760

History of Iran
ANCIENT PERIOD
Proto-Elamite 3200–2700 BCE
Elam 2700–539 BCE
Mannaeans 850–616 BCE
IMPERIAL PERIOD
Median Empire 678–550 BCE
(Scythian Kingdom 652–625 BCE)
Achaemenid Empire 550–330 BCE
Atropatene 320s BC – 3rd century AD
Seleucid Empire 312–63 BCE
Parthian Empire 247 BCE – 224 CE
Sasanian Empire 224–651
MEDIEVAL (EARLY ISLAMIC) PERIOD
Umayyad Caliphate 661–750
Abbasid Caliphate 750–1258
Minor dynasties of northern Iran
Dabuyids 642–760	Bavandids 651–1349
Masmughans of Damavand 651–760	Paduspanids 665–1598
Justanids 791–974
Alids of northern Iran 864–14th century
Iranian Intermezzo 821–1062
Tahirid dynasty 821–873	Samanid dynasty 819–999
Saffarid dynasty 861–1002	Ziyarid dynasty 930–1090
Sallarid dynasty 919–1062	Sajid dynasty 889/890–929
Buyid dynasty 934–1062	Ilyasids 932–968
Ghaznavid Empire 977–1186
Kakuyids 1008–1141
Ghurid dynasty 1011–1215
Nasrids 1029–1236
Great Seljuq Empire 1037–1194
Khwarazmian Empire 1077–1231
Atabegs of Yazd 1141–1319
Mihrabanids 1236–1537
Kurt dynasty 1244–1396
Ilkhanate Empire 1256–1335
Chobanid dynasty 1335–1357	Muzaffarid dynasty 1335–1393
Jalayirid dynasty 1336–1432	Sarbadars 1337–1376
Afrasiyab dynasty 1349–1504
Timurid Empire 1370–1405
Qara Qoyunlu 1406–1468	Timurid dynasty 1405–1507
Agh Qoyunlu 1468–1508	Kia'i dynasty 1389–1592
EARLY MODERN PERIOD
Safavid Empire 1501–1736
(Hotaki dynasty 1722–1729)
Afsharid Empire 1736–1747
Zand dynasty 1760–1794	Afsharid dynasty 1747–1796
Qajar Empire 1796–1925
MODERN PERIOD
Pahlavi dynasty 1925–1979
Interim Government 1979–1980
Islamic Republic 1980–present
Related articles  Timeline of Iranian history Economic history Education history Military history Naval history
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The Masmughans of Damavand (Middle Persian: Masmughan-i Dumbawand, New Persian: Masmughan-e Damavand, meaning Great Magians of Damavand) were a local dynasty, which ruled Damavand and its surrounding areas from ca. 651 to 760. The founder of the dynasty was an Karenid^[1] named Mardanshah of Damavand.

History

The Masmughans of Damavand are first mentioned by Al-Tabari, where the Masmughan Mardanshah of Damavand reportedly aided the Mihranid Siyavakhsh at Ray against the Arabs. The forces of Siyavakhsh and Mardanshah, were, however, defeated. Mardanshah then made peace with the Arabs in return for an annual tribute.^[2]

In 748/749, Abu Muslim sought to subdue the Masmughan but his general Musa ibn Kab was ambushed by the local forces who enjoyed the advantage of the terrain, which forced him to return to Ray. In 758/759 due to disputes between Abarwiz and his brother who is simply called Masmughan in Arabic sources. Abarwiz then went over to the Caliph Al-Mansur who gave him a pension. In some Arabic sources Abarwiz is called Al-Masmughan Malik (malik of the Masmughans), and is known for his bravery.

In 760, Masmughan, the brother of Abarwiz, was at war against his father-in-law, the Dabuyid ispahbadh Khurshid, but when heard about the Abbasid expedition to Tabaristan, he made peace with the latter. The Arabs then defeated the ispahbadh and the Masmughan, who was captured along with his daughters Bakhtariya and Shakla. One of these daughters became the wife of Al-Mahdi.

See also

• Dabuyid dynasty
• Seven Parthian clans

References

Sources

• Pourshariati, Parvaneh (2008). Decline and Fall of the Sasanian Empire: The Sasanian-Parthian Confederacy and the Arab Conquest of Iran. London and New York: I.B. Tauris. ISBN 978-1-84511-645-3.