The Rise and Decline of the Paduspanians of Ruyan in Relation to the Zaydi Movement of Northern Iran

Abstract

The Paduspanians were a dynastic lineage whose rulers belonged to families claiming descent from the Sasanian Empire. This dynasty was established in 643 CE by Gil Gavbara and his son Paduspan I in the province of Ruyan, and its rule continued until 1597 CE. In 864 CE, the people of Ruyan and their Paduspanian ruler, Abdullah ibn Wanda Omid, who had become deeply dissatisfied with the oppression imposed by the representatives of the Tahirid governors of the Abbasid Caliphate, namely Muhammad ibn Abdallah al-Tahiri and Muhammad ibn Aws, sought assistance at the suggestion of Muhammad ibn Ibrahim Kiya Dabiri from Hasan ibn Zayd, who himself had migrated to the city of Ray due to pressure from the Abbasid administration. The outcome of this request was the uprising and establishment of the Zaydi state in northern Iran in the same year, a polity that endured until 928 CE. The present study addresses the question of how the relations between the Paduspanian dynasty and the Zaydi movement were formed and developed. Based on the hypothesis that the Paduspanians played a significant and constructive role in this relationship, the study aims to examine the early interactions between these two political entities. Employing a descriptive–analytical method and relying on library-based data collection, this research analyzes and interprets the nature of these relations. The findings demonstrate that the Paduspanians played an initial and substantial role in the establishment and continuation of the Zaydi movement.