Mar 30

The Shervanshahis, the Guards of Zoroastrianism in Caucasus

The tenth day of Nowruz (30 March AD 1120) has been indicated in history as the beginning of the reign of Manuchehr II of Shervan (Shirvan) in the South Caucasus, and one Russian historian has given this date as 3rd April. King Fereidoon, father of Manuchehr II, was killed in war with the Georgians. Shervan was the coastal area of the Caspian Sea (Darya-ye Mazandaran) in Caucasus, and for some time, the territory of Shervan with its capital being Baku (beyond the present borders of present day Azerbaijan Republic). The Sassanids would always assign Iranian generals to rule in this region in order to protect the Darband (Derbent) area of Caucasus from infiltration of non-Aryan tribes, and also invasions. The last General, who was appointed to this post, stayed in this region after defeat of the Sassanids from the Arabs and overthrow of the Iranian Empire, and called himself Shervanshah (or Shivanshah). This title (Shervanshah or Shirvanshah) remained in his family. The Shervanshahis remained Zoroastrians until the end of 14th century, and stayed faithful to the laws and customs of the Sassanid era.     In AD 1487 Sheikh Haydar of Safavids, father of Ismail Safavid, and his armed dervish - jihadists went into war with the Shervanshahis, with the aim of converting them and Circassians (non Moslem Caucasian people) into Islam, and in this war Farrokh (Farrukh Yassar), the then king of Shervan, defeated Dervishes and killed him.     Ismail (later became Shah Ismail Safavid), who was one of the three sons of Haydar, decided, as his first action, after command of the armed followers of the Sheikh Safi – ad – din Ardebili Khaneghah (Khaneghah = a center for Sufi Society - in Sufism, the school is called "Khaneghah") to take revenge of his father, s death. He fought with Shervanshah in AD 1500 in Golistan (Gulistan in Shmakha) area and laid siege to Derbent. Farrokh was killed in the Battlefield. About two years after this victory, Ismail Safavid declared himself the shah of Iran and Shiite (the Twelwer branch of Shia Islam) as the state religion of the country. Baku (Shirvanshah palace)           Translation by Rowshan Lohrasbpour