Daisam
Encyclopedia
Daisam b. Ibrahim al-Kurdi (alternatively Daysam) (d. c. 957
) was the ruler of Azerbaijan
(by 938
–941
/2
, 951
–953
).
. With Kurdish support he managed to take over Azerbaijan by 938
. His position in Azerbaijan was soon threatened by Lashkari b. Mardi, a Gilite formerly in the service of the Ziyarids. Lashkari's Gilite and Dailamite army expelled Daisam from Azerbaijan, but he was able to recover the province with the help of the Ziyarid
Vushmgir
.
In 941
or 942
Daisam's vizier, Abu'l-Qasim Ja'far b. 'Ali, fled due to an intrigue against him to the Sallarids of Tarum. There he convinced Marzuban bin Muhammad to take Azerbaijan from Daisam. Daisam met Marzuban's army on the field by his Dailamite mercenaries (whom he had hired to counterbalance the power of his unruly Kurdish troops) defected to the Sallarid and he was forced to flee to the court of the Ardzrunid
king of Vaspurakan
.
Ja'far b. 'Ali became Marzuban's vizier after he conquered Azerbaijan, but soon feared for his position. He went to Tabriz
and invited Daisam to return to the province. When he arrived at the city he gained the support of the Kurds. His army was defeated by Marzuban's, however, and the Sallarid besieged him in Tabriz. At this point Ja'far abandoned Daisam again, but Daisam managed to escape from Tabriz and enter Ardebil. Marzuban was not far behind and he laid siege to Ardebil. Eventually Daisam's new vizier, who had been bribed by the Sallarids, convinced Daisam to surrender. Daisam was treated with leniency by Marzuban, who gave him his castle in Tarum after he requested it.
In 949
Marzuban was captured by the Buwayhids, who sent an army under Muhammad b. 'Abd al-Razzaq to conquer Azerbaijan. Marzuban's brother Wahsudan sent Daisam to Azerbaijan to protect Sallarid interests there. Muhammad's approach forced Daisam to retreat to Arran
, but after Muhammad suffered a setback he retreated, allowing Daisam to take control of the province.
Marzuban escaped from the Buwayhids in 953
and sought to regain his territory. Daisam was defeated by a Sallarid army near Ardebil, and the Dailamite leaders deserted from his side. He fled to Armenia
, where he was given aid by the Christians. A year later, however, he was expelled from Armenia; he made his way to Baghdad
, where the Buwayhid Mu'izz al-Daula
received him with honor.
After the Buwayhids made peace with the Sallarids, Daisam realized that he could not count on them for help in regaining Azerbaijan. He therefore left them for the Hamdanids; with the aid of Saif al-Daula of Aleppo
he occupied Salmas
in 955
/6
as a Hamdanid vassal. Marzuban expelled from there, and Daisam found refuge with the Ardzrunids of Vaspurakan. The Ardzunid king, however, facing threats from Marzuban, seized Daisam and handed him over to the Sallarid. Daisam was blinded and imprisoned. He was killed by some of Marzuban's supporters after the latter's death in 957
.
957
Year 957 was a common year starting on Thursday of the Julian calendar.- Asia :* The Chandra Hindu Dynasty ends, thus beginning a time of chaos in areas belonging to modern-day India....
) was the ruler of Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan (Iran)
Azerbaijan or Azarbaijan , also Iranian Azerbaijan, Persian Azarbaijan is a region in northwestern Iran. It is also historically known as Atropatene and Aturpatakan....
(by 938
938
Year 938 was a common year starting on Monday of the Julian calendar.- Asia :* The Liao Dynasty takes over Peking; they name Nanjing as their South Palace....
–941
941
Year 941 was a common year starting on Friday of the Julian calendar.- Births :* Charles d'Outremer, son of Louis IV of France* Brian Bórumha mac Cennétig, High-King of Ireland...
/2
942
Year 942 was a common year starting on Saturday of the Julian calendar.- Asia :* Kaminarimon, the eight-pillared gate to Japan's Kinryuzan Sensouji Temple, is erected....
, 951
951
Year 951 was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Julian calendar.- Europe :* The king of Italy dies and his widow, Adelaide of Italy, is overthrown by an usurper, Berengar of Ivrea.- Asia :...
–953
953
Year 953 was a common year starting on Saturday of the Julian calendar.- Europe :* Liudolf, Duke of Swabia and Conrad the Red rebel against German King Otto I....
).
Life
Daisam was a Kurdish Kharijite who rose to prominence while serving the Sajid Yusuf Ibn Abi'l-SajYusuf Ibn Abi'l-Saj
Yusuf ibn Abi'l Saj was the Sajid amir of Azerbaijan from 901 until his death. He was the son of Abi'l-Saj Devdad.-War with Armenians and Georgians:...
. With Kurdish support he managed to take over Azerbaijan by 938
938
Year 938 was a common year starting on Monday of the Julian calendar.- Asia :* The Liao Dynasty takes over Peking; they name Nanjing as their South Palace....
. His position in Azerbaijan was soon threatened by Lashkari b. Mardi, a Gilite formerly in the service of the Ziyarids. Lashkari's Gilite and Dailamite army expelled Daisam from Azerbaijan, but he was able to recover the province with the help of the Ziyarid
Ziyarid
The Ziyarids, also spelled Zeyarids , were an Iranian dynasty that ruled in the Caspian sea provinces of Gorgan and Mazandaran from 928-1043 . The founder of the dynasty was Mardavij , who took advantage of a rebellion in the Samanid army of Iran to seize power in northern Iran...
Vushmgir
Vushmgir
Vushmgir was a ruler of the Ziyarids from 935 until his death. He was a son of Ziyar. Vushmgir means "quail catcher" in the local Caspian Iranian dialects.-Rise to power:...
.
In 941
941
Year 941 was a common year starting on Friday of the Julian calendar.- Births :* Charles d'Outremer, son of Louis IV of France* Brian Bórumha mac Cennétig, High-King of Ireland...
or 942
942
Year 942 was a common year starting on Saturday of the Julian calendar.- Asia :* Kaminarimon, the eight-pillared gate to Japan's Kinryuzan Sensouji Temple, is erected....
Daisam's vizier, Abu'l-Qasim Ja'far b. 'Ali, fled due to an intrigue against him to the Sallarids of Tarum. There he convinced Marzuban bin Muhammad to take Azerbaijan from Daisam. Daisam met Marzuban's army on the field by his Dailamite mercenaries (whom he had hired to counterbalance the power of his unruly Kurdish troops) defected to the Sallarid and he was forced to flee to the court of the Ardzrunid
Artsruni
Artsruni was an ancient Armenian noble family that claimed descent from Sennacherib, King of Assyria . Although it mirrors the Bagratuni claim of Davidic descent and the Mamikonian claim of descent from the royal Han Dynasty, it is usually interpreted as a piece of genealogical mythology...
king of Vaspurakan
Vaspurakan
Vaspurakan was the first and biggest province of Greater Armenia, which later became an independent kingdom during the Middle Ages, centered around Lake Van...
.
Ja'far b. 'Ali became Marzuban's vizier after he conquered Azerbaijan, but soon feared for his position. He went to Tabriz
Tabriz
Tabriz is the fourth largest city and one of the historical capitals of Iran and the capital of East Azerbaijan Province. Situated at an altitude of 1,350 meters at the junction of the Quri River and Aji River, it was the second largest city in Iran until the late 1960s, one of its former...
and invited Daisam to return to the province. When he arrived at the city he gained the support of the Kurds. His army was defeated by Marzuban's, however, and the Sallarid besieged him in Tabriz. At this point Ja'far abandoned Daisam again, but Daisam managed to escape from Tabriz and enter Ardebil. Marzuban was not far behind and he laid siege to Ardebil. Eventually Daisam's new vizier, who had been bribed by the Sallarids, convinced Daisam to surrender. Daisam was treated with leniency by Marzuban, who gave him his castle in Tarum after he requested it.
In 949
949
Year 949 was a common year starting on Monday of the Julian calendar.- Asia :* Sayf al-Daula raids into the Byzantine theme of Lykandos but is defeated. The Byzantines counter-attack and seize Germanikeia, defeating an army from Tarsus, and the raiding as far south as Antioch...
Marzuban was captured by the Buwayhids, who sent an army under Muhammad b. 'Abd al-Razzaq to conquer Azerbaijan. Marzuban's brother Wahsudan sent Daisam to Azerbaijan to protect Sallarid interests there. Muhammad's approach forced Daisam to retreat to Arran
Arran (Azerbaijan)
Arran , also known as Aran, Ardhan , Al-Ran , Aghvank and Alvank , or Caucasian Albania , was a geographical name used in ancient and medieval times to signify the territory which lies within the triangle of land, lowland in the east and mountainous in the west, formed by the junction of Kura and...
, but after Muhammad suffered a setback he retreated, allowing Daisam to take control of the province.
Marzuban escaped from the Buwayhids in 953
953
Year 953 was a common year starting on Saturday of the Julian calendar.- Europe :* Liudolf, Duke of Swabia and Conrad the Red rebel against German King Otto I....
and sought to regain his territory. Daisam was defeated by a Sallarid army near Ardebil, and the Dailamite leaders deserted from his side. He fled to Armenia
Armenia
Armenia , officially the Republic of Armenia , is a landlocked mountainous country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia...
, where he was given aid by the Christians. A year later, however, he was expelled from Armenia; he made his way to Baghdad
Baghdad
Baghdad is the capital of Iraq, as well as the coterminous Baghdad Governorate. The population of Baghdad in 2011 is approximately 7,216,040...
, where the Buwayhid Mu'izz al-Daula
Mu'izz al-Daula
Ahmad was the first of the Buwayhid emirs of Iraq, ruling from 945 until his death. He was the son of Buya.During the Buwayhid conquest of Fars, Ahmad distinguished himself in battle. In 935 or 936, Ahmad's oldest brother 'Ali sent Ahmad to Kerman with the task of conquering that province from the...
received him with honor.
After the Buwayhids made peace with the Sallarids, Daisam realized that he could not count on them for help in regaining Azerbaijan. He therefore left them for the Hamdanids; with the aid of Saif al-Daula of Aleppo
Aleppo
Aleppo is the largest city in Syria and the capital of Aleppo Governorate, the most populous Syrian governorate. With an official population of 2,301,570 , expanding to over 2.5 million in the metropolitan area, it is also one of the largest cities in the Levant...
he occupied Salmas
Salmas
Salmas is a city in and the capital of Salmas County, West Azerbaijan Province, Iran. At the 2006 census, its population was 79,560, in 19,806 families....
in 955
955
Year 955 was a common year starting on Monday of the Julian calendar.- Europe :* August 10 – Battle of Lechfeld: Otto I the Great defeats the Magyars, halting their westward expansion and ending the threat to Germany.* Eadwig becomes King of England.- Religion :* December 16 – Pope...
/6
956
Year 956 was a leap year starting on Tuesday of the Julian calendar.- Events :* The Great Lighthouse at Alexandria was damaged by an earthquake.- Deaths :...
as a Hamdanid vassal. Marzuban expelled from there, and Daisam found refuge with the Ardzrunids of Vaspurakan. The Ardzunid king, however, facing threats from Marzuban, seized Daisam and handed him over to the Sallarid. Daisam was blinded and imprisoned. He was killed by some of Marzuban's supporters after the latter's death in 957
957
Year 957 was a common year starting on Thursday of the Julian calendar.- Asia :* The Chandra Hindu Dynasty ends, thus beginning a time of chaos in areas belonging to modern-day India....
.