Mardavij

Mardavij (Gilaki/Persian: مرداویج, meaning "man assailant"), also known as Mardavij the Great, was an Iranian prince, who established the Ziyarid dynasty, ruling from 930 to 935. Born to a Zoroastrian family native to Gilan, Mardavij sought to establish a native Iranian Zoroastrian empire akin to the Sasanian Empire that had been conquered in the 7th century by the Rashidun Caliphate and subsequently ruled by Muslims. He first started his career by joining the army of his kinsman Asfar ibn Shiruya. Mardavij, however, later betrayed and killed him, conquering much of Jibal. He then set out to conquer Hamadan, Dinavar and Isfahan from the Abbasid Caliphate, and thereafter declared himself king of Iran, making Isfahan his capital. He then defeated the Daylamite military leader Makan ibn Kaki, and conquered Tabaristan in 932. By 934, his authority was acknowledged as far as Shiraz and Ahvaz. However, his goal of recreating the Iranian Empire was ruined when he was murdered by his own Turkic slaves in 935.