These setbacks encouraged Abu Tahir Yazid of the Laizan branch of the family, who had succeeded to the rule of that region after the reigns of his grandfather Yazid b. Khalid and of his father Muhammad, to overthrow 'All in 305/917-18. He killed 'All and his son al-'Abbas and took over the rule of Sharvan. In 306/918-19 he built the town of al-Yazidiyya near Shamakhl as his new capital and gave Laizan as a fief to his son Muhammad, who later seems to have become his co-regent. The regions of Khursan, Vardan and Tabarsaran were annexed to Sharvan under Yazid.
This northward expansion may have been encouraged by the family quarrel which weakened the Hashimid power in al-Bab in this period. c Abd al-Malik b. Hashim two months after his accession was overthrown and expelled by his nephew Abu'1-Najm b. Muhammad with popular support. 'Abd al-Malik fled to Shandan and then to Yusuf b. Abi'1-Saj, who formally invested him with the government of al-Bab and provided him with an army of 6,000 men, which aided him to recover the town in spite of the support of the inhabitants for Abu'lNajm.
A few months later he marched to Shabaran in the hope of capturing his nephew there. Abu'1-Najm eluded his search and was able to reoccupy al-Bab. cAbd al-Malik retook the town after a siege, this time aided by the lord of Khaidaq with a Khazar army. He killed his nephew and continued to rule unopposed. A battle with Muhammad, the son of the Sharvan-Shah, in 318/930 at Shabaran remained inconclusive and evidently did not reverse the northward expansion of Sharvan. Two successful raids to the region of Shandan were carried out in 326/938. A year later Abd al-Malik died leaving a son Ahmad of four years.
The succession of a minor brought on a new period of troubles in al-Bab. Ahmad was expelled after five months by the chiefs of the town, who turned over the rule to al-Haitham b. Muhammad, grandson of the Sharvan-Shah Yazid and governor of Tabarsaran. In 329/941 they expelled him and restored Ahmad, only to overthrow him again after six months. They recalled al-Haitham, but after six months deposed him and invited his grandfather, the Sharvan-Shah Yazid, to take over the town. Yazid sent his son Ahmad as his deputy, but he in turn was expelled after a few days in favour of the Hashimid Ahmad. Yazid now led a punitive campaign to al-Bab carrying off much booty and imposing a tribute. Shortly afterwards the Dailamites of the Sallarid al-Marzuban invaded Sharvan, and Yazld was forced to seek the support of the people of al-Bab restoring all the booty and the tribute to them. He drove off the Dailamites, but then concluded a peace with al-Marzuban which evidently entailed recognition of the Sallarid overlordship and payment of tribute.
After the death of Yazid in 337/948 his son and successor Muhammad imprisoned his brother Ahmad, and in his place sent his own son Ahmad to rule Laizan and confirmed his other son al-Haitham in the rule of Tabarsaran. He died in 345/956 and was succeeded by his son Ahmad. Ahmad's brother al-Haitham soon became afraid of him and • • sought refuge among the Lakz (Lazgi). In 357/968 he joined the Sallarid Ibrahim b. al-Marzuban and in the next year participated in a campaign intended to reaffirm the Sallarid authority over Sharvan and al-Bab. The Sallarid army pillaged Sharvan and the countryside of al-Bab. The Sharvan-Shah Ahmad sued for peace and paid tribute.
The demands of the Sallarid were resisted by the Hashimid Ahmad, who after having been deposed once more in 342/95 3-4 for six months in favour of the king of the Lakz Khashram Ahmad b. Munabbih, had gained firm control of al-Bab. Al-Haitham now joined the Hashimid, who vainly tried to persuade the Sharvan-Shah to grant some territory to his brother. The Hashimid gathered an army composed largely of Avars from al-Sarir and sacked and burnt Shabaran carrying off much booty. As the soldiers of al-Sarir on their return entered al-Bab one day before the amir, the inhabitants attacked them, massacred a large number and seized their booty. The Avars took revenge in 360/971, when they defeated the people of al-Bab near the town and killed 1,000 Muslims.
The Yazidids of Sharvan
