Abu Mansur Muhammad

Abu Mansur Muhammad ibn 'Abd al-Razzaq ibn 'Abdallah ibn Farrukh, also simply known as Abu Mansur Muhammad and Ibn 'Abd al-Razzaq, was an Iranian aristocrat who served the Samanids during the most of career, and briefly served as governor of Azerbaijan under the Buyids.

Abu Mansur was the son of a certain 'Abd al-Razzaq, and had a brother named Rafi. He was also related to the Samanid officer Amirak Tusi, and belonged to a dehqan family from Tus, which claimed descent from a spahbed ("army chief"), who lived during the lifetime of the Sasanian king Khosrau II. The family further claimed descent from the Pishdadian dynasty. When the Samanid ruler Nasr II (r. 914-943) appointed the Muhtajid prince Abu 'Ali Chaghani as the governor of Khurasan, Abu Mansur ruled Tus on behalf of Abu 'Ali until 945, and then, along with his brother Rafi, joined Abu 'Ali's rebellion against Nasr's successor, Nuh I (r. 943-954). While Abu 'Ali was making expeditions against the Samanids, Abu Mansur was appointed as his sipahsalar (commander) in Khurasan.

Bukhara was shortly captured by the forces of Abu 'Ali, and Nuh's uncle Ibrahim ibn Ahmad was crowned as the new ruler of the Samanid dynasty. However, in 947, Nuh I managed to recapture Bukhara and have Ibrahim blinded. He was, however, unable to win a decisive battle over Abu 'Ali, who had obtained the support of other Samanid vassals, such as the rulers of Khuttal, and made peace with him instead.

Meanwhile, Abu Mansur fled to the Buyid city of Ray, where he took refuge, and was honored by the Buyid ruler Rukn al-Dawla, who, along with his brothers Imad al-Dawla and Mu'izz al-Dawla, greatly awarded him with riches. He was shortly sent to Damghan in order to protect Ray from an Samanid invasion. In 948/949, during negotiations between Mu'izz al-Dawla's and the Sallarid ruler Marzuban's ambassadors, Marzuban was greatly insulted, and became enraged; he tried to avenge himself by marching towards Ray. Rukn al-Dawla, however, managed to trick and slow Marzuban down by diplomatic means, while he was preparing an army to attack Marzuban. Rukn al-Dawla shortly sent an army under Abu Mansur to Qazvin, where he managed to defeat and capture Marzuban, who was imprisoned by Rukn al-Dawla.

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