Akhsitan III
| Akhsitan III | |
|---|---|
| Shah of Shirvan | |
| Reign | 1282 - 1294 |
| Predecessor | Farrukhzad II |
| Successor | Keykavus I |
| Issue | Keykavus I Siamerk |
| House | Kasranid |
| Father | Farrukhzad II |
Akhsitan III was the 29th ruler of Shirvan, now part of Azerbaijan. He is thought to be the son of Shirvanshah Farrukhzad II.
Life
[edit]No numismatic source mentions his name. His existence is proposed on the details of a legend in Safvat as-safa, a work by Ibn Bazzaz who mentions Akhsitan as ruler of Shirvan.[1] According to legend, Shah wanted to marry his daughter to Safavid sheikh Safi-ad-din Ardabili with a dowry of 14,000 dinar and a water canal, to which Safi al-Din reporedly replied "How can I reply to that? Shirvanshah is the ruler, and I am just a dervish". Since Safi-ad-din Ardabili was born in 1252, he couldn't have married a daughter of Akhsitan II, about whom after 1260, there is no details. Therefore, it was proposed that there should be another, a third Akhsitan. According to the legend, seeing Safiaddin's tutor and future father-in-law Zahed Gilani's influence over Shirvani people Akhsitan began to oppose religious Sufi orders, saying religious people are not working in fields.[1]
Another reasoning given for his existence is an inscription dated June 1294 on Pir Huseyn Khanqah, which mentions "Keykavus b. Akhsitan".
Death
[edit]In Safvat as-safa, it is also reported that Akhsitan died of mental illness in Gushtasfi, while his son Siamerk was executed on the orders of Arghun Khan on the instigation of Akhsitan himself.[1] He was probably succeeded by his other son - Keykavus.
References
[edit]- ^ a b c Ashurbeyli, Sara (2006). Shirvanshahs' State (in Azerbaijani). Baku: Poliqraf. pp. 202–203. ISBN 978-5-87459-229-5.
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