The Justanids appear as kings of
Daylam at the end of the 8th century. Their centre was in the Rudbar of
Alamut, running into the valley of the Shahrood. Two centuries later, this had become the main centre of the historical Nizari Ismailis or
Assassins (
Hashshashin), as they are known in the west. They appear in Islamic history as part of what
Vladimir Minorsky has called "the
Iranian Intermezzo". This refers to a period in which indigenous Daylamite and
Kurdish principalities took power in northwest Persia after two to three centuries of Arab rule. The Daylamite upsurge eventually culminated in the
Buyid dynasty. After Marzuban ibn Justan converted to
Islam in 805, the ancient family of Justans became connected to the Zaydi Alids of the Daylam region. The Justanids adopted the
Zaydi form of Shi'ism. In the 10th century, they were eclipsed by the Daylamite dynasty of
Sallarids in Tarom (modern Iranian province of
Zanjan). Nevertheless, the Justanids were tied by marriage with the Sallarids and preserved their seat of Rudbar in the highlands of Daylam. They also became allies with the
Buyids. In the 11th century, they may have recognized the suzerainty of the
Ghaznavids. Later, they recognized the suzerainty of the
Seljuqs, but, shortly after, they fade from history. == Justanid rulers ==