The Masmughans of Damavand are first mentioned by
Al-Tabari, where the
Masmughan Mardanshah of Damavand reportedly aided the
Mihranid Siyavakhsh at
Ray against the Arabs. The forces of Siyavakhsh and Mardanshah, were, however, defeated. Mardanshah then made peace with the Arabs in return for an annual tribute. In 748/749,
Abu Muslim sought to subdue the Masmughan but his general Musa ibn Kab was ambushed by the local forces who enjoyed the advantage of the terrain, which forced him to return to
Ray. In 758/759 due to disputes between Abarwiz and his brother, who is simply called
Masmughan in Arabic sources, Abarwiz then went over to the
Caliph Al-Mansur who gave him a pension. In some Arabic sources Abarwiz is called Al-Masmughan Malik (
malik of the Masmughans), and is known for his bravery. In 760, Masmughan, the brother of Abarwiz, was at war against his father-in-law, the
Dabuyid ispahbadh Khurshid, but when he heard about the Abbasid expedition to
Tabaristan, he made peace with the latter. The Arabs then defeated the
ispahbadh and the Masmughan, who was captured along with his daughters Bakhtariya and Shakla. One of these daughters became the wife of
Al-Mahdi. == See also ==