Emirate of Masha'sha'iya إمارة المشعشعية عربستان | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1435–1736 | |||||||||||||||
 Arabic map of the Musha'sha'iya dynasty at its greatest extent Long-term influence Short-term influence  Invasions between 1450–1457 AD Invasions between 1457–1463 AD Invasions between 1477–1479 | |||||||||||||||
| Capital | Huwaizah | ||||||||||||||
| Common languages | Arabic | ||||||||||||||
| Religion | Shia Islam | ||||||||||||||
| Government | Monarchy | ||||||||||||||
| Sayyid Sultan Emir | |||||||||||||||
• 1436–1461 | Muhammad ibn Falah | ||||||||||||||
• 1719–1736 | Muhammad III Ibn Abdullah | ||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||
TheMusha'sha' (also spelledMosha'sha';Arabic:المشعشعية) were aShi'iArab dynasty based in the town ofHuwaizah inKhuzestan,[1] ruling from 1435 to 1736.[2] Initially starting out as a tribal confederation, they gradually transformed into a zealousIsma'ili Shi'i dynasty.[3] The independence of the Musha'sha' was put to an end in 1508 by theSafavidshahIsmail I (r. 1501–1524), who claimed to be the only legitimate Shi'i ruler.[1] Following this, the Musha'sha' remained compliant, typically serving asvalis or governors under Persian suzerainty for the following centuries.[4]
The Musha'sha' were founded and led byMuhammad ibn Falah, anIraqi-born theologian who believed himself to be the earthly representative ofAli and theMahdi. From the middle of the 15th century to the 19th century, they came to dominate much of western Khuzestan in southwesternIran.
Beginning in 1436, Ibn Falahspread his messianic beliefs amongst the less powerfulArab tribes along the area of the present-day border of Iraq and Iran, gaining converts in an attempt to forge a strong tribal alliance.[5] In 1441, they succeeded in capturing the city ofHuwaizah in Khuzestan, and during the following ten years the Musha‘sha’iyyah increased their strength and consolidated their power in the area around the city and theTigris. These early military ambitions were fueled by Muhammad ibn Falah's zealousmillenarian theology, which continued to significantly influence the later military campaigns of the Musha‘sha’iyyah decades after his death.
Successors of Ibn Falah were in continual conflict with the Safavid rulers as well as with Arab tribes until overcome by the Safavids in 1508.[6] The conflict with the Safavids was driven not only by politics and territorial domination, but also by theological differences and competition between two rival Shia schools of thought.[citation needed] According toMoojan Momen, both sects adhered to heterodox (ghuluww) Shi'i beliefs.[dubious –discuss][6][better source needed]
According to the order'sIslamic eschatology, the Mahdi will appear at the end times inYemen to lead the forces of good in a struggle against the forces of evil, who will be based inSyria andKhorasan. The Musha‘sha’iyyah believed that the end times were imminent and that they would need to defeat the Safavids and gain control of Iran in order to fulfill the prophecy heralded by ibn Falah.
The Musha‘sha’iyyah gradually abandoned their heretical beliefs and were absorbed to mainstream Twelver Shia orthodoxy. Like other mystical Shia sects[which?], they placed a great deal of importance upon poetry and art.[citation needed]
Unreferenced sources indicate that their rule ended towards the 19th century with the rise to power of theBanu Ka'b, which, under the leadership ofJabir al-Ka'abi, had become the dominant power in the western region of Iran. However, Momen writes that by the 16th century they were already reduced to being the governors of Khuzestan.[6]
