Political Factors of Expansion and Stabilization of Imᾱmῑ Shiism in Mazandaran

Abstract

The emergence of Shiism in the east of the Islamic caliphate occurred in the first centuries with the presence of the Shiite Alawites, and the area of the shores of the Caspian Sea was considered one of their main bases. Their actions in this region led to many developments in various fields, which, in addition to Mazandaran, affected large areas of Iran and the Islamic world. Although the expansion of the Shiite school in Mazandaran is the result of several factors, each of which can be discussed in its place - in terms of history and formation, the present research aims to investigate the political factors of the formation of Shiism in Mazandaran. It seeks to answer the question, "What did political factors cause the expansion and stabilization of Imᾱmῑ Shiism in Mazandaran?" The research method is descriptive-analytical, and data collection has been done using library resources. The results show that the formation of local governments such as Bavandians, Mar'ashians, etc., as well as the political relations of scholars and local rulers, such as the actions of Sayed Haider Amoli and Abdur Rahim bin Ma'rouf Rostamdari, are among the factors that play a major role in the expansion and consolidation of Imᾱmῑ Shiism in Mazandaran.