Kiya Buzurg-Ummid


Kiyā Buzurg-Ummīd was a dāʿī and the second ruler of the Nizari Isma'ili State, ruling Alamut Castle from 1124 to 1138 CE. He was of Daylami origin from the region of Rudbar.

Career

Prior to ruling the Nizari Isma'ilis, Buzurg Ummid captured Lambsar Castle for the Assassins and ruled it as commander for over twenty years.
from Rasamuj and rebuilt it into a major stronghold using local labour. He was appointed by Hasan Sabbah as its governor.

As the ruler of Alamut

On 25 Rabīʿ II 518, a day before death of Ḥassan-i Ṣabbaḥ, Ḥassan appointed him his successor. He generally followed the policies of Ḥassan-i Ṣabbaḥ and enforced the Sharia strictly. In his early reign the Isma'ili hold was expanded in particular in Eshkevar and Taleghan.
As opposed to Hassan Sabbah, who is depicted as a revolutionary leader, the Ismaili sources depict Buzurg-Ummid as an administrator and a chivalrous lord.
Another change in the Nizari government during his rule was the decrease in the number of assassinations; the list include the Abbasid caliph Al-Mustarshid, a prefect of Isfahan, a governor of Maragha, a prefect of Tabriz, and a mufti of Qazvin.
Kiya Buzurg Ummid died on 9 February 1138 and was succeeded by his son, Muhammad Buzurg Ummid, who was nominated as heir three days earlier.

Works

The text of a bedtime prayer, titled "Prayer in Bedtime" in Persian attributed to Kiya Buzurg Ummid, is preserved in a manuscript of the Institute of Ismaili Studies in London.