2020-07-04 Sat

Muhammad III was the third Layzanshah and the seventh Shirvanshah (king of Shirvan, r. 948-956). He was the son of Abu Tahir Yazid.

Muhammad III is first mentioned in 917 when he was appointed as the ruler of Laysan and Tabarsaran by his father Abu Tahir ibn Yazid. When Muhammad's father died in 948, he succeeded him as the ruler of Shirvan, and appointed his son Ahmad as the ruler of Laysan, while his other son Haytham ibn Muhammad was appointed as the ruler of Tabarsaran. From 948 to 956, Muhammad constantly raided the territories of the non-Muslims, who are called "infidels" in Muslim sources.

On 4 June 956, Muhammad died of small-pox. However, according to another source, he was poisoned by his vizier Ibn al-Maraghi. The above-shown coin was minted during his reign. It depicts the Kalima and name of the king.

Image Source: Wikipedia.org