Alavids

The Alavids or Alavians(سلسله علویان طبرستان in Persian) were a Shia emirate based in Mazandaran (Tabaristan) of Iran. They were descendants of the second Shi'a Imam (Imam Hasan ibn Ali) and brought Islam to the south Caspian Sea region of Iran. Their reign was ended when they were defeated by the Samanid empire in 928 AD. After their defeat some of the soldiers and generals of the Alavids joined the Samanid dynasty. Mardavij the son of Ziar was one of the generals that joined the Samanids. He later founded the Ziyarid dynasty. Ali, Hassan and Ahmad the sons of Buye [bu:je] (that were founders of the Buyid or Buwayhid dynasty) were also among generals of the Alavid dynasty who joined the Samanid army.

Their capital was the city of Amol.

List of Alavid Amirs
Hassan ibn Zeid "Da'i Kabir" "Great Missionary" (864-883)
Mohammad ibn Zeid (883-900)
Samanids capture Tabaristan Alavis flee to Gilan in exile (900-913)
Hasan ibn Ali “Nasir Kabir” “Great Defender” (913-916)

Split of Alavis: Anti-Samanid & Pro-Samanid:

Anti-Samanids:
Hassan ibn Qasim “Da’i Saqir” “Young Misionary” (916-928)

Pro-Samanids:
Ahmad ibn Hassan “Nasir Kabir” (916-923)
Jafar ibn Hasan “Nasir Kabir” (916-924)
Mohammad ibn Ahmad (924-927)
Hassan ibn Ahmad (927)