emirate · Caucasus
Sajid Emirate
Origins
The Sajids were descended from a military family from Ushrusana in Central Asia, in the service of the caliphs. In 889 Muhammad ibn Abi'l-Saj was appointed governor of Azerbaijan and ruled it almost independently from Maragha and later Ardabil, founding a hereditary emirate under the Abbasid Caliphate.
Rule and society
The emirs controlled north-western Iran and claimed authority over Armenia and Albania as Abbasid governors, collecting tribute and backing rival Armenian princes. Yusuf ibn Abi'l-Saj invaded Armenia, captured Smbat I of Bagratid Armenia and had him executed in 914, while crowning Gagik Artsruni of the Kingdom of Vaspurakan as a rival king.
Decline and legacy
Yusuf was killed in 928 fighting the Qarmatians in Iraq, and the emirate collapsed in 929 amid struggles among his commanders. The Sallarid Emirate and other local dynasties took over Azerbaijan.
Lineage
On the connections map
Open the full map →Connections (2)
- Sajid Emirate was a vassal of Abbasid Caliphate889 CE – 929 CE
- Kingdom of Vaspurakan was a vassal of Sajid Emirate908 CE – 929 CE
Cite this page
- APA
- The Epoch Institute. (2026). Sajid Emirate. In The Epoch Institute States Register. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/sajid-emirate
- MLA
- “Sajid Emirate.” The Epoch Institute States Register, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/sajid-emirate. Accessed .
- Chicago
- The Epoch Institute. “Sajid Emirate.” The Epoch Institute States Register. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/sajid-emirate.
- Harvard
- The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Sajid Emirate’, The Epoch Institute States Register. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/sajid-emirate (Accessed: ).
Last reviewed October 2026Random state ↻