Ayyār

For other uses, see Ayyar (disambiguation).

Ayyār (Arabic: عيار, romanized: ʿayyār, pl. ʿayyārūn; Persian: عیار, romanized: Ayyâr, pl. Ayyârân) refers to a person associated with a class of warriors in Iraq and Iran from the 9th to the 12th centuries. The word literally means vagabond.^{[1][2][3][4][5]} Ayyars were associated with futuwwa, or medieval Islamic organizations located in cities.

Emergence

'Ayyarun are believed to predate Islam, since they are said to have distinct Iranian customs, and they were active in regions corresponding to the territories of the Sasanian Empire.^[6] Most of the writing about them centers on their activities in Baghdad from the 10th to the 12th centuries. Baghdad was ruled by the Buyids (945–1055) back then. They did many terrible things such as extorting taxes on roads and markets, burning wealthy quarters and markets, and looting the homes of the rich by night. For several years (1028–33), al-Burjumi and Ibn al-Mawsili, leaders of the 'ayyarun, ruled the city due to governmental instability.^{[citation needed]}

See also

• Javānmardi
• Samak-e Ayyar, ancient Persian story about an Ayyār named Samak
• Umro Ayyar, fictional Ayyār in the Islamic epic Hamzanama