Arrival and Development of Shiism in Hamedan until the Beginning of Safavid Era

According to historical evidence, Iranians have gradually converted to Shiism, especially Twelver Shiism from the first century to the seventh century of Hegira. With the coming of the powerful Safavid government in the early tenth century, Shiism became the official Islamic sect in Iran. Jebal territory which, was very extensive then, was the entrance of Shiism to Iran; and Hamedan was one of the regions of Jebal territory. State of Jebal or non-Arab Iraq enjoys a specific status in the history of Shiism; it includes the central and western regions of Iran. This state was next to the first center of Shiism, that is, Kufeh; it had been inhabited by a large number of Shiites; and, Shiism first spread to Qom, a part of Jebal, from Kufeh; and, it spread to other cities of Islamic East. Esfehan, Aveh, Qom, Rey, Qazvin, Kermanshah, and Hamedan are its important cities. Hamedan, which is the subject of this writing, is one of the important cities of Iran in early Islamic period; its neighborhood with Iraq has further contributed to its importance. This writing is concerned with the date of the arrival of Shiism in Hamedan, and the factors in its development. Imam Ali’s vicegerents in Hamedan like Jari Ibn Abdullah Bejeli, the Infallible Imams’ representatives in this city like Ibrahim Ibn Mohammad Hamedani, jurisprudents and the Hamedani companions of Imams like Ziarat Hamedani, the Shiite governors of Hamedan like Ala-al-Dolleh Abu Hashem Hamedani, the immigration of the Hasani and Hoseini and Razavi progeny to Hamedan, the Shiite governments in Hamedan like Bani Dolf, the religious and political figures of this city like Mir Seyed Ali Hamedani, the travels made by the great Shiite Scholars to Hamedan like Ibn Babuyeh, Sheikh Saduq, etc. are among the factors in the advent and development of Shiism in Hamedan, with which this writing is concerned. This writing is also concerned to establish the hypothesis that Shiism has arrived in Hamedan in the early centuries of Hegira about the second century of Hegira. This research is concerned with the first ten centuries of Hegira and Hamedan of those times; Hamedan was so extensive that it included Karaj, Asadabad, and Saveh.