Ahmad of Shirvan (Arabic: احمد) was the eighth Shah of Shirvan.

Reign

He was born to Muhammad III while he was still governor of Layzan and had a younger brother called Haytham.^[1] Upon his father's accession to throne in September 948, he was appointed as Layzanshah with his younger brother being Tabasaranshah until his father's murder on 4 June 956. The murderer, vizier Ibn al-Maraghi tried to poison Ahmad too, only to be prevented by shah's mother who fed the food to cat before. The vizier was later beaten to death at his own home.

As soon as he solidified rule, his brother Tabarsaranshah Haytham fled Shirvan and left for Lakz (modern Southern Dagestan) while his cousin Abul-Haytham fled to Barda.^[1] His uncle Abul Badr died sometime later too, leaving Ahmad as undisputed leader of Shirvan.

Meanwhile Haytham returned to Shirvan with reinforcemends from Sallarid ruler Ibrahim I in 968, in order to reaffirm Sallarid authority over Shirvan. While Ahmad managed to pacify Sallarids with submission and tribute, Haytham - who was supposed to return to Barda with Ibrahim - escaped to al-Masqat (modern Müşkür, Azerbaijan). He was supported by Ahmad b. Abd al-Malik I, emir of Derbent. While emir tried to negotiate a division of Shirvan on behalf of Haytham, Ahmad chose to march on Derbent instead. Ahmad on his turn captured and burnt Shabaran with support from Sarir.^[2]

According to Ibn Hawqal, following the sack of Samandar by Sviatoslav, the Rus' leader did not bother to occupy the Khazar heartlands north of the Caucasus Mountains permanently. Ahmad reportedly supported return of refugee Khazars return to Itil after 969.^[3]

He died in June 981. He had at least three sons called Muhammad, Yazid and Haytham. While Muhammad and Yazid rose to throne successively, Haytham died in 1025 in Tabasaran.^[4]