Iskandar-i Shaykhi

Iskandar-i Shaykhi
اسکندر شیخی
Ispahbad
Ruler of Amul
Reign1393–1403/4
PredecessorRida al-Din (Mar'ashis)
SuccessorSayyid Ali Sari (Mar'ashis)
Ruler of Firuzkuh
Reign1393–1403/4
PredecessorMar'ashi rule
SuccessorKiya Husayn I
Died1403/4
Shir-rud-duhazar or Firuzkuh
IssueKiya Husayn I
DynastyAfrasiyab dynasty
FatherKiya Afrasiyab
ReligionShia Islam

Iskandar-i Shaykhi (Persian: اسکندر شیخی), was an Iranian ispahbad from the Afrasiyab dynasty, who ruled Amul as a Timurid vassal from 1393 to 1403. He was the youngest son of Kiya Afrasiyab, who had initially established his rule in eastern Mazandaran from 1349 to 1359, but was defeated and killed by the local shaykh (religious scholar) Mir-i Buzurg, who established his own dynasty—the Mar'ashis—in the region. Together with some supporters and two nephews of his father, Iskandar initially took refuge in Larijan, but later left for Herat, where entered into the service of the Kartid ruler Ghiyath al-Din II (r. 1370–1389).

After Herat was captured by the Turco-Mongol ruler Timur (r. 1370–1405) in 1381, Iskandar joined the latter, whom he encouraged and accompanied in the conquest of Mazandaran in 1392–1393. After the Mar'ashis were dislodged, Timur assigned the governorship of Amul to Iskandar, but he soon staged a rebellion. Defeated, he was either killed by a Timurid army in 1403/4 at Shir-rud-duhazar, or committed suicide in the Alburz castle of Firuzkuh to avoid capture. One of his sons, Kiya Husayn I, was pardoned by Timur, who allowed him to retain control over Firuzkuh.