The term was later expanded to include the entire Abbasid Shi'a community.
The etymology is said to derive from Al-Kasim ibn Rawand or from Abu'l Abbas al-Rawandi, but little is known about these individuals.
[2]: 108 The Abbasid Caliphate drew upon the Rawandians for support during the clandestine and revolutionary phases of their movement; but once in power, the caliphs attempted to distance themselves from the group due to the unconventional beliefs contained within the group's religious doctrines.
[2]: 108 In 757 AD, Caliph al-Mansur confronted a group of Rawandians that claimed he was their God or rabb while performing circumambulation around his palace.
[2]: 108 [3]: 201 The confrontation turned violent, but al-Mansur was graciously saved by Ma'n ibn Za'ida al-Shaybani, a former Umayyad general who went into hiding after the Abbasid Revolution.