Celebrating the Hashmonaim as part of Hanukkah

Question

The Hashmonaim are an integral part of the Hanukkah story.

BUT after the story of Hanukkah the Hashmonite family did some very terrible things (wars between Jews etc) during their reign.

Why do we celebrate the Hashmonite victory during the story of Hanukkah if they became so corrupted afterwards?

Why do we not just celebrate the victory and the oil? Is there any reason to mention Matisyahu during our prayers at all?

Answer 1

This is answered by RaMBa"M (Hil. Megillah VeHanukah 3:1).

He writes:

הושיעם מידם והצילם וגברו בני חשמונאי הכהנים הגדולים והרגום והושיעו ישראל מידם והעמידו מלך מן הכהנים וחזרה מלכות לישראל יתר על מאתים שנים עד החורבן השני.‏

[G-d] saved [Israel] from [the] hands [of the Yevanim] and rescued [Israel] from them, and the Hasmonean high priests became victorious and killed [the Yevanim] and saved Israel from them and installed a king from [among] the priests and returned to Israel a[n autonomous] kingdom for more than two hundred years until the second destruction.

(My own translation)

This is significant because, despite the fact that they were not Davidic kings, the fact that there was Jewish independence for over 200 years prevented the loss of Jewish identity and probably secured the Jewish religious observance that has subsequently survived to today.