Page 360 - Encyclopedia Of World History Vol IV

sasanian empire 1661

ing to the Avesta and compiled an authoritative version It was also in the fifth century that the Hepthalites
during the time of Ardashir I.The next pivotal figure in the attacked from the east. The Sasanians had to fight the
history of Zoroastrianism was Kerdir, who surveyed the Arabs and the Romans on the southwestern and western
empire, established the version of Zoroastrian religion front. By the end of the fifth and early in the sixth century,
which he saw fit, and spread those doctrines. He honored under the rule of Kavadh I (reigned 488–496 CE; 499–
the priests who followed his teachings and punished those 531 CE), the society went through a revolution. Using a
who opposed him. Kerdir mentions that he persecuted novel interpretation of the Avesta, the magi (priest) Maz-
other religious groups within the empire, namely the Chris- dak helped king Kavadh to reduce the power of the
tians, Mandeans, Buddhists, Hindus, and Manichaeans. It landed nobility, who exerted a lot of influence and were
was he who instigated the arrest and execution of Mani. immune from paying taxes.Their lands were redistributed
He also established many fire temples, and his followers among the people, and new small-landed gentry became
believed that he made a journey to the nether world to find the backbone of the state. The power of the clergy, who
out about heaven and hell and how to end up in one and had supported the earlier status quo, was also reduced.
avoid falling into the other. Kerdir lived through the reign
of several Sasanian kings and he rose to absolute power in Khosrow I and
the second half of the third century. His Reforms
Kavadh’s son Khosrow I (reigned 531–579 CE) came to
The Empire in the Fourth the throne after defeating his brother. His first action was
and Fifth Centuries to make peace with the Romans and secure the borders
In the early fourth century the wars with the Romans was of the empire. He then began the capture and persecution
disastrous for the Persians. King Narses (reigned 293– of Mazdak and his followers. Once the king had been
302 CE) lost several major battles—and his entire harem able to reduce the power of the clergy and the nobility,
—to the Romans and was forced to pay a heavy ransom they again began to bring the empire back to order. Khos-
for the harem’s release. In religious matters, however, it row I, however, did not restore any land to the nobility,
appears that Narses was able to reduce the power of but rather made the smaller landowning gentry the back-
Kerdir and the priests and give special importance to the bone of the society and tax infrastructure. Khosrow I sur-
goddess Anahita again. Later in the fourth century Sha- veyed the land and created a new tax system that taxed
pur II (309–379 CE) avenged the losses of Narses and not only the land but also its produce, to be paid in three
was able to defeat the Romans. He also was able to de- installments annually. He also divided the empire into
feat the Arab tribes who had attacked and ravaged the four cantons, one the northeast, one in the southeast, one
southeastern provinces of the empire, which explains his in the southwest, and one in the northwest.The military
title in the Islamic literature, “piercer of shoulders” (Ara- was also divided into four sections, one to take charge of
bic dul al-aktaf). the defense of each canton. This was in an attempt to
In the fifth century, during the reign of Yazdegerd I combat the invasions that came from all directions.
(reigned 339–420 CE), the patriarch of the Nestorian Religiously, the Avesta and its commentary (the Zand)
(Christian) Persian church was established at the Sasan- were placed under the direction of trusted magis whose
ian capital, Ctesiphon.Yazdgerd I also married the daugh- interpretation was accepted by the king.The Avesta was
ter of the chief rabbi in the Sasanian Empire, from whom written down in its final version, along with its inter-
the next king of kings, Bahram IV (reigned 388–399 CE) pretation.The royal chronicle that described the history
was born.These actions brought a sense that the empire of Iran, known as the Khudy-nmag (Book of Kings) was
belonged to citizens of all religions: As long as they paid also written during Khosrow’s rule. Khosrow en-
their taxes, they were part of the empire. couraged intellectual inquiry, inviting philosophers from