Bahram I
Bahram I 𐭥𐭫𐭧𐭫𐭠𐭭 | |
---|---|
House of Sasan | |
Father | Shapur I |
Religion | Zoroastrianism |
Bahram I (also spelled Wahram I or Warahran I;
Bahram I's reign marked the end of the Sasanian tolerance towards Manichaeism, and in 274, with the support of the influential Zoroastrian priest Kartir, he had Mani imprisoned and executed. Bahram I's reign was largely uneventful. He was succeeded by his son Bahram II.
Name
The
Life prior to his accession
Bahram I was the oldest son of
Shapur I died in 270, and was succeeded by Hormizd-Ardashir (who became known as Hormizd I), who ruled from May 270 until his death in June 271. Bahram I, who was never considered a candidate for succession of the throne by his father, ascended with the aid of the powerful
Reign
The previous Sasanian shahs, including Shapur I, had pursued a policy of
Mani's death was followed by the persecution of his followers by Kartir and the Zoroastrian clergy, who moved against the kingdom's religious minorities as a way to increase and spread their influence.
Bahram I died in September 274 and was succeeded by his son Bahram II.[9] Another son of Bahram I, Hormizd I Kushanshah, ruled over the Kushano-Sasanian kingdom in the east, and would later lead a rebellion against Bahram II, which failed.[14] The line of Bahram I continued to rule the Sasanian Empire until 293, when Narseh overthrew the latter's grandson Bahram III and proclaimed himself the new shah.[5] The line was thus shifted to Narseh and his descendants, who continued to rule the empire until its fall in 651.[15]
Coinage, appearance and habits
Under Bahram I, the reverse of
Bahram I was keen on combat, hunting and feasting, which he regarded as righteousness.[9]
Rock relief
Following the precedent of Ardashir I and Shapur I, Bahram I had an image of his accession carved in a rock relief. It displayed him on horseback, accepting the diadem of kingship from the Zoroastrian supreme god Ahura Mazda, who is also depicted sitting on a horse.[9] A Middle Persian inscription is written on the relief.[9] According to the archaeologist Erich Schmidt, the relief is "artistically the most appealing example of Sasanian rock sculpture".[9] When Narseh ascended the throne in 293, he had the rock relief altered, replacing Bahram's name with his own.[9]
Notes
- ^ Also spelled "King of Kings of Iranians and non-Iranians".
References
- ^ Wiesehöfer 2018, pp. 193–194.
- ^ Rapp 2014, p. 203.
- ^ Martindale, Jones & Morris 1971, p. 945.
- ^ a b c Weber 2016.
- ^ Frye 1983, p. 127.
- ^ Frye 1983, pp. 121–122.
- ^ a b Kia 2016, p. 233.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Shahbazi 1988, pp. 514–522.
- ^ a b c d e Kia 2016, p. 234.
- ^ Daryaee 2009, p. 74.
- ^ Daryaee 2009, pp. 74–75.
- ^ Skjærvø 2011, pp. 608–628.
- ^ Shahbazi 2004.
- ^ Shahbazi 2005.
- ^ Curtis & Stewart 2008, pp. 24–25.
- ^ Curtis & Stewart 2008, p. 25.
Sources
- Curtis, Vesta Sarkhosh; Stewart, Sarah (2008). The Sasanian Era. I.B. Tauris. ISBN 978-1845116903.
- ISBN 978-1-85043-898-4.
- ISBN 0-521-20092-X.
- Kia, Mehrdad (2016). The Persian Empire: A Historical Encyclopedia. ISBN 978-1610693912. (2 volumes)
- Martindale, J. R.; Jones, A. H. M.; Morris, J. (1971). The Prosopography of the Later Roman Empire: Volume 1, AD 260-395. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 9780521072335.
- Multiple authors (1988). "Bahrām". Encyclopaedia Iranica, Vol. III, Fasc. 5. pp. 514–522.
- Rapp, Stephen H. (2014). The Sasanian World through Georgian Eyes: Caucasia and the Iranian Commonwealth in Late Antique Georgian Literature. Ashgate Publishing, Ltd. ISBN 978-1472425522.
- Shahbazi, A. Shapur (1988). "Bahrām I". Encyclopaedia Iranica, Vol. III, Fasc. 5. pp. 514–522.
- Shahbazi, A. Shapur (2004). "Hormozd Kušānšāh". Encyclopædia Iranica.
- Shahbazi, A. Shapur (2005). "Sasanian Dynasty". Encyclopædia Iranica.
- Skjærvø, Prods Oktor (2011). "Kartir". Encyclopaedia Iranica, Vol. XV, Fasc. 6. pp. 608–628.
- Weber, Ursula (2016). "Narseh". Encyclopædia Iranica.
- ISBN 978-0-19-866277-8. (subscription required)
Further reading
- Yar-Shater, Ehsan (ed.). The History of Al-Ṭabarī. State University of New York Press. (40 volumes)
- Rawlinson, George (1875). "Chapter XXII". The Seven Great Monarchies of the Ancient Eastern World. Vol. III. The Nottingham Society.