Bahram V

Bahram V (also spelled Wahram V or Warahran V;

The son of the incumbent Sasanian shah

Bahram V's reign was generally peaceful, with two brief wars—first against his western neighbours, the Eastern Roman Empire, and then against his eastern neighbours, the Kidarites, who were disturbing the Sasanian eastern provinces. It was also during his reign that the Arsacid line of Armenia was replaced by a marzban (governor of a frontier province, "margrave"), which marked the start of a new era in Armenia, known in Armenian historiography as the "Marzpanate period".

Bahram V is a central figure in several of the most famous works in Persian literature. He is mentioned in Ferdowsi's Shahnameh ("Book of Kings") written between 977 and 1010, and he is the protagonist of Nizami Ganjavi's romantic epic Haft Peykar (also known as the "Bahramnameh"), written in 1197. The Seven Beauties were princesses, which—in Nizami's imagination—became Bahram's wives and each received her own residence in his palace. He visited them on a rotating basis, and they entertained him with exciting stories. He is also the focal point in the Hasht-Behesht ("Eight Paradises"), written by Amir Khusrau in ca. 1302.

Bahram V is remembered as one of the most famous kings in Iranian history, due to his cancellation of taxes and public debt at celebratory events, his encouragement of musicians, and his enjoyment of hunting. He was succeeded by his son Yazdegerd II (r. 438–457).

Name

His

Bahram V was born around 400;

At al-Hira, al-Nu'man provided Bahram with teachers from the Sasanian court, where the latter was taught law, archery, and equestrian arts.[11] Since the death of the powerful Sasanian shah Shapur II (r. 309–379), the aristocrats and priests had expanded their influence and authority at the cost of the Sasanian government, nominating, dethroning, and murdering shahs, which included Yazdegerd I, who was murdered in 420. They now sought to stop the sons of Yazdegerd I from ascending the throne—Shapur IV, who was the eldest son of Yazdegerd I and governor of Armenia, quickly rushed to the Sasanian capital of Ctesiphon, and ascended the throne. He was, however, shortly after, murdered by the nobles and priests, who elected a son of Bahram IV, Khosrow, as shah.^[9]

Bahram was informed about the news of Yazdegerd I's death when he was in the Arabian Desert—he opposed the decision of the nobles, and asked al-Mundhir I ibn al-Nu'man (who had succeeded his father al-Nu'man I) for military assistance, who agreed to help him.^[12] Bahram and al-Mundhir, at the head of an army of numerous soldiers, marched towards Ctesiphon, where Bahram promised that he would not reign like his father Yazdegerd I did. According to a long-existing popular legend written in the Shahnameh ("Book of Kings"), Bahram suggested that the royal crown and attire should be placed between two lions, and the person who retrieved them by killing the wild animals should be recognized as the shah of Iran.^[9]

Khosrow chose to pull out, whilst Bahram withstood the trial and won the throne.

At the urging of the Zoroastrian priests and the

The peace treaty that ended the war (422) was negotiated by the magister officiorum Helio. It returned everything to the situation before the war (status quo ante bellum). Both parts agreed to reject Arab defectors of the other part, as well as to guarantee liberty of religion in their territories.^[16] Furthermore, the Romans also agreed to pay the Iranians for the protection of the pass at the Sasanian city of Derbent in the Caucasus.^[18] Since the peace treaty of 387, Iran and Rome had agreed that both empires were obligated to cooperate in the defense of the Caucasus against nomadic attacks.^[19] While the Romans saw this payment as political subsidies, the Iranians saw it as tribute, which proved that Rome was the deputy of Iran.^[20]

War with the Kidarites

Since the reign of Shapur II, the Iranians had to deal with nomadic invaders in the east known in scholarship as "

Leaving his minister Mihr Narseh as his regent,[29] Bahram passed through the mountain chain on the southern shore of the Caspian Sea, eventually reaching Merv. There his forces routed the Kidarites, killing their king in the process and capturing his wife.^[30][31] A general of Bahram pursued the Kidarites into Transoxiana and inflicted another defeat on them.^[30] The war was concluded in 427,^[25] with Bahram cementing his name as a great champion of Iran.^[32] The name of Bahram was long remembered amongst the people of the surrounding area; the Sogdian city of Bukhara would later mint coins with his image.^[30] Bahram erected a pillar at the Oxus, which marked that the river constituted his empire's eastern frontier.^{[c][30][34][35]}

In

Bahram V appointed Artaxias IV as king of Armenia in 422 at the request of the nakharars, reportedly on the term that the Armenian prince called himself the Middle Persian name Ardashir.^[39] However, the newly appointed king lacked the character he needed to rule and attain respect amongst his countrymen. As a result he fell out with the nakharar, who wanted Bahram V to remove Artaxias IV and put it under the direct control of Iran.^[40] However, the annexation of Armenia was strongly opposed by the Armenian katholikos Sahak, who felt that the rule of a Christian was better than that of a non-Christian regardless of his character or ability. He hoped that the Roman emperor Theodosius II would help the Armenians after he had sorted out his own issues in his empire.^[41]

Regardless, the nakharar did not heed to his words, and contacted Bahram V, chastising both Artaxias V and Sahak for supporting the "Greeks", i.e the Romans.

The influence of Bahram’s upbringing in the Arab urban center of al-Hira can be illustrated as follows: "It was to al-Hira that the Persian monarch was sent as a prince, to be educated. Here, he was taught music, among other Arab accomplishments. When he ascended to the throne, one of his first edicts was to improve the status of musicians at the Persian court."[47]

Coins

Bahram V issued coins in gold, silver, copper and lead. They are (as usual in Sasanian numismatics) identifiable by his special headdress, in this case a mural crown topped with a korymbos resting on a crescent, and a round hairball in the king's neck. The reverse shows the usual fire-altar, watched by two attendants at its sides. A special variant for Bahram V shows the head of the king in the flame upon the altar.

The title of Bahram V on his coins was the typical Mazdēsn bay Warahrān šāhān šāh Ērān ud Anērān kēčihr az yazdān ("the Mazda-worshiping, divine Bahram, King of Kings of Iran(ians) and non-Iran(ians), whose image/brilliance is from the gods").^[48][49] On some of rare coins minted in Pars, he is also seen with the title of kirbakkar ("beneficent").^[50]

Death and succession

Bahram died in 438; his manner of death is shrouded in mystery. According to the Persian poet Ferdowsi (d. 1020), Bahram died in his sleep; according to the poems Haft Peykar and Hasht-Behest, he disappeared in a cave whilst chasing an onager. According to other versions by early historians, Bahram either sunk in a swamp, fell into a deep hole, or drowned.^[51] The modern historian Richard Payne calls his death "no less ambiguous than that of his father."^[52] Bahram V is remembered as one of the most famous kings in Iranian history, due to his cancellation of taxes and public debt at celebratory events, his encouragement of musicians, and his enjoyment of hunting.^[9] He was succeeded by his son Yazdegerd II.^[53]

According to the genealogy of the aristocratic

Bahram is in Islamic-era literature often known by the epithet of Gur/Gōr (Jur in Arabic sources), meaning "onager/wild ass", seemingly due to his fondness of hunting the animal.^[58][59][60] The onager was the fastest animal in the deserts of Central Asia, even causing difficulties for a experienced rider to catch it.^[60] The legend of Bahram "the Wild ass" is based on lost Middle Persian records, such as the Khwaday-Namag ("Book of Lords").^[60] The story of Bahram portrays that of a classic hunter king in Iranian literature, which is associated with the namesake god, known in Avestan as Verethragna. This type of ancient folklore goes back to at least the epic story of ancient Mesopotamian hero Gilgamesh.^[60] Later court poets often compared their overlord with ancient figures, such as Rostam or Bahram. In the Tarikh-i Akbari, Arif Qandahari compares the hunting skills of the Mughal emperor Akbar (r. 1556–1605) with that of Bahram.^[61] He states that "Akbar emptied the land of wild asses and deer, which brought amazement and joy to the soul of Bahram Gur."^[62]

Haft Peykar

While wandering through the fabled palace, he discovers a locked room which contains a depiction of seven princesses; hence the name Haft Paykar (seven beauties). Each of these princesses is from the seven different climes (the traditional

Zoroastrian division of the Earth) and he falls in love with them. His father Yazdegerd I passes away and Bahram returns to Iran to claim his throne from pretenders. After some episodes he is recognized as shah and rescues the Iranians from a famine. Once the country is stable, the shah searches for the seven princesses and wins them as his brides. His architect is ordered to construct seven domes for each of his new brides. The architect tells him that each of the seven climes is ruled by one of the seven planets (the classical planetary system of the Zoroastrian world) and advises him to assure good fortune by adorning each dome with the color that is associated with each clime and planet. Bahram is skeptical but follows the advice of the architect. Each of the princesses reside in luxurious pavilions. On each visit, the shah visits the princesses on successive days of the week.^[63]

Each princess relates to the shah a story matching the mood of her respective color.[63] These seven stories comprise roughly half of the whole poem.^[63] While the shah is busy with the seven brides, his evil minister takes over his kingdom. Bahram finds out that his realm is in turmoil, the royal treasury has been depleted and the neighboring kingdoms are posed to invade. He clears his mind first by going hunting. After returning from the hunt, he sees a suspended dog from a tree. The owner of the dog, who was a shepherd, tells the story of how his loyal guard dog had gained sexual favours by a she-wolf in exchange for betraying his flock.^[63] He starts investigating the corrupt minister and from the multitude of complaints, he selects seven who tell him the injustice they have suffered. The minister is subsequently put to death and Bahram restores order and orders the seven domes to be converted to Zoroastrian fire temples.^[63] Bahram then goes hunting, but in a obscure manner disappears. As a pun on words, while trying to hunt the wild ass (gūr) he instead finds his tomb (gūr).^[63]

Bahram and Azadeh

Azadeh (meaning free) was a Roman-slave girl in al-Hira, known for her singing and harpist skills (she played the chang). The young Bahram, during his time at the city, became her owner, and would take her with him whenever he went hunting.^[64][65] During one incident, Bahram bragged to Azadeh about his hunting skills and asked her to choose which gazelle he should shoot. Azadeh replied to him that true skill would be to transform a female gazelle into a male and a male into a female.

Bahram accomplished this by shooting two arrows into the head of a female gazelle, thus giving her "antlers". He then shoot at a male, cutting off his antlers. Azadeh, horrified by this, cried out: "This art of yours is from the

al-Tha'labi (d. 1035/6) reports that al-Mundhir had the incident painted in the Khawarnaq palace at al-Hira.^[64] Nizami Ganjavi included the story in his Haft Peykar and had it slightly altered; Bahram orders one of his men to kill Fitna (her new name), but she persuades the officer to spare her and lie to Bahram of her death.^[66]

The story is likewise mentioned in an altered version in the Hasht-Behest, where Azadeh's name has been changed to Dilaram (heart's ease). In this version Bahram abandons her after she makes him enraged. After days of walking, she finds a skilled musician, who teaches her his craft. One day, word of a skilled female musician reaches Bahram, which leds him to search for her. Bahram eventually finds Dilaram, and asks for her forgiveness. She accepts, and they return to the Khawarnaq palace.^[67][68]

Notes

1. ^ Also spelled "King of Kings of Iranians and non-Iranians".
2. Chionites or Hephthalites, they were most likely Kidarites.^[23][24]
3. ^ The pillar was later destroyed by his grandson Peroz I.^[33]

References

1. ^ ^{a b c} Multiple authors 1988, pp. 514–522.
2. ^ Wiesehöfer 2018, pp. 193–194.
3. ^ Rapp 2014, p. 203.
4. ^ Martindale, Jones & Morris 1980, p. 1150.
5. ^ Al-Tabari 1985–2007, v. 5: p. 82 (see also note 221).
6. ^ Christensen 1993, p. 146.
7. ^ Frye 1984, p. 319.
8. ^ Daryaee 2009, p. 78.
9. ^ ^{a b c d e f} Klíma 1988, pp. 514–522.
10. ^ Traina 2011, p. 118.
11. ^ Al-Tabari 1985–2007, v. 5: p. 84.
12. ^ Al-Tabari 1985–2007, v. 5: p. 87.
13. ^ Traina 2011, p. 121.
14. ^ ^{a b} André Wink 2002, pp. 48.
15. ^ ^{a b} Pourshariati 2008, p. 62.
16. ^ ^{a b c d e} Greatrex & Lieu 2002, pp. 36–43.
17. ^ Greatrex & Lieu 2002, pp. 38–39.
18. ^ Frye 1983, p. 145.
19. ^ Shayegan 2013, p. 809.
20. ^ Payne 2015, p. 298.
21. ^ Rezakhani 2017, pp. 85–87.
22. ^ ^{a b c} Shayegan 2013, p. 807.
23. ^ Potts 2018, p. 290.
24. ^ Rezakhani 2017, pp. 99–100 (see also note 17).
25. ^ ^{a b} Traina 2011, p. 122.
26. ^ Traina 2011, pp. 122–124.
27. ^ Al-Tabari 1985–2007, v. 5: p. 95.
28. ^ Traina 2011, pp. 124–125.
29. ^ ^{a b} Daryaee 2000.
30. ^ ^{a b c d e} Traina 2011, p. 125.
31. ^ Al-Tabari 1985–2007, v. 5: pp. 95–96.
32. ^ Howard-Johnston 2012, p. 89.
33. ^ Rezakhani 2017, p. 128.
34. ^ ^{a b} Potts 2018, p. 291.
35. ^ Rezakhani 2017, p. 99.
36. ^ Payne 2015, pp. 294–295.
37. ^ Payne 2015, p. 295.
38. ^ Kia 2016, p. 238.
39. ^ ^{a b} Chaumont 1986, pp. 418–438.
40. ^ Traina 2011, p. 3.
41. ^ Traina 2011, pp. 3–4.
42. ^ ^{a b} Traina 2011, p. 4.
43. ^ Russell 1987, pp. 184–185.
44. ^ ^{a b} Toumanoff 1961, p. 6.
45. ^ Shahinyan 2016, pp. 194–195.
46. ^ ^{a b c} Pourshariati 2008, p. 61.
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48. ^ Schindel 2013, p. 836.
49. ^ Shayegan 2013, p. 805.
50. ^ Schindel 2013, p. 837.
51. ^ W. L. Hanaway 1988, pp. 514–522.
52. ^ Payne 2015, p. 291.
53. ^ Daryaee 2009.
54. ^ Bulliet 1984, p. 764.
55. ^ Bosworth 1975, pp. 244, 274.
56. ^ King, J S (1900). The History Of The Bahmani Dynasty. p. 1.
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58. ^ Daryaee & Rezakhani 2016, p. 36.
59. ^ Frye 1983, p. 144.
60. ^ ^{a b c d} Traina 2011, p. 119.
61. ^ Melville & van den Berg 2012, pp. 204–205.
62. ^ Melville & van den Berg 2012, p. 205.
63. ^ ^{a b c d e f g h} de Blois 2002, pp. 522–524.
64. ^ ^{a b} Khaleghi-Motlagh 1987, p. 174.
65. ^ ^{a b} Lukonin & Ivanov 2012, p. 57.
66. ^ Melville & van den Berg 2012, p. 188.
67. ^ Melville & van den Berg 2012, p. 196.
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Bahram V.

Bahram V Sasanian dynasty Born: 400 Died: 438
Preceded by Khosrow	King of Kings of Iran and non-Iran 420–438	Succeeded by Yazdegerd II