Carmania (region)

Coordinates: 30°17′27″N 57°04′04″E / 30.2907°N 57.0679°E / 30.2907; 57.0679
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Carmania (satrapy)
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Carmania
Kirmān
Province of the Achaemenid, Seleucid, Arsacid, and Sasanian Empire
6th century BC–650 AD

CapitalKarmana[1]
Shiragan
Historical eraAntiquity
• Established
6th century BC
• Annexed by the Rashidun Caliphate
650 AD

Carmania (

Old Persian: 𐎣𐎼𐎶𐎴𐎠, romanized: Karmanā,[2] Middle Persian: Kirmān[3]) is a historical region that approximately corresponds to the current province of Kerman, Iran, and was a province of the Achaemenid, Seleucid, Parthian, and Sasanian Empire. The region bordered Persia proper in the west,[2] Gedrosia in the south-east,[4] Parthia in the north (later known as Abarshahr),[4] and Aria to the northeast.[4] Carmania was considered part of Ariana.[5]

History

Pre-Hellenistic Period

In the

Early Iron Age.[2] The region was settled by Iranian tribes in the first half of the first millennium BC.[6]

Carmania was conquered by

Artaxerxes II, in the late 5th century BC.[3]

The area of Carmania within the empire of Alexander the Great after acquiring the Persian Empire

By the time of

Alexander's conquest of Persia in 334 BC, Carmania was administered by a certain Aspastes, Satrap of Carmania,[9] and the southern part of the province had its own governor.[10] Aspastes acknowledged Alexander as king and was permitted to remain in office as satrap upon Alexander's conquest of the neighbouring province of Persia in 330 BC, however, Aspastes later plotted to rebel against Alexander whilst campaigning in the Indus Valley.[9] Upon Alexander's return from India, Aspastes met with Alexander in the province of Gedrosia in 326 BC, where he was executed.[9] To replace Aspastes, Alexander appointed Sibyrtius as satrap of Carmania,[2] who was followed by the general Tlepolemus in the winter of 325/324 BC.[3] Whilst in Carmania, Alexander established the city of Alexandria Carmania in early 324 BC where he settled his veterans,[2] and also erected a pillar on the coastline. Alexander also consolidated his empire during his stay in Carmania as he summoned a number of governors and generals accused of conspiring and misbehaving and executed them, such as Cleander, accused of extortion, in 324 BC.[11]

Hellenistic Period

The partition of Alexander's empire amongst the

Post-Hellenistic Period

Under the Arsacid Empire, in 210 AD, Carmania was a vassal kingdom ruled by a certain Balash who was defeated and captured by Ardashir, king of Persia, and the region was annexed to his domain.[14] Ardeshir rebelled in 212 AD and rallied soldiers from the region, using them in his campaigns against the Arsacid Empire.[3] He later appointed his son, Ardeshir, as governor of Carmania with the title of Kirmanshah, who continued to rule during the reign of Ardeshir's successor, Shapur I.[3] Ardeshir I also undertook military campaigns in Carmania after his victory over the Arsacid Empire and founded the city of Weh-Ardeshir as an outpost on the trade route to India.[3] Other settlements such as the oasis town of Bam and city of Mahan, which was founded by Adar Mahan, marzban (governor) of Carmania,[3] were founded during the Sasanian period as part of the settlement of Carmania.[15] The region surrounding Bam suffered from banditry and repeated nomadic incursions.[15] Carmania was ruled by the future Bahram I in 270 AD.[16]

Early in his reign,

Sakastan ahead of a Muslim army that defeated and killed the marzban.[21] Mujashi ibn Mas'ud al-Sulami led the conquest of Carmania and some towns were taken by force whilst others surrendered.[22] Many people fled into the mountains, to Sakastan, Khorosan, Makran and overseas.[21]

Economy

Carmania was noted in Antiquity for its abundance of a number of mineral resources such as copper, salt, sulphur, ochre, orpiment and agate. The mines surrounding Carmana are also attested for the production of silver necessary for the minting of coinage. A mine near Carmana is known to have produced turquoise gems, but of lesser quality and number than the mines of Parthia.

Sissoo wood was also exported and was notably used in the construction of the palace of Darius I at Susa.[3]

Wines produced in Carmania proper, a cultivated and fertile area, were famous and, alongside other goods, were exported through Hormuz, the principal port within the region.[3] Effective road communications with the other provinces of the empire also facilitated trade and exportation of goods from within Carmania.[3] The region had economic relations with Mesopotamia during the reign of Khosrow I in the 6th century AD.[24]

Population

Carmanians (

Latin: Carmanii)[26] were the inhabitants of the region of Carmania during Antiquity, who were a warlike people who practised cannibalism, according to Strabo.[3] Under the Achaemenid Empire, the Carmanians had become Persianised and Strabo noted the cultural and linguistic similarities the Carmanians shared with the neighbouring Persians.[25] Despite Persianisation, the Carmanians retained a number of unique traditions and social structure, as attested by the requirement of the presentation of the head of a slain enemy to the king in order to marry, as well as strict rites of passage distinct from Persian traditions.[25] Persians and Elamites mixed in the region during the Achaemenid period and Elamites inhabited the Zagros Mountains.[27]

Herodotus listed Carmanians amongst other Iranian tribes that had settled and abandoned nomadic life to take part in agriculture, as opposed to other tribes that had continued to practise nomadic pastoralism.[3] One such nomadic tribe was that of the Sagartians who also inhabited Carmania.[28] The Sagartians and Isatichae inhabited desert Carmania.[5] According to Ptolemy, Carmania was also home to the Pasargadai tribe.[29] Non-Iranians, known simply as the Turtle-eaters, inhabited the coast of Carmania at the time of Alexander the Great.[5]

See also

References

  1. ^ Roaf (2012)
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i Lendering (1997)
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s Planhol & Hourcade (2014)
  4. ^ a b c Schmitt (1990), pp. 822-823
  5. ^ a b c Brunner (2004), pp. 326-344
  6. ^ Shahbazi (1986), pp. 489-499
  7. ^ a b Burstein (1989), pp. 165-166
  8. ^ Dandamayev (1988), pp. 785-786
  9. ^ a b c Shahbazi (1987), p. 788
  10. ^ Jacobs (2006)
  11. ^ Walbank (2015)
  12. ^ Mahaffy (1895), p. 256
  13. ^ Polybius 11.34
  14. ^ Chaumont & Schippmann (1988), pp. 574-580
  15. ^ a b Planhol & Pārīzī (1988)
  16. ^ Harper & Meyers (1981), p. 29
  17. ^ Oberling & Hourcade (1986), pp. 215-220
  18. ^ Klíma (1988), pp. 514-522
  19. ^ MacKenzie & Chaumont (1989), pp. 925-926
  20. ^ Kasheff (1982), pp. 63-64
  21. ^ a b c Morony (1986), pp. 203-210
  22. ^ Morony (2011), p. 214
  23. ^ Rawlinson (1875)
  24. ^ Morony (2006), pp. 543-550
  25. ^ a b c Briant (2001), p. 506
  26. ^ Wiesehöfer (2006)
  27. ^ Frye (2004), pp. 321-326
  28. ^ Eilers (1987), p. 701
  29. ^ Stronach & Gopnik (2009)

Bibliography

30°17′27″N 57°04′04″E / 30.2907°N 57.0679°E / 30.2907; 57.0679