Pushtigban
| Pushtigban | |
|---|---|
| Active | 224-644 |
| Allegiance |  Battle of Samarra, Battle of Callinicum , unnamed others |
| Military of the Sasanian Empire |
|---|
 |
| Armed forces and units |
| Ranks |
| Defense lines |
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| Conflicts |
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The pushtigban was an elite military unit of the
Persian Emperor
.
They were stationed during peacetime in the royal capital of
Savārān cavalry. They numbered 1000 men, under the command of the pushtigban-salar ; in battle they fought mostly as cataphracts
, heavily armed and armoured horsemen who would charge enemy positions with tremendous momentum.
There are allusions to the participation of this unit in sources describing the Shapur II's Arab campaign and Siege of Amida (359).[1]
A sub-unit of pushtigban were the gyan-avspar, the "sacrificers of their lives" - the best of the pushtigban. The pushtigban fought with distinction and zeal befitting their name during
Julian's invasion of Persia
in the 4th century AD.
The pushtigban disappeared with the
Fall of the Sasanian Empire
.
See also
Bibliography
- Farrokh, Kaveh (2005) Sassanian Elite Cavalry, AD224-642. Osprey Publishing
- ISBN 978-1-59333-315-7.
References
- ISBN 978-83-7051-887-5.