Sasanian civil war of 589–591
Sasanian civil war of 589–591 | ||||||||||
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Iranian art illustrating Khosrow II and Bahram Chobin in a battle | ||||||||||
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Belligerents | ||||||||||
Supporters of Bahram Chobin | Sasanian Empire |
Dissatisfied Sasanian nobles Allies: Byzantine Empire (590–591) | ||||||||
Commanders and leaders | ||||||||||
Bahram Chobin † Zatsparham † Bryzacius Bahram Siyavashan † Mardansina Zoarab (590-591) Zadespras † (590–591) | (589-590) |
Khosrow II Vistahm Vinduyih Mahbodh Sarames the Younger (590-591) Mushegh II Mamikonian Maurice Comentiolus John Mystacon Narses |
The Sasanian civil war of 589–591 was a conflict that broke out in 589, due to the great deal of dissatisfaction among the nobles towards the rule of Hormizd IV. The civil war lasted until 591, ending with the overthrow of the Mihranid usurper Bahram Chobin and the restoration of the Sasanian family as the rulers of Iran.
The reason for the civil war was due to king Hormizd IV's hard treatment towards the nobility and clergy, whom he distrusted. This eventually made Bahram Chobin start a major rebellion, while the two Ispahbudhan brothers Vistahm and Vinduyih made a palace coup against him, resulting in the blinding and eventually death of Hormizd IV. His son, Khosrow II, was thereafter crowned as king.
However, this did not change the mind of Bahram Chobin, who wanted to restore Parthian rule in Iran. Khosrow II was eventually forced to flee to Byzantine territory, where he made an alliance with the Byzantine emperor Maurice against Bahram Chobin. In 591, Khosrow II and his Byzantine allies invaded Bahram Chobin's territories in Mesopotamia, where they successfully managed to defeat him, while Khosrow II regained the throne. Bahram Chobin thereafter fled to the territory of the Turks in Transoxiana, but was not long afterwards assassinated or executed at the instigation of Khosrow II.
Background
When
Hormizd also declined the requests of the
Outbreak of the civil war
The rebellion of Bahram Chobin
In 588, a massive
The coup in Ctesiphon and the march of Bahram Chobin
Bahram, infuriated by Hormizd's actions, responded by rebelling, and due to his noble status and great military knowledge, was joined by his soldiers and many others. He then appointed a new governor for Khorasan, and afterwards set for Ctesiphon.
Hormizd then left for the
However, during Hormizd's stay at Ctesiphon, he was overthrown in a seemingly bloodless palace revolution by his brothers-in-law Vistahm and Vinduyih, "who equally hated Hormizd".[9][10] Hormizd was shortly blinded with a red-hot needle by the two brothers, who put Hormizd's oldest son Khosrow II (who was their nephew through his mother's side) on the throne.[11][9] The two brothers shortly had Hormizd killed with at least the implicit approval of Khosrow II.[9] Nevertheless, Bahram continued his march to Ctesiphon, now with the pretext of claiming to avenge Hormizd.[12]
Khosrow then took a carrot and stick attitude, and wrote the following to Bahram; "Khosrow, kings of kings, ruler over the ruling, lord of the peoples, prince of peace, salvation of men, among gods the good and eternally living man, among men the most esteemed god, the highly illustrious, the victor, the one who rises with the sun and who lends the night his eyesight, the one famed through his ancestors, the king who hates, the benefactor who engaged the Sasanians and saved the Iranians their kingship—to Bahram, the general of the Iranians, our friend.... We have also taken over the royal throne in a lawful manner and have upset no Iranian customs.... We have so firmly decide not to take off the diadem that we even expected to rule over other worlds, if this were possible.... If you wish your welfare, think about what is to be done."[13]
Bahram, however, ignored his warning, and a few days later he reached the Nahrawan Canal near Ctesiphon, where he fought Khosrow's men, who were heavily outnumbered but managed to hold Bahram's men back in several clashes. However, Khosrow's men eventually began losing their morale and were in the end defeated by Bahram Chobin's forces. Khosrow, together with his two uncles, his wives, and a retinue of 30 nobles, thereafter fled to Byzantine territory, while Ctesiphon fell to Bahram Chobin.[9]
Khosrow's flight to Byzantium and restoration
In order to get the attention of the Byzantine emperor
In 591, Khosrow moved to
Some time later, Khosrow, feeling disrespected by Comentiolus, convinced Maurice to replace the latter with Narses as the commander of the south.[9][16] Khosrow and Narses then penetrated deeper into Bahram's territory, seizing Dara and then Mardin in February, where Khosrow was re-proclaimed king.[16] Shortly after this, Khosrow sent one of his Iranian supporters, Mahbodh, to capture Ctesiphon, which he managed to accomplish.[19]
Meanwhile, Khosrow's two uncles and John Mystacon conquered northern Azerbaijan and went further south in the region, where they defeated Bahram at
Aftermath
Peace with the Byzantines was then officially made. Maurice, for his aid, received much of Sasanian Armenia and western Georgia, and received the abolition of tribute which had formerly been paid to the Sasanians.[9] This marked the beginning of a peaceful period between the two empires, which lasted until 602, when Khosrow decided to declare war against the Byzantines after the murder of Maurice by the usurper Phocas.[21][22]
References
- ^ Shapur Shahbazi 2004, pp. 466–467.
- ^ a b c Shapur Shahbazi 1988, pp. 514–522.
- ^ Khaleghi Motlagh, Djalal (1990). "BOZORGMEHR-E BOḴTAGĀN". Encyclopaedia Iranica. Vol. 4.
- ^ Pourshariati 2008, p. 118.
- ^ Martindale, Jones & Morris 1992, p. 167.
- ^ Shahbazi 1988, pp. 514–522.
- ^ Pourshariati 2008, p. 96.
- ^ Warren, p. 26.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Howard-Johnston 2010.
- ^ Shahbazi 1989, pp. 180–182.
- ^ Al-Tabari 1985–2007, v. 5: p. 49.
- ^ Rezakhani 2017, p. 178.
- ^ Kia 2016, p. 241.
- ^ Greatrex & Lieu 2002, p. 172.
- Dinavari, al-Akhbar al-tiwal, pp. 91-92
- ^ a b c Greatrex & Lieu 2002, p. 173.
- ^ Martindale, Jones & Morris 1992, p. 251.
- ^ Rawlinson 2004, p. 509.
- ^ Greatrex & Lieu 2002, p. 174.
- ^ a b Crawford 2013, p. 28.
- ^ Oman 1893, p. 155.
- ^ Foss 1975, p. 722.
Sources
- Greatrex, Geoffrey; Lieu, Samuel N. C. (2002). The Roman Eastern Frontier and the Persian Wars (Part II, 363–630 AD). New York, New York and London, United Kingdom: Routledge (Taylor & Francis). ISBN 0-415-14687-9.
- Martindale, John Robert; Jones, Arnold Hugh Martin; Morris, J., eds. (1992). The Prosopography of the Later Roman Empire, Volume III: A.D. 527–641. Cambridge, United Kingdom: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-20160-5.
- Shahbazi, A. Sh. (1988). "BAHRĀM (2)". Encyclopaedia Iranica, Vol. III, Fasc. 5. pp. 514–522.
- Pourshariati, Parvaneh (2008). Decline and Fall of the Sasanian Empire: The Sasanian-Parthian Confederacy and the Arab Conquest of Iran. London and New York: I.B. Tauris. ISBN 978-1-84511-645-3.
- Shapur Shahbazi, A. (2005). "Sasanian dynasty". Encyclopaedia Iranica, Online Edition. Retrieved 24 August 2014.
- Shapur Shahbazi, A. (2004). "Hormozd iv". Encyclopaedia Iranica, Vol. XII, Fasc. 5. pp. 466–467.
- Shapur Shahbazi, A. (1989). "BESṬĀM O BENDŌY". Encyclopaedia Iranica, Vol. IV, Fasc. 2. pp. 180–182. Retrieved 23 September 2014.
- Howard-Johnston, James (2010). "ḴOSROW II". Encyclopaedia Iranica, Online Edition. Retrieved 27 February 2016.
- Crawford, Peter (2013). The War of the Three Gods: Romans, Persians and the Rise of Islam. Pen and Sword. ISBN 9781848846128.
- Rawlinson, George (2004). The Seven Great Monarchies of the Ancient Eastern World. Gorgias Press LLC. ]
- Rezakhani, Khodadad (2017). "East Iran in Late Antiquity". ReOrienting the Sasanians: East Iran in Late Antiquity. Edinburgh University Press. pp. 1–256. )
- Foss, Clive (1975). The Persians in Asia Minor and the End of Antiquity. Vol. 90. Oxford University Press. pp. 721–47. )
- Oman, Charles (1893). Europe, 476-918, Volume 1. Macmillan.
- Potts, Daniel T. (2014). Nomadism in Iran: From Antiquity to the Modern Era. London and New York: Oxford University Press. pp. 1–558. ISBN 9780199330799.
- Kia, Mehrdad (2016). The Persian Empire: A Historical Encyclopedia [2 volumes]: A Historical Encyclopedia. ABC-CLIO. ISBN 978-1610693912.
- Warren, Soward. Theophylact Simocatta and the Persians (PDF). Sasanika.