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Bahram V

Bahram V (also spelled Wahram V or Warahran V; Middle Persian: 𐭥𐭫𐭧𐭫𐭠𐭭), also known as Bahram Gor (New Persian: بهرام گور, "Bahram the onager") was the Sasanian King of Kings (shahanshah) from 420 to 438.

Bahram V
𐭥𐭫𐭧𐭫𐭠𐭭
King of Kings of Iran and non-Iran[a]
5th-century plate with a hunting scene from the tale of Bahram V and Azadeh.
Shahanshah of the Sasanian Empire
Reign420–438
PredecessorKhosrow
SuccessorYazdegerd II
Born400
Died438 (aged 38)
ConsortSapinud
IssueYazdegerd II
HouseHouse of Sasan
FatherYazdegerd I
MotherShushandukht
ReligionZoroastrianism

The son of the incumbent Sasanian shah Yazdegerd I (r. 399–420), Bahram was at an early age sent to the Lahkmid court in al-Hira, where he was raised under the tutelage of the Lakhmid kings. After the assassination of his father, Bahram hurried to the Sasanian capital of Ctesiphon with a Lakhmid army, and won the favour of the nobles and priests, according to a long-existing popular legend, after withstanding a trial against two lions.

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 Khusrow 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 theophoric name "Bahram" is the New Persian form of the Middle Persian Warahrān (also spelled Wahrām), which is derived from the Old Iranian Vṛθragna.[1] The Avestan equivalent was Verethragna, the name of the old Iranian god of victory, whilst the Parthian version was *Warθagn.[1] The name is transliterated in Greek as Baranes,[2] whilst the Armenian transliteration is Vahagn/Vrām.[1] The name is attested in Georgian as Baram[3] and Latin as Vararanes Gororanes.[4]

Early life and rise to power

 
Bahram V seizes the crown after having killed two lions.

Bahram V was born around 400;[5] according to folklore, he was born in Rusan, close to the city of Spahan.[6] He was the son of shah Yazdegerd I (r. 399–420) and Shushandukht, a daughter of the Jewish exilarch. Richard Frye believes that Yazdegerd I's marriage to a daughter of the patriarch of the Jews is "probably folk tales",[7] while Touraj Daryaee supports this story, stating that the Jews would see Bahram as a Jewish king due to his Jewish origin.[8] Bahram, during his youth, was sent to the Lakhmid court in al-Hira, where he was raised under the tutelage of the Lakhmid king al-Nu'man I ibn Imru' al-Qays (r. 390–418).[9] According to the modern historian O. Klíma, Bahram was probably sent there due to a disagreement with his father,[9] while Giusto Traina suggests he was possibly sent there to avoid court intrigues.[10]

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.[9] Bahram distrusted the nobles, who had been unreliable to the earlier Sasanian shahs, and thus chose instead to seek support from the Zoroastrian priesthood. He was the first Sasanian shah to not be crowned by a noble, but by a chief priest (mowbed).[13]

Bahram married an Indian princess and received the port of Debal in Sind as a dowry, together with the adjacent territories.[14] The Indus delta and the coast of Sind were of great commercial and strategic value at that time as well. Bahram also systematically pursued a policy of tribal resettlement in these coastal regions. For instance, a large group of pastoralist and predatory Zutt or ‘Jats’ from Sind were settled in the marshes of southern Iraq by the emperor.[15]

Reign

War with Rome

 
The Roman-Sasanian frontier

At the urging of the Zoroastrian priests and the Surenid minister (wuzurg framadar) Mihr Narseh, Bahram V began his reign with a systematic persecution of the Christians.[16][17] The persecuted Christians fled to Roman territory, and were welcomed by the bishop of Constantinople, Atticus, who informed the Emperor of the persecution. The Eastern Roman Emperor Theodosius II was at the time deeply influenced by his religious sister Pulcheria, and had become more and more interested in Christianity.[17] The Roman-Sasanian relationship already had some friction. The Sasanians had hired some Roman gold-diggers, but now refused to send them back; furthermore, they had also seized the properties of Roman merchants. So, when Sasanian ambassadors reached the Roman court to ask for the fugitives, Theodosius chose to break the peace and declare war, rather than giving them back.[17]

In the year 421, the Romans sent their general Ardaburius with an extensive contingent into Armenia. The Iranian general Narses engaged Ardaburius in battle, but was defeated and forced to retreat. Narses planned to attack Mesopotamia, a Roman province that had been left unguarded, and moved there, but Ardaburius foresaw his enemy's plan and intercepted him there.[18] Ardaburius shortly received reinforcements and put the fortress of Nisibis under siege, but withdrew in the face of an advancing army under Bahram, who in turn besieged Theodosiopolis (probably Theodosiopolis in Osroene).[17]

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.[17] Furthermore, the Romans also agreed to pay the Iranians for the protection of the pass at the Sasanian city of Derbent in the Caucasus.[19] 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.[20] While the Romans saw this payment as political subsidies, the Iranians saw it as tribute, which proved that Rome was the deputy of Iran.[21]

War with the Kidarites

 
16th-century Shahnameh illustration of Bahram V and his forces on their expedition against the Kidarites

Since the reign of Shapur II, the Iranians had to deal with nomadic invaders in the east known in scholarship as "Iranian Huns" (i.e. the Hephthalites, Kidarites, Chionites and Alchon Huns).[22] Starting with Yazdegerd I, a shift had begun in the political perspective of the Sasanian Empire, which (originally disposed towards the West) moved to the East.[23] The shift may have been triggered by hostile tribes in eastern Iran.[23] The war with the Iranian Huns may have reawakened the mythical rivalry between the mythological Iranian Kayanian rulers and their Turanian enemies, which is illustrated by Younger Avestan texts.[23]

While Bahram was occupied with the war with the Romans, his eastern neighbours—Kidarites[b]—crossed the Oxus river and invaded the Sasanian realm, conquering the rich city of Marw and even reaching as far as westwards as Ray.[26] Bahram was thus forced to pay tribute to the Kidarites, in order to stop their incursions into his empire. When he had made peace with the Romans in 422, he started preparing to deal with the Kidarites. Not only was Marw a rich city, but also an important trading spot on the Silk Road, which passed through Central Asia and continued through Iran to Europe.[27] Bahram first went to the holy temple of Adur Gushnasp in Adurbadagan, where he prayed.[28] He then proceeded to Armenia to recruit additional troops.[29]

Leaving his minister Mihr Narseh as his regent,[30] 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.[31][32] A general of Bahram pursued the Kidarites into Transoxiana and inflicted another defeat on them.[31] The war was concluded in 427,[26] with Bahram cementing his name as a great champion of Iran.[33] 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.[31] Bahram erected a pillar at the Oxus, which marked that the river constituted his empire's eastern frontier.[c][31][35][36]

In Iranian mythology, the Oxus is often considered the eastern extent of Iran. The heroic archer Arash shot an arrow to the fringe of Khorasan, landing at the Oxus, which thus marked the limit of the Iranian border. Another figure, Esfandiyar, thudded his spear onto the ground at Balkh, warning the Hun king that progressing further would mean an invasion of Iran.[37] Bahram thus believed that he had restored the ancient borders of his realm.[38] He appointed his brother Narseh as the governor of the surrounding region.[31] Bahram also founded (or refounded) the city of Marw-i Rot, near the city of Marw.[35] In order to demonstrate his appreciation to the Zoroastrian supreme god Ahura Mazda, Bahram bestowed most of his booty to Adur Gushnasp.[39]

Incorporation of Armenia

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.[40] 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.[41] 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.[42]

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.[43] Sahak went to Ctesiphon to request for support; there the bureaucrats urged Sahak to withdraw his support for Artaxias IV, which he refused. Artaxias IV was ultimately deposed and imprisoned, while Armenia was transformed into a Sasanian frontier province, governed by a marzban ("margrave").[43] Sahak was also removed from his office, and a Nestorian Syrian named Bar Kiso was appointed in his stead.[40][44][45] The Sasanians were cautious in their efforts to respect the nakharars, and only asserted their presence at the Armenian capital of Dvin, which was also the seat of the marzban.[45] Not all of the former territory of the Armenian kingdom was made into a province; the Armenian districts of Parskahayk and Paytakaran were incorporated into the province to its south, Adurbadagan.[46]

Domestic government

At the end of Yazdegerd I's reign, the powerful Parthian House of Suren became powerful associates of the shah and played a key role in the affairs of the empire.[16] This would continue under Bahram, where Suren power reached its zenith.[47] Mihr Narseh served as the wuzurg framadar ("minister") of the shah, while his three sons also occupied high offices; Zurvandad served as the chief herbad of the empire; Mahgushnasp was the wastaryoshan salar ("chief agriculturalist"), which meant that he oversaw the affairs of the land tax; Kardar was the arteshtaran-salar ("chief of the warriors"), a rank, which according to the medieval historian al-Tabari (d. 923), was higher than that of spahbed ("army chief").[30][47] The power and influence of the Suren family thus spread over the administrative, financial, and military affairs of the Sasanian Empire. They would continue to enjoy such as high status under Bahram's son and successor Yazdegerd II (r. 438–457) as well.[47]

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."[48]

Coins

 
Drachma of Bahram V, Rew-Ardashir mint

The coins of Bahram V are chiefly remarkable for their crude and coarse workmanship and for the number of the mints from which they were issued. The mint-marks include Ctesiphon, Hamadan, Spahan, Arbela, Ledan, Nahavand, Asoristan, Khuzistan, Media, and Kirman. The headdress has the mural crown in front and behind, but interposes between these two detached fragments a crescent and a circle, emblems, no doubt, of the sun and moon gods. The reverse shows the usual fire-altar, with guards, or attendants, watching it. The king's head appears 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").[49][50] On some of rare coins minted in Pars, he is also seen with the title of kirbakkar ("beneficent").[51]

Death and succession

Bahram died in 438; his manner of death is shrouded in mystery. According to the Persian poet Ferdowsi (d. 1020), Bahram passed away peacefully 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.[52] The modern historian Richard Payne calls his death "no less ambiguous than that of his father."[53] 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.[54]

According to the genealogy of the aristocratic Mikalids, the family was descended from Bahram.[55] The Buyid King of Kings Adud al-Dawla (r. 949–983) and the Shirvanshahs (861–1538) likewise claimed ancestry from Bahram.[56] The Bahmanis of Deccan India also claimed descent from Bahram.[57][58]

In Persian literature

 
Bahram Gur sends his brother Narsi as Viceroy to Khurasan, from the Great Mongol Shanameh

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.[59][60][61] The onager was the fastest animal in the deserts of Central Asia, even causing difficulties for a experienced rider to catch it.[61] The legend of Bahram "the Wild ass" is based on lost Middle Persian records, such as the Khwaday-Namag ("Book of Lords").[61] 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.[61] 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.[62] He states that "Akbar emptied the land of wild asses and deer, which brought amazement and joy to the soul of Bahram Gur."[63]

Haft Peykar

 
Bahram sees the portraits of the seven beauties. Behzad School, 1479. Nizami Museum of Azerbaijani Literature, Baku.

Haft Peykar (Persian: هفت پیکر) also known as Bahramnameh (بهرام‌نامه, The Book of Bahram) is a famous romantic epic written in 1197 by the Persian poet Nizami Ganjavi. A pre-Islamic story of Persian origin, it was dedicated to the ruler of Maragha, 'Ala' Al-Din korp Arslan. It is a romanticized biography of Bahram, who is born to Yazdegerd I after twenty years of childlessness and supplication to Ahura Mazda for a child.[64] His adventurous life is already mentioned in the Shahnameh ("Book of Kings") of Ferdowsi, which Nizami regularly implies. Nizami primarily overlooks the adventures of Bahram in the Shahnameh, or only mentions them briefly, while focusing on composing new information. He introduces the story by giving a description of the birth of Bahram and his upbringing in the court of the Lakhmid king al-Nu'man and his fabled palace Khawarnaq. Bahram, whose upbringing is entrusted to al-Nu'man, becomes a formidable huntsman.[64]

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.[64]

Each princess relates to the shah a story matching the mood of her respective color.[64] These seven stories comprise roughly half of the whole poem.[64] 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.[64] 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.[64] 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).[64]

Bahram and Azadeh

 
12th–13th century bowl of 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.[65][66] 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 daevas [evil deities]". Bahram, enraged, threw her to the ground, and trampled her with his camel.[66] The medieval historian al-Tha'labi (d. 1035/6) reports that al-Mundhir had the incident painted in the Khawarnaq palace at al-Hira.[65] 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.[67]

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.[68][69]

Notes

  1. ^ Also spelled "King of Kings of Iranians and non-Iranians".
  2. ^ The medieval Iranian historian al-Tabari (d. 923), who reports this event, anachronistically presents them as "Turks". Although some modern historians identify them as Chionites or Hephthalites, they were most likely Kidarites.[24][25]
  3. ^ The pillar was later destroyed by his grandson Peroz I.[34]

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. ^ André Wink (2002). Al-Hind, The Making of the Indo-Islamic world, Vol. 1 - Early Medieval India and the expansion of Islam, 7th-11th centuries. BRILL. p. 48. ISBN 0391041738.
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  16. ^ a b Pourshariati 2008, p. 62.
  17. ^ a b c d e Greatrex & Lieu 2002, pp. 36–43.
  18. ^ Greatrex & Lieu 2002, pp. 38–39.
  19. ^ Frye 1983, p. 145.
  20. ^ Shayegan 2013, p. 809.
  21. ^ Payne 2015, p. 298.
  22. ^ Rezakhani 2017, pp. 85–87.
  23. ^ a b c Shayegan 2013, p. 807.
  24. ^ Potts 2018, p. 290.
  25. ^ Rezakhani 2017, pp. 99–100 (see also note 17).
  26. ^ a b Traina 2011, p. 122.
  27. ^ Traina 2011, pp. 122–124.
  28. ^ Al-Tabari 1985–2007, v. 5: p. 95.
  29. ^ Traina 2011, pp. 124–125.
  30. ^ a b Daryaee 2000.
  31. ^ a b c d e Traina 2011, p. 125.
  32. ^ Al-Tabari 1985–2007, v. 5: pp. 95–96.
  33. ^ Howard-Johnston 2012, p. 89.
  34. ^ Rezakhani 2017, p. 128.
  35. ^ a b Potts 2018, p. 291.
  36. ^ Rezakhani 2017, p. 99.
  37. ^ Payne 2015, pp. 294–295.
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  39. ^ Kia 2016, p. 238.
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  41. ^ Traina 2011, p. 3.
  42. ^ Traina 2011, pp. 3–4.
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  44. ^ Russell 1987, pp. 184–185.
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  49. ^ Schindel 2013, p. 836.
  50. ^ Shayegan 2013, p. 805.
  51. ^ Schindel 2013, p. 837.
  52. ^ W. L. Hanaway 1988, pp. 514–522.
  53. ^ Payne 2015, p. 291.
  54. ^ Daryaee 2009.
  55. ^ Bulliet 1984, p. 764.
  56. ^ Bosworth 1975, pp. 244, 274.
  57. ^ King, J S (1900). The History Of The Bahmani Dynasty. p. 1.
  58. ^ Sherwani, Haroon Khan (1946). The Bahmanis Of The Deccan. p. 50.
  59. ^ Daryaee & Rezakhani 2016, p. 36.
  60. ^ Frye 1983, p. 144.
  61. ^ a b c d Traina 2011, p. 119.
  62. ^ Melville & van den Berg 2012, pp. 204–205.
  63. ^ Melville & van den Berg 2012, p. 205.
  64. ^ a b c d e f g h de Blois 2002, pp. 522–524.
  65. ^ a b Khaleghi-Motlagh 1987, p. 174.
  66. ^ a b Lukonin & Ivanov 2012, p. 57.
  67. ^ Melville & van den Berg 2012, p. 188.
  68. ^ Melville & van den Berg 2012, p. 196.
  69. ^ Brend 2013, pp. 23–24.

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Further reading

Bahram V
Born: 400 Died: 438
Preceded by King of Kings of Iran and non-Iran
420–438
Succeeded by

bahram, also, spelled, wahram, warahran, middle, persian, 𐭥𐭫𐭧𐭫𐭠𐭭, also, known, bahram, persian, بهرام, گور, bahram, onager, sasanian, king, kings, shahanshah, from, 𐭥𐭫𐭧𐭫𐭠𐭭king, kings, iran, iran, century, plate, with, hunting, scene, from, tale, azadeh, shahan. Bahram V also spelled Wahram V or Warahran V Middle Persian 𐭥𐭫𐭧𐭫𐭠𐭭 also known as Bahram Gor New Persian بهرام گور Bahram the onager was the Sasanian King of Kings shahanshah from 420 to 438 Bahram V𐭥𐭫𐭧𐭫𐭠𐭭King of Kings of Iran and non Iran a 5th century plate with a hunting scene from the tale of Bahram V and Azadeh Shahanshah of the Sasanian EmpireReign420 438PredecessorKhosrowSuccessorYazdegerd IIBorn400Died438 aged 38 ConsortSapinudIssueYazdegerd IIHouseHouse of SasanFatherYazdegerd IMotherShushandukhtReligionZoroastrianismThe son of the incumbent Sasanian shah Yazdegerd I r 399 420 Bahram was at an early age sent to the Lahkmid court in al Hira where he was raised under the tutelage of the Lakhmid kings After the assassination of his father Bahram hurried to the Sasanian capital of Ctesiphon with a Lakhmid army and won the favour of the nobles and priests according to a long existing popular legend after withstanding a trial against two lions 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 Khusrow 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 Contents 1 Name 2 Early life and rise to power 3 Reign 3 1 War with Rome 3 2 War with the Kidarites 3 3 Incorporation of Armenia 4 Domestic government 5 Coins 6 Death and succession 7 In Persian literature 7 1 Haft Peykar 7 2 Bahram and Azadeh 8 Notes 9 References 10 Sources 11 Further readingName EditHis theophoric name Bahram is the New Persian form of the Middle Persian Warahran also spelled Wahram which is derived from the Old Iranian Vṛ8ragna 1 The Avestan equivalent was Verethragna the name of the old Iranian god of victory whilst the Parthian version was War8agn 1 The name is transliterated in Greek as Baranes 2 whilst the Armenian transliteration is Vahagn Vram 1 The name is attested in Georgian as Baram 3 and Latin as Vararanes Gororanes 4 Early life and rise to power Edit Bahram V seizes the crown after having killed two lions Bahram V was born around 400 5 according to folklore he was born in Rusan close to the city of Spahan 6 He was the son of shah Yazdegerd I r 399 420 and Shushandukht a daughter of the Jewish exilarch Richard Frye believes that Yazdegerd I s marriage to a daughter of the patriarch of the Jews is probably folk tales 7 while Touraj Daryaee supports this story stating that the Jews would see Bahram as a Jewish king due to his Jewish origin 8 Bahram during his youth was sent to the Lakhmid court in al Hira where he was raised under the tutelage of the Lakhmid king al Nu man I ibn Imru al Qays r 390 418 9 According to the modern historian O Klima Bahram was probably sent there due to a disagreement with his father 9 while Giusto Traina suggests he was possibly sent there to avoid court intrigues 10 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 9 Bahram distrusted the nobles who had been unreliable to the earlier Sasanian shahs and thus chose instead to seek support from the Zoroastrian priesthood He was the first Sasanian shah to not be crowned by a noble but by a chief priest mowbed 13 Bahram married an Indian princess and received the port of Debal in Sind as a dowry together with the adjacent territories 14 The Indus delta and the coast of Sind were of great commercial and strategic value at that time as well Bahram also systematically pursued a policy of tribal resettlement in these coastal regions For instance a large group of pastoralist and predatory Zutt or Jats from Sind were settled in the marshes of southern Iraq by the emperor 15 Reign EditWar with Rome Edit Main article Roman Sasanian War of 421 422 The Roman Sasanian frontier At the urging of the Zoroastrian priests and the Surenid minister wuzurg framadar Mihr Narseh Bahram V began his reign with a systematic persecution of the Christians 16 17 The persecuted Christians fled to Roman territory and were welcomed by the bishop of Constantinople Atticus who informed the Emperor of the persecution The Eastern Roman Emperor Theodosius II was at the time deeply influenced by his religious sister Pulcheria and had become more and more interested in Christianity 17 The Roman Sasanian relationship already had some friction The Sasanians had hired some Roman gold diggers but now refused to send them back furthermore they had also seized the properties of Roman merchants So when Sasanian ambassadors reached the Roman court to ask for the fugitives Theodosius chose to break the peace and declare war rather than giving them back 17 In the year 421 the Romans sent their general Ardaburius with an extensive contingent into Armenia The Iranian general Narses engaged Ardaburius in battle but was defeated and forced to retreat Narses planned to attack Mesopotamia a Roman province that had been left unguarded and moved there but Ardaburius foresaw his enemy s plan and intercepted him there 18 Ardaburius shortly received reinforcements and put the fortress of Nisibis under siege but withdrew in the face of an advancing army under Bahram who in turn besieged Theodosiopolis probably Theodosiopolis in Osroene 17 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 17 Furthermore the Romans also agreed to pay the Iranians for the protection of the pass at the Sasanian city of Derbent in the Caucasus 19 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 20 While the Romans saw this payment as political subsidies the Iranians saw it as tribute which proved that Rome was the deputy of Iran 21 War with the Kidarites Edit 16th century Shahnameh illustration of Bahram V and his forces on their expedition against the Kidarites Since the reign of Shapur II the Iranians had to deal with nomadic invaders in the east known in scholarship as Iranian Huns i e the Hephthalites Kidarites Chionites and Alchon Huns 22 Starting with Yazdegerd I a shift had begun in the political perspective of the Sasanian Empire which originally disposed towards the West moved to the East 23 The shift may have been triggered by hostile tribes in eastern Iran 23 The war with the Iranian Huns may have reawakened the mythical rivalry between the mythological Iranian Kayanian rulers and their Turanian enemies which is illustrated by Younger Avestan texts 23 While Bahram was occupied with the war with the Romans his eastern neighbours Kidarites b crossed the Oxus river and invaded the Sasanian realm conquering the rich city of Marw and even reaching as far as westwards as Ray 26 Bahram was thus forced to pay tribute to the Kidarites in order to stop their incursions into his empire When he had made peace with the Romans in 422 he started preparing to deal with the Kidarites Not only was Marw a rich city but also an important trading spot on the Silk Road which passed through Central Asia and continued through Iran to Europe 27 Bahram first went to the holy temple of Adur Gushnasp in Adurbadagan where he prayed 28 He then proceeded to Armenia to recruit additional troops 29 Leaving his minister Mihr Narseh as his regent 30 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 31 32 A general of Bahram pursued the Kidarites into Transoxiana and inflicted another defeat on them 31 The war was concluded in 427 26 with Bahram cementing his name as a great champion of Iran 33 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 31 Bahram erected a pillar at the Oxus which marked that the river constituted his empire s eastern frontier c 31 35 36 In Iranian mythology the Oxus is often considered the eastern extent of Iran The heroic archer Arash shot an arrow to the fringe of Khorasan landing at the Oxus which thus marked the limit of the Iranian border Another figure Esfandiyar thudded his spear onto the ground at Balkh warning the Hun king that progressing further would mean an invasion of Iran 37 Bahram thus believed that he had restored the ancient borders of his realm 38 He appointed his brother Narseh as the governor of the surrounding region 31 Bahram also founded or refounded the city of Marw i Rot near the city of Marw 35 In order to demonstrate his appreciation to the Zoroastrian supreme god Ahura Mazda Bahram bestowed most of his booty to Adur Gushnasp 39 Incorporation of Armenia Edit Map of Sasanian Armenia 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 40 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 41 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 42 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 43 Sahak went to Ctesiphon to request for support there the bureaucrats urged Sahak to withdraw his support for Artaxias IV which he refused Artaxias IV was ultimately deposed and imprisoned while Armenia was transformed into a Sasanian frontier province governed by a marzban margrave 43 Sahak was also removed from his office and a Nestorian Syrian named Bar Kiso was appointed in his stead 40 44 45 The Sasanians were cautious in their efforts to respect the nakharars and only asserted their presence at the Armenian capital of Dvin which was also the seat of the marzban 45 Not all of the former territory of the Armenian kingdom was made into a province the Armenian districts of Parskahayk and Paytakaran were incorporated into the province to its south Adurbadagan 46 Domestic government EditAt the end of Yazdegerd I s reign the powerful Parthian House of Suren became powerful associates of the shah and played a key role in the affairs of the empire 16 This would continue under Bahram where Suren power reached its zenith 47 Mihr Narseh served as the wuzurg framadar minister of the shah while his three sons also occupied high offices Zurvandad served as the chief herbad of the empire Mahgushnasp was the wastaryoshan salar chief agriculturalist which meant that he oversaw the affairs of the land tax Kardar was the arteshtaran salar chief of the warriors a rank which according to the medieval historian al Tabari d 923 was higher than that of spahbed army chief 30 47 The power and influence of the Suren family thus spread over the administrative financial and military affairs of the Sasanian Empire They would continue to enjoy such as high status under Bahram s son and successor Yazdegerd II r 438 457 as well 47 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 48 Coins Edit Drachma of Bahram V Rew Ardashir mint The coins of Bahram V are chiefly remarkable for their crude and coarse workmanship and for the number of the mints from which they were issued The mint marks include Ctesiphon Hamadan Spahan Arbela Ledan Nahavand Asoristan Khuzistan Media and Kirman The headdress has the mural crown in front and behind but interposes between these two detached fragments a crescent and a circle emblems no doubt of the sun and moon gods The reverse shows the usual fire altar with guards or attendants watching it The king s head appears in the flame upon the altar The title of Bahram V on his coins was the typical Mazdesn bay Warahran sahan sah Eran ud Aneran kecihr az yazdan the Mazda worshiping divine Bahram King of Kings of Iran ians and non Iran ians whose image brilliance is from the gods 49 50 On some of rare coins minted in Pars he is also seen with the title of kirbakkar beneficent 51 Death and succession EditBahram died in 438 his manner of death is shrouded in mystery According to the Persian poet Ferdowsi d 1020 Bahram passed away peacefully 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 52 The modern historian Richard Payne calls his death no less ambiguous than that of his father 53 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 54 According to the genealogy of the aristocratic Mikalids the family was descended from Bahram 55 The Buyid King of Kings Adud al Dawla r 949 983 and the Shirvanshahs 861 1538 likewise claimed ancestry from Bahram 56 The Bahmanis of Deccan India also claimed descent from Bahram 57 58 In Persian literature Edit Bahram Gur sends his brother Narsi as Viceroy to Khurasan from the Great Mongol Shanameh 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 59 60 61 The onager was the fastest animal in the deserts of Central Asia even causing difficulties for a experienced rider to catch it 61 The legend of Bahram the Wild ass is based on lost Middle Persian records such as the Khwaday Namag Book of Lords 61 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 61 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 62 He states that Akbar emptied the land of wild asses and deer which brought amazement and joy to the soul of Bahram Gur 63 Haft Peykar Edit Bahram sees the portraits of the seven beauties Behzad School 1479 Nizami Museum of Azerbaijani Literature Baku Haft Peykar Persian هفت پیکر also known as Bahramnameh بهرام نامه The Book of Bahram is a famous romantic epic written in 1197 by the Persian poet Nizami Ganjavi A pre Islamic story of Persian origin it was dedicated to the ruler of Maragha Ala Al Din korp Arslan It is a romanticized biography of Bahram who is born to Yazdegerd I after twenty years of childlessness and supplication to Ahura Mazda for a child 64 His adventurous life is already mentioned in the Shahnameh Book of Kings of Ferdowsi which Nizami regularly implies Nizami primarily overlooks the adventures of Bahram in the Shahnameh or only mentions them briefly while focusing on composing new information He introduces the story by giving a description of the birth of Bahram and his upbringing in the court of the Lakhmid king al Nu man and his fabled palace Khawarnaq Bahram whose upbringing is entrusted to al Nu man becomes a formidable huntsman 64 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 64 Each princess relates to the shah a story matching the mood of her respective color 64 These seven stories comprise roughly half of the whole poem 64 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 64 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 64 Bahram then goes hunting but in a obscure manner disappears As a pun on words while trying to hunt the wild ass gur he instead finds his tomb gur 64 Bahram and Azadeh Edit 12th 13th century bowl of 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 65 66 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 daevas evil deities Bahram enraged threw her to the ground and trampled her with his camel 66 The medieval historian al Tha labi d 1035 6 reports that al Mundhir had the incident painted in the Khawarnaq palace at al Hira 65 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 67 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 68 69 Notes Edit Also spelled King of Kings of Iranians and non Iranians The medieval Iranian historian al Tabari d 923 who reports this event anachronistically presents them as Turks Although some modern historians identify them as Chionites or Hephthalites they were most likely Kidarites 24 25 The pillar was later destroyed by his grandson Peroz I 34 References Edit a b c Multiple authors 1988 pp 514 522 Wiesehofer 2018 pp 193 194 Rapp 2014 p 203 Martindale Jones amp Morris 1980 p 1150 Al Tabari 1985 2007 v 5 p 82 see also note 221 Christensen 1993 p 146 Frye 1984 p 319 Daryaee 2009 p 78 a b c d e f Klima 1988 pp 514 522 Traina 2011 p 118 Al Tabari 1985 2007 v 5 p 84 Al Tabari 1985 2007 v 5 p 87 Traina 2011 p 121 Andre Wink 2002 Al Hind The Making of the Indo Islamic world Vol 1 Early Medieval India and the expansion of Islam 7th 11th centuries BRILL p 48 ISBN 0391041738 Andre Wink 2002 pp 48 a b Pourshariati 2008 p 62 a b c d e Greatrex amp Lieu 2002 pp 36 43 Greatrex amp Lieu 2002 pp 38 39 Frye 1983 p 145 Shayegan 2013 p 809 Payne 2015 p 298 Rezakhani 2017 pp 85 87 a b c Shayegan 2013 p 807 Potts 2018 p 290 Rezakhani 2017 pp 99 100 see also note 17 a b Traina 2011 p 122 Traina 2011 pp 122 124 Al Tabari 1985 2007 v 5 p 95 Traina 2011 pp 124 125 a b Daryaee 2000 a b c d e Traina 2011 p 125 Al Tabari 1985 2007 v 5 pp 95 96 Howard Johnston 2012 p 89 Rezakhani 2017 p 128 a b Potts 2018 p 291 Rezakhani 2017 p 99 Payne 2015 pp 294 295 Payne 2015 p 295 Kia 2016 p 238 a b Chaumont 1986 pp 418 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pp 1 126 ISBN 9781780835778 Daryaee Touraj 2000 Mehr Narseh Encyclopaedia Iranica Khaleghi Motlagh Dj 1987 Azada Encyclopaedia Iranica Vol III Fasc 2 p 174 Martindale John Robert Jones Arnold Hugh Martin Morris J eds 1980 Vararanes V Gororanes The Prosopography of the Later Roman Empire Volume II A D 395 527 Cambridge United Kingdom Cambridge University Press ISBN 978 0 52 120159 9 Melville Charles van den Berg Gabrielle 2012 Shahnama Studies II Brill pp 1 364 ISBN 9789004228634 Lukonin Vladimir Ivanov Anatoly 2012 Persian Art Parkstone International pp 1 256 ISBN 9781780428932 Traina Giusto 2011 428 AD An Ordinary Year at the End of the Roman Empire Princeton University Press pp 1 232 ISBN 9781400832866 Al Tabari Abu Ja far Muhammad ibn Jarir 1985 2007 Ehsan Yar Shater ed The History of Al Ṭabari Vol 40 vols Albany NY State University of New York Press Chaumont M L 1986 Armenia and Iran ii The pre Islamic period Encyclopaedia Iranica Vol II Fasc 4 pp 418 438 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 Daryaee Touraj 2009 Sasanian Persia The Rise and Fall of an Empire I B Tauris pp 1 240 ISBN 978 0857716668 Daryaee Touraj Yazdegerd II Encyclopaedia Iranica Frye Richard Nelson 1984 The History of Ancient Iran C H Beck pp 1 411 ISBN 9783406093975 The history of ancient iran Greatrex Geoffrey Lieu Samuel N C 2002 Justinian s First Persian War and the Eternal Peace The Roman Eastern Frontier and the Persian Wars Part II 363 630 AD New York New York and London United Kingdom Routledge pp 82 97 ISBN 0 415 14687 9 Kia Mehrdad 2016 The Persian Empire A Historical Encyclopedia 2 volumes A Historical Encyclopedia ABC CLIO ISBN 978 1610693912 Howard Johnston James Howard Johnston 2012 Late Sasanian army The Gibb Memorial Trust London 87 127 Multiple authors 1988 Bahram Encyclopaedia Iranica Vol III Fasc 5 pp 514 522 Klima O 1988 Bahram V Gōr Encyclopaedia Iranica Vol III Fasc 5 London et al pp 514 522 Schindel Nikolaus 2013 Sasanian Coinage In Potts Daniel T ed The Oxford Handbook of Ancient Iran Oxford University Press ISBN 978 0199733309 Shahinyan Arsen 2016 Northern Territories of the Sasanian Atropatene and the Arab Azerbaijan Iran and the Caucasus 20 2 191 203 doi 10 1163 1573384X 20160203 Shayegan M Rahim 2013 Sasanian Political Ideology In Potts Daniel T ed The Oxford Handbook of Ancient Iran Oxford University Press ISBN 978 0199733309 Toumanoff Cyril 1961 Introduction to Christian Caucasian History II States and Dynasties of the Formative Period Traditio Cambridge University Press 17 1 106 doi 10 1017 S0362152900008473 JSTOR 27830424 registration required 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 Rezakhani Khodadad 2017 ReOrienting the Sasanians East Iran in Late Antiquity Edinburgh University Press pp 1 256 ISBN 9781474400305 Russell James R 1987 Zoroastrianism in Armenia Harvard University Press ISBN 978 0674968509 Wiesehofer Josef 2018 Bahram I In Nicholson Oliver ed The Oxford Dictionary of Late Antiquity Oxford Oxford University Press ISBN 978 0 19 866277 8 Payne Richard 2015 The Reinvention of Iran The Sasanian Empire and the Huns In Maas Michael ed The Cambridge Companion to the Age of Attila Cambridge University Press pp 282 299 ISBN 978 1 107 63388 9 Potts Daniel T 2018 Sasanian Iran and its northeastern frontier In Mass Michael Di Cosmo Nicola eds Empires and Exchanges in Eurasian Late Antiquity Cambridge University Press pp 1 538 ISBN 9781316146040 Further reading EditShahid Irfan 1986 Lakhmids In Bosworth C E van Donzel E Lewis B amp Pellat Ch eds The Encyclopaedia of Islam New Edition Volume V Khe Mahi Leiden E J Brill pp 632 634 ISBN 978 90 04 07819 2 Wikimedia Commons has media related to Bahram V Bahram VSasanian dynastyBorn 400 Died 438Preceded byKhosrow King of Kings of Iran and non Iran420 438 Succeeded byYazdegerd II Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Bahram V amp oldid 1129999323, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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