Anoshazad
Anoshazad, known in the Shahnameh as Noshzad (meaning "son of the immortal"), was a Sasanian prince who was the leader of a revolt in southern Iran in ca. 550. He was the oldest son of king Khosrow I (r. 531-579), while his mother was a Christian and the daughter of the judge (dadwar) of Ray.
Contents
Biography
Etymology
"Anoshazad" is a Middle Persian name, while "Noshzad" is the New Persian form. The Greek form of the name is Anasozados. Whether it is really a proper name, or rather an epithet, is unclear.
Imprisonment
According to several sources, Anoshazad was sometime before his revolt imprisoned in Gundeshapur by his father. According to Dinavari and Ferdowsi, it was because he had converted to Christianity. However, this is unlikely since neither Procopius nor Ibn al-Athir calls him a Christian; according to Procopius, Anoshazad was imprisoned for seducing some of his father's wives, while Ibn al-Athir states that he was imprisoned because he was suspected of being a crypto-Manichaean.[1]
Revolt
According to Dinavari, while Khosrow I was campaigning against in Syria against the Byzantines, he fell ill at Emesa—according to Nöldeke, however, Khosrow never reached the city and instead returned to his capital, Ctesiphon. He further states that Anoshazad had spread false rumours of Khosrow having a deadly sickness. Anoshazad thereafter raised an army, which consisted of prisoners and Christians from Ahvaz and Gundeshapur.[1] However, according to Nöldeke, Fariburz most likely didn't manage to get support from a large number of Christians, which he tried to do so by stating that his mother was a Christian. Nevertheless, he managed to capture Ahvaz and seize its riches.[1]
Burzin, who was Khosrow's vice-regent at Ctesiphon, shortly sent an army under Fariburz to besiege Gundeshapur, and informed Khosrow of the revolt. Khosrow thereafter ordered him bring Anoshazad back alive if possible, and to kill all the nobles participating in his revolt, but not the ordinary people.[1] The revolt of Anoshazad was eventually suppressed, while he was captured and taken to Ctesiphon, where he was blinded.[1]
References
Sources
- (German) H. Börm: Prokop und die Perser. Untersuchungen zu den römisch-sasanidischen Beziehungen in der ausgehenden Spätantike. Stuttgart 2007, S. 119-124.
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- (German) Theodor Nöldeke: Geschichte der Perser und Araber zur Zeit der Sasaniden. Aus der arabischen Chronik des Tabari übersetzt und mit ausführlichen Erläuterungen versehen. Leiden 1879, S. 467–474.
