HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Marzbān, or Marzpān (
Middle Persian Middle Persian or Pahlavi, also known by its endonym Pārsīk or Pārsīg () in its later form, is a Western Middle Iranian language which became the literary language of the Sasanian Empire. For some time after the Sasanian collapse, Middle P ...
transliteration: mrzwpn, derived from ''marz'' "border, boundary" and the suffix ''-pān'' "guardian"; Modern Persian: ''Marzbān'') were a class of
margrave Margrave was originally the medieval title for the military commander assigned to maintain the defence of one of the border provinces of the Holy Roman Empire or of a kingdom. That position became hereditary in certain feudal families in the ...
s, warden of the marches, and by extension military commanders, in charge of border provinces of the
Parthian Empire The Parthian Empire (), also known as the Arsacid Empire (), was a major Iranian political and cultural power in ancient Iran from 247 BC to 224 AD. Its latter name comes from its founder, Arsaces I, who led the Parni tribe in conqu ...
(247 BC–224 AD) and mostly
Sasanian Empire The Sasanian () or Sassanid Empire, officially known as the Empire of Iranians (, ) and also referred to by historians as the Neo-Persian Empire, was the last Iranian empire before the early Muslim conquests of the 7th-8th centuries AD. Named ...
(224–651 AD) of
Iran Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called Persia, is a country located in Western Asia. It is bordered by Iraq and Turkey to the west, by Azerbaijan and Armenia to the northwest, by the Caspian Sea and Turkmeni ...
.


Etymology

The Persian word ''marz'' is derived from
Avestan Avestan (), or historically Zend, is an umbrella term for two Old Iranian languages: Old Avestan (spoken in the 2nd millennium BCE) and Younger Avestan (spoken in the 1st millennium BCE). They are known only from their conjoined use as the scrip ...
''marəza'' "frontier, border"; ''pān/pāvan'' is cognate with
Avestan Avestan (), or historically Zend, is an umbrella term for two Old Iranian languages: Old Avestan (spoken in the 2nd millennium BCE) and Younger Avestan (spoken in the 1st millennium BCE). They are known only from their conjoined use as the scrip ...
and
Old Persian Old Persian is one of the two directly attested Old Iranian languages (the other being Avestan) and is the ancestor of Middle Persian (the language of Sasanian Empire). Like other Old Iranian languages, it was known to its native speakers as ( ...
''pat'' "protector". The word was borrowed from New Persian into Arabic as ''marzubān'' (plural ''marāziba''). "
Al-Marzubani Abū 'Abd Allāh Muḥammad ibn 'Imrān ibn Mūsā ibn Sa'īd ibn 'Abd Allāh al-Marzubānī () (c. 909 – 10 November 994), was a prolific author of adab, akhbar (news), history and ḥadīth (traditions). He lived all his life in his nativ ...
" () has been used as a '' nisba'' (family title) for some Iranian families whose ancestor was a marzbān. The prominent Islamic scholar
Abu Hanifa Nuʿmān ibn Thābit ibn Zūṭā ibn Marzubān ( ar, نعمان بن ثابت بن زوطا بن مرزبان; –767), commonly known by his '' kunya'' Abū Ḥanīfa ( ar, أبو حنيفة), or reverently as Imam Abū Ḥanīfa by Sunni Musl ...
, whose formal name is given in Islamic sources as Nu'man ibn Thabit ibn Zuta ''ibn Marzubān'' (), was descended from the marzbāns of
Kabul Kabul (; ps, , ; , ) is the capital and largest city of Afghanistan. Located in the eastern half of the country, it is also a municipality, forming part of the Kabul Province; it is administratively divided into #Districts, 22 municipal dist ...
, where his father came from. The Bavand (651–1349 AD) and Sallarid (919–1062 AD) dynasty rulers also used ''marzubān'' in their name. The word marzban was borrowed into Armenian as ''marzpan'' (մարզպան) and into Georgian as ''marzapani'' (მარზაპანი).


History

The ranks tradition (primarily of ''vāspuhrān'' and ''āzādān'') can be traced to the
Achaemenid Empire The Achaemenid Empire or Achaemenian Empire (; peo, 𐎧𐏁𐏂, , ), also called the First Persian Empire, was an ancient Iranian empire founded by Cyrus the Great in 550 BC. Based in Western Asia, it was contemporarily the largest em ...
(550–330 BC), but due to lack of sources even in the
Parthian Empire The Parthian Empire (), also known as the Arsacid Empire (), was a major Iranian political and cultural power in ancient Iran from 247 BC to 224 AD. Its latter name comes from its founder, Arsaces I, who led the Parni tribe in conqu ...
(247 BC – 224 AD) the existence of a proper classification of ranks is unknown, in comparison to the Sasanian royal inscriptions from the 3rd century AD when the aristocracy was divided into four or five ranks; '' šahrdārān'' (kings, landholders), ''vāspuhrān'' (princes; the seven great noble families), '' wuzurgān'' (magnates; "great ones"), lower nobility '' āzādān'' (feudal nobles; freemen), and ''kadag-xwadāy'' (householders). The Sasanian military organization was more sophisticated than the inherited Parthian system. The caste system wasn't rigid as in India, but the ruling officiers were mostly from ''wuzurgān'' caste. There's a possibility that the Late Sasanian ''marzbānān'' also originated from the ''āzādān'', who mostly were lords of villages (''dihqānān''), supplied the cavalry with young riders ('' asbārān''), or were bodyguards and security forces with titles ''bandagān'', ''ayyārān'' or ''jānbāzān'', all signifying association with the king. The title ''marzbān'' can be dated to the Parthian Empire, where in the frontier areas such as Nisa (1st century BC) are found titles ''mrzwpn'' (marzban), probably an officier in charge of the frontier troops, and ''dyzpty'', an officier in charge of a fort. Some scholars consider that ''marzbāns'' existed during the reign of
Darius I Darius I ( peo, 𐎭𐎠𐎼𐎹𐎺𐎢𐏁 ; grc-gre, Δαρεῖος ; – 486 BCE), commonly known as Darius the Great, was a Persian ruler who served as the third King of Kings of the Achaemenid Empire, reigning from 522 BCE until his ...
(550–486 BC) of the Achaemenid Empire. There is some uncertainty for the exact relationship between titles ''marzbān'', ''
spāhbed ''Spāhbed'' (also spelled ''spahbod'' and ''spahbad'') is a Middle Persian title meaning "army chief" used chiefly in the Sasanian Empire. Originally there was a single ''spāhbed'', called the , who functioned as the generalissimo of the Sasani ...
'', '' kanārang'', ''pāygōsbān'' (Parthian ''ptykwspn'', Sasanian ''paygospān'' or ''padhospān'') and ''ostāndār''. The historical sources blur the distinction between the ''marzbān'' and ''spāhbed'' (army general or military governor), implying ''marzbān'' was a military title strictly limited to the frontier marches and provinces. The least clear is the distinction with ''kanārang'', apparently an East-Iranian derivation of ''marzbān'' in the province Abarshahr in
Central Asia Central Asia, also known as Middle Asia, is a region of Asia that stretches from the Caspian Sea in the west to western China and Mongolia in the east, and from Afghanistan and Iran in the south to Russia in the north. It includes the fo ...
. The ''pāygōsbān'', meaning "guardian of the district", is an uncertain title, seemingly provincial military commanders or governors, while the ''marzbān'' meant "guardian of the borders, provinces". Perhaps the ''pāygōsbān'' lacked civilian duties. The ''ostāndār'' was the governor of an ''ostān'' (province or district within a province). The primary sources imply the ''marzbān'' was a provincional function practiced for a single or multiple provinces, but there is no evidence for a "quarter of the empire", as
al-Masudi Al-Mas'udi ( ar, أَبُو ٱلْحَسَن عَلِيّ ٱبْن ٱلْحُسَيْن ٱبْن عَلِيّ ٱلْمَسْعُودِيّ, '; –956) was an Arab historian, geographer and traveler. He is sometimes referred to as the " Herodotu ...
entitled Šahrwarāz (629 AD). The rank of ''marzbān'', like most imperial administration, was mostly patrimonial, and was passed down through a single family for generations. The ''marzbāns'' of greatest seniority were permitted a silver throne, while ''marzbāns'' of the most strategic border provinces, such as the province of Armenia, were allowed a golden throne. In military campaigns the regional ''marzbāns'' could be regarded as field marshals, while lesser ''spāhbeds'' could command a field army. The function of ''marzbān'' changed over the years, with smaller territorial units being part of the civil administration. In the early years the main ''marzbān'' regions were
Armenia Armenia (), , group=pron officially the Republic of Armenia,, is a landlocked country in the Armenian Highlands of Western Asia.The UNbr>classification of world regions places Armenia in Western Asia; the CIA World Factbook , , and ''O ...
,
Beth Aramaye Asoristan ( pal, 𐭠𐭮𐭥𐭥𐭮𐭲𐭭 ''Asōristān'', ''Āsūristān'') was the name of the Sasanian province of Assyria and Babylonia from 226 to 637. Name The Parthian name ''Asōristān'' (; also spelled ''Asoristan'', ''Asuristan ...
,
Pars Pars may refer to: * Fars Province of Iran, also known as Pars Province * Pars (Sasanian province), a province roughly corresponding to the present-day Fars, 224–651 * ''Pars'', for ''Persia'' or ''Iran'', in the Persian language * Pars News A ...
, Kirman,
Spahan Isfahan ( fa, اصفهان, Esfahân ), from its ancient designation ''Aspadana'' and, later, ''Spahan'' in middle Persian, rendered in English as ''Ispahan'', is a major city in the Greater Isfahan Region, Isfahan Province, Iran. It is lo ...
, Adurbadagan,
Tabaristan Tabaristan or Tabarestan ( fa, طبرستان, Ṭabarestān, or mzn, تبرستون, Tabarestun, ultimately from Middle Persian: , ''Tapur(i)stān''), was the name applied to a mountainous region located on the Caspian coast of northern Iran. ...
,
Nishapur Nishapur or officially Romanized as Neyshabur ( fa, ;Or also "نیشاپور" which is closer to its original and historic meaning though it is less commonly used by modern native Persian speakers. In Persian poetry, the name of this city is wri ...
, Tus,
Sakastan Sistān ( fa, سیستان), known in ancient times as Sakastān ( fa, سَكاستان, "the land of the Saka"), is a historical and geographical region in present-day Eastern Iran ( Sistan and Baluchestan Province) and Southern Afghanistan ...
,
Mazun Mazun was a Sasanian province in Late Antiquity, which corresponded to modern-day Bahrain, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, and the northern half of Oman. The province served as a Sasanian outpost and played an important role in the Sasanian efforts t ...
, Harev, Marv and Sarakhs, several mentioned belonging to the
Greater Khorasan Greater Khorāsān,Dabeersiaghi, Commentary on Safarnâma-e Nâsir Khusraw, 6th Ed. Tehran, Zavvâr: 1375 (Solar Hijri Calendar) 235–236 or Khorāsān ( pal, Xwarāsān; fa, خراسان ), is a historical eastern region in the Iranian Plat ...
. Some regions enjoyed considerable autonomy while other were militarily more important, for example the Adurbadagan facing the
Caucasus The Caucasus () or Caucasia (), is a region between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea, mainly comprising Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, and parts of Southern Russia. The Caucasus Mountains, including the Greater Caucasus range, have historica ...
was special military frontier. ''Marzbāns'' were granted the administration of the border provinces and were responsible for maintaining the security of the trade routes, fighting the encroaching nomadic tribes such as Bedouin Arabs,
White Hun The Hephthalites ( xbc, ηβοδαλο, translit= Ebodalo), sometimes called the White Huns (also known as the White Hunas, in Iranian as the ''Spet Xyon'' and in Sanskrit as the ''Sveta-huna''), were a people who lived in Central Asia during t ...
s and
Oghuz Turks The Oghuz or Ghuzz Turks (Middle Turkic: ٱغُز, ''Oγuz'', ota, اوغوز, Oġuz) were a western Turkic people that spoke the Oghuz branch of the Turkic language family. In the 8th century, they formed a tribal confederation conven ...
, and holding the first line of defense against settled enemies such as Romans and Kushans. During the reign of
Khosrow I Khosrow I (also spelled Khosrau, Khusro or Chosroes; pal, 𐭧𐭥𐭮𐭫𐭥𐭣𐭩; New Persian: []), traditionally known by his epithet of Anushirvan ( [] "the Immortal Soul"), was the Sasanian Empire, Sasanian King of Kings of Iran from ...
(531–579 AD) were held Khosrow I#Military reforms, military reforms by which were created Šahrestānīhā ī Ērānšahr#Kusts of Eranshahr, four frontier regions (
Khwarasan Khwarāsān () was one of the four '' kusts'' (frontier regions) of the Sasanian Empire, formed during the reign of king Khosrow I (r. 531–579). Khwarasan was commanded by a ''spahbed'' from one of the seven Parthian clans. The appointed ''spahbed ...
,
Khwarwaran Khvārvarān was a military quarter of the Sasanian Empire. Intensive irrigation agriculture of the lower Tigris and Euphrates and of tributaries such as the Diyala and Karun formed the main resource base of the Sassanid monarchy. Etymology The Ara ...
, Nemroz, Adurbadagan) with ''spāhbed'' in charge, sometimes still called as ''marzbān'', but now generally considered for more central provinces. Also, the previous gentry rank ''dihqānān'' was moulded into influential "nobility of service" which became the backbone of the Sasanian state. However, this measures of centralization caused the transfer of the power to the military (the ''dihqānān'' gradually became more independent from the government, while the four large ''spāhbed'' territories quasi-independent fiefs), and led to the eventual disintegration of the Empire. The Sasanian social, administrative and military structure and system was inherited by the Medieval Islamic civilization, however, the ''marzbāns'' steadily disappeared depending on the region, as such in Iraq diminished and were replaced by Muslim frontier warriors ''muqātila'', while in Khorasan still had special privileges. In generally were replaced by the title ''dihqānān''.


See also

* Muḥammad ibn al-Marzubani (ca.910-994) * List of marzbans *
Marzpanate Armenia Sasanian Armenia, also known as Persian Armenia and Persarmenia ( hy, Պարսկահայաստան – ''Parskahayastan''), may either refer to the periods in which Armenia ( pal, 𐭠𐭫𐭬𐭭𐭩 – ''Armin'') was under the suzerainty of ...
*
Satrap A satrap () was a governor of the provinces of the ancient Median and Achaemenid Empires and in several of their successors, such as in the Sasanian Empire and the Hellenistic empires. The satrap served as viceroy to the king, though with cons ...
, the governor of the provinces * Spahbed, a similar Sassanid commandership rank *
Ban Ban, or BAN, may refer to: Law * Ban (law), a decree that prohibits something, sometimes a form of censorship, being denied from entering or using the place/item ** Imperial ban (''Reichsacht''), a form of outlawry in the medieval Holy Roman ...
, a noble title which was used in various South European
Balkan The Balkans ( ), also known as the Balkan Peninsula, is a geographical area in southeastern Europe with various geographical and historical definitions. The region takes its name from the Balkan Mountains that stretch throughout the who ...
countries * List of Iranian titles and ranks *
Military of the Sasanian Empire The Sasanian army was the primary military body of the Sasanian armed forces, serving alongside the Sasanian navy. The birth of the army dates back to the rise of Ardashir I (r. 224–241), the founder of the Sasanian Empire, to the throne. Ar ...


References


Bibliography

* * * * * * * * *


Further reading

*{{citation , last1=Greatrex , first1=Geoffrey , last2=Lieu , first2=Samuel N. C. , date=2005 , title=The Roman Eastern Frontier and the Persian Wars AD 363-628 , url=https://books.google.com/books?id=awCGAgAAQBAJ , publisher=Routledge , isbn=9781134756469 Officials of the Sasanian Empire Military ranks Marquesses Sasanian military offices Parthian titles and offices Persian words and phrases