The Iranian society in the Sasanian era was an Agrarian society and due to this fact, the Sasanian economy relied on farming and agriculture. [1] [2]
The main exports of the Sasanians were silk; woolen and golden textiles; carpets and rugs; hides; and leather and pearls from the Persian Gulf. There were also goods in transit from China (paper, silk) and India (spices), which Sasanian customs imposed taxes upon, and which were re-exported from the Empire to Europe. [3]
Due to special geographical situation of the Iranian world, the Sasanians were able to control the sea routes and due to this, they were arguably most important player in the international trade in the late antiquity.
We know that in the early Sasanian period, the empire showed a great interest in establishing ports on the coast of the Persian Gulf. In the Karnamag of Ardashir Papagan (Book of Deeds of Ardashir son of Papak), one of these ports is mentioned, and it is called "Bōxt-Artaxšīr", which is modern-day Bushehr. This port was important for the Sasanians because it linked Kazerun to center of Persis, modern-day Shiraz. There were other ports on the Iranian side of the Persian Gulf in the Sassanid period, like Sirāf, Hormuz, Kujaran Artaxšīr, etc. According to Ammianus Marcellinus “all along the coast [of the Persian Gulf] is a throng of cities and villages, and many ships sail to and from.” [2]
We know that in the sixth century, the Sasanians were not only bent on controlling the Arabian sea and of course, their own home waters, the Persian Gulf, but also looked further east. This brought the Persians into conflict with Rome. Silk was important in the ancient world and was something that the Romans wanted. With the seas under Iranian control, the Romans had to seek the aid of the Ethiopians. However, this plan failed and probably caused the Aksumite–Persian wars, which made Yemen an Iranian vassal at the end of the wars. [4]
Procopius states that Justinian sent and embassy to Axum, and requested the Ethiopians "that they should buy silk from the Indians, and sell it to the Romans. thus they would make a lot of money, while they would only be bringing this gain to the Romans, that they [the Romans] would no longer be forced to send their own money to their enemies [the Persians.]" However, the plan didn't succeed, "for it was impossible for the Ethiopians to buy silk from the Indians, because the Persian merchants present at the very ports [of Ceylon in Sri Lanka] where the first ships of the Indians put in, since they inhabit a neighboring country, were always accustomed to buy the entire cargoes." However, it is not believed that being neighbors was the reason behind cooperation of Iranian and Sinhalese merchants, and the better reason would be that the Iranians were long-established customers and they didn't want to offend the Sasanians by doing business with the rivals of the Persian Empire. [5] However, silk problem of the Romans was solved by the introduction of silkworms to the Roman Empire.
We also have information about the Sasanian trade with China. Iranian-Chinese trade was conducted through two ways, through the Silk Road and the sea routes. Many Sasanian coins were found on the coasts of China. [4]
The main economic activity in the cities was performed by the merchants (Middle Persian: wāzarganan) and took place in the bazaars. In the Sasanian-era bazaars, each group of artisans had its own specific section, called rāste in Persian. We know this information from the Denkard, which talks about the rules that existed "about the series of shops in the bazaar belonging to various artisans." (VIII, Chapter 38) The Denkard also mentions a list of professions who occupied a section of the bazaar, like the blacksmiths (Middle Persian: āhengar) and barbers (Middle Persian: wars-wirāy).
For each artisan guild (kirrog), there was a head of the guild (kirrogbed) and the activity and the prices of the bazaar were overlooked by a head of the bazaar, known as wāzārbed in Middle Persian. This office (wāzārbed) is also mentioned in the Res Gestae Divi Saporis. [6]
While there were Sasanian merchants as far as China, the Zoroastrian view on them is not very good. The Mēnōg of Khrad (Spirit of Wisdom), one of the most important Zoroastrian books, talks about the merchants very negatively. [7]
The function of the workers is this: that they would not engage in a work with which they are not familiar and do well and with precision what they know, and receive a fair wage.
— Mēnōg of Khrad, Question 32
We also know about establishments of Sasanian colony and ports as far as East Asia. There were a Sasanian colony in Malaysia which was composed of merchants. Since Persian horses were shipped to Ceylon, a Sasanian colony was established at that island, where the ships came from Iran to its port. To expand their trade, the Sasanians built more ports, in the places like Muscat and Sohar. We even know about Sasanian colonies at Kilwa on the east coast of Africa. [8]
Establishment of Iranian colonies in China has also been confirmed, by the existence of Zoroastrian fire-temples, found in the Chang’an region in southern China. [9]
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The Sasanian Empire, officially known as Eranshahr was the last Iranian empire before the early Muslim conquests of the 7th–8th centuries AD. Named after the House of Sasan, it endured for over four centuries, from 224 to 651 AD, making it the longest-lived Persian imperial dynasty. The Sasanian Empire succeeded the Parthian Empire, and re-established the Persians as a major power in late antiquity alongside its neighbouring arch-rival, the Roman Empire.
Pabag, was an Iranian prince who ruled Istakhr, the capital of Pars, from 205 or 206 until his death sometime between 207–210. He was the father, stepfather, grandfather, or father-in-law of Ardashir I, the founder of the Sasanian Empire. He was succeeded by his eldest son Shapur.
The Battle of Hormozdgan was the climactic battle between the Arsacid and the Sasanian dynasties that took place on April 28, 224. The Sasanian victory broke the power of the Parthian dynasty, effectively ending almost five centuries of Parthian rule in Iran, and marking the official start of the Sasanian era.
The modern Persian name of Iran (ایران) means "the land of Aryans". It derives immediately from the 3rd-century Sasanian Middle Persian ērān, where it initially meant "of the Iranians", but soon also acquired a geographical connotation in the sense of "(lands inhabited by) Iranians". In both geographic and demonymic senses, ērān is distinguished from its antonymic anērān, meaning "non-Iran(ian)".
Šahrestānīhā ī Ērānšahr is a surviving Middle Persian text on geography, which was completed in the late eighth or early ninth centuries AD. The text gives a numbered list of the cities of Eranshahr and their history and importance for Persian history. The text itself has indication that it was also redacted at the time of Khosrow II in 7th century as it mentions several places in Africa and Persian Gulf conquered by the Sasanians.
The Sasanian dynasty was the house that founded the Sasanian Empire, ruling this empire from 224 to 651 AD in Persia. It began with Ardashir I, who named the dynasty as Sasanian in honour of his grandfather, Sasan, and after the name of his tribe.
Mihr-Narseh, was a powerful Iranian dignitary from the House of Suren, who served as minister of the Sasanian shahanshahs Yazdegerd I, Bahram V, Yazdegerd II and Peroz I. According to the Iranologist Richard N. Frye, Mihr-Narseh was the "prototype of the later Islamic grand vizier."
The Sasanian navy was the naval force of the Sasanian Empire active since its establishment. It operated in the Persian Gulf, the Arabian Sea, the Red Sea, and briefly in the Mediterranean Sea.
Pars was a Sasanian province in Late Antiquity, which almost corresponded to the present-day province of Fars. The province bordered Khuzestan in the west, Kirman in the east, Spahan in the north, and Mazun in the south.
Shapur was an Iranian prince, who was the penultimate King of Persis from 207–210 to 211/2. He was succeeded by his younger brother Ardashir I, who founded the Sasanian Empire.
The Kings of Persis, also known as the Darayanids, were a series of Persian kings, who ruled the region of Persis in southwestern Iran, from the 2nd century BCE to 224 CE. They ruled as sub-kings of the Parthian Empire, until they toppled them and established the Sasanian Empire. They effectively formed some Persian dynastic continuity between the Achaemenid Empire and the Sasanian Empire.
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