Survey of Movement of Mazdak in Sassanid Period

WALIA journal 30(S1): 282-284, 2014 Available online at www.Waliaj.com ISSN 1026-3861 © 2014 WALIA Survey of movement of Mazdak in Sassanid period Karim Golshanirad *, Seyed Ali Noroozy Department of History, Shoushtar Branch, Islamic Azad University, Shoushtar, Iran Abstract: Political, economic, social and religious problems in the mid-Sasanian period leads the movement of MAZDAK in the time of Qobad king. The military conflicts between the Sassanian, Rome and Hiyatlh and other attackers who were in the neighborhood of the Sasanian state and class structure that the government had granted all the privileges to nobility of society and also paying taxes to Hiyath and receive tax from people and more famines and droughts in addition to decay of Zoroastrian beliefs against of other religions and having too much influence the Zoroastrian priests in governmental affairs, leading to occurring the big Mazdak movement in this period of time. Key words: Sassanian; Qobad; Movement; Mazda; Zarathustra 1. Introduction Mazdakian movement was the result of profound social phenomenon and deteriorating development *Every social movement typically depends on the of productive forces and relations of production political, economic and social situations and the time appropriate; anyway the movement had grippeda of movement occurrence. The quality of the domestic significant number of people. This is especially true affairs is the starting point and the goal of the in the Ancient Worlds and the middle Ages movement is based on it, and appearance of movement. Mazdak’s doctrineis upon this way. There wasthe movement in the various classes of Regarding the domestic situation and the nature society but the main forces were peasants and rural of the Sasanian Empire in (490 AD) we can find out (Piigo Lasciya, 1977). the appearance reasons of Mazdakian movement at However Sasanian succeeded to adding Iranian this time. people in a social, economic, religious and political framework and could create a perfect Iranian 2. Political context community, because the nature of nobility, large groups of people that had been rural and lower By forming Sassanian government feudalism was classes people remained in difficult conditions and dismantled and the powerful Sassanian government lived such slaves (PigoLasciya, 1964). In the was established in the year 226.In terms of Sassanian times, there were two distinct categories: international problems Sassanian had continued on three fronts frequently. Romans in the West, 1-Nobles Kvshanyan and Hyatlh in the East and primitive 2-Population. tribes in the north. However Sassanian battles in these areas had weakened the Iranian military and Nobles including thepastorate and aristocratic Armenia was the big problem. Armenia ethnically families who were divided into several groups. and religiously inclined to the Roman and Sassanian Among the nobility classes, the king and royal family didn’t want to lose its influence in Armenia. (( Those members had more power, and the princes, king of nobles that repined of the Roman dominance about the States and the mayors had been lower (klima, Armenia supported the Sassanian )) .The difference 1988). The next level of nobility called Vezrganand between domestic and exterior situation in then the lower class people (Azadan) oppressed who Armeniahad been more and serious between Persia were divided into various groups. All members of the and Rome (Diakonof, 1990). Abnormal political royal family were in power. situation, especially after the king Shapur II's death Much of assets, palaces, huge buildings and … caused to done some reforms in Sassanian political were belonging to them. The populace was created affairs. exclusively for the payment ransom and tax, cause to the killing, looted and expensive had been done in 3. Social contexts length of occupation the country by Hyalth the nobility and were extremely unhappy .The majority of government revenues which provided from the tax expended to courtier costs, and protect the * Corresponding Author. 282 Karim Golshanirad, Seyed Ali Noroozy / WALIA, 30(S1) 2014, Pages: 282-284 privileges of nobility and military maintenance Donating agricultural lands into nobility caused Clergymen. to decline agriculture and agriculture in Iran. Other While the nobility had all types of facilities lower economic factors that provided the contexts of classes of society were deprived of the means of MAZDAK reform was famine and drought that primary life. There was a great difference between occurred in this period.as mentioned before for the king and nobles and own nobility. seven years there was a famine in Iran. Although An example of these differences is Qobad Firouz king done some works to facilitate the life but difference with Zarmehr Sokhra that leaded murder the people due to lake of food were in a bad and hard him by his adversary called MehranRazi. situation. There was a great class antagonism in Sassanid community and progress of low class to a high class 5. Religious contexts was not allowed. There is sometimes an exceptions, when a vassal indicated a special art. Sassanid Empire was the religious government According to a Tenser’s letter the person had that established by Babak. The most important goal performance at present of king and priests and in the of he and his son Ardeshir was formalized the sole discretion the person went to the high class.Of Zoroastrian religion in Iran. When Ardeshir throne course, before going to the nobility class customs of done this, In Parthian Empire, the government did it should learnt well. (Tansar’s letter to Gushnasban, not interfere in the religious affairs and religious 1964, p. 57) freedom was established. In fact, the Mazdaks movement was the limited There were many religions in Iran and spread of reaction against stratification system. foreign beliefs (a Buddhist, Greek, Jewish and Clergymen Zoroastrian created social classes as Christian) led the Iranians to try once again for social justice developed a huge social inequality. revival their ancient religion, and these efforts resulted in Sassanian period. Zoroastrian Faith in 4. Economic contexts Sasanian period changed as a militant ritual that its ceremony and detailed rules were adjusted According to the political and social issues in the (Diyaconof, 1990). In this covenant religion and field of the Sassanid government, the economic government mutually linked and connected. The situation was faced with a serious crisis. Sassanid Sassanid coins, Sassanied kings image, with a large defeated of Hyatlhin the time of Firuz king lead Iran fireplace can be seen. Clergymen, Zoroastrian priests had to paying tribute and this caused to state coffers and the king were at the top of the social pyramid has been empty. Certainly the only way to fill the and influenced Sassanid society. coffers of the country was the increasing the tax. The Clergymen Zoroastrian despite social, economic most important government incoming was the tax and political changes in society that created after the and tax of land government and personal tribute. advent of Zoroaster still used the Avesta (a holy Personal tribute had been determine at a book) to manage and promote their community's beginning a year, amount is determined. Then tax future. Avesta during long after the advent of agents of the government to share it among people Zoroaster and history vicissitudes had a great in a best way. Agriculture and the villagers were diversion. Now, after this long, its custodians other exploited and as mentioned before achieved wealth intellectual and cultural had not withstand against had used to for luxury. Productive affairs had no new other religious ideas, like Christianity, importance for the kings. This course provides the Manichaeism and Buddhism. high concentration of big landed of aristocrats and So the Sasanian government faced with cultural villagers fled to the city at the same time. and intellectual crisis. These new ideas penetrated to In the course there is a dispute between Savaran the ancient Zoroastrianism religion in Parthian and Sassanid warriors against owners of industrial period. The influence of because of progressive who were the agriculture ,in same time courtiers and ideas, especially in the ancient legends of creation nobility confiscated all own lands and farms which had no similarity to Zoroastrianism, the frequently (Khosravi, 1969). religion was entered in that. Also at this time Agriculture and slaves had to work the land and Zoroastrian religious Clergymen became very selfish pay taxes directly to the king and his officials. The and such situation do not belong to original Clear tax determined and its quantity does not Zoroastrianism. change, and if agriculture was not the owner of the In fact, we can say that Zoroastrianism had land tax was collected anyway. Osvaran, Ospohran, served upon feudal and only supported the royal and Azadan ,the noble class and the elderly were nobility. It must be said that the Zoroastrian religion exempted from taxation.(Shygan,1988,page 27) In and Sassanied government have been integrated, this time the king granting land to nobles, had to according to the Christian Cen, the power of the atone their support, caused to weak economy and priests had been more as kings power and the the influence and power of the king. It means that priests of the Zoroastrian religion were exploited properties had lost out the feudal and amount of common, However they had no interest about the public and state decreased constantly treasury stock original Zoroastrian religious, for example priests declined (Diyacof 1990). learned to people who pay atonement of their sins to them which remove the guilt and assignment. In 283 Karim Golshanirad, Seyed Ali Noroozy / WALIA, 30(S1) 2014, Pages: 282-284 addition to supporting the priests by Herbad (it is poverty, fortified class, class contradictions, heavy the lowest rank in the Zoroastrian priesthood) raised taxes, famine and drought and lack of social justice powerful, ambitious them some of them are, Tansar, strongly hurt the lower classes of society.

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