Yazdegerd I
Encyclopedia
Persian language
Persian is an Iranian language within the Indo-Iranian branch of the Indo-European languages. It is primarily spoken in Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan and countries which historically came under Persian influence...
:یزدگرد یکم; in Greek
Greek language
Greek is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. Its writing system has been the Greek alphabet for the majority of its history;...
accounts , Isdigerdēs), was the thirteenth Sassanid king of Persia and ruled from 399 to 421. He is believed by some to be the son of Shapur III
Shapur III
Shapur III was the eleventh Sassanid King of Persia from 383 to 388. Shapur III succeeded his father Ardashir II in the year 383.- Treaty with Rome :...
(383–388) and by others to be son of Bahram IV
Bahram IV
Bahram IV was twelfth Sassanid King of Persia , son and successor of Shapur III of Persia , under whom he had been governor of Kerman; therefore he was called Kermanshah Bahram IV was twelfth Sassanid King of Persia (388–399), son and successor of Shapur III of Persia (383–388), under whom he had...
(388–389). He succeeded to the Persian throne on the assassination of Bahram IV in 399 and ruled for twenty-one years till his death in 421.
Yazdegerd I's reign was largely uneventful. The king is described as being of a peaceful disposition. There were cordial relations between Persia and the Eastern Roman Empire as well as between Persia and the Western Roman Empire
Western Roman Empire
The Western Roman Empire was the western half of the Roman Empire after its division by Diocletian in 285; the other half of the Roman Empire was the Eastern Roman Empire, commonly referred to today as the Byzantine Empire....
. Early during his reign, Yazdegerd was entrusted the care of the Roman prince Theodosius
Theodosius II
Theodosius II , commonly surnamed Theodosius the Younger, or Theodosius the Calligrapher, was Byzantine Emperor from 408 to 450. He is mostly known for promulgating the Theodosian law code, and for the construction of the Theodosian Walls of Constantinople...
by his father Arcadius
Arcadius
Arcadius was the Byzantine Emperor from 395 to his death. He was the eldest son of Theodosius I and his first wife Aelia Flaccilla, and brother of the Western Emperor Honorius...
on the latter's death in 408, and Yazdegerd faithfully defended the life, power and possessions of the Roman prince.
Yazdegerd promoted Christianity
First seven Ecumenical Councils
In the history of Christianity, the first seven Ecumenical Councils, from the First Council of Nicaea to the Second Council of Nicaea , represent an attempt to reach an orthodox consensus and to establish a unified Christendom as the State church of the Roman Empire...
in the early years of his reign and later opposed it. His alternate persecution of Zoroastrians
Zoroastrianism
Zoroastrianism is a religion and philosophy based on the teachings of prophet Zoroaster and was formerly among the world's largest religions. It was probably founded some time before the 6th century BCE in Greater Iran.In Zoroastrianism, the Creator Ahura Mazda is all good, and no evil...
and later Christians earned him the epithets of Al Khasha or "the Harsh" and Al Athim or "the Wicked" and Yazdegerd the Sinner. However, his general disposition towards the citizens of the Persian Empire was good. They gave him the epithet of Ramashtras or "the most quiet".
The later part of his reign was occupied by his attempts to convert Armenia
Armenia
Armenia , officially the Republic of Armenia , is a landlocked mountainous country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia...
to Zoroastrianism. During his last days, there took place a civil war between his sons. Bahram V
Bahram V
Bahram V was the fourteenth Sassanid King of Persia . Also called Bahram Gur or Bahramgur , he was a son of Yazdegerd I , after whose sudden death he gained the crown against the opposition of the grandees by the help of Mundhir, the Arab dynast of al-Hirah.- Reign and war with Rome :Bahram V...
emerged victorious and claimed the throne. Yazdegerd I died in 421 and was succeeded by his son Bahram V or Bahramgur.
Reign
When Bahram IVBahram IV
Bahram IV was twelfth Sassanid King of Persia , son and successor of Shapur III of Persia , under whom he had been governor of Kerman; therefore he was called Kermanshah Bahram IV was twelfth Sassanid King of Persia (388–399), son and successor of Shapur III of Persia (383–388), under whom he had...
was assassinated in 399, his son Yazdegerd succeeded him. The Persian soldiers who had murdered Bahram IV did not hurt him on account of his excellent character and fine disposition. The general tenor of his rule was quite peaceful.
Relations with Rome
The OstrogothOstrogoth
The Ostrogoths were a branch of the Goths , a Germanic tribe who developed a vast empire north of the Black Sea in the 3rd century AD and, in the late 5th century, under Theodoric the Great, established a Kingdom in Italy....
invasion of 386, the revolt of Maximus in 387, the Antioch revolt of 387, the invasion of Gaul
Roman Gaul
Roman Gaul consisted of an area of provincial rule in the Roman Empire, in modern day France, Belgium, Luxembourg, and western Germany. Roman control of the area lasted for less than 500 years....
in 388, the massacres at Thessalonika and the rebellion of Argobastes and Eugenius in 393 had severely weakened the Roman Empire
Roman Empire
The Roman Empire was the post-Republican period of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean....
. Between 386 and 398, Gildo the Moor ruled an independent kingdom in Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
, and in 395 the Goths
Goths
The Goths were an East Germanic tribe of Scandinavian origin whose two branches, the Visigoths and the Ostrogoths, played an important role in the fall of the Roman Empire and the emergence of Medieval Europe....
took to arms under their leader Alaric
Alaric I
Alaric I was the King of the Visigoths from 395–410. Alaric is most famous for his sack of Rome in 410, which marked a decisive event in the decline of the Roman Empire....
. But Yazdegerd on his accession to the throne desisted from assuming any aggressive posture towards the Eastern Roman Emperor Arcadius
Arcadius
Arcadius was the Byzantine Emperor from 395 to his death. He was the eldest son of Theodosius I and his first wife Aelia Flaccilla, and brother of the Western Emperor Honorius...
or the Western Roman Emperor Honorius
Honorius (emperor)
Honorius , was Western Roman Emperor from 395 to 423. He was the younger son of emperor Theodosius I and his first wife Aelia Flaccilla, and brother of the eastern emperor Arcadius....
. Yazdegerd's extreme tranquility and his reluctance to invade the Roman Empire earned him the epithet "Ramashtras," "the most quiet," or "the most firm," he justified his assumption of it by a complete abstinence from all military expeditions.
Adoption of Theodosius
On the ninth year of his reign, it is believed, Yazdegerd was entrusted the care of Prince TheodosiusTheodosius II
Theodosius II , commonly surnamed Theodosius the Younger, or Theodosius the Calligrapher, was Byzantine Emperor from 408 to 450. He is mostly known for promulgating the Theodosian law code, and for the construction of the Theodosian Walls of Constantinople...
by his father Arcadius
Arcadius
Arcadius was the Byzantine Emperor from 395 to his death. He was the eldest son of Theodosius I and his first wife Aelia Flaccilla, and brother of the Western Emperor Honorius...
, the Eastern Roman Emperor. It was strange that Arcadius chose neither his younger-brother Honorius nor any of his distinguished subjects for the purpose and instead entrusted his son to the charge of the Persian monarch. He accompanied the appointment by a solemn appeal to the magnanimity of Isdigerd, whom he exhorted at some length to defend with all his force, and guide with his best wisdom, the young king and his kingdom. One writer even goes to the extent of claiming that Arcadius gifted Yazdegerd a thousand pounds of pure gold in return for his favour. When Arcadius died, and the testament was opened, information of its contents was sent to Isdigerd, who at once accepted the charge assigned to him, and addressed a letter to the Senate of Constantinople
Constantinople
Constantinople was the capital of the Roman, Eastern Roman, Byzantine, Latin, and Ottoman Empires. Throughout most of the Middle Ages, Constantinople was Europe's largest and wealthiest city.-Names:...
, in which he declared his determination to punish any attempt against his ward with the extremest severity. Flattered, he performed his newfound role with utmost sincerity providing him the best possible education and assistance.
A eunuch named Antiochus was selected and sent to Constantinople to look after the young Emperor. He was, for many years, the prince's intimate companion. He was supposed to have been killed or expelled from the kingdom by Pulcheria, elder sister of Theodosius. However, even after Antiochus' end, Yazdegerd continued his aid to the young monarch.
However, these narratives were written a century and a half after the death of Arcadius, and have been rejected by modern scholars due to the silence of contemporary writers as outweighing the positive statements of the later ones.
Religious policy
According to Wein, Yazdegerd I was a wise, benevolent, and astute ruler. He was also known for his religious tolerance, towards both Christians and JewsPersian Jews
Persian Jews , are Jews historically associated with Iran, traditionally known as Persia in Western sources.Judaism is one of the oldest religions practiced in Iran. The Book of Esther contains some references to the experiences of Jews in Persia...
. For example, the Talmud
Talmud
The Talmud is a central text of mainstream Judaism. It takes the form of a record of rabbinic discussions pertaining to Jewish law, ethics, philosophy, customs and history....
(Ksubos, 61a) relates that Ameimar, Rav Ashi, and Mar Zutra
Mar Zutra
Mar Zutra was a Jewish Amora sage of Babylon, of the sixth generation of the Amora era. He was a colleague of Amemar and Rav Ashi. He headed the Yeshiva of Pumbedita, and according to the book "Seder Tannaim ve-Amoraim", previous to Rav Aha b. Rava...
would sit in his court. However, excessive zeal of the Christian
Christianity in Iran
Christianity in Iran has a long history, dating back to the early years of the faith. It has always been a minority religion, with the majority state religions — Zoroastrianism before the Islamic conquest, Sunni Islam in the Middle Ages and Shia Islam in modern times — though it had a much larger...
bishop
Bishop
A bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight. Within the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox Churches, in the Assyrian Church of the East, in the Independent Catholic Churches, and in the...
of Ctesiphon
Ctesiphon
Ctesiphon, the imperial capital of the Parthian Arsacids and of the Persian Sassanids, was one of the great cities of ancient Mesopotamia.The ruins of the city are located on the east bank of the Tigris, across the river from the Hellenistic city of Seleucia...
, Abdaas, provoked a reaction, and when he tried to burn the Great Fire temple
Fire temple
A fire temple in Zoroastrianism is the place of worship for Zoroastrians. Zoroastrians revere fire in any form. In the Zoroastrian religion, fire , together with clean water , are agents of ritual purity...
of Ctesiphon, Yazdegerd I turned against the Christians (see following).
Early inclination towards Christianity
See also: MaruthasMaruthas
Saint Maruthas or Marutha of Martyropolis was a monk who became bishop of Maypherkat in Mesopotamia for a period beganing before 399 and still in office in 410. He's believed to have died before 420...
During the early part of his reign, Yazdegerd inclined towards Christianity. George Rawlinson
George Rawlinson
Canon George Rawlinson was a 19th century English scholar, historian, and Christian theologian. He was born at Chadlington, Oxfordshire, and was the younger brother of Sir Henry Rawlinson....
feels that Yazdegerd may even himself wanted to convert to Christianity. Antiochus openly wrote in favor of Christians, and this rapidly increased conversions to Christianity. He openly persecuted the Magi
Magi
Magi is a term, used since at least the 4th century BC, to denote a follower of Zoroaster, or rather, a follower of what the Hellenistic world associated Zoroaster with, which...
, the Zoroastrian high-priests, who were sworn enemies of Christians.
Yazdegerd is believed to have been an ardent follower of at least two prominent Christian bishops: Marutha, bishop of Mesapotamia, and Abdaas, the bishop of Ctesiphon
Ctesiphon
Ctesiphon, the imperial capital of the Parthian Arsacids and of the Persian Sassanids, was one of the great cities of ancient Mesopotamia.The ruins of the city are located on the east bank of the Tigris, across the river from the Hellenistic city of Seleucia...
. Marutha in particular exerted a great amount of influence over the Persian Emperor, and it was at his insistence that Yazdegerd issued a declaration in 410 giving Christians the freedom of worship. This proclamation is sometimes regarded as "the Edict of Milan for the Assyrian Church".
According to the Byzantine historian Procopius
Procopius
Procopius of Caesarea was a prominent Byzantine scholar from Palestine. Accompanying the general Belisarius in the wars of the Emperor Justinian I, he became the principal historian of the 6th century, writing the Wars of Justinian, the Buildings of Justinian and the celebrated Secret History...
, "From the start, Yazdegerd was a sovereign whose nobility of character had won for him the greatest renown. He gave his Christian subjects such freedom, even support that they prayed daily for the safety of 'the victorious and glorious king' ". A contemporary Christian account says that "the good and clement King Yazdegerd did well to the poor and wretched".
Yazdegerd sent the Catholicos of Seleucia-Ctesiphon to mediate between the king and his brother who governed Pars. Another Catholicos was Yazdegerd's envoy to Theodosius.
Persecution of Christians
See also: Abda of KaskharYazdegerd immediately switched sides when Abdaas burnt down the fire temple at Ctesiphon and refused to rebuild it. The burning evoked a strong reaction from the Magi, and Yazdegerd was forced to take action. Yazdegerd responded by authorizing Zoroastrian priests to destroy Christian churches all over the Empire. Christians were arrested in large numbers. There was widespread slaughter of Christians
Persecution of Christians
Persecution of Christians as a consequence of professing their faith can be traced both historically and in the current era. Early Christians were persecuted for their faith, at the hands of both Jews from whose religion Christianity arose, and the Roman Empire which controlled much of the land...
in the Persian Empire for the next five years. Christian churches all over the nation were destroyed, and Christians driven off from the kingdom.
A few Christian subjects boldly confessed their faith in Christ, but many others sought to conceal their beliefs. However, they were all arrested and slaughtered in large numbers. Thus Isdigerd alternately oppressed both Zoroastrians as well as Christians and earned the disaffection of both the parties. He earned the epithets of "Al-Khasha" or "the Harsh," and "Al-Athim" or "the Wicked".
Relations with Armenia
When indulging in the persecution of Christians in Persia, Yazdegerd also attempted to spread Zoroastrianism in Armenia.In the year 413, Vram-Shapuh, the King of Armenia
Armenia
Armenia , officially the Republic of Armenia , is a landlocked mountainous country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia...
, died and the crown passed on to Artases, who was a boy of ten. Under these circumstances, Isaac, the Metropolitan of Armenia, proceeded to the court of Ctesiphon, and petitioned Yazdegerd to replace Artases with Khosrov III who had been deposed twenty-one years earlier, and whom Bahram IV had imprisoned in the "Castle of Oblivion". Yazdegerd I released Khosrov III and reinstated him upon the throne of Armenia in order to stabilize the condition. However, Khosrov survived for only a year, and on his death, the throne became empty once again, leaving Armenia to chaos. So Yazdegerd responded by placing his own son Shapur on the throne of Armenia, forcing him upon the reluctant nobles of Armenia. Shapur concentrated on reconciliation and established friendly relations with the nobles. He made every effort to convert the Christian Armenians to Zoroastrianism, but was largely unsuccessful. He ruled Armenia for four years and returned to Ctesiphon in 419 to capture the throne from the king Yazdegerd I, who was in his death-bed.
Death
Yazdegerd I died in the year 419 or 420. However, the circumstances surrounding Yazdegerd's death are not clear. According to popular legend, he was killed during his stay in HyrcaniaHyrcania
Hyrcania was the name of a satrapy located in the territories of present day Gilan, Golestan, Mazandaran and part of Turkmenistan, lands south of the Caspian Sea. To the Greeks, the Caspian Sea was the "Hyrcanian Sea".-Etymology:...
by a fabulous horse which emerged magically from a stream. However, this is believed to be some sort of allusion to his death at the hands of his nobles. However, Yazdegerd I is more likely to have died due to sickness than fallen a victim of conspiracy.
War of succession
When Yazdegerd I was overcome by mortal illness in the year 419, Shapur immediately rushed to Ctesiphon to claim the Sassanian throne leaving behind a viceroy to govern Armenia. But the viceroy-designate was killed soon after Shapur left Armenia. A battle of succession followed and lasted for three years after Yazdegerd's death. Shapur was treacherously killed by the courtiers in the initial stages of the battle. Bahram V arrived from Hira and captured the throne after defeating the Persian nobles with an Arab army in a three-year-long battle. Narseh, another son of Yazdegerd I was appointed governor of KhorasanGreater Khorasan
Greater Khorasan or Ancient Khorasan is a historical region of Greater Iran mentioned in sources from Sassanid and Islamic eras which "frequently" had a denotation wider than current three provinces of Khorasan in Iran...
.
Coins of Yazdegerd I
The coins of Yazdegerd are not of much artistic value. They all bear the head of a middle-aged man, with a short beard and hair gathered behind the head in a cluster of curls. The distinguishing mark is the inflated ball above the headdress which is adorned with a crescent in the front. On the reverse side of the coin is a fire-altar. The coins bear the legend: "Mazdisn bag ramashtras Izdikerti, malkan malka Airan," or "the Ormazd-worshipping divine most peaceful Isdigerd, king of the kings of Iran;" and on the reverse, Ramashtras Izdikerti, "the most peaceful Isdigerd". In some cases, Yazdegerd's coins also bear the names of "Ardashatri" (Artaxerxes) or, "Varahran", probably a reference to Ardeshir, the founder of the Sassanid EmpireSassanid Empire
The Sassanid Empire , known to its inhabitants as Ērānshahr and Ērān in Middle Persian and resulting in the New Persian terms Iranshahr and Iran , was the last pre-Islamic Persian Empire, ruled by the Sasanian Dynasty from 224 to 651...
and Yazdegerd I's son Bahram V
Bahram V
Bahram V was the fourteenth Sassanid King of Persia . Also called Bahram Gur or Bahramgur , he was a son of Yazdegerd I , after whose sudden death he gained the crown against the opposition of the grandees by the help of Mundhir, the Arab dynast of al-Hirah.- Reign and war with Rome :Bahram V...
or Bahramgur. Perhaps a more reasonable account of the matter would be that Yazdegerd had originally a son Ardeshir, whom he intended to make his successor, but that this son died or offended him, and that then he gave his place to Bahramgur.