The Mihranids were an

Iranian Iranian may refer to: * Iran, a sovereign state * Iranian peoples, the speakers of the Iranian languages. The term Iranic peoples is also used for this term to distinguish the pan ethnic term from Iranian, used for the people of Iran * Iranian lan ...

family which ruled several regions of

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 ...

from 330 to 821. They claimed to be of Sasanian Persian descent but were of

Parthia Parthia ( peo, 𐎱𐎼𐎰𐎺 ''Parθava''; xpr, 𐭐𐭓𐭕𐭅 ''Parθaw''; pal, 𐭯𐭫𐭮𐭥𐭡𐭥 ''Pahlaw'') is a historical region located in northeastern Greater Iran. It was conquered and subjugated by the empire of the Med ...

n origin.Encyclopedia Iranica. M. L. Chaumont. Albania.
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History

The dynasty was founded when a certain Mihran, a distant relative of Sasanian, settled in the region of

Gardman Gardman ( hy, Գարդման), also known as Gardmank, was one of the eight cantons of the ancient province of Utik in the Kingdom of Armenia and simultaneously, together with the canton of Tuchkatak, an Armenian principality. It roughly corre ...

Utik Utik ( hy, Ուտիք, also known as Uti, Utiq, or Outi) was a historic province of the Kingdom of Armenia. It was ceded to Caucasian Albania following the partition of Armenia between Sassanid Persia and the Eastern Roman Empire in 387 AD. Most ...

. He was probably a member of a branch of the Mihranid family which was listed among the

Seven Great Houses of Iran The Seven Great Houses of Iran, also known as the seven Parthian clans, were seven feudal aristocracies of Parthian origin, who were allied with the Sasanian court. The Parthian clans all claimed ancestry from Achaemenid Persians. The seven Great ...

, and whose two other lines ruled

Iberia The Iberian Peninsula (), ** * Aragonese language, Aragonese and Occitan language, Occitan: ''Peninsula Iberica'' ** ** * french: Péninsule Ibérique * mwl, Península Eibérica * eu, Iberiar penintsula also known as Iberia, is a pe ...

(

Chosroid Dynasty The Chosroid dynasty (a Latinization of ''Khosro anni'', ka, ხოსრო ��ანები), also known as the Iberian Mihranids, were a dynasty of the kings and later the presiding princes of the early Georgian state of Iberia from the 4 ...

) and

Gogarene Gugark ( hy, Գուգարք, lat, Gogarene, Greek: ''Γογαρινή'') was the 13th province of the ancient kingdom of Armenia. It now comprises parts of northern Armenia, northeast Turkey, and southwest Georgia. Etymology Etymologically ...

Gugark Gugark ( hy, Գուգարք, lat, Gogarene, Greek: ''Γογαρινή'') was the 13th province of the ancient kingdom of Armenia. It now comprises parts of northern Armenia, northeast Turkey, and southwest Georgia. Etymology Etymologically ...

. The most prominent representatives of the family in the 7th century were Varaz Grigor, his son

Javanshir Javanshir (alternate spellings: Javansher, Juansher, Ĵovenšēr, Jivanshir; '' pal, Juvānšēr''; literally "young lion"), was the prince of Caucasian Albania from 637 to 680, hailing from the region of Gardman. His life and deeds were the subje ...

, and Varaz-Tiridates I. Mihranids assumed a Persian title of Arranshahs (i.e.

shah Shah (; fa, شاه, , ) is a royal title that was historically used by the leading figures of Iranian monarchies.Yarshater, EhsaPersia or Iran, Persian or Farsi, ''Iranian Studies'', vol. XXII no. 1 (1989) It was also used by a variety of ...

s of Arran, Persian name of Albania). The family's rule came to an end after the assassination of Varaz-Tiridates II by Nerseh Pilippean in 822–23. Subsequently

Sahl Smbatean Sahl Smbatean EṙanshahikMovses Kaghankatvatsi. ''History of Aghuank''. Critical text and introduction by Varag Arakelyan. Matenadaran" Institute of Ancient Manuscripts after Mesrop Mashtots. Yerevan, Armenian SSR: Armenian Academy of Sciences, 198 ...

, a descendant of the aforementioned Arranshahik (Eṙanšahik) family, assumed the title of ArranshahMinorsky, Vladimir. ''Caucasica IV''. Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London, Vol. 15, No. 3. (1953), pp. 504-529. and ruled significant part of Caucasian Albania.

Mihranids of Gogarene

Peroz Feroz or Firuz is a Persian name meaning 'victorious', derived from the middle Persian name Peroz or Piruz. Related names are Phiroze, Feroze, and Parviz. It may refer to: People (historical) * Peroz I (), Sasanian king of Iran * Peroz II (), Sas ...

(330–361) * Unknown (361–394) * Bakur I (394–400) * Arshusha I (400–430) * Bakur II (430–455) * Arshusha II (455–470) *

Varsken Varsken (Middle Persian: ''Vazgēn'') was an Iranian prince from the Mihranid family of Gugark, who served as the (margrave) of the region from 470 to 482. He was the son and successor of Arshusha II. Upon the death of his father, Varsken we ...

(470–482) * Arshusha III (482–540) * Arshusha IV (540–608) * Vahram-Arshusha V (608–627) * Arshusha VI (???–748)

Mihranids of Gardman

(330–361) * Khurs (361–430) * Barzabod (430–440) * Varaz-Bakur (440–450) * Mihr (450–480) * Armayel (480–510) * Vard I (510–540) * Vardan I (540–570) * Vard II (570–600)

Mihranids of Caucasian Albania

* Varaz Grigor (628–636) *

(636–680) * Varaz-Tiridates I (680–705) ** Shiruye (699–704, usurper) * Vardan II (705–740) * Narseh-Dzndak (740–770) * Gagikh (770–790) *

Stephanos I Stephanos or Stefanos, in Greek , is a masculine given name derived from the Greek word (''stéphanos''), meaning "wreath, crown" and by extension "reward, honor, renown, fame", from the verb (''stéphein''), "to encircle, to wreathe". In Ancien ...

(790–821) * Varaz-Tiridates II (821–822)

References

Sources

* * * * {{cite book , title = The Chronology of the Early Kings of Iberia , year = 1969 , publisher = Fordham University Press , last = Toumanoff , first = Cyril , pages = 1–33 , url = https://books.google.com/books?id=SShdygAACAAJ Medieval history of the Caucasus 4th century in Iran Ancient history of the Caucasus