Namdar Gushnasp was a leading

Iranian Iranian () may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to Iran ** Iranian diaspora, Iranians living outside Iran ** Iranian architecture, architecture of Iran and parts of the rest of West Asia ** Iranian cuisine, cooking traditions and practic ...

military leader in 7th-century

Sasanian Iran The Sasanian Empire (), officially Eranshahr ( , "Empire of the Iranians"), was an Iranian empire that was founded and ruled by the House of Sasan from 224 to 651. Enduring for over four centuries, the length of the Sasanian dynasty's reign ...

, who played a major role during the early stages of the

Sasanian civil war of 628–632 The Sasanian civil war of 628–632, also known as the Sasanian Interregnum was a conflict that broke out after the execution of the Sasanian king Khosrow II between the nobles of different factions, notably the Parthian (''Pahlav'') faction, the ...

. He was the leader of the ''Nimruzi'', a faction named after the southeastern frontier region of Nemroz, where the faction was situated.

Biography

Nemroz was originally under the governorship of the military commander (''

spahbed ''Spāhbad'' (also spelled ''spahbod'') is a Middle Persian title meaning "army chief" used chiefly in the Sasanian Empire. Originally there was a single ''spāhbad'', called the , who functioned as the generalissimo of the Military of the Sasani ...

'')

Shahrbaraz Shahrbaraz (also spelled Shahrvaraz or Shahrwaraz; New Persian: ) was shah (king) of the Sasanian Empire from 27 April 630 to 9 June 630. He usurped the throne from Ardashir III, and was killed by Iranian nobles after forty days. Before usurp ...

. However, when the latter rebelled during the late reign of king (

shah Shāh (; ) is a royal title meaning "king" in the Persian language.Yarshater, Ehsa, ''Iranian Studies'', vol. XXII, no. 1 (1989) Though chiefly associated with the monarchs of Iran, it was also used to refer to the leaders of numerous Per ...

)

Khosrow II Khosrow II (spelled Chosroes II in classical sources; and ''Khosrau''), commonly known as Khosrow Parviz (New Persian: , "Khosrow the Victorious"), is considered to be the last great Sasanian King of Kings (Shahanshah) of Iran, ruling from 590 ...

, he was dismissed from the post. Not long afterwards, Khosrow II was overthrown and executed by his son

Kavad II Kavad II () was the Sasanian King of Kings () of Iran briefly in 628. Born Sheroe, he was the son of Khosrow II () and Maria. With help from different factions of the nobility, Sheroe overthrew his father in a coup d'état in 628. At this junct ...

, resulting in a power vacuum in the region. A faction took the opportunity to take control of the region under the leadership of Namdar Gushnasp, who assumed the title of ''spahbed'', even if the title did not have any significance during the civil war that followed after Khosrow II's death. With his fall, the most powerful members of the nobility gained full autonomy and started to create their own government. The hostilities between the Persian (''Parsig'') and

Parthia Parthia ( ''Parθava''; ''Parθaw''; ''Pahlaw'') is a historical region located in northeastern Greater Iran. It was conquered and subjugated by the empire of the Medes during the 7th century BC, was incorporated into the subsequent Achaemeni ...

n (''Pahlav'') noble families were also resumed, which broke up the wealth of the nation. A few months later, the devastating

Plague of Sheroe The Plague of Shiryue (627–628) or Shiruye's Plague takes its name from the Sasanian monarch Kavad II, whose birth name was Shiruye. The plague was an epidemic that devastated the western provinces of the Sasanian Empire just before the Arab I ...

swept through the western Sasanian provinces. Half the population, including Kavad II himself, perished. He was succeeded by his eight-year-old son, who became

Ardashir III Ardashir III (; 62127 April 630) was the Sasanian King of Kings () of Iran from 6 September 628 to 27 April 630. Name ''Ardashir'' is the Middle Persian form of the Old Persian ''Ṛtaxšira'' (also spelled ''Artaxšaçā'', meaning "whose rei ...

. Ardashir's ascension was supported by both the ''Pahlav'', ''Parsig'', and the ''Nimruzi''. However, sometime in 629, Namdar Gushnasp and the ''Nimruzi'' withdrew their support for the shah, and started to conspire with Shahrbaraz to overthrow him. The ''Pahlav'', under their leader

Farrukh Hormizd Farrukh Hormizd or Farrokh Hormizd (), also known as Hormizd V, was an Iranian prince, who was one of the leading figures in Sasanian Iran in the early 7th-century. He served as the military commander (''spahbed'') of northern Iran. He later came ...

of the

Ispahbudhan The House of Ispahbudhan or the House of Aspahbadh was one of the Seven Great Houses of the Sasanian Empire. Like the Sasanian dynasty, they claimed descent from the Achaemenid dynasty. They also claimed descent from the legendary Kayanian fig ...

clan, responded by supporting Khosrow II's daughter

Boran Boran (also spelled Buran, Middle Persian: ) was Sasanian queen ('' banbishn'') of Iran from 630 to 632, with an interruption of some months. She was the daughter of king (or ''shah'') Khosrow II () and the Byzantine princess Maria. She is th ...

as the new ruler of Iran, who subsequently started minting coins in the ''Pahlav'' areas of

Amol Amol ( ; ) is a city in the Central District (Amol County), Central District of Amol County, Mazandaran province, Mazandaran province, Iran, serving as capital of both the county and the district. Amol is located on the Haraz River bank. It is ...

Nishapur Nishapur or Neyshabur (, also ) is a city in the Central District (Nishapur County), Central District of Nishapur County, Razavi Khorasan province, Razavi Khorasan province, Iran, serving as capital of both the county and the district. Ni ...

Gurgan Gorgan (; ) is a city in the Central District of Gorgan County, Golestan province, Iran, serving as capital of the province, the county, and the district. It lies approximately to the northeast of the national capital Tehran, and some a ...

and

Ray Ray or RAY may refer to: Fish * Ray (fish), any cartilaginous fish of the superorder Batoidea * Ray (fish fin anatomy), the bony or horny spine on ray-finned fish Science and mathematics * Half-line (geometry) or ray, half of a line split at an ...

. On 27 April 630, Ardashir III was killed by Shahrbaraz, who ascended the throne.

References

Sources

* * {{cite encyclopedia , last = Shahbazi , first = A. Shapur , authorlink=Alireza Shapour Shahbazi , title = Sasanian dynasty , url = http://www.iranicaonline.org/articles/sasanian-dynasty , year = 2005 , encyclopedia = Encyclopaedia Iranica 7th-century deaths Year of birth unknown 7th-century Iranian people Sasanian generals