Chihr-Burzen, also known as Simah-i Burzin, was an

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 ...

nobleman from the

House of Karen The House of Karen (; ; , or ), also known as Karen-Pahlav (), was one of the Seven Great Houses of Iran during the rule of Parthian and Sasanian Empires. The seat of the dynasty was at Nahavand, about 65 km south of Ecbatana (present-day ...

, who served as the

Sasanian 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 ...

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 ...

'' of

Khorasan KhorasanDabeersiaghi, Commentary on Safarnâma-e Nâsir Khusraw, 6th Ed. Tehran, Zavvâr: 1375 (Solar Hijri Calendar) 235–236 (; , ) is a historical eastern region in the Iranian Plateau in West and Central Asia that encompasses western and no ...

Biography

Chihr-Burzen was the son of the powerful Sasanian noble

Sukhra Sukhra (also spelled Sufaray, Sufray, Surkhab, Sarafra'i) was an Iranian nobleman from the House of Karen, who was the '' de facto'' ruler of the Sasanian Empire from 484 to 493. He was active during the reign of shah Peroz I (r. 457-484), Balas ...

, and had eight other brothers, which included the prominent nobleman

Bozorgmehr Bozorgmehr-e Bokhtagan (Middle Persian: ''Wuzurgmihr ī Bōkhtagān''), also known as Burzmihr, Dadmihr and Dadburzmihr, was an Iranian peoples, Iranian sage and dignitary from the House of Karen, Karen family, who served as minister (''Wuzurg fr ...

. Chihr-Burzen is first mentioned during the reign of

Khosrau I Khosrow I (also spelled Khosrau, Khusro or Chosroes; ), traditionally known by his epithet of Anushirvan ("the Immortal Soul"), was the Sasanian King of Kings of Iran from 531 to 579. He was the son and successor of Kavad I (). Inheriting a rei ...

, as one of the elites and most prominent men of the Empire. He, along with two other powerful magnates named

Izadgushasp Izadgushasp (also spelled Yazdgushnasp), known in Byzantine sources as Isdigousnas Zikh, was an Iranian nobleman from the House of Mihran, who served as one of Khosrow I's ''viziers'' ('' wuzurg framadar''). Biography Izadgushasp is first mention ...

and Bahram-i Mah Adhar, were asked by Khosrau I to choose his successor. The family of Chihr-Burzen, including many other prominent aristocracy families, eventually elected Khosrau's son Hormizd as the heir of the Empire. In 579, Khosrau was succeeded by his son

Hormizd IV Hormizd IV (also spelled Hormozd IV or Ohrmazd IV; ) was the Sasanian King of Kings of Iran from 579 to 590. He was the son and successor of Khosrow I () and his mother was a Khazar princess. During his reign, Hormizd IV had the high aristoc ...

, who removed Chihr-Burzen as the spahbed of Khorasan and replaced him with his brother Bozorgmehr. During the 580s, Hormizd ordered the death of 13,600 nobles and religious members, which included Chihr-Burzen.

References

Sources

*{{cite book, last=Pourshariati, first=Parvaneh, title=Decline and Fall of the Sasanian Empire: The Sasanian-Parthian Confederacy and the Arab Conquest of Iran, location=London, United Kingdom, publisher=I.B. Tauris, year=2008, isbn=978-1-84511-645-3, url=https://books.google.com/books?id=I-xtAAAAMAAJ 6th-century births 580s deaths 6th-century Iranian people Executed military personnel House of Karen People executed by the Sasanian Empire Spahbeds Generals of Khosrow I