Kanarang
Encyclopedia
The kanārang was a unique title in the Sassanid army
, given to the commander of the Sassanid Empire
's northeasternmost frontier province, Abarshahr
(encompassing the cities of Tus, Nishapur
and Abiward
). In Byzantine
sources, it is rendered as chanaranges and often used, for instance by Procopius
, in lieu of the holder's actual name.
The title was used instead of the more conventional marzbān
, which was held by the rest of the Persian frontier wardens. Like the other marzbān, the position was hereditary. The family holding it (the Kanārangīyān) is first attested in the reign of Yazdegerd I
(r. 399–421), but was descended from some pre-Sassanid, most likely Parthian, dynasty. They enjoyed a high prestige and great authority in the Sassanid Empire's northeastern borderlands, as reflected in their glorified description in the Shahnameh
of the great Persian poet Ferdowsi
.
The family was active until the very end of the Sassanid realm. A man called Kanāra in Arab sources commanded the Persian light cavalry at the decisive Battle of al-Qādisiyyah
, and his son, Shahrīyār bin Kanāra, is reported to have fought valiantly before being killed. The family is later recorded as assisting the Muslim conquest of Khorasan
by Abdullah ibn Aamir
, and being rewarded with the right to keep the province of Tus and half of Nishapur province under their control.
Sassanid army
The birth of the Sassanid army dates back to the rise of Ardashir I , the founder of the Sassanid dynasty, to the throne. Ardashir aimed at the revival of the Persian Empire, and to further this aim, he reformed the military by forming a standing army which was under his personal command and whose...
, given to the commander of the Sassanid Empire
Sassanid 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...
's northeasternmost frontier province, Abarshahr
Abarshahr
Abarshahr was a satrapy of the Sassanid Empire. The population was supported by the Hari river, which was used for irrigation. Strabo cited the regions abundant wine-production. Cities in the region were Candac, Artacauan, and Apameia, and Pushang , among others...
(encompassing the cities of Tus, Nishapur
Nishapur
Nishapur or Nishabur , is a city in the Razavi Khorasan province in northeastern Iran, situated in a fertile plain at the foot of the Binalud Mountains, near the regional capital of Mashhad...
and Abiward
Abiward
Abiward or Abi-ward, was an ancient Sassanid city in modern-day Turkmenistan.Archaeological excavations at the ancient city of Abiward have been made in the last century to about 8 km west of the Kahka station in an area of 12,000 m2. The central tell is 60 feet high and 700 feet round.- External...
). In Byzantine
Byzantine
Byzantine usually refers to the Roman Empire during the Middle Ages.Byzantine may also refer to:* A citizen of the Byzantine Empire, or native Greek during the Middle Ages...
sources, it is rendered as chanaranges and often used, for instance by 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...
, in lieu of the holder's actual name.
The title was used instead of the more conventional marzbān
Marzban
Marzban were a class of margraves or military commanders in charge of border provinces of the Sassanid Empire of Persia between the 3rd and 7th centuries CE....
, which was held by the rest of the Persian frontier wardens. Like the other marzbān, the position was hereditary. The family holding it (the Kanārangīyān) is first attested in the reign of Yazdegerd I
Yazdegerd I
Yazdegerd I, or Izdekerti , 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 and by others to be son of Bahram IV...
(r. 399–421), but was descended from some pre-Sassanid, most likely Parthian, dynasty. They enjoyed a high prestige and great authority in the Sassanid Empire's northeastern borderlands, as reflected in their glorified description in the Shahnameh
Shahnameh
The Shahnameh or Shah-nama is a long epic poem written by the Persian poet Ferdowsi between c.977 and 1010 AD and is the national epic of Iran and related societies...
of the great Persian poet Ferdowsi
Ferdowsi
Ferdowsi was a highly revered Persian poet. He was the author of the Shahnameh, the national epic of Iran and related societies.The Shahnameh was originally composed by Ferdowsi for the princes of the Samanid dynasty, who were responsible for a revival of Persian cultural traditions after the...
.
The family was active until the very end of the Sassanid realm. A man called Kanāra in Arab sources commanded the Persian light cavalry at the decisive Battle of al-Qādisiyyah
Battle of al-Qadisiyyah
The Battle of al-Qādisiyyah was fought in 636; it was the decisive engagement between the Arab muslim army and the Sassanid Persian army during the first period of Muslim expansion. It resulted in the Islamic conquest of Persia, and was key to the conquest of Iraq...
, and his son, Shahrīyār bin Kanāra, is reported to have fought valiantly before being killed. The family is later recorded as assisting the Muslim conquest of Khorasan
Greater 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...
by Abdullah ibn Aamir
Abdullah ibn Aamir
Abdullah ibn Aamir was a governor of Busra and an extremely successful military general during the reign of Rashidun Caliph Uthman ibn Affan. He is well known for his administrative and military prowess.-Early life:...
, and being rewarded with the right to keep the province of Tus and half of Nishapur province under their control.
Known holders of the post
- Gushnaspdad, attested 484–488
- AdhurgunbadhAdhurgunbadhAdhurgunbadh, rendered in Greek as Adergoudounbades , was a prominent Sassanid Persian nobleman, general and kanarang in the reigns of Kavadh I , and Khosrau II . His life is known only through the work of the Byzantine historian Procopius.Adhurgunbadh first appears in 488...
, 488–541 - Bahram, from 541