Marzban - Citizendia

Marzban (in Persian: مرزبان, derived from the words Marz مرز meaning "border" or "boundary" and the suffix -ban بان meaning guardian) were a class of margraves or military commanders in charge of border provinces of the Sassanid Empire of Persia (Iran) between 3rd and 7th centuries CE. Margrave (marchio is the English and French form (recorded since 1551 of the German Title Markgraf (from Mark " The Sassanid Empire or Sassanian Dynasty or Sassanian Dynasty (ساسانیان) is the name used for the third Iranian dynasty and the second Persian empire The Persian Empire was a series of Iranian empires that ruled over the Iranian plateau, the original Persian homeland and beyond in Western Asia

Marzbans were granted the administration of the border provinces and were responsible for maintaining the security of the trade routes, fighting the encroaching nomadic tribes such as Bedouin Arabs, White Huns and Oghuz Turks, and holding the first line of defense against settled enemies such as Romans and Kushans. The Bedouin, (from the Arabic (ar بدوي pl badū) are a desert-dwelling Arab Nomadic pastoralist, or previously The Hephthalites or White Huns were a Central Asian Nomadic confederation whose precise origins and composition remain obscure The Oghuz (variously known as Ghuzz, Guozz, Kuz, Oguz, Oğuz, Okuz, Oufoi, Ouz, Ouzoi, Ancient Rome was a Civilization that grew out of a small agricultural community founded on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 10th century BC The Kushan Empire (c 1st &ndash 3rd centuries) was a Bactrian state that at its cultural zenith Circa 105 &ndash 250

Sassanid Shahanshah (king of kings) usually selected Marzbans from Bozorgan, Persian noble families who held the most powerful positions in the imperial administration. Shah is an Iranian term for a Monarch (leader that has been adopted in many other languages The rank of Marzban, like most imperial administration, was mostly patrimonial, and was passed down through a single family for generations. Marzbans of greatest seniority were permitted a silver throne, while Marzbans of the most strategic border provinces, such as the Caucasus province, were allowed a golden throne. The Caucasus ( also referred to as North Caucasus) is a geopolitical region located between Europe Asia & Middle East ^[1] In military campaigns the regional Marzbans could be regarded as field marshals, while lesser spahbods could command a field army. Spahbod or Spahbed ( Persian: سپهبد in Modern Persian Sepahbod, is derived from the words Spah سپه army bod ^[2]

It is not clear whether they had authority over castles in their area of operation, as Argbadhs were responsible for castles. Argbadh (derived from the words Arg meaning "castle" or "fortress" and the suffix -ban بان meaning guardian were a class of military In many ways, Persian Marzbans had the same function and status as medieval Germanic Margraves. layout and formatting it should ensure no clashes with the top of the infobox The Germanic peoples are a historical group of Indo-European -speaking peoples originating in Northern Europe and identified by their use of the Germanic Margrave (marchio is the English and French form (recorded since 1551 of the German Title Markgraf (from Mark " The Marzban of Abarshahr in Central Asia was called "Kenarang". Abarshahr was a Satrapy (province of the Sassanid Empire. The population was supported by the Hari river which was used for irrigation Central Asia is a region of Asia from the Caspian Sea in the west to central China in the east and from southern Russia in the north to northern Pakistan in the south

Notes

^ Nicolle, p. 10
^ Nicolle, p. 14

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