| House of Ispahbudhan | |
|---|---|
| Parent house | House of Koshm,House of Arsaces |
| Country | Parthian Empire,Sasanian Empire |
| Founder | Aspahpet Pahlav |
| Current head | None, extinct |
| Titles | Spahbed |
| Members | Farrukh Hormizd,Rostam Farrokhzad,Farrukhzad |
| Estate(s) | Khorasan,Gurgan,[1]Adurbadagan |
| Cadet branches | Bavand dynasty |
TheHouse of Ispahbudhan or theHouse of Aspahbadh was one of theSeven Great Houses of the Sasanian Empire. Like theSasanian dynasty, they claimed descent from theAchaemenid dynasty.[2] They also claimed descent from the legendaryKayanian figureEsfandiyār,[3] who was the son ofVishtaspa, who according toZoroastrian sources was one ofZoroaster's early followers.[4]
The family traced its descent back to military marshals (spahbeds) and occupied important offices in the realm. According to a romanticized legend about their origin, a daughter of theParthian emperorPhraates IV (r. 37–2 BC), named Koshm, married a "general of all Iranians"; their offspring bore the title of "Aspahpet Pahlav", later forming the Ispahbudhan clan.[5] Through their Arsacid lineage, the Ispahbudhan claimed to be descendants of the Kayanian kingsDara II andEsfandiyār.[6]
Under the Sasanians, the Ispahbudhan enjoyed such a high status that they were acknowledged as "kin and partners of the Sasanians".[6] Although the hereditary homeland of the Ispahbudhan seems to have been Khorasan, the family over time came to rule the northwestern quarter (kust) ofAdurbadagan (not to be confused with the namesake province ofAdurbadagan).[7] The family included many powerful men in theSasanian Empire closely related to the House of Sasan such asFarrukh Hormizd,Farrukhzad,Rostam Farrokhzad,Vistahm,Isfandyadh etc.
In 651, theMuslims invaded Adurbadagan, which was the domain of the Ispahbudhan brothersIsfandyadh and Bahram. Isfandyadh made a stand against the Arabs, where a battle was fought. He was, however, defeated and captured by the Arabs.[8] While Isfandyadh was in captivity, he told the Arab generalBukayr ibn Abdallah, that if he sought to conquer Adurbadagan quickly and peacefully, he should make peace with him. According toBal'ami, Isfandyadh is known to have said that: "If you [were to] kill me all of Adurbadagan [will] rise in avenging my blood, and will wage war against you."[8] The Arab general accepted Isfandyadh's advice and made peace with him. However, Bahram, the brother of Isfandyadh, refused to submit to the Arab forces and kept resisting them. However, he was quickly defeated and forced to flee from Adurbadagan.[9] Adurbadagan thus came under Arab suzerainty.