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Marzbān, orMarzpān[1] (Middle Persian transliteration: mrzwpn, derived frommarz "border, boundary" and the suffix-pān "guardian";Modern Persian:مرزبانMarzbān) were a class ofmargraves, warden of the marches, and by extension military commanders,[2] in charge of border provinces of theParthian Empire (247 BC–224 AD) and mostlySasanian Empire (224–651 AD) of Iran.
The Persian wordmarz is derived fromAvestanmarəza "frontier, border";pān/pāvan is cognate withAvestan andOld Persianpat "protector". The word was borrowed from New Persian into Arabic asمرزبانmarzubān (pluralمرازبةmarāziba). "Al-Marzubani" (المرزباني) has been used as anisba (family title) for some Iranian families whose ancestor was a marzbān. The prominent Islamic scholarAbu Hanifa, whose formal name is given in Islamic sources as Nu'man ibn Thabit ibn Zutaibn Marzubān (نعمان بن ثابت بن زوطا بن مرزبان), was descended from the marzbāns ofKabul, where his father came from. TheBavand (651–1349 AD) andSallarid (919–1062 AD) dynasty rulers also usedmarzubān in their name.
The word marzban was borrowed intoArmenian asmarzpan (մարզպան) and intoGeorgian asmarzapani (მარზაპანი).[3]
The ranks tradition (primarily ofvāspuhrān andāzādān) can be traced to theAchaemenid Empire (550–330 BC),[4][5] but due to lack of sources even in theParthian Empire (247 BC – 224 AD) the existence of a proper classification of ranks is unknown,[6][7] in comparison to the Sasanian royal inscriptions from the 3rd century AD when the aristocracy was divided into four or five ranks;[6][4]šahrdārān (kings, landholders),vāspuhrān (princes; theseven great noble families[4]),wuzurgān (magnates; "great ones"[4]), lower nobilityāzādān (feudal nobles; freemen), andkadag-xwadāy (householders).[8] The Sasanian military organization was more sophisticated than the inherited Parthian system.[5] The caste system wasn't rigid as in India, but the ruling officiers were mostly fromwuzurgān caste.[4][9] There's a possibility that the Late Sasanianmarzbānān also originated from theāzādān,[10] who mostly were lords of villages (dihqānān), supplied the cavalry with young riders (asbārān), or were bodyguards and security forces with titlesbandagān,ayyārān orjānbāzān, all signifying association with the king.[11]
The titlemarzbān can be dated to the Parthian Empire, where in the frontier areas such asNisa (1st century BC[12]) are found titlesmrzwpn (marzban), probably an officier in charge of the frontier troops, anddyzpty, an officier in charge of a fort.[13] Some scholars consider thatmarzbāns existed during the reign ofDarius I (550–486 BC) of the Achaemenid Empire.[14] There is some uncertainty for the exact relationship between titlesmarzbān,spāhbed,kanārang,pāygōsbān (Parthianptykwspn, Sasanianpaygospān orpadhospān[13]) andostāndār.[15][16] The historical sources blur the distinction between themarzbān andspāhbed (army general or military governor), implyingmarzbān was a military title strictly limited to the frontier marches and provinces.[15] The least clear is the distinction withkanārang, apparently an East-Iranian derivation ofmarzbān in the provinceAbarshahr inCentral Asia.[15] Thepāygōsbān, meaning "guardian of the district",[16] is an uncertain title,[13] seemingly provincial military commanders or governors, while themarzbān meant "guardian of the borders, provinces".[15][16] Perhaps thepāygōsbān lacked civilian duties.[17] Theostāndār was the governor of anostān (province or district within a province).[15]
The primary sources imply themarzbān was a provincional function practiced for a single or multiple provinces,[18][19] but there is no evidence for a "quarter of the empire", asal-Masudi entitledŠahrwarāz (629 AD).[16] The rank ofmarzbān, like most imperial administration, was mostly patrimonial, and was passed down through a single family for generations. Themarzbāns of greatest seniority were permitted a silver throne, whilemarzbāns of the most strategic border provinces, such as the province of Armenia, were allowed a golden throne.[9] In military campaigns the regionalmarzbāns could be regarded as field marshals, while lesserspāhbeds could command a field army.[20]
The function ofmarzbān changed over the years, with smaller territorial units being part of the civil administration.[17] In the early years the mainmarzbān regions wereArmenia,Beth Aramaye,Pars,Kirman,Spahan,Adurbadagan,Tabaristan,Nishapur,Tus,Sakastan,Mazun,Harev,Marv andSarakhs,[21] several mentioned belonging to theGreater Khorasan.[21] Some regions enjoyed considerable autonomy while other were militarily more important, for example the Adurbadagan facing theCaucasus was special military frontier.[22]
Marzbāns were granted the administration of the border provinces and were responsible for maintaining the security of thetrade routes, fighting the encroaching nomadic tribes such asBedouin Arabs,White Huns andOghuz Turks, and holding the first line of defense against settled enemies such asRomans andKushans.[23] During the reign ofKhosrow I (531–579 AD) were heldmilitary reforms by which were createdfour frontier regions (Khwarasan,Khwarwaran, Nemroz, Adurbadagan) withspāhbed in charge, sometimes still called asmarzbān, but now generally considered for more central provinces.[24] Also, the previous gentry rankdihqānān was moulded into influential "nobility of service" which became the backbone of the Sasanian state.[25] However, this measures of centralization caused the transfer of the power to the military (thedihqānān gradually became more independent from the government, while the four largespāhbed territories quasi-independent fiefs), and led to the eventual disintegration of the Empire.[26]
The Sasanian social, administrative and military structure and system was inherited by the Medieval Islamic civilization,[17] however, themarzbāns steadily disappeared depending on the region, as such in Iraq diminished and were replaced by Muslim frontier warriorsmuqātila, while in Khorasan still had special privileges.[27] In generally were replaced by the titledihqānān.[27]
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