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Selected Papers by Mehrdad Ghodrat-Dizaji

Research paper thumbnail of “Administrative Geography of the Early Sasanian Period: The Case of Ādurbādagān”, Iran, Journal of the British Institute of  Persian Studies, vol. 45, 2007, pp. 87-96.

Research paper thumbnail of “Ādurbādagān during the Late Sasanian Period: A Study in Administrative Geography”, Iran, Journal of the British Institute of Persian Studies, vol. 48, 2010, pp. 69-80.

From the early Sasanian period, Ērānšahr (the land of Iranians) was divided into a multitude of p... more From the early Sasanian period, Ērānšahr (the land of Iranians) was divided into a multitude of provinces governed by šahrabs. In the sixth century AD, the old divisions of the Empire underwent changes and a new organisation emerged. According to this reorganisation, the Empire was divided, on the pattern of the four cardinal points, into four quarters or sides and each one was subdivided into provinces. From this time, the province of Ādurbādagān along with provinces such as Gīlān and Albania formed one of the provinces of the northern quarter of the country. Since the North (abāxtar) was considered to be the region of demons in Zoroastrianism, the northern quarter was named Ādurbādagān, after its most important province. However, the wide application of other names to this quarter in Sasanian and Sasanian-based sources demonstrates that the use of the name of Ādurbādagān province to refer to abāxtar was prevalent for a short period and with the collapse of Sasanian quadripartite organisation, this nomenclature fell into oblivion. Following Sasanian traditions, post-Sasanian sources applied the name of Azerbaijan to the province situated between the Sipīd-rūd and Aras Rivers whose main centres were Ardabīl, Ganzag, and Shīz. Sealings found in Takht-i Sulaymān, belonging to Sasanian officials, attest the importance of the province for the Sasanians.

Research paper thumbnail of “Disintegration of Sasanian Hegemony over Northern Iran (AD 623-643)”, Iranica Antiqua, vol. 46, 2011, pp. 315-329.

From the 6th century AD onward, the Sasanian Empire tried to build up its military strength and d... more From the 6th century AD onward, the Sasanian Empire tried to build up its military strength and defense system by dividing the country into four Kusts or quarters and erected fortifications and fortified walls in each Kust. One of these defensive walls was erected in the northern Kust in order to defend the borders of the empire against northern nomads. Perhaps the most important defensive walls of the empire in the northern quarter were in the passes of the northern Caucasus, especially at Darband. These fortifications were heavily damaged in the course of Sasanian-Byzantine wars (AD 603-628), which lead to the defeat of the Sasanian Empire. This was the advent of the disintegration of the Sasanian dynasty, which was later completed by Arab Muslim raids. The study of the archaeological, numismatic and literary evidence reveals that from this time (AD 623) onward, the Sasanians lost their control over the northern quarter and only practiced their weak domination over western and southern parts of the empire. The situation was like this until the downfall of the Sasanian dynasty through Arab Muslims and their penetration into Adurbadagan (AD 643).

Research paper thumbnail of “Remarks on the Location of the Province of Parthia in the Sasanian Period”, The Parthian and Early Sasanian Empires: Adaptation and Expansion, eds. Vesta Sarkhosh Curtis et al., Oxford & Philadelphia, Oxbow Books, 2016, pp. 42-46.

Encyclopaedia Entries by Mehrdad Ghodrat-Dizaji

Research paper thumbnail of “Ctesiphon” (in Persian), Encyclopaedia of Persian Language and Litereture, vol. 2, Tehran, 2007, pp. 457-459.

Research paper thumbnail of “Ardavan (Sasanian)” (in Persian), The Encyclopaedia of Iran, vol. 2, Tehran, 2007, p. 357.

Research paper thumbnail of “Artabanus (Achaemenid)”, (in Persian), The Encyclopaedia of Iran, vol. 2, Tehran, 2007, pp. 354-357.

Research paper thumbnail of “Artabanus I”, (in Persian), The Encyclopaedia of Iran, vol. 2, Tehran, 2007, p. 355.

Research paper thumbnail of “Artabanus II”, (in Persian), The Encyclopaedia of Iran, vol. 2, Tehran, 2007, pp. 355-356.

Research paper thumbnail of “Artabanus III”, (in Persian), The Encyclopaedia of Iran, vol. 2, Tehran, 2007, p. 356.

Research paper thumbnail of “Artabanus IV”, (in Persian), The Encyclopaedia of Iran, vol. 2, Tehran, 2007, pp. 356-357.

Research paper thumbnail of “Artaxerxes III”, (in Persian), The Encyclopaedia of Iran, vol. 2, Tehran, 2007, p. 335.

Research paper thumbnail of “Arvand Gošnasp”, (in Persian), The Encyclopaedia of Iran, vol. 2, Tehran, 2007, p. 602.

Research paper thumbnail of “Aryāramna”, (in Persian), The Encyclopaedia of Iran, vol. 2, Tehran, 2007, pp. 612-613.

Research paper thumbnail of “Orodes I”, (in Persian), The Encyclopaedia of Iran, vol. 2, Tehran, 2007, p. 310.

Research paper thumbnail of “Orodes II”, (in Persian), The Encyclopaedia of Iran, vol. 2, Tehran, 2007, p. 310.

Research paper thumbnail of “Orodes III” (in Persian), The Encyclopaedia of Iran, vol. 2, Tehran, 2007, p. 310.

Research paper thumbnail of “Damāvand”, (in Persian), Encyclopaedia of Persian Language and Litereture, vol. 3, Tehran, 2009, pp. 209-211.

Research paper thumbnail of “Samarqand” (in Persian), Encyclopaedia of Persian Language and Litereture, vol. 3, Tehran, 2009, pp. 737-738.

Research paper thumbnail of “Tabaristān” (in Persian), Encyclopaedia of Persian Language and Litereture, vol. 4, Tehran, 2012, pp. 481-483.

Research paper thumbnail of “Administrative Geography of the Early Sasanian Period: The Case of Ādurbādagān”, Iran, Journal of the British Institute of  Persian Studies, vol. 45, 2007, pp. 87-96.

Research paper thumbnail of “Ādurbādagān during the Late Sasanian Period: A Study in Administrative Geography”, Iran, Journal of the British Institute of Persian Studies, vol. 48, 2010, pp. 69-80.

From the early Sasanian period, Ērānšahr (the land of Iranians) was divided into a multitude of p... more From the early Sasanian period, Ērānšahr (the land of Iranians) was divided into a multitude of provinces governed by šahrabs. In the sixth century AD, the old divisions of the Empire underwent changes and a new organisation emerged. According to this reorganisation, the Empire was divided, on the pattern of the four cardinal points, into four quarters or sides and each one was subdivided into provinces. From this time, the province of Ādurbādagān along with provinces such as Gīlān and Albania formed one of the provinces of the northern quarter of the country. Since the North (abāxtar) was considered to be the region of demons in Zoroastrianism, the northern quarter was named Ādurbādagān, after its most important province. However, the wide application of other names to this quarter in Sasanian and Sasanian-based sources demonstrates that the use of the name of Ādurbādagān province to refer to abāxtar was prevalent for a short period and with the collapse of Sasanian quadripartite organisation, this nomenclature fell into oblivion. Following Sasanian traditions, post-Sasanian sources applied the name of Azerbaijan to the province situated between the Sipīd-rūd and Aras Rivers whose main centres were Ardabīl, Ganzag, and Shīz. Sealings found in Takht-i Sulaymān, belonging to Sasanian officials, attest the importance of the province for the Sasanians.

Research paper thumbnail of “Disintegration of Sasanian Hegemony over Northern Iran (AD 623-643)”, Iranica Antiqua, vol. 46, 2011, pp. 315-329.

From the 6th century AD onward, the Sasanian Empire tried to build up its military strength and d... more From the 6th century AD onward, the Sasanian Empire tried to build up its military strength and defense system by dividing the country into four Kusts or quarters and erected fortifications and fortified walls in each Kust. One of these defensive walls was erected in the northern Kust in order to defend the borders of the empire against northern nomads. Perhaps the most important defensive walls of the empire in the northern quarter were in the passes of the northern Caucasus, especially at Darband. These fortifications were heavily damaged in the course of Sasanian-Byzantine wars (AD 603-628), which lead to the defeat of the Sasanian Empire. This was the advent of the disintegration of the Sasanian dynasty, which was later completed by Arab Muslim raids. The study of the archaeological, numismatic and literary evidence reveals that from this time (AD 623) onward, the Sasanians lost their control over the northern quarter and only practiced their weak domination over western and southern parts of the empire. The situation was like this until the downfall of the Sasanian dynasty through Arab Muslims and their penetration into Adurbadagan (AD 643).

Research paper thumbnail of “Remarks on the Location of the Province of Parthia in the Sasanian Period”, The Parthian and Early Sasanian Empires: Adaptation and Expansion, eds. Vesta Sarkhosh Curtis et al., Oxford & Philadelphia, Oxbow Books, 2016, pp. 42-46.

Research paper thumbnail of “Māzandarān” (in Persian), in J. Khaleghi-Motlagh (ed.), Ferdowsī va Shāhnāmah-sorāee, Tehran, 2011, pp. 803-807.

Research paper thumbnail of ''Ahmad Tafazzoli, Sasanian Society: I. Warriors II. Scribes III. Dehqand, New York, Bibliotheca Persica Press, 2000'', The International Journal of Ancient Iranian Studies, vol. 1, no. 2, 2002, pp. 69-71.

Research paper thumbnail of ''Maria Brosius, The Persians. An Introduction, London and New York, Routledge, 2006'', The International Journal of Ancient Iranian Studies, vol. 5, no. 1, 2006, pp. 76-78.

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