Modern reconstruction of a late Sasanian-era military commander
Military of the Sasanian Empire
Armed forces and units
Cataphract
Clibanarii
Aswaran
Grivpanvar
War elephants
Paygan
Immortals
Pushtigban
Sarmatians
Daylamites
Sogdian warriors
Gond-i Shahanshah
Darigan
Stor Bezashk
Navy
Ranks
Spahbed
Aspbed
Paygosban
Marzban, Kanarang
Masmughan
Pushtigban Salar
Eran anbaraghbad
Argbed
Hazarbed
Paygan-salar
Savaran Sardar
Gond Salar
Darigbed
Navbed
Defense lines
Wall of the Arabs
Gawri Wall
Great Wall of Gorgan
Wall of Tammisha
Derbent Wall
Darial
Conflicts
Romans
Arabian tribes
Hephthalites
Turks
Ethiopians
Muslim Arabs
Revolts and civil wars
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Spāhbad (also spelled spahbod)[1] is a Middle Persian title meaning "army chief" used chiefly in the Sasanian Empire. Originally there was a single spāhbad, called the Ērān-spāhbed, who functioned as the generalissimo of the Sasanian army. From the time of Khosrow I (r. 531–579) on, the office was split in four, with a spāhbad for each of the cardinal directions.[2] After the Muslim conquest of Persia, the spāhbed of the East managed to retain his authority over the inaccessible mountainous region of Tabaristan on the southern shore of the Caspian Sea, where the title, often in its Islamic form ispahbedh (Persian: اسپهبذ; in Arabic: اصبهبذʾiṣbahbaḏ), survived as a regnal title until the Mongol conquests of the 13th century.[3] An equivalent title of Persian origin, ispahsālār or sipahsālār, gained great currency across the Muslim world in the 10th–15th centuries.
The title was also adopted by the Armenians (Armenian: սպարապետ, [a]sparapet) and the Georgians (Georgian: სპასპეტი, spaspeti), as well as Khotan (spāta) and the Sogdians (spʾdpt) in Central Asia. It is also attested in Greek sources as aspabedēs (ἀσπαβέδης).[2][3] The title was revived in the 20th century by the Pahlavi dynasty, in the Modern Persian form sepahbod (سپهبد), equivalent to a three-star Lieutenant General, ranking below arteshbod (full General).
^Frye, Richard N (1984), The History of Ancient Iran, C.H.Beck, p. 224, ISBN 9783406093975
(kust ī khwarāsān spāhbed), the "army chief of the South" (kust ī nēmrōz spāhbed), the "army chief of the West" (kust ī khwarbārān spāhbed), and the "army...
nobles after forty days. Before usurping the Sasanian throne he was a spahbed (general) under Khosrow II (590–628). He is furthermore noted for his important...
Ērān-spāhbed, spāhbedān-spāhbed, artēštārān-sālār: all denote the regular commander-in-chief, apparently chosen from the House of Suren. Spāhbed: Field...
is some uncertainty for the exact relationship between titles marzbān, spāhbed, kanārang, pāygōsbān (Parthian ptykwspn, Sasanian paygospān or padhospān)...
successor Khosrow I (r. 531–579). He also served as the military commander (spahbed) of Khwarasan under Khosrow I and his successor Hormizd IV (r. 579–590)...
early followers. The family traced its descent back to military marshals (spahbed), and occupied important offices in the realm. According to a romanticized...
رستم فرخزاد) was a dynast from the Ispahbudhan family, who served as the spahbed ("military marshal") of the northwestern quarter (kust) of Adurbadagan...
after one year murdered by the rebellious former Sasanian army chief (spahbed) Shahrbaraz, who usurped the throne. These events greatly weakened the...
adjuster, and active antenna. It is named after Surena, an ancient Parthian spahbed (general). The Samand Soren ELX is a modified version of the Samand Soren...
Byzantine army Late Roman army Roman-Persian Wars Persian war elephants Aspbed Spahbed Furusiyya Zhayedan Daryaee 2018, pp. 303–304. Zakeri 1995, p. 57. logographically...
priestly class, the mowbedan mowbed, along with the commander-in-chief, the spahbed, the head of traders and merchants syndicate Ho Tokhshan Bod and minister...
against the Abbasid Caliphate, led by local Spahbeds which occurred between 784 and 804. A few years after Spahbed Khurshid's suicide and the annihilation...
empire. At times, power shifted de facto to other officials, namely the spahbed. Upon the empire's conquest by the Islamic caliphate in 651, members of...
from the House of Mihran who was descended from Bahram Chobin, the famous spahbed of the Sasanian Empire. Siyavakhsh was the son of Mihran Bahram-i Chubin...
Sasanian Iran in the early 7th-century. He served as the military commander (spahbed) of northern Iran. He later came in conflict with the Iranian nobility...
Vinduyih became treasurer and first minister and Vistahm received the post of spahbed of the East, encompassing Tabaristan and Khorasan, which was the traditional...
531–579). Khwarasan was commanded by a spahbed from one of the seven Parthian clans. The appointed spahbed of the kust was given the title of aspbed...
who was the grandson of Bahram Chobin, the famous military commander (spahbed) and briefly shah of Iran. Farrukh Hormizd's son Rostam Farrokhzad, who...
autonomous state around Tihert (Tiaret). Khurshid II, the last ruler (spāhbed) of Tabaristan, poisons himself when he learns that his family has been...
officer from the Mihran family. He was related to Shahrbaraz, the Sasanian spahbed and briefly shahanshah. He participated in the battle of Isfahan along...
in 570 between the armies of the Sasanian Empire under the command of Spahbed Vahrez and Aksumite forces under King Masruq ibn Abraha. The Aksumite army...
Suren, also known as Rustaham Suren (died 53 or 52 BC) was a Parthian spahbed ("general" or "commander") during the first century BC. He was the leader...
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