Mar 25

Religious dogmatism of Yazdgerd II

On 25 March AD 441, Yazdgerd II, the Shah of Iran and son of Bahram V (Bahram Gur), declared war against the Roman Empire, which this Empire had started gathering forces on the northwest borders of Iran and were instigating the frontiermen to rebel against the Shah. Bahram V had disappeared during a zebra hunt and for some time Iran did not have a leader. Apparently, while following a zebra, Bahram had fallen in a swamp and disappeared. After being unsuccessful in finding him or his body, the nobles of Iran made his son, Yazdgerd II, who was a religious fanatic, his successor. Yazdgerd would implement the advices of the high mobed of the Zoroastrians (Mobed Mobedan) unquestionably.     The religious dogmatism of Yazdgerd II caused conflicts in Armenia which was an autonomous state of Iran and these conflicts lasted for some years.     Armenians were the first nation in the world to announce Christianity as their official religion. Harsh treatment and Stringency of Yazdgerd II towards followers of Christianity caused Leon, the then Pope, to take action against beliefs that rose from Iran and had spread in Europe, especially Manichaeism.     After Yazdgerd announced war against the Romans and started gathering forces, the Roman Empire agreed upon peace terms and Yazdgerd II had enough time to drive away the Hepthalites from the northeastern frontiers of Iran. According to the advice of the Mobed Mobedan, who believed that the Hepthalites did not have morale and should be kept at a distance with Iranian borders, Yazdgerd was involved in war with this tribe in the northeast area for many years. According to the Encyclopaedia Britannica, Hepthalites had no cities or system of writing, lived in felt tents, and practiced polyandry*, while very little is known of their language. According to Chinese chronicles Hepthalites were originally a tribe living to the north of the Great Wall and were known as Hoa or “Hoa-tun”. Elsewhere they were called White Huns or Hunas.     .............     * "Polyandry" is a form of polygamy in which one woman is married to several men.          Translation by Rowshan Lohrasbpour (AmordadNews writer)