Created: 31 August, 2026
by Mahir Khalifa-zadeh*
Posted from:
Khalifa-zadeh M., "Early Sasanian Imperial Ideology: From Anāhītā Fire in Pārs to Ādur Gušnasp Fire Temple in Ādurbādagān", Chapter 1, In: Research Trends in History, Ed: Arun Kumar, Helmand Books, New Delhi, 2026, p. 01-18, Paperback ISBN: 978-93-7410-963-2; E-Book ISBN: 978-93-7410-402-6 available at: https://www.helmandbooks.com/book-details/1788158682-research-trends-in-history-volume-2
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| Research Trends in History, Helmand Books, New Delhi, 2026, Vol-II pp.139 https://www.helmandbooks.com/book-details/1788158682-research-trends-in-history-volume-2 |
ABSTRACT
The chapter examines the ideology’s development of the early Sasanians. The author provides a brief overview of Ardaxšīr I’s rise to power, highlighting his political ambitions that formed the ground for Sasanian imperial policy and ideology. The Sasanians came to power with political aspirations to restore the Truth and Persian Glory and eliminate the remnants of Hellenism that survived the Parthian period. The author discusses political and ideological reasons that motivated the early Sasanians to declare the fire temple of Ādur Gušnasp in Ādurbādagān as the empire’s most sacred fire. This development and Shāpūr I’s official declaration of Zoroastrianism as the state religion transformed Azerbaijan (Pahlavi: Ādurbādagān) into the empire’s most sacrosanct land, increasing the province’s imperial and strategic value as the center of ideology and propaganda. Finally, it is shown that the Sassanids’ granting the “cathedral” rank to the Ādur Gušnasp fire temple and attaching themselves to this officially proclaimed the empire’s most sacred victorious warrior class fire of the highest grade was a significant shift in early Sasanian imperial ideology.
* Khalifa-zadeh M., Research Professor, Ph.D, Canadian Historical Association, 130 Albert Street, Suite 1912, Ottawa, ON, K1P5G4, Canada
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