Vassal rule in the Sāsānid Commonwealth

• Applicant: Privatdozent Dr. Frank Schleicher
• Subject Area: Ancient History
• Term: since 2022
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 507700719

The personal relationship of vassal rulers with an imperial centre was a cost-effective method of exercising rule in the Sāsānid Empire. Largely independent, the vassals fulfilled important functions for the empire from the 3rd to the 5th century (border security, tax collection, administration). It was not until the later phase of Sāsānid rule, in the 5th and 6th centuries, that reforms provided the conditions for establishing direct rule across the country. This marked the beginning of a development in which many of the traditional vassal rulers were replaced by Sāsānid officials. However, the Great Kings overestimated the possibilities of their empire, which could not permanently perform the functions of the vassals. Thus began the disintegration of the empire, which contributed to the downfall of Sāsānid rule.The project Vassal rule in the Sāsānid Commonwealth has the following object of investigation: the concept of vassalage within the Sāsānid dominion for the period from the beginning of Ardašīr I's rebellion (211/12) until the year 602, when a new phase of imperial politics began. In a first step, it will be considered how the Sāsānids dealt with the vassal rulers, some of whom were adopted from their predecessors, the Arsakids. In this context, attention will also be paid to the ways in which the structures of the Sāsānid Commonwealth were influenced by those of their predecessors. Secondly, the study examines why the system of vassal rule was widely abandoned by the Sāsānids from the 5th century onwards in many areas (Armenia, Arabia, …) and replaced by the more expensive direct rule. And thirdly, the analysis moves from the centre to the periphery and asks about the political framework and the scope of action for the vassal rulers themselves.In doing so, vassal rule will be described as a building block of the Sāsānid 'social system' which caused an extensive administrative, cultural, and religious influence of the peripheral regions by the imperial centre. As such, this study will focus on four key regions in the east, west and south of the Commonwealth, for which numerous sources are available and each of which is well accessible by current research. In this way, the basic structures, and functions of Sāsānid vassal rule will be elaborated and described in an exemplary manner.The final result of the research project will be a model that describes the structures of the indirect exercise of power by the Sāsānid rulers in their entirety. In addition to the differences and similarities between the various regions, particular attention will be paid to the divergent approaches of the individual Sāsānid rulers. The model thus conceived is intended to form the basis for further research into vassal rule and enable comparison with other ancient empires.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants