The Role of Christians in the Development of Sasaanid Empire) From Khosrow I to the Arabs Conquest of Iran(
Subject Areas : Journal of History (Tarikh)
Mojtaba nagdi
1
,
fezoallah boshasbgosheh
2
*
,
ahmad kamranifar
3
1 - History department,najafabad branch,Islamic azad university,najafabad,iran
2 - History department,najafabad branch,Islamic azad university,najafabad,iran
3 - Assistant Professor, Department of History, Najafabad Branch, Islamic Azad University, Najafabad, Iran
Keywords: Christianity, Khosrow I, Gondishapur, Rome, Sassanian, ,
Abstract :
IIn the fourth century AD, an important religious development was happened, in which Christians were granted right to administer their religious duties by Constantine, the Roman Empire, in form of Edict of Milan in 313 AD. By means of accommodating a considerable number of Christians in Iranian cities based on the Diaspora policy, Sassanid rulers unintentionally helped to the spread of Christianity in Iran. Some issues such as the rise of the slavery class, the religious heterogeneity with the Zoroastrian community, and the empowerment of the Sassanid clergy brought about a period of annoyance and displeasure for Christians. This paper is a historical research based on a descriptive-analytical method to explain the role of Christians in the political and cultural developments from Khosrow Anūshirvan era to Arab Conquest of Iran. The results showed the Christians’ influential on the government of Sassanid Empire and also some cultural and thoughtful characteristics of Jundishapur during the Sassanian era, such as the growth and prosperity of civilization, the dynamic of trading, and economical activities which were contributed to Christian people in Iran. In this regard, Nestorian Christians, as proficient physicians from Jundishapur University, have transferred cultural heritage of the Sassanians, Greeks, and Romans’ governments into the Islamic governments during the dynamic movement of translation for more than two centuries. The exiled forces of christens in the guise of proficient merchants were able to improve the Sassanian economy through creating small and quick-return enterprises such as textile industry.