The Education of emperors
The Big Picture
The Birth of Chess – The Silk Road – The Luminaries of Gupta Mathematics – Vedic Architecture and the Chess Board
The Sassanian Empire (224–651 CE), established by Ardashir I, marked the resurgence of Persian power after the Parthian era. Rooted in the province of Persis (modern-day Fars), this empire emerged as a reaction to Hellenistic influences and aimed to restore the cultural and political grandeur of the earlier Achaemenid Empire. Historically, Persia’s interactions with its neighbors were marked by both diplomatic exchanges and conflicts, particularly with the Roman and Byzantine Empires to the west. This age-old rivalry continued, defining the geopolitical landscape of the Near East for centuries under Sassanian rule.
The first great epic of the Persian Empire, The Kar-Namag, is a romance based upon the reign of Ardashir I (the second emperor of the Sassanian dynasty); it is the oldest existing mention of chess in literature. In describing Ardashir’s upbring it says, “Ardashir…became doughtier and more skilled than them all in ball play, in horsemenship, in chess, in hunting, and in other accomplishments.” From its outset chess was associated with the education of emperors. This reference is also important because scholars have used it to establish a linguistic connection between the Indian Chaturanga and the Arabic Shantraj.
“Ardashir…became doughtier and more skilled than them all in ball play, in horsemenship, in chess, in hunting, and in other accomplishments.”
The most famous Persian epic is the Shanamah (Book of Kings) written by the poet Firdawsi around 1000 AD. In it he describes the lives of all of Persia’s great king’s and gives us another clue to the early history of chess. The story he recounts goes as follows.
One day while seated at court, King Nushirwan (531-579), surrounded by the noble, brave, learned, and virtuous from all the provinces of his expansive empire, there arrived an ambassador from the Indian king. Accompanying the ambassador was a train of elephants with rich canopies, one thousand camels heavily laden with silver gold, diamonds, rubies, emeralds, strings of pearls, rare perfumes and incenses as well as the finest swords and other craftworks of India; accompanying them was a stable of the king’s finest horses. Upon being received by king Nushirwan the ambassador presented the king with a chess board and the thirty two pieces of the chess set one side made of emerald, the other rubies.
Along with the chess set was a letter. The letter challenged King Nushirwan to set his wise men to the task of deciphering the secret of the board, gameplay and movement of the pieces. If they were able to do so within a period of seven days then the king of India would acknowledge the wisdom of King Nushirwan and he would allow him to keep the riches of the caravan which he had sent along with the game and agree to pay him such a sum as a regular tribute. On the other hand if King Nushirwan’s counselors were not able to figure out the rules of the game they would not only have to send back what they had received from the King in India, but pay twice as much in regular tribute to him. The end of the seven days neared and none of the advisors had been able to figure out the game, King Nushirwan was begining to despair of the fact that he was going to have acknowledge the King of Kannauj his superior and pay him the riches of his empire. At that point Buzurjmihr, the king’s chief councillor, burst into court proclaiming he had succeeded in discovering the nature of the game; it was the representation of a battlefield! He showed what he had learned to the ambassador from India, explaining the movement of each of the pieces, who bewildered by Buzurjmihr’s accomplishment acknowledged him as “unequaled in acuteness of judgement by anyone in the entire world.” Buzurjhmir was awarded, amongst other prizes, the most massive and costly chalice in the palace filled with the rarest of jewels.
The Astapada is based of the Vastu Purusha Mandala
Although the historical accuracy of this tale is at best questionable, it does serve as an important example of the prominent place of chess in the courts of ancient monarchs. Ability at the chess board being representative of one’s virtue and eminence as a ruler is a theme that is often revisited throughout the history of the game. There are other legends from the early history of chess that reinforce this idea.
Perhaps the most lasting influence from chess’s sojourn through the Persian Empire is the addition of the player’s favorite term to say, least favorite to hear. The word check comes from the Persian word shah which means king; checkmate coming from the term shahmat, meaning ‘the king is dead.’
Greeks, Persians and Romans
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5.2.1 Zoroastrianism, influence on Eastern Rome
Baze Hoor Fire Temple
Zoroastrianism, one of the world’s oldest monotheistic religions, played a pivotal role in shaping the ethos, governance, and culture of the Sassanid Empire.
1. Source of Legitimacy: The Sassanid rulers often portrayed themselves as the “Chosen of Ahura Mazda” (the chief deity of Zoroastrianism). This divine endorsement provided them an unassailable claim to the throne. The bond between the Zoroastrian clergy and the monarchy solidified the dynasty’s rule, weaving religion and statecraft tightly together.
2. Architectural Influence: Zoroastrianism left its mark on Sassanid architecture, most notably in the construction of fire temples. These edifices, housing sacred fires, were symbols of the religion and played vital roles in community rituals. The most renowned of these was the “Great Fire” at the temple of Azargoshnasp, believed to burn continuously and deemed holiest among all.
3. Judicial and Administrative Systems: The legal code of the Sassanids, the “Matikan e Hazar Datastan,” was deeply influenced by Zoroastrian principles. Justice, seen as a divine tenet, was meted out based on these religious laws.
4. Cultural and Social Fabric: Festivals like Nowruz (the New Year) and Mehregan (honoring Mithra, the deity of covenant) were integral to the empire’s social calendar. These celebrations, rooted in Zoroastrian traditions, fostered communal harmony and reinforced shared values.
5. Dichotomous Worldview: Zoroastrianism posits a cosmic struggle between Ahura Mazda (the god of light and order) and Angra Mainyu (the destructive spirit). This dualistic philosophy deeply impacted Sassanid worldview, from arts to state policies. It emphasized the dichotomy of good versus evil, guiding people’s ethical choices and statecraft decisions.
6. Preservation and Proliferation: Under Sassanid patronage, many Zoroastrian texts were compiled and codified, including parts of the Avesta, the holy scriptures. Religious schools and institutions thrived, ensuring the propagation of doctrines and the training of priests.
In conclusion, Zoroastrianism was not just a religion among the Sassanids; it was the bedrock of their empire. It informed their politics, anchored their cultural expressions, and guided the moral compass of the common citizen and ruler alike. The intertwining of faith and governance made Zoroastrianism indispensable to the Sassanid identity and legacy.
5.2.1 The role of the historical epic
The Sassanid Empire, which spanned from 224 to 651 CE, is renowned for its epics, which played multifaceted roles, both socially and politically. These epics, combining history and mythology, were not just tales but repositories of the dynasty’s ideology, valor, and ethos.
**1. The Khwaday-Namag:** Often regarded as the “Book of Kings,” this epic provided a chronicle of Persian monarchs, from the earliest Achaemenids to the Sassanids themselves. Only fragments of the original work survive, but it served as a key source for Ferdowsi’s monumental “Shahnameh” penned in the 10th century. Besides kingship chronicles, the Khwaday-Namag shed light on the genealogies of noble families, preserving Sassanid societal structures and hierarchies.
**2. Ayadgar-i Zariran:** Translating to “Memorial of Zarer,” this epic narrates the heroics of Zarer and his sons during their battles against the Romans. Going beyond warfare, the epic provided reflections on Zoroastrian eschatology, emphasizing the dichotomy between good and evil, and subtly aligning the Sassanids with the divine.
**Role of the Epic Genre:**
**Cultural Preservation:** Epics safeguarded the oral traditions, historical events, and cultural norms of the Sassanids. They encoded shared memories and communal values, acting as cultural compasses.
**Political Legitimacy:** These epics often portrayed the king as the “shadow of God on Earth.” Through heroic narratives, the divine right of Sassanid monarchs was reasserted and entrenched.
**Social Cohesion:** In an empire that was ethnically diverse, epics offered a unified cultural narrative, creating a sense of belonging and collective identity among disparate groups.
**Pedagogical Tools:** The epic stories, rich in moral lessons and ethical quandaries, served as instructive tools, guiding the listeners in matters of honor, bravery, and divine justice.
In essence, the historical epics of the Sassanid dynasty were far more than tales of yore; they were foundational pillars that buttressed the empire’s political ideology, cultural identity, and moral compass.
Introduction to Pythagorus, Plato and Aristotle
The historical dynamics between the Greeks, Persians, and the Roman Empire are punctuated by strategic conflicts, cultural exchanges, and political maneuverings. During the classical Greek era, the Achaemenid Persians, under leaders like Darius I and Xerxes I, sought to annex Greek territories, leading to the pivotal Greco-Persian Wars, characterized by battles such as Marathon (490 BCE) and Thermopylae (480 BCE). However, this antagonism was juxtaposed with cultural exchanges; Persians assimilated elements of Greek architecture and philosophical thought.