Arteshtaran-salar (strictly transliterated as artēštārān-sālār, meaning "chief of the warriors") was a high office of the military of the Sasanian Empire. [1]
The Middle Persian titles artēštārān-sālār and wāst(a)ryōšān-sālār are both derived from the Avestan designations of the social classes vāstryō-fšuyant ("cattle-breeder") and raθaēštā ("warrior").[1]
According to al-Tabari, the rank was above spahbed and below argbed (which was reserved for the royal family members). According to Procopius, the bearer of the title (in Greek: ἀδρασταδάραν σαλάνης adrastadáran salánēs) was "a generalissimo invested with quite exceptional powers" in the 500s AD.[1]
The title is first recorded in the book Karnamag-i Ardashir-i Pabagan.[2] The first recorded bearer of the title is Kārd (or Kārdār), the third son of the chief minister Mihr-Narseh, per an account from Khwaday-Namag. It is possible that the rank was established by Mihr-Narseh himself. According to Procopius, the office was held last by Siyawush. He claims that he was the first and only bearer of the title, but this is doubted.[1] The title disappears from records since the reign of Kavadh I, which means it was probably synonymous to Eran Spahbed and was made obsolete during Khosrow I's reforms.[2]
References
Sources
- Sundermann, W. (1986). "Artēštārān sālār". Encyclopaedia Iranica, Vol. II, Fasc. 6. p. 662.
- رجبی, پرویز (1398). "ارتشتاران سالار". دائرة المعارف بزرگ اسلامی. Vol. 2.