Study of Anushazad Rebellion and its Nature

In the sixth decade of the sixth century، during the reign of Khosrow I (Anushiravan)، there occurred a rebellion led by Anushazad، his own son. Although this rebellion broke out at the top of the pyramid of power in the Sasanian era، different sources differ on its nature and the ends to which it was put; some emphasize the pertinacious persistence of the prince on his Christian faith; some relate his leap to seize the throne of his moribund fatherl; Still some other pinpoint prince’s being Zandik and the Mazdakite nature of his rebellion. It seems، however، that some see the marked differences between the sources، the actual event and the time it had occurred i. e. when the king was on his death bed more in favor of the prince’s claim to the throne rather than his Christian faith or being Zandik. Anushazad was the eldest son of Khosrow Anushirvan and his rebellion which ended in his imprisonment and blindness basically excluded him from the list of claimants to the throne and gave Hormozd، an alleged son of the king، an opportunity to come to the throne. This paper attempts to explore the nature of this rebellion.