Balash
Balasch was a late antique Persian great king from the ruling house of the Sassanids . He ruled from 484 to 488 . His name is the Middle Persian form of the Parthian name Walagasch , which has been passed down by the western (Greco-Roman) authors as Vologaises / Vologaeses.
Balash ascended the throne in the midst of a serious crisis. He was a brother of Peroz I ( Tabari mistakenly calls him a son) and probably owed his assumption of the throne to a group of powerful nobles (including from the influential Karen and Suren families ) who were probably also the real rulers. During his reign, however, peace could be made with the Hephthalites , who had been responsible for the crushing defeat and death of Peroz, although the Sassanids had to pay annual tributes. These contributed to further exacerbating the financial crisis in the empire, which is why the king (in vain) turned to the Eastern Roman emperor for support. His attempts to force the Romans to resume the annual funds that were suspended when Peroz died failed, however, which may have further reduced the king's reputation.
Meanwhile, in the Persian-controlled part of Armenia ( Persarmenia ), a policy of détente was forced to operate. Christians were allowed to practice their religion freely in 484 and were assured that no further attempts would be made to convert them to Zoroastrianism . In addition, Armenia was now finally directly subordinate to the great king. The Armenians also finally supported Balash when there was an uprising by one of his nephews.
In 488, however, Balash finally succumbed to his opponents, and Kavadh , a son of Peroz, came to power (probably with the support of the Hephthalites).
literature
- Nikolaus Schindel: Walkash. In: Nikolaus Schindel (ed.): Sylloge Nummorum Sasanidarum . Vol. 3/1 (text volume). Vienna 2004, p. 420ff.
- Klaus Schippmann : Basic features of the history of the Sassanid Empire . Scientific Book Society, Darmstadt 1990, ISBN 3-534-07826-8 .
| predecessor | Office | successor |
|---|---|---|
| Peroz I. |
King of the New Persian Empire 484–488 |
Kavadh I. |
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Balash |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Walagash |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | Persian Sassanid King |
| DATE OF BIRTH | 5th century |
| DATE OF DEATH | 488 |