Adurbadagan and arran (Caucasian albania) in the late sasanian period

Abstract

The article considers the Sasanian King Khusraw I Anushirwan (Pahlavi: Xusrō I Anōīrvān) reforms to improve the empires military and administrative architecture during the wars with Byzantium and the Turks. The author discusses the establishment of the region or kust-ī Ādurbādagān, which allowed the nomination of Arrāns general. The author believes that it was a key element in the Sassanian strategy to enforce both central and military power in the defense sensitive Caucasia challenged by the Byzantium and nomads. The reforms pulled Arrān (Albania) to be closer to the Sasanian crown, enforcing the dynastic ties between Sasanian shāhanshāh and Arrānshāh. These reforms facilitated the incorporation of Arranian (Albanian) troops into the Sasanian Army under Ādurbādagāns general command to shield Ērānahr from the Khazars and Turks incursions. The author argues that the reform initiated the projecting of Ādurbādagāns name, military, and administrative functions in Arrān forming a strong interrelationship between the southern and northern sides of the Araxes as the entire Ādurbādagān ahr. Since Late Antiquity, Ādurbādagān and Arrān became interchangeable names and were in use on the northern bank of the Araxes.