The Religious Policies of the Sassanids (226-420 A.D.)

Abstract

The religious tolerance of the first Sasanians towards the religious groups living in the empire, as well as the emigration of many Christians from the conquered territories to Iran, further increased the number of Christians.

The situation changed after the Sassanids were defeated in the war of 296-299 and had to cede northern Mesopotamia and the protectorate over Armenia and Iberia to Rome. Soon, Rome, under the leadership of Constantine the Great (306-337), began to patronize Christians and turned this religion into a tool of influence on neighboring states. It was in this situation that the countries of the South Caucasus, Armenia, Kartli, and Albania became Christian, thus clearly confirming their connection with the Roman Empire.

The Sasanians, for whom the South Caucasus had great strategic importance, could not adapt to the religious-ideological unity of the states of this region and the Roman Empire, which prevented the final dominance of Iran in the South Caucasus. Shapur II (309-379), considered the Christians living in Iran to be the "fifth column" and, therefore, after the start of the war with Rome (337/8 AD), he began to persecute Christians in Iran.

In the 60s and 70s of the 4th century, Shapur II managed to subdue the kingdom of Armenia and Iberia, where, although he and his successors could not eradicate Christianity, they tried their best to spread Zoroastrianism. At the same time, the churches of these states were forced to break the hierarchical connection with the churches of the Roman Empire, and then they actively began to interfere in the affairs of these churches, they appointed the highest hierarchs and forbade them to perform the liturgy in Greek.

Soon, the Sasanian kings realized that the persecution of Christians did not bring results and changed their attitude towards them. Yazdegerd I (399-420) decided to unite the Christians living in Iran in one church, and with his promotion in 410, the Church of the East was founded, which was ruled by the bishop of the capital, Seleucia-Ctesiphon, who received the title of Catholicos of the East.

During the reign of Yazdegerd, between 410 and 420, the jurisdiction of the Church of the East was extended over the churches of Armenia, Iberia, and Albania, which were subordinated to the Catholicos of the East. For Yazdegerd, the Church of the East became a tool to control the Christians living in Iran and subjugate the states of the South Caucasus, while he did not stop trying to spread Zoroastrianism in these states.