Azadbeh

Azadveh-i Banegan Mahan-i Mihr-Bondad, known in Arabic sources as Azadhbih ibn Baniyan Mahan ibn Mihrbundadh, better simply known as Azadbeh, was a Iranian nobleman, who served as the Sasanian marzban of the al-Hira.

Biography

Azadbeh was born in Hamadan to a family of dehqan origin. In 617, he was appointed as the governor of al-Hira, thus succeeding the Iranian noble Nakhiragan and the Arab Iyas ibn Qabisah al-Ta'i, whom together had co-governed al-Hira after the execution of the last Lakhmid ruler al-Nu'man III in 602. During his governorship, Azadbeh managed to secure his position by giving his daughter in marry to the lord of Sinnin, who was of higher rank than him.

In 633, during the Muslim invasion of Iran, the Muslims destroyed Amghishiya, an important military post near al-Hira, which Azadbeh saw of much importance. Furthermore, the Muslims had also taken his daughter captive. Knowing that he would soon be their next target, he sent an army under his son, and after some time stationed outside of al-Hira.

However, things did not go as expected, and Azadbeh's son was defeated and killed during a clash with the Muslim military leader Khalid ibn al-Walid, who marched towards al-Hira and easily defeated Azadbeh, who managed to survive and fled from al-Hira. Nothing more is known about him afterwards.

Sources

• Pourshariati, Parvaneh (2008). Decline and Fall of the Sasanian Empire: The Sasanian-Parthian Confederacy and the Arab Conquest of Iran. London and New York: I.B. Tauris. ISBN 978-1-84511-645-3. 
• Zarrinkub, Abd al-Husain (1975). "The Arab conquest of Iran and its aftermath". The Cambridge History of Iran, Volume 4: From the Arab Invasion to the Saljuqs. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. pp. 1–57. ISBN 978-0-521-20093-6. 
• Morony, Michael G. (2005) [1984]. Iraq After The Muslim Conquest. Gorgias Press LLC. ISBN 978-1-59333-315-7. 
• Bosworth, C. E. (1987). "ĀZĀḎBEH B. BĀNEGĀN". Encyclopaedia Iranica, Vol. III, Fasc. 2. p. 177.