The Turkish-Hephthalite War
Encyclopedia
The First Perso-Turkic War was fought during 588-589 between the Sassanid Persians
and Hephthalite principalities
and its lord the Western Turkic Khaganate
. The conflict started with the invasion of the Persian Empire by the Turks and ended with a decisive Sassanid victory and the conquest of the Eastern Turks.
, Shah of Sassanid Persia, allied with the Western Turkic Khaganate
to defeat the Hephthalites. The campaign was successful and the region north of the Oxus went to the Turks and the south came under Sassanid rule. However, in the 580's, the Turks once again commenced with their raids on the Silk Road
and in 588, the Hephthalites, who were now part of the Western Turkic Khaganate, invaded the empire once more.
Bahram Chobin
was chosen to lead an army against them. According to Shahbazi, Bahram's army consisted of 12,000 hand picked Savaran, Persia's elite soldiers. His army ambushed a large army of Turks
and Hephthalites in April 588, at the battle of Hyrcanian rock, and again in 589, capturing Balkh and Herat respectively. He then proceeded to cross the Oxus river and managed to repulse the Turkic Invasion.
It is reputed that an arrow shot by Bahram killed the Eastern Turkic Khagan , Bagha/Yabghu Qaghan
, known as Ch'u-lo-hou by the Chinese .
Ferdowsi's Shahnameh
(C.E. 1010) describes in legendary detail the dealings of Bahram Chubin and the Turkic
"King Sawa" before and during the battle in which Bahram with his 12,000 kills Sawa
Sassanid Empire
The Sassanid Empire , known to its inhabitants as Ērānshahr and Ērān in Middle Persian and resulting in the New Persian terms Iranshahr and Iran , was the last pre-Islamic Persian Empire, ruled by the Sasanian Dynasty from 224 to 651...
and Hephthalite principalities
Hephthalite
The Hephthalites or Hephthalite is a pre-Islamic Greek term for local Abdali Afghans, who's famous ruler was Nazak Abdali . Hephthalites were a Central Asian nomadic confederation of the AD 5th-6th centuries whose precise origins and composition remain obscure...
and its lord the Western Turkic Khaganate
Western Turkic Khaganate
The Western Turkic Khaganate was formed as a result of the internecine wars in the beginning of the 7th century after the Göktürk Khaganate had splintered into two politiesEastern and Western.The Western Turks initially sought friendly relations with the Byzantine Empire in order to expand their...
. The conflict started with the invasion of the Persian Empire by the Turks and ended with a decisive Sassanid victory and the conquest of the Eastern Turks.
Context
In 558, Khosrau IKhosrau I
Khosrau I , also known as Anushiravan the Just or Anushirawan the Just Khosrau I (also called Chosroes I in classical sources, most commonly known in Persian as Anushirvan or Anushirwan, Persian: انوشيروان meaning the immortal soul), also known as Anushiravan the Just or Anushirawan the Just...
, Shah of Sassanid Persia, allied with the Western Turkic Khaganate
Western Turkic Khaganate
The Western Turkic Khaganate was formed as a result of the internecine wars in the beginning of the 7th century after the Göktürk Khaganate had splintered into two politiesEastern and Western.The Western Turks initially sought friendly relations with the Byzantine Empire in order to expand their...
to defeat the Hephthalites. The campaign was successful and the region north of the Oxus went to the Turks and the south came under Sassanid rule. However, in the 580's, the Turks once again commenced with their raids on the Silk Road
Silk Road
The Silk Road or Silk Route refers to a historical network of interlinking trade routes across the Afro-Eurasian landmass that connected East, South, and Western Asia with the Mediterranean and European world, as well as parts of North and East Africa...
and in 588, the Hephthalites, who were now part of the Western Turkic Khaganate, invaded the empire once more.
Bahram Chobin
Bahram Chobin
General Bahrām Chobin was a famous Eran spahbod during the late 6th century in Persia, usurping the Sassanid throne for a year as Bahram VI .- Life :...
was chosen to lead an army against them. According to Shahbazi, Bahram's army consisted of 12,000 hand picked Savaran, Persia's elite soldiers. His army ambushed a large army of Turks
Turkic peoples
The Turkic peoples are peoples residing in northern, central and western Asia, southern Siberia and northwestern China and parts of eastern Europe. They speak languages belonging to the Turkic language family. They share, to varying degrees, certain cultural traits and historical backgrounds...
and Hephthalites in April 588, at the battle of Hyrcanian rock, and again in 589, capturing Balkh and Herat respectively. He then proceeded to cross the Oxus river and managed to repulse the Turkic Invasion.
It is reputed that an arrow shot by Bahram killed the Eastern Turkic Khagan , Bagha/Yabghu Qaghan
Bagha Qaghan
Bagha Qaghan ,was the seventh ruler of the Turkic Kaganate slayed with an arrow shot by Bahrām Chobin during First Perso-Turkic War....
, known as Ch'u-lo-hou by the Chinese .
Ferdowsi's Shahnameh
Shahnameh
The Shahnameh or Shah-nama is a long epic poem written by the Persian poet Ferdowsi between c.977 and 1010 AD and is the national epic of Iran and related societies...
(C.E. 1010) describes in legendary detail the dealings of Bahram Chubin and the Turkic
Turkic peoples
The Turkic peoples are peoples residing in northern, central and western Asia, southern Siberia and northwestern China and parts of eastern Europe. They speak languages belonging to the Turkic language family. They share, to varying degrees, certain cultural traits and historical backgrounds...
"King Sawa" before and during the battle in which Bahram with his 12,000 kills Sawa