Table Of ContentGorgias Chronicles of Late Antiquity i
y
v
y
x
A Short Chronicle
on the End of the Sasanian Empire and
Early Islam
590-660 A.D.
Edition, Translation, and Commentar}" by
Nasir al-Ka^^bi
Qorgias^Prhss
A Short Chronicle on the End of the Sasanian
Empire and Early Islam
Gorgias Chronicles of Late Antiquity
1
590-660 A.D.
Editorial Board
Amir Harrak
Muriel Debi6
Jan J. van Ginkel
Edition, Translation and Commentary by
Nasif al-Ka'bi
Gorgias Chronicles of Late Antiquity aims to publish Syriac and Christian Arabic
chronicles datmg between the 6th and the 14th centuries in their original languages
and with faring English translations. The translations will make these unique
chronographic sources accessible to as wide an audience as possible, offering the
specialist the opportunity to read them in the original languages and to compare ^ORGIAS
them with the translations. '^^RESS
2016
A Short Chronicle on the End of the Sasanian
Empire and Early Islam
Gorgias Chronicles of Late Antiquity
1
590-660 A.D.
Editorial Board
Amir Harrak
Muriel Debi6
Jan J. van Ginkel
Edition, Translation and Commentary by
Nasif al-Ka'bi
Gorgias Chronicles of Late Antiquity aims to publish Syriac and Christian Arabic
chronicles datmg between the 6th and the 14th centuries in their original languages
and with faring English translations. The translations will make these unique
chronographic sources accessible to as wide an audience as possible, offering the
specialist the opportunity to read them in the original languages and to compare ^ORGIAS
them with the translations. '^^RESS
2016
Gorgias Press LLC, 954 River Road, Piscataway, NJ, 08854, USA
www.gorgiaspress.com
Copyright© 2016 by Gorgias Press LLC
All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. No part
of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any
fo^ or by any means, electronic, mechamcal, photocopying, recording, scanning or
otherwise without the prior written permission of Gorgias Press LLC.
2016
For
Amir Harrak
ISBN 978-1-4632-0563-8 Ahmad Tafa22oE
Michael Morony
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Names: Kabi, Nasir Abd al-Husayn, editor, translator.
Title; A short chronicle on the end of the Sasanian Empire
and early Islam
590-660 A.D. / edition, translation and commentary by
Nasir al-Ka'bi.
Description: Piscataway, NJ : Gorgias Press, 2016. |
Series: Gorgias
chronicles of late antiquity | Includes bibliographical
references and
indexes.
Identifiers: LCCN 2016030283 1 ISBN 9781463205638
Subjects: LCSH: Sassanids. | Iran—History—To 640. |
Islamic
Empire—History—622-661.
Classification: LCC DS286 .S47 2016 | DDC 935/.707—dc23
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2016030283
Printed in the United States of America
Gorgias Press LLC, 954 River Road, Piscataway, NJ, 08854, USA
www.gorgiaspress.com
Copyright© 2016 by Gorgias Press LLC
All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. No part
of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any
fo^ or by any means, electronic, mechamcal, photocopying, recording, scanning or
otherwise without the prior written permission of Gorgias Press LLC.
2016
For
Amir Harrak
ISBN 978-1-4632-0563-8 Ahmad Tafa22oE
Michael Morony
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Names: Kabi, Nasir Abd al-Husayn, editor, translator.
Title; A short chronicle on the end of the Sasanian Empire
and early Islam
590-660 A.D. / edition, translation and commentary by
Nasir al-Ka'bi.
Description: Piscataway, NJ : Gorgias Press, 2016. |
Series: Gorgias
chronicles of late antiquity | Includes bibliographical
references and
indexes.
Identifiers: LCCN 2016030283 1 ISBN 9781463205638
Subjects: LCSH: Sassanids. | Iran—History—To 640. |
Islamic
Empire—History—622-661.
Classification: LCC DS286 .S47 2016 | DDC 935/.707—dc23
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2016030283
Printed in the United States of America
T
i
Table of Contents
Table of Contents...........................................................................................................v
Abbreviations................................................................................................................vii
Epigraphy and Languages.....................................................................................vii
Encyclopedias........................................................................................................vii
Journals..................................................................................................................vii
Preface and acknowledgements.....................................................................................be
Introduction....................................................................................................................xi
The Manuscript and the Identity of its Author...................................................xi
Description of the manuscript........................................................................xi
Author...............................................................................................................xii
Tide..................................................................................................................XV
Translations of the Chronicle.........................................................................xvii
Sources and Contents of the Chronicle................................................................xix
The Late Sasanian Period..............................................................................xxi
Ecclesiastical History..........................................................................................1
Early Islamic Period.........................................................................................lx
Historiographical Approach.............................................................................Ixxix
The chronicler’s concept of history..........................................................Ixxix
The contents and organization of material...............................................Ixxix
The chronicler’s audience and message.....................................................Ixxxi
God behind history....................................................................................Ixxxii
Historical geography..................................................................................Ixxxiii
Sasanian geography...................................................................................Ixxxiv
Ecclesiastical geography............................................................................Ixxxvi
Islamic geography....................................................................................Ixxxvii
Text and Translation.......................................................................................................1
Chronology of the Short Chronicle...........................................................................117
Events relating to the period covered by the Chronicle (590-660)..................117
Late Sasanian history.....................................................................................117
Ecclesiastical history......................................................................................118
Early Islamic period.......................................................................................120
Bibliography.................................................................................................................123
Primary textual sources.......................................................................................123
Arabic (Muslim) sources...............................................................................123
V
T
i
Table of Contents
Table of Contents...........................................................................................................v
Abbreviations................................................................................................................vii
Epigraphy and Languages.....................................................................................vii
Encyclopedias........................................................................................................vii
Journals..................................................................................................................vii
Preface and acknowledgements.....................................................................................be
Introduction....................................................................................................................xi
The Manuscript and the Identity of its Author...................................................xi
Description of the manuscript........................................................................xi
Author...............................................................................................................xii
Tide..................................................................................................................XV
Translations of the Chronicle.........................................................................xvii
Sources and Contents of the Chronicle................................................................xix
The Late Sasanian Period..............................................................................xxi
Ecclesiastical History..........................................................................................1
Early Islamic Period.........................................................................................lx
Historiographical Approach.............................................................................Ixxix
The chronicler’s concept of history..........................................................Ixxix
The contents and organization of material...............................................Ixxix
The chronicler’s audience and message.....................................................Ixxxi
God behind history....................................................................................Ixxxii
Historical geography..................................................................................Ixxxiii
Sasanian geography...................................................................................Ixxxiv
Ecclesiastical geography............................................................................Ixxxvi
Islamic geography....................................................................................Ixxxvii
Text and Translation.......................................................................................................1
Chronology of the Short Chronicle...........................................................................117
Events relating to the period covered by the Chronicle (590-660)..................117
Late Sasanian history.....................................................................................117
Ecclesiastical history......................................................................................118
Early Islamic period.......................................................................................120
Bibliography.................................................................................................................123
Primary textual sources.......................................................................................123
Arabic (Muslim) sources...............................................................................123
V
VI A Short Chronicle
Arabic (Christian) sources.................................
.....126
Armenian sources..............................................
.....126
Coptic sources....................................................
.....126
Greek and Latin sources....................................
Middle Persian sources.......................................
Persian sources...................................................
Abbreviations
Syriac sources......................................................
..............128
Secondary sources....................................................
..............129
Individuals mentioned in the Chronicle............................
Kings, commanders and nobles in the Chronicle.... Epigraphy AND Languages
Kings................................................................... Av. Avesta
Commanders and nobles................................... KSM Inscription of Kerdir at Sar Mashad
Patriarchs............................................................. NPi Inscription Narseh in Paikuli
Muslim (Arab) rulers in the Chronicle................ Pah Pahlavi
List of works relating to the Chronicle............................... Syr. Syriac
Maps and Tables................................................................ §I<2 Sapur’s Ka’ba-ye Zardost Inscription
Maps.............................................................. SNRb Sapur I on the Ka’ba-ye Zardost at Naqs-e Rostam .
Tables................................... Inscription
Indexes...............................................................................
Encyclopedias
Index of Personal Names.......................................
Index of Place Names............................................. CHI Cambridge History of Iran
Index of Biblical and Qur’anic citations................ Encyclopedic Dictionary Gorgias Encyclopedic Dictionary of the Syriac
Subject Index............................................................ Heritage
Iranica Encyclopaedia Iranica
EP Encyclopedia of Islam, Second Edition
EP Encyclopedia of Islam, Third Edition
csco Corpus Scriptorum Christianorum Orientalium, Paris
and Louvain
Journals
BAI Bulletin of the Asia Institute
BASOR Bulletin of the American School of Oriental Research
BSAC Bulletin de la societe d’archeologie copte
BSOAS Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies
JIHCS Journal of Institute for Humanities and Cultural
Studies
IJAS International Journal of Ancient Iranian Studies
JAN Journal of American Numismatics
JBIPS Journal of the British Institute of Persian Studies
JCSSS Journal of the Canadian Society for Syriac Studies
JIA Journal of the Iraqi Academy
JIE Israel Exploration Journal
JNF Journal of Nameye Farhangestan
vii
VI A Short Chronicle
Arabic (Christian) sources.................................
.....126
Armenian sources..............................................
.....126
Coptic sources....................................................
.....126
Greek and Latin sources....................................
Middle Persian sources.......................................
Persian sources...................................................
Abbreviations
Syriac sources......................................................
..............128
Secondary sources....................................................
..............129
Individuals mentioned in the Chronicle............................
Kings, commanders and nobles in the Chronicle.... Epigraphy AND Languages
Kings................................................................... Av. Avesta
Commanders and nobles................................... KSM Inscription of Kerdir at Sar Mashad
Patriarchs............................................................. NPi Inscription Narseh in Paikuli
Muslim (Arab) rulers in the Chronicle................ Pah Pahlavi
List of works relating to the Chronicle............................... Syr. Syriac
Maps and Tables................................................................ §I<2 Sapur’s Ka’ba-ye Zardost Inscription
Maps.............................................................. SNRb Sapur I on the Ka’ba-ye Zardost at Naqs-e Rostam .
Tables................................... Inscription
Indexes...............................................................................
Encyclopedias
Index of Personal Names.......................................
Index of Place Names............................................. CHI Cambridge History of Iran
Index of Biblical and Qur’anic citations................ Encyclopedic Dictionary Gorgias Encyclopedic Dictionary of the Syriac
Subject Index............................................................ Heritage
Iranica Encyclopaedia Iranica
EP Encyclopedia of Islam, Second Edition
EP Encyclopedia of Islam, Third Edition
csco Corpus Scriptorum Christianorum Orientalium, Paris
and Louvain
Journals
BAI Bulletin of the Asia Institute
BASOR Bulletin of the American School of Oriental Research
BSAC Bulletin de la societe d’archeologie copte
BSOAS Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies
JIHCS Journal of Institute for Humanities and Cultural
Studies
IJAS International Journal of Ancient Iranian Studies
JAN Journal of American Numismatics
JBIPS Journal of the British Institute of Persian Studies
JCSSS Journal of the Canadian Society for Syriac Studies
JIA Journal of the Iraqi Academy
JIE Israel Exploration Journal
JNF Journal of Nameye Farhangestan
vii
VUl A Short Chronicle
JNES Journal of Near Eastern Studies
JNIB Journal of Name-ye Baharestan
Sumer Sumer, Iraq Museum
JSAN Journal of the Society for Ancient Numismatics
JSOR Journal of the Society of the Oriental Research
JSAI Jerusalem Studies in Arabic and Islam
Preface and acknowledgements
JWH Journal of War in History
NC Numismatic Chronicle
NF Name-ye Farhangestan
PdO Parole de I’Orient This book, A Short Chronicle on the End of the Sasanian Empire and Earlj Islam 590-660
A.D., emerged from a two-year postdoctoral project undertaken at the Department
of Near and Middle Eastern Civilizations, University of Toronto.
The book offers the first English translation of the text with notes on personal
names, tides, and toponyms, and comments on various technical terms in Syriac and
Persian. Extensive foomotes discuss the contents of the Chronicle, often in light of
Syriac, Arabic, Middle Persian, and Armenian sources that may offer comparable
accounts to those found in the Chronicle, the footnotes also refer to archaeological
discoveries of sites and buildings mentioned in the text. The book discusses issues
such as the identity of the anonymous chronicler, his sources of information, and
major themes that mark his historical accounts. The historical analysis in this
volume covers the late Sasanian period to the rise of Islam, with an emphasis on the
conditions of the Church in these cmcial historical periods.
This Chronicle is central for the study of the seventh century, a period of drastic
historical changes which witnessed the demise of two contending world empires and
their replacement by Islam - thus signaling the end of Late Antiquity and the
beginning of the Middle Ages. The importance of the Chronicle lies in the fact that it
may be the earliest Syriac document known which relies on official Sasanian sources.
It may also be the oldest Syriac chronicle which deals with the advent of
Muhammad and the ensuing Arab conquest, while its author was an eyewitness to
the succession of rulers and kingdoms.
I would like to express my heartfelt thanks to my supervisor and mentor
Professor Amir Harrak, who generously gave time and earnest attention at every
stage of my postdoctoral studies. His help was particularly important in selecting a
historiographical topic and the elucidation of its plan, and in editing and translating
the Syriac text. My profound thanks are also due to Professor Shafiq Virani who co
supervised my project and to Professor Muhammad Tavakoli whose encouragement
and help in extending my research time at the University of Toronto are most
appreciated.
I must not fail to mention my dear friend Mr. Neil Faibish who throughout the
preparation of this work was always ready to go through my English text and
improve it. Professor Amar Baadj helped me in the analysis of the historical sources,
reviewing my discussion of historical events readily and critically. My colleague Mr.
Ashoor Yousef, a doctoral candidate in the department of Religion at the University
of Toronto, provided me with invaluable logistical academic help. I also
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