Sassanid reconquest of Yemen
| Sassanid reconquest of Yemen | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of the Ethiopian-Persian wars | |||||||||
| |||||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||||
| Sassanid Empire | Kingdom of Aksum | ||||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||||
| Vahrez | |||||||||
| Strength | |||||||||
| 4,000 | Unknown | ||||||||
The Sassanid reconquest of Yemen took place in 575 or 578[1] after Aksumite men killed Sayf ibn Dhi Yazan after a reign of some four years and took control of Yemen. The rising took place when the protecting Persian garrison withdrew from Yemen. The Sassanids, this time with a force of 4,000 men, managed to reconquer Yemen and install Sayf’s son, Maʿdī Kareb as ruler.[2]
A Persian military force now remained in Yemen for over fifty years, with a Persian governor at Maʿdī Kareb’s side. The names of the successive Persian governors are as follows, according to Tabari (there is some variation in the sources over the names):[2]
- Vahrēz
- Marzbān (son of Vahrēz)
- Bīnagār (son of Marzbān)
- Khurra Khusraw (son of Bīnagār)
- Bādhān or Bādhām (unconnected with Vahrēz’s line).
The Persian garrison of soldiers and officials settled down in Sana'a and its vicinity and intermarried with the local Arab population, and it was the sons of these Persian fathers and Arab mothers, with their descendants, who became known as the Abnā'.[2]