Mazdak
Mazdak | |
|---|---|
مزدک | |
Illustration of the execution of Mazdak from a copy of the Shahnameh | |
| Born | Mazdak Bamdadan Mazariya, Pasa or Istakhr |
| Died | c. 524 or 528 (Other say 529 or 531) |
| Cause of death | Execution |
| Other names | Mazdaku, Mazdaka, Mazhdaq |
| Citizenship | Sasanian Empire |
| Occupations | Mobad, Social Reformer |
| Years active | c. 480s - 520s |
| Known for | Mazdakism |
| Spouse | Hamzah (daughter of Fadeh) |
| Parent | Bamdad (father) |
| Religion | Zoroastrianism (Mazdakite sect) |
Mazdak (Persian: مزدک, Middle Persian: 𐭬𐭦𐭣𐭪𐭩, also known as Mazdak Bamdadan; died c. 524 or 528) was an Iranian mobad (priest) and social reformer who rose to prominence during the reign of the Sasanian emperor Kavadh I. He instituted a religious and social movement known as Mazdakism, which preached a dualistic cosmology and social welfare programs, including the communal ownership of property and, controversially, women (interpreted by some scholars as a reaction against the harem system).
Although initially supported by King Kavadh I to weaken the power of the nobility and clergy, Mazdak and his followers were eventually purged by Kavadh's son, Khosrow I (Anushiravan). His ideology survived in various forms, influencing later movements such as the Khurramites.