Home Region: Iran (Southwest Asia)

Sasanid Empire II

488 CE 642 CE

D G SC WF R CC

EQ 2020 ir_sassanid_emp_2 / IrSasn2

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General Description

In the final Sassanid period (488-642 CE), best known for the reign of Khusrau I, the Sassanid realm was managed through provincial governors called Shahr ^[1] and vassal kings appointed by the Sassanid King of Kings. Its population peaked at about 22 million at around 600 CE a time when the Empire was disintegrating.
The long reigns of Kavad I (499-531 CE) and Khusrau I (531-579 CE) saw many reforms, such as to the tax system and the military. Khusrau I is credited with wise leadership and is known as "Plato’s philosopher king." ^[2] Khusrau I (531-579 CE) promoted minor nobility to official positions and reduced the power of aristocrats, placing tax collection in the hands of officials directly under his own control. ^[3] Khusrau I also made some important structural reforms to the military which removed the Commander-in-Chief (Eran-Spahbad) and divided the empire into four regions, each under the control of a regional field marshal (Spahbads). ^[4] This change enabled the Sassanids to more quickly respond to the external threats of invasion.
After the high point of Khusrau I internal instability became the norm and the ruling dynasty had almost wiped itself out by the time the Arabs conquered the last Sassanid stronghold at Persis in 650 CE. Hamizid IV (579-590 CE), who followed Khosrau I killed many of the nobility and was harsh to the priests. Hormizd IV was deposed 589-590 CE by his generals and the nobility who put on the throne his son, Khusrau II. ^[5] Kushrau II was himself deposed by nobility and priests in 628 CE. ^[6] Kavad II (628-630 CE) conducted a fratricide, killing all the male heirs in the Sasanid family, and was assassinated. ^[7]

[1]: (Daryaee 2009, 124-135) Touraj Daryaee. 2009. Sasanian Persia: The Rise and Fall of an Empire. I.B. Tauris. London.

[2]: (Daryaee 2009, 27-37) Touraj Daryaee. 2009. Sasanian Persia: The Rise and Fall of an Empire. I.B. Tauris. London.

[3]: (Chegini 1996, 47) N N Chegini. Political History, Economy and Society. in Litvinsky, B. A. ed. and Iskender-Mochiri, I. ed. 1996. History of Civilizations of Central Asia. Volume III. The crossroads of civilizations: A.D. 250 to 750. pp.40-58. unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0010/001046/104612e.pdf

[4]: (Farrokh 2005, 3-27) Kevah Farrokh. 2005. Sassanian Elite Cavalry AD 224-642. Osprey Publishing.

[5]: (Daryaee 2012, 199) Touraj Daryaee. The Sasanian Empire (224-651 CE). in Daryaee, Touraj. ed. 2012. The Oxford Handbook of Iranian History. Oxford University Press. Oxford.

[6]: (Daryaee 2012, 200) Touraj Daryaee. The Sasanian Empire (224-651 CE). in Daryaee, Touraj. ed. 2012. The Oxford Handbook of Iranian History. Oxford University Press. Oxford.

[7]: (Daryaee 2009, 31) Touraj Daryaee. 2009. Sasanian Persia: The Rise and Fall of an Empire. I.B. Tauris. London.

General Variables

Identity and Location

1 Utm Zone

1 Original Name

1 Capital

5 Alternative Name

Temporal Bounds

1 Peak Years

1 Duration

Political and Cultural Relations

2 Suprapolity Relations

1 Supracultural Entity

1 Succeeding Entity

1 Scale of Supracultural Interaction

1 Relationship to preceding Entity

1 Polity Succession

1 Degree of Centralization

Language

1 Linguistic Family

1 Language

Religion

1 Religion Genus

1 Alternate Religion

Social Complexity Variables

Social Scale

2 Population of the Largest Settlement

2 Polity Territory

3 Polity Population

Hierarchical Complexity

1 Settlement Hierarchy

1 Religious Level

1 Military Level

1 Administrative Level

Professions

2 Professional Soldier

1 Professional Priesthood

2 Professional Military Officer

Bureaucracy Characteristics

1 Specialized Government Building

1 Merit Promotion

1 Full Time Bureaucrat

1 Examination System

Law

1 Professional Lawyer

1 Judge

4 Formal Legal Code

1 Court

Specialized Buildings: polity owned

1 Market

1 Irrigation System

1 Food Storage Site

1 Drinking Water Supply System

Transport Infrastructure

1 Road

1 Port

1 Canal

1 Bridge

Special-purpose Sites

1 Mines or Quarry

Information / Writing System

1 Written Record

1 Script

1 Phonetic Alphabetic Writing

1 Nonwritten Record

1 Non Phonetic Writing

1 Mnemonic Device

Information / Kinds of Written Documents

1 Scientific Literature

1 Sacred Text

1 Religious Literature

1 Practical Literature

1 Philosophy

1 Lists Tables and Classification

1 History

1 Fiction

1 Calendar

Information / Money

1 Token

1 Precious Metal

1 Paper Currency

1 Indigenous Coin

1 Foreign Coin

1 Article

Information / Postal System

1 Postal Station

1 General Postal Service

1 Courier

Information / Measurement System

Warfare Variables (Military Technologies)

Fortifications

1 Wooden Palisade

1 Stone Walls Non Mortared

1 Stone Walls Mortared

1 Settlements in a Defensive Position

1 Modern Fortification

1 Moat

1 Fortified Camp

1 Earth Rampart

1 Ditch

1 Complex Fortification

1 Long Wall

Military use of Metals

1 Steel

1 Iron

1 Copper

1 Bronze

Projectiles

1 Tension Siege Engine

1 Sling Siege Engine

1 Sling

1 Self Bow

1 Javelin

1 Handheld Firearm

1 Gunpowder Siege Artillery

1 Crossbow

1 Composite Bow

1 Atlatl

Handheld weapons

1 War Club

1 Sword

1 Spear

1 Polearm

1 Dagger

1 Battle Axe

Animals used in warfare

1 Horse

1 Elephant

1 Donkey

1 Dog

1 Camel

Armor

1 Wood Bark Etc

1 Shield

1 Scaled Armor

1 Plate Armor

1 Limb Protection

1 Leather Cloth

1 Laminar Armor

1 Helmet

1 Chainmail

1 Breastplate

Naval technology

1 Specialized Military Vessel

1 Small Vessels Canoes Etc

1 Merchant Ships Pressed Into Service

Economy Variables (Luxury Goods) Coding in Progress.

Religion Variables Coding in Progress.

Crisis Consequence Cases

1 Crisis Consequence

Power Transitions

15 Power Transition

Instability Events

37 Instability Event

NGA Settlements:

Year Range	Sasanid Empire II (ir_sassanid_emp_2) was in:
(499 CE 532 CE)	Southern Mesopotamia / Susiana
(532 CE 571 CE)	Southern Mesopotamia / Susiana / Kachi Plain
(571 CE 633 CE)	Southern Mesopotamia / Susiana / Yemeni Coastal Plain / Kachi Plain
(633 CE 635 CE)	Southern Mesopotamia / Susiana / Kachi Plain
(635 CE 641 CE)	Susiana / Kachi Plain
(641 CE 642 CE)	Susiana

Home NGA: Susiana

General Variables

Identity and Location Sasanid Empire II (ir_sassanid_emp_2)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Utm Zone	38 S	488 CE 642 CE
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Original Name	Sasanid Empire II	488 CE 642 CE
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Capital	Ctesiphon	488 CE 642 CE
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Alternative Name	Sasanian Empire	488 CE 642 CE
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Alternative Name	Sassanid Empire	488 CE 642 CE
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Alternative Name	Sassanian Empire	488 CE 642 CE
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Alternative Name	Sasanid Dynasty	488 CE 642 CE
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Alternative Name	Sassanid Dynasty	488 CE 642 CE
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Temporal Bounds Sasanid Empire II (ir_sassanid_emp_2)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)	See More
Peak Years	570 CE
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Duration	[488 CE ➜ 642 CE]
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Political and Cultural Relations Sasanid Empire II (ir_sassanid_emp_2)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Suprapolity Relations	ir_sassanid_emp_2 alliance with tr_byzantine_emp_1	488 CE 642 CE
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Suprapolity Relations	alliance with [---]	488 CE 642 CE
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Supracultural Entity	Persian	488 CE 642 CE
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Succeeding Entity	Rashidun Caliphate	488 CE 642 CE
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Scale of Supracultural Interaction	[3,000,000 to 3,500,000] km²	488 CE 642 CE
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Relationship to Preceding Entity	continuity	488 CE 642 CE
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Preceding Entity	continuity; Sassanid Empire I [continuity] Update here
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Degree of Centralization	unitary state	488 CE 642 CE
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Language Sasanid Empire II (ir_sassanid_emp_2)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Linguistic Family	Indo-European	488 CE 642 CE
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Language	Pahlavi	488 CE 642 CE
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Religion Sasanid Empire II (ir_sassanid_emp_2)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Religion Genus	Zoroastrianism	488 CE 642 CE
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Alternate Religion	Uncoded Undecided	488 CE 642 CE
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Social Complexity Variables

Social Scale Sasanid Empire II (ir_sassanid_emp_2)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Population of the Largest Settlement	400,000 people	499 CE 599 CE
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Population of the Largest Settlement	500,000 people	600 CE 642 CE
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Polity Territory	[3,450,000 to 3,500,000] km²	499 CE 540 CE
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Polity Territory	[2,600,000 to 2,960,000] km²	600 CE
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Polity Population	8,900,000 people	499 CE 550 CE
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Polity Population	12,700,000 people	551 CE 619 CE
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Polity Population	22,100,000 people	620 CE 642 CE
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Hierarchical Complexity Sasanid Empire II (ir_sassanid_emp_2)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Settlement Hierarchy	6	488 CE 642 CE
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Religious Level	[4 to 5]	488 CE 642 CE
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Military Level	[7 to 9]	488 CE 642 CE
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Administrative Level	6	488 CE 642 CE
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Professions Sasanid Empire II (ir_sassanid_emp_2)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Professional Soldier	Absent	488 CE 531 CE
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Professional Soldier	Present	531 CE 642 CE
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Professional Priesthood	Present Inferred	488 CE 642 CE
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Professional Military Officer	Absent	488 CE 531 CE
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Professional Military Officer	Present	531 CE 642 CE
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Bureaucracy Characteristics Sasanid Empire II (ir_sassanid_emp_2)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Specialized Government Building	Present Inferred	488 CE 642 CE
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Merit Promotion	Absent	488 CE 642 CE
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Full Time Bureaucrat	Present	488 CE 642 CE
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Examination System	Absent	488 CE 642 CE
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Law Sasanid Empire II (ir_sassanid_emp_2)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Professional Lawyer	Absent	488 CE 642 CE
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Judge	Present	488 CE 642 CE
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Formal Legal Code	Absent Disputed	488 CE 531 CE
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Formal Legal Code	Present Disputed	488 CE 531 CE
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Formal Legal Code	Present Disputed	531 CE 642 CE
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Formal Legal Code	Absent Disputed	531 CE 642 CE
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Court	Present Inferred	488 CE 642 CE
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Specialized Buildings: polity owned Sasanid Empire II (ir_sassanid_emp_2)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Market	Present Inferred	488 CE 642 CE
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Irrigation System	Present	488 CE 642 CE
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Food Storage Site	Present	488 CE 642 CE
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Drinking Water Supply System	Present	488 CE 642 CE
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Transport Infrastructure Sasanid Empire II (ir_sassanid_emp_2)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Road	Unknown Suspected	488 CE 642 CE
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Port	Present	488 CE 642 CE
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Canal	Present	488 CE 642 CE
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Bridge	Present	488 CE 642 CE
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Special-purpose Sites Sasanid Empire II (ir_sassanid_emp_2)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Mines or Quarry	Unknown Suspected	488 CE 642 CE
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Information / Writing System Sasanid Empire II (ir_sassanid_emp_2)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Written Record	Present	488 CE 642 CE
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Script	Present	488 CE 642 CE
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Phonetic Alphabetic Writing	Present	488 CE 642 CE
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Nonwritten Record	Unknown Suspected	488 CE 642 CE
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Non Phonetic Writing	Absent	488 CE 642 CE
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Mnemonic Device	Unknown Suspected	488 CE 642 CE
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Information / Kinds of Written Documents Sasanid Empire II (ir_sassanid_emp_2)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Scientific Literature	Present	488 CE 642 CE
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Sacred Text	Present Inferred	488 CE 642 CE
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Religious Literature	Present	488 CE 642 CE
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Practical Literature	Present	488 CE 642 CE
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Philosophy	Present	488 CE 642 CE
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Lists Tables and Classification	Present Inferred	488 CE 642 CE
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History	Present	488 CE 642 CE
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Fiction	Present	488 CE 642 CE
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Calendar	Present Inferred	488 CE 642 CE
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Information / Money Sasanid Empire II (ir_sassanid_emp_2)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Token	Uncoded Undecided	488 CE 642 CE
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Precious Metal	Uncoded Undecided	488 CE 642 CE
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Paper Currency	Absent	488 CE 642 CE
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Indigenous Coin	Present	488 CE 642 CE
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Foreign Coin	Present Inferred	488 CE 642 CE
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Article	Present	488 CE 642 CE
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Information / Postal System Sasanid Empire II (ir_sassanid_emp_2)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Postal Station	Present	488 CE 642 CE
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General Postal Service	Present	488 CE 642 CE
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Courier	Present	488 CE 642 CE
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Information / Measurement System Sasanid Empire II (ir_sassanid_emp_2)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)	See More

Warfare Variables (Military Technologies)

Fortifications Sasanid Empire II (ir_sassanid_emp_2)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Wooden Palisade	Unknown Suspected	488 CE 642 CE
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Stone Walls Non Mortared	Unknown Suspected	488 CE 642 CE
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Stone Walls Mortared	Present	488 CE 642 CE
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Settlements in a Defensive Position	Unknown Suspected	488 CE 642 CE
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Modern Fortification	Absent	488 CE 642 CE
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Moat	Present	488 CE 642 CE
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Fortified Camp	Unknown Suspected	488 CE 642 CE
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Earth Rampart	Unknown Suspected	488 CE 642 CE
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Ditch	Unknown Suspected	488 CE 642 CE
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Complex Fortification	Present	488 CE 642 CE
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Long Wall	195 km	488 CE 642 CE
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Military use of Metals Sasanid Empire II (ir_sassanid_emp_2)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Steel	Present	488 CE 642 CE
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Iron	Present Inferred	488 CE 642 CE
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Copper	Present Inferred	488 CE 642 CE
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Bronze	Present Inferred	488 CE 642 CE
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Projectiles Sasanid Empire II (ir_sassanid_emp_2)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Tension Siege Engine	Present	488 CE 642 CE
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Sling Siege Engine	Absent	488 CE 642 CE
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Sling	Present	488 CE 642 CE
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Self Bow	Absent Inferred	488 CE 642 CE
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Javelin	Present	488 CE 642 CE
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Handheld Firearm	Absent	488 CE 642 CE
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Gunpowder Siege Artillery	Absent	488 CE 642 CE
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Crossbow	Present	488 CE 642 CE
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Composite Bow	Present	488 CE 642 CE
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Atlatl	Absent	488 CE 642 CE
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Handheld weapons Sasanid Empire II (ir_sassanid_emp_2)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
War Club	Present	488 CE 642 CE
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Sword	Present	488 CE 642 CE
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Spear	Present Inferred	488 CE 642 CE
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Polearm	Unknown Suspected	488 CE 642 CE
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Dagger	Unknown Suspected	488 CE 642 CE
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Battle Axe	Present	488 CE 642 CE
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Animals used in warfare Sasanid Empire II (ir_sassanid_emp_2)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Horse	Present	488 CE 642 CE
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Elephant	Present	488 CE 642 CE
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Donkey	Unknown Suspected	488 CE 642 CE
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Dog	Absent	488 CE 642 CE
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Camel	Present	488 CE 642 CE
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Armor Sasanid Empire II (ir_sassanid_emp_2)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Wood Bark Etc	Unknown Suspected	488 CE 642 CE
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Shield	Present	488 CE 642 CE
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Scaled Armor	Present	488 CE 642 CE
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Plate Armor	Unknown Suspected	488 CE 642 CE
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Limb Protection	Present	488 CE 642 CE
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Leather Cloth	Present	488 CE 642 CE
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Laminar Armor	Present	488 CE 642 CE
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Helmet	Present	488 CE 642 CE
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Chainmail	Present	488 CE 642 CE
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Breastplate	Present	488 CE 642 CE
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Naval technology Sasanid Empire II (ir_sassanid_emp_2)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Specialized Military Vessel	Present	488 CE 642 CE
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Small Vessels Canoes Etc	Present Inferred	488 CE 642 CE
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Merchant Ships Pressed Into Service	Unknown Suspected	488 CE 642 CE
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Economy Variables (Luxury Goods)

Religion Variables

Moralizing Supernatural Punishment and Reward Sasanid Empire II (ir_sassanid_emp_2)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Moralizing Enforcement is Broad	Present	488 CE 642 CE
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Moralizing Supernatural Concern is Primary	Present	488 CE 642 CE
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Moralizing Enforcement is Agentic	Present	488 CE 642 CE
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Moralizing Enforcement in This Life	Present	488 CE 642 CE
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Moralizing Supernatural Punishment And Reward	Present	488 CE 642 CE
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Moralizing Religion Adopted by Commoners	Present	488 CE 642 CE
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Moralizing Enforcement is Targeted	Present	488 CE 642 CE
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Moralizing Enforcement in Afterlife	Present	488 CE 642 CE
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Moralizing Religion Adopted by Elites	Present	488 CE 642 CE
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Moralizing Enforcement of Rulers	Present	488 CE 642 CE
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Moralizing Enforcement is Certain	Present	488 CE 642 CE
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Human Sacrifice Sasanid Empire II (ir_sassanid_emp_2)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)	See More