Socioeconomic Transformation in the Sasanian Empire

Late Antique Central Zagros

Habibi, Hossein

Explores the cultural landscapes of the late antique Central Zagros and their long-term transformations
Contextualises the socioeconomic milieu of the Sasanian Central Zagros in the late antique Near East
Highlights the role of nomadic and transhumant populations in the cultural formation processes of the Central Zagros, along with settled groups and urban societies
Presents an overview according to an interdisciplinary approach mainly based on material data of various sorts and evidence from primary sources, enriched by parallel attestations from secondary sources
Engages in recent debates regarding the function of the Sasanian state and offers a new understanding of its economy
Recent studies have demonstrated the diverse character of the socioeconomic dynamics behind the socio-political transformations and infrastructural developments in different territories of the Sasanian and Roman Empires. Notwithstanding its distinct environmental and socio-cultural settings, the cultural landscapes in the Sasanian realm are much less studied than those of the neighbouring empire to the west. Based on an inter-disciplinary approach, this monograph bridges this gap and highlights such diversity on a regional scale in the Central Zagros. Socioeconomic Transformation in the Sasanian Empire provides for a deeper understanding of the actual historical events and long-term cultural processes in the Central Zagros by disclosing the roles of various inter-related cultural and natural factors and the demographic and economic transitions that caused them. Ultimately, this work contributes to debates about the reconstruction of sociopolitical transitions in the late antique world.