Shapurdukhtak ( Middle Persian: Šābuhrduxtag, literally "daughter of Shapur"), also known as Shapurdukhtak II, [2] was a Sasanian queen ( banbishn) in the late 3rd and early 4th-centuries, who was the wife of the Sasanian king ( shah) Narseh ( r. 293–302). She has been suggested to be the daughter of shah Shapur I ( r. 240–270), however, this is disputed. [3] [4]
She is mentioned in the inscription at Ka'ba-ye Zartosht written in c. 262. She held the title of sagan banbishn ("Queen of the Saka"), due to her husband Narseh serving as governor of Sakastan at that time. [3] When Narseh ascended the throne in 293, he had an investiture relief made in Naqsh-e Rostam, where he is depicted as receiving the ring of kingship from a female figure that is frequently assumed to be the goddess Anahita. However, some scholars have suggested that this may be his queen, Shapurdukhtak. [1] [4]
References
- ^ a b Weber 2016.
- ^ Choksy 1989, p. 133.
- ^ a b Gardner 2014, p. 87.
- ^ a b Brosius 2000.
Sources
- Brosius, Maria (2000). "Women i. In Pre-Islamic Persia".
Encyclopaedia Iranica, Vol. London et al.
{{ cite encyclopedia}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher ( link) - Choksy, Jamsheed K. (1989). "A Sasanian Monarch, his queen, crown prince, and deities: The coinage of Wahram II". American Numismatic Society. 1: 117–135. JSTOR 43580158. ( registration required)
- Gardner, Iain (2014). Mani at the Court of the Persian Kings: Studies on the Chester Beatty Kephalaia Codex. BRILL. pp. 1–332. ISBN 9789004282629.
- Weber, Ursula (2016). "Narseh". Encyclopaedia Iranica.