Description:
The “Mādayān ī Hazār Dādestān,” also known as the Sasanian Lawbook or the book of A Thousand Judgments, stands as the sole remaining legal document from the Sasanian era in its original Middle Persian (Pahlavi) language. This document, although fragmented and incomplete, is conserved in a single manuscript from the 17th century. Its author, Farrakhmard, son of Vahram, a relatively obscure figure, is believed to have been a jurist from the priestly class, skilled in Avestan legal principles. His work originates from the city of Gor/Ardeshir-Khwarra (present-day near Firuzabad) in Fars (Persis) during the twilight years of the Sasanian empire. The most recent date referenced in the text is the 26th year of Chosroes II’s reign (615/16 CE), with most mentioned figures and dates falling within the 5th and 6th centuries. The lawbook is composed of at least fifty-four chapters, each with its own thematic title, but lacking a clear overarching structure.
Bibliography:
– Macuch, Maria. “MĀDAYĀN Ī HAZĀR DĀDESTĀN.” Encyclopædia Iranica, online edition, 2017. (Link)
– Macuch, Maria. Rechtskasuistik und Gerichtspraxis zu Beginn des siebenten Jahrhunderts in Iran: die Rechtssamlung des Farroḫmard i Wahrāmān. Wiesbaden: Harrassowitz, 1993.
– Macuch, Maria. Das sasanidische Rechtsbuch “Mātakdān i hazār dātistān” (Teil II). Wiesbaden: Steiner, 1981.
– Perikhanian, Anahit G. Farraxvmart ī Vahrānman, The Book of a Thousand Judgements (A Sasanian Law-Book). Costa Mesa: Mazda Publications, 1997. (PDF)