Document Type : Scientific-Research

Author

MA in History of Ancient Iran. Shahid Beheshti University, Expert of the National Library and Archives of I.R. IRAN.

Abstract

Ardashir the first, founder of the Sassanid Empire, established a new administrative system. The Sassanid kings, as the Achaemenids, did mint the gold and silver coins. During this period, the gold, whenever it would be needed, was used beside the silver at the cast of second currency. Based on the narrations, a vast amount of gold was arrived to the center. The gold was used as the expenditure of war, wage, tribute, cultural memorial or jewelry. By the testimony of resources, most of the gold of the world was mined and used in this era and almost all of gold rade routes were toward Sasanian realm. The title Zarbod is an evidence to make doubt on idea of ceremonial Sasanian gold. Thus the role of Sasanian gold and its function in society and culture must be studied with a new approach. This article aims to analyze the social and economic function of gold and review its proficenicy and currency in Sasanian society. Also it is about to reject this old hypothesis on inefficiency of Sasanid gold on governmental economy and religious society.

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