Hormizd I Kushanshah

Hormizd I Kushanshah was Kushanshah of the Kushano-Sasanian Kingdom from 275 to 300. His reign was marked by his rebellion against his brother and suzerain the Sasanian King of Kings Bahram II (274-293). Hormizd I Kushanshah was notably the first Kushano-Sasanian ruler to claim the title of "Great Kushan King of Kings" instead of the traditional "Great Kushan King". This displays a noteworthy transition in Kushano-Sasanian ideology and self-perception and possibly a direct dispute with the ruling branch of the Sasanian family. By the time of Bahram II's death in 293, Hormizd I Kushanshah's rebellion had been suppressed; he continued to rule until his death in 300, and was succeeded by his namesake Hormizd II Kushanshah. Hormizd (also spelled Ōhrmazd, Hormozd) is the Middle Persian version of the name of the supreme deity in Zoroastrianism, known in Avestan as Ahura Mazda. The Old Persian equivalent is Auramazdā, while the Greek transliteration is Hormisdas. Like the previous Kushano-Sasanians, Hormizd I Kushanshah was, in effect, a governor of the eastern portion of the Sasanian Empire, which included the Tukharistan region, Kabulistan and Gandhara. The Kushano-Sasanians, in the same manner as the Kushan Empire, used the title of Kushanshah ("Kushan King"), thus demonstrating a continuum with their predecessors. Hormizd I Kushanshah was probably a son of the Sasanian king Bahram I (271-274), who died in 274 and was succeeded by another son, Bahram II (274-293). It was during the reign of his brother that Hormizd I Kushanshah choose to rebel. Hormizd I Kushanshah was the first Kushano-Sasanian ruler to mint coins with the title of "Great Kushan King of Kings" instead of the traditional "Great Kushan King". The Kushano-Sasanian king, now laying claims to the title of King of Kings, which had originally also been used by the Kushan Empire, displays a noteworthy transition in Kushano-Sasanian ideology and self-perception and possibly a direct dispute with the ruling branch of the Sasanian family.