Foreign Relations History

Foreign Relations History

Sasanian Relations with the Western Turks during the Reigns of Khosrow I and Hormizd IV (590–531 CE)

Document Type : Scientific - research article

Authors
mohammad maleki 1
Ahmad gholami ghazankandi 2
1 Assistant Professor of Ancient Iranian History, Department of History and Iranian Studies, Faculty of Literature and Humanities, University of Isfahan, Isfahan, Iran
2 M.A. Graduate in Ancient Iranian History, Department of History, Faculty of Literature and Humanities, Urmia University, Urmia, Iran
10.22034/hfr.2026.580134.1587
Abstract
Following their victory over the Arsacids, the Sasanian Empire (224–651 CE) undertook the expansion of Iranian territory and the defense of its frontiers; moreover, drawing upon the experience of preceding dynasties, they succeeded in establishing a centralized and well-ordered government. In the first half of the sixth century CE, the eastern territories of Sasanian Iran underwent remarkable transformations. With the collapse of the Hephthalite polity, the Western Turks emerged as a newly rising power in the east of Iran and, from the 530s CE onward, became one of the effective actors in the political and military relations of the region. The principal aim of the present study is to examine Sasanian foreign policy vis-à-vis the newly emergent phenomenon of the Western Turks along the eastern frontiers and the manner in which the threat emanating from them was mitigated. The central question of this research revolves not only around an understanding of the relations between Sasanian Iran and the Western Turks, but also clarifies the kind of considerations that prevailed between them. Accordingly, the present article, employing the historical method with a descriptive-analytical approach and drawing upon primary sources and new data, analyzes Iran's relations with the Western Turks. The findings of the research indicate that, although the initial alliance with the Western Turks brought about a temporary consolidation of security along the eastern frontiers, the persistence of conflicting interests and rivalry in Central Asia ultimately gave rise to a new round of frontier threats, which reached their peak in the final decade of the sixth century CE
Keywords
Iran
Sasanians
Western Turks
Khosrow I
Hormizd IV
Foreign Relations
Subjects
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  • Receive Date 22 April 2026
  • Accept Date 15 June 2026