Mazdak, Mazdakism, and the Mazdakite Parenthesis in Sasanian History

This chapter begins with a parenthesis in the history of the pre-Islamic Sasanian (Sassanian) dynasty of the Persian Empire, which comprises Iranic and Aramaic areas, i.e. Iran and Mesopotamia (AnEran, i.e. the non-Iranic area of the Persian Empire). For a while, the Mazdakites, followers of Mazdak, seized power, or almost, and the Emperor sided with them. This resulted in social upheaval. It not even clear what they preached, wanted, or practised, because all information that has come down is found in hostile sources. For example, it is claimed that theirs was a communist doctrine (and in Communist Eastern Europe there were scholars who took this at face value), and it was also claimed that they held even women in common. But then consider “But you Communists would introduce community of women, screams the bourgeoisie in chorus”, as Marx and Engels wrote in their Manifesto. There were similar accusations, in fact groundless charges, in an anti-Christian pamphlet from 1860s China, and these are briefly addressed in this chapter.