Parth (Arsakid) Devleti’nin Kurucusu I. Arsakes’in İskit Kökeni Hakkında Değerlendirmeler

Year 2022, Volume: 4 Issue: 2, 487 - 518, 20.09.2022

Muzaffer Demir

https://doi.org/10.33469/oannes.1117553

Abstract

Orta Asya konargöçerleri -Daai, Massagetai ve Sakai- MÖ 331-330 yılları civarında III. Dareios’un ve hatta sonrasında Büyük İskender’in ordusunda özel atlı okçu birlikler olarak hizmet etmişlerdir. Büyük İskender’in MÖ 323 yılında ani ölümü İran’ın kuzey doğu coğrafyasını da ciddi bir şekilde istikrarsızlığa sürüklemiştir. Daai Konfederasyonu’na bağlı üç kabileden biri olan ve İskit kökenli A/parnoi, B. İskender’in bölge üzerinde hâkimiyet kurmuş olan varislerinden I. Seleukos (MÖ 305-281)’un iktidarı döneminde kuzeydeki Khorasmia (Harezm) bölgesinden güneye doğru özellikle Margiana (genel hatlarıyla Türkmenistan) üzerine saldırılarını yoğunlaştırmış ve tam anlamıyla geri püskürtülememiştir. II. Seleukos (MÖ 246-226/5)’un tahta çıkar çıkmaz batıda yüzleşmek zorunda kaldığı iç ayaklanma ve komşularının saldırılarına karşı başarısız olması doğuda Baktria ve Parthia valilerinin de ayaklanmasına yol açmıştır. Bunu fırsat bilen A/parnoi’nin başındaki karizmatik lideri I. Arsakes, önce Baktria valisinin kontrolündeki Margiana’ya saldırmış ancak geri püskürtüldüğünden Parthia (Horasan) bölgesine yönelmiş ve bağımsızlığını yeni ilan etmiş olan bölge valisi Andragoras’ı öldürerek İran’da Parth devletinin temellerini atmıştır. Parth devletinin kuruluş süreci hakkında çok sayıda modern literatür bulunurken, I. Arsakes’in kökeni hakkında şimdiye kadar detaylı bir çalışmanın yapılmadığı görülmektedir. I. Arsakes’in kökeniyle ilgili verdikleri bilgiler günümüze kadar ulaşan dört antik yazar bulunmaktadır: Strabon, Iustinus (Trogus), Marcellinus ve Arrianus (Photios ve Synkellos). Biz bu yazarların ilgili metinlerini karşılaştırmalı olarak analiz ederek I. Arsakes’in İskit kabilelerinden A/parnoi’nin soyundan geldiği tezini destekleyeceğiz. Bu kapsamda A/parnoi kabilesinin İran’a gelmeden önce çıktığı Khorasmia (Harezm), Hyrkania (Dahistan) ve Margiana coğrafyaları, daha sonraki Parth krallarının özellikle Margiana coğrafyasına bağlılıklarını devam ettirmeleri ve Parthların yaşam tarzları, savaş taktikleri ve geleneklerinin kuzeydeki İskit halklarınınkine benzemesi temaları üzerine odaklanacağız.

Keywords

I. Arsakes, Daai, A/parnoi, İskitler, Margiana, Parthia

Supporting Institution

Muğla Sıtkı Koçman Üniversitesi

Assessments About the Scythian Origin of Arsaces I, Founder of the Parthian (Arsacid) State

Abstract

Central Asian nomads - Dahae, Massagetae and Sacae - served as special mounted archer units in Darius III’s around 331-330 BC and even later in Alexander the Great’s army. The sudden death of Alexander the Great in 323 BC seriously destabilized the northeastern region of Iran as well. A/parnoi, one of the three tribes affiliated to the Dahae Confederation from Chorasmia (Harezm) in the north and belonging to the Scythian origin, concentrated their attacks towards the south, especially on Margiana (Turkmenistan in general) during the reign of Seleucus I (305-281 BC), the successor of Alexander the Great and ruling the region, and were not completely repulsed. As soon as Seleucus II (246-226/5 BC) ascended to the throne, the internal revolt he had to face in the west and his failure against the attacks of his neighbours simultaneously led to the revolts of the governors of Bactria and Parthia in the east. Seizing this opportunity, the charismatic leader of A/parnoi, Arsaces I, first attacked Margiana, which was under the control of Bactria's governor, but after being repulsed, he headed for the Parthia (Chorasan) region and killed its governor, Andragoras, who had just declared independence, and laid the foundations of the Parthian state in Iran. While there are lots of modern literature on the establishment process of the Parthian state, there does not seem to have been done any detailed study about the origin of Arsaces I. There are four ancient authors whose information about the origin of Arsaces I has survived: Strabo, Justinus (Trogus), Marcellinus and Arrianus (Photius and Syncellus). By comparatively analyzing the relevant texts of these authors, we will support the thesis that Arsakes I was a descendant of A/parnoi, one of the Scythian tribes. In this context, we will focus on the themes of the geographies of Chorasmia (Harezm), Hyrkania (Dahistan) and Margiana from which the A/parnoi tribe originated before they came to Iran, that the later Parthian kings continued their connections with the Margiana geography, and the Parthian lifestyles, war tactics and traditions were similar to those of the Scythians people from the north.

Keywords

Arsaces I, Dahae, A/parnoi, Scythians, Margiana, Parthia

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