Mihr-Narseh

Timeline

1. c. 399–438Ctesiphon · CtesiphonMihr-Narseh entered the center of power during the reign of Yazdegerd I and held the office of grand vizier throughout the reign of Bahram V. He managed the empire's administration, finances, and military coordination, serving as the chief executor of both rulers' actual policies, and used his position to promote his family's power, accumulating unparalleled political capital within the Sasanian aristocratic system.
2. 438–457Ctesiphon and Armenia · ArmeniaDuring the reign of Yazdegerd II, Mihr-Narseh's power reached its zenith. He led the strengthening of Zoroastrianism's status as state religion, oppressed Christians and closed some churches, and forcibly imposed Zoroastrian rituals on Armenia (one of the backgrounds to the Battle of Vardanak in 451). He also oversaw border negotiations with the Eastern Roman Empire and was the core decision-maker in the Sasanian Empire's domestic and foreign policies of the period, his power even influencing succession arrangements.
3. c. 450–457Persian heartland (Fars Province) · Fars ProvinceIn his later years Mihr-Narseh built a fire temple in his home province of Fars, leaving a famous inscription (the Kār-nāmag inscription) recording his family's deeds and Zoroastrian faith. His three sons held important military and political posts, and the family's influence continued for several generations, regarded as a model representative of the Sasanian grand vizier aristocratic system.