Editing Kavad I (section)

=== The Mazdakite movement and Kavad I's deposition ===
{{main|Mazdakism}}
According to classical sources, not long after Sukhra's execution, a [[mobad]] (priest) named Mazdak caught Kavad's attention. Mazdak was the chief representative of a religious and philosophical movement called [[Mazdakism]]. Not only did it consist of theological teachings, but it also advocated for political and social reforms that would impact the nobility and clergy.{{sfn|Daryaee|2014|pp=26-27}}{{sfn|Daryaee|Canepa|2018}}

The Mazdak movement was [[nonviolence|nonviolent]] and called for the sharing of wealth, women and property,{{sfn|Daryaee|2014|p=26}} an archaic form of [[communism]].{{sfn|Frye|1983|p=150}} According to modern historians [[Touraj Daryaee]] and [[Matthew Canepa]], 'sharing women' was most likely an overstatement and defamation deriving from Mazdak's decree that loosened marriage laws to help the lower classes.{{sfn|Daryaee|Canepa|2018}} Powerful families saw this as a tactic to weaken their lineage and advantages, which was most likely the case.{{sfn|Daryaee|Canepa|2018}} Kavad used the movement as a political tool to curb the power of the nobility and clergy.{{sfn|Frye|1983|p=150}}{{sfn|Daryaee|2014|p=26}} Royal [[granary|granaries]] were distributed, and land was shared among the lower classes.{{sfn|Daryaee|2014|pp=26-27}}

The [[historicity]] of the persona of Mazdak has been questioned.{{sfn|Shahbazi|2005}} He may have been a fabrication to take the blame away from Kavad.{{sfn|Shayegan|2017|p=809}} Contemporary historians, including [[Procopius]] and [[Joshua the Stylite]] make no mention of Mazdak, naming Kavad as the figure behind the movement.{{sfn|Shayegan|2017|p=809}} Mention of Mazdak only emerges in later Middle Persian Zoroastrian documents, namely the ''[[Bundahishn]]'', the ''[[Denkard]]'', and the ''[[Zand-i Wahman yasn]]''.{{sfn|Shayegan|2017|p=809}} Later Islamic-era sources, particularly [[al-Tabari]], also mention Mazdak.{{sfn|Shayegan|2017|p=809}} These later writings were perhaps corrupted by Iranian oral folklore, given that blame put on Mazdak for the redistribution of aristocratic properties to the people, is a topic repeated in Iranian oral history.{{sfn|Shayegan|2017|p=809}} Other 'villains' in pre-Islamic Iranian history, namely [[Gaumata]] in the [[Behistun Inscription]] of the [[Achaemenid Empire|Achaemenid]] king [[Darius the Great]] ({{reign|522|486 BC}}) and [[Wahnam]] in the [[Paikuli inscription]] of the Sasanian king [[Narseh]] ({{reign|293|302|show=none}}), are frequently accused of similar misdeeds.{{sfn|Shayegan|2017|p=809}}

The nobility deposed Kavad in 496 for his support of the Mazdakites and his execution of Sukhra.{{sfn|Schindel|2013a|pp=136–141}} They installed his more impressionable brother [[Jamasp]] on the throne.{{sfn|Daryaee|2014|p=27}}{{sfn|Axworthy|2008|p=59}}