Editing Shapur I (section)

===The eastern front===
{{Original research|section|date=April 2025|reason=This section seems to be the result of synthesis from primary sources.}}
The eastern provinces of the fledgling Sasanian Empire bordered on the land of the [[Kushans]] and the land of the [[Sakas]] (roughly today's Turkmenistan, Afghanistan and Pakistan). The military operations of Shapur's father Ardashir I had led to the local Kushan and Saka kings offering tribute to the Sasanians. Satisfied by this show of submission, Ardashir seems to have refrained from occupying their territories. [[Al-Tabari]] alleges that he rebuilt the ancient city of [[Zrang]] in [[Sakastan]] (the land of the Sakas, [[Sistan]]), but the only founding of a new Sasanian settlement in the east which is certain in this period is the building by Shapur I of [[Nishapur]]—"Beautiful (city built) by Shapur"—in [[Dihistan]] (former [[Parthia]], apparently lost by the [[Parthian people|Parthians]] to the Kushans).<ref>Thaalibi 485–486 even ascribes the founding of Badghis and Khwarazm to Ardashir I</ref>

Soon after the death of his father in 241 AD, Shapur felt the need to cut short the campaign they had started in Roman Syria and reassert Sasanian authority in the East, perhaps because the Kushan and Saka kings were lax in abiding by their tributary status. However, he first had to fight "The Medes of the Mountains"—possibly in the mountain range of [[Gilan]] on the Caspian coast—and after subjugating them, he appointed his son Bahram (the later [[Bahram I]]) as their king. He then marched to the East and annexed most of the land of the Kushans, and appointing his son [[Narseh]] as Sakanshah—king of the Sakas—in [[Sistan]]. In 242 AD, Shapur conquered [[Sasanian Khwarazm|khwarezm]].<ref>[[Richard N. Frye|Frye, Richard N]]. (1983). [https://books.google.com/books?id=hvx9jq_2L3EC&pg=PA116 "The political history of Iran under the Sasanians"]. The Cambridge History of Iran: The Seleucid, Parthian, and Sasanian periods (1). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. pp. 116–181. {{ISBN|978-0521246934}}.</ref> Shapur could now proudly proclaim that his empire stretched all the way to Peshawar, and his relief in [[Rag-i-Bibi]] in present-day Afghanistan confirms this claim.<ref>W. Soward, "The Inscription of Shapur I at Naqsh-E Rustam in Fars", sasanika.org, 3.<br/>Cf. F. Grenet, J. Lee, P. Martinez, F. Ory, "The Sasanian Relief at Rag-i Bibi (Northern Afghanistan)” in G. Hermann, J. Cribb (ed.), After Alexander. Central Asia before Islam (London 2007), pp. 259–260</ref> Shapur I claims in his [[Naqsh-e Rostam]] inscription possession of the territory of the Kushans ({{Lang|pal-Latn|Kūšān šahr}}) as far as "Purushapura" ([[Peshawar]]), suggesting he controlled [[Bactria]] and areas as far as the [[Hindu-Kush]] or even south of it:{{sfn|Rezakhani|2017a|pp=202–203}}{{full citation needed<!--There are two sources that match this author/date. Please use a and b after the year both here and in the full citations.-->|date=April 2021}}

{{blockquote|I, the Mazda-worshipping lord, Shapur, king of kings of Iran and An-Iran… (I) am the Master of the Domain of Iran (Ērānšahr) and possess the territory of Persis, Parthian… Hindestan, the Domain of the Kushan up to the limits of Paškabur and up to Kash, Sughd, and Chachestan.|[[Naqsh-e Rostam]] inscription of Shapur I}}

He seems to have garrisoned the Eastern territories with prisoners of war from his previous campaign against the Medes of the Mountains. Agathias claims [[Bahram II]] (274–293 AD) later campaigned in the land of the Sakas and appointed his brother Hormizd as its king. When Hormizd revolted, the [[Panegyrici Latini]] list his forces as the Sacci (Sakas), the Rufii (Cusii/Kushans) and the Geli (Gelans / [[Gilaks]], the inhabitants of [[Gilan]]). Since the Gilaks are obviously out of place among these easterners, and as we know that Shapur I had to fight the Medes of the Mountains first before marching to the land of the Kushans, it is conceivable those Gilaks were the descendants of warriors captured during Shapur I's North-western campaign, forcibly drafted into the Sasanian army, and settled as a hereditary garrison in [[Merv]], [[Nishapur]], or [[Zrang]] after the conclusion of Shapur's north-eastern campaign, the usual Sasanian practice with prisoners of war.<ref>Agathias 4.24.6–8; Panegyrici Latini N3.16.25; Thaalibi 495; {{cite book|author=Arthur Christensen|title=L'Iran sous les Sassanides|place=Copenhague|year=1944 |publisher=Ejnar Munksgaard |url=https://archive.org/details/christensen-liran-sous-les-sa |language=fr |page=214}}</ref>