Andarzbad

Andarzbad (from Middle Persian: Andarz, "advice, counsel") was a Sasanian administrative office meaning "chief advisor", "chief councillor" or "chief of staff".[1][2] The andarzbads were assigned to cities within the Sasanian Empire such as Ardashir-Khwarrah (i.e. Gor) or entire provinces, such as Sakastan.[1][2] The main court andarzbad, known as the darandarzbad, served the Shahanshah ("King of Kings") directly and was one of the highest-ranking dignitaries within the Sasanian court.[1][2] However, there were also andarzbads who served in other functions.[2] There was the andarzbad ī aswāragān, who instructed the Sasanian knights, or according to Anahit Perikhanian the andarzbadī wāspuhragān, who exercised executive authority within the King's domain.[1][2] The "andarzbad of the queens" (Middle Persian: bʾnykn hndrcpt; Parthian: MLKTEn hndrzpty) dates back to the reign of Shapur I (r. 240–170) and is attested in his inscription at the Ka'ba-ye Zartosht.[1][2] The mōgān-andarzbad ("advisor of the magi") was a dignitary who effectively functioned as a legal consultant and held status as "one of the highest ranking dignitaries of the priestly class".[1][2] M. L. Chaumont adds that the mōgān-andarzbad office "was quite different from that of the mōbadān mōbad".[1] Andarzgar ("counselor", "teacher"), a less familiar Sasanian title, may have been modeled on andarzbad but this remains uncertain.[3]