Migration and Displacement of Iranians to Byzantium during the Sasanian Period and Early Islam

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 shiraz uni

2 Ph.D. Candidate, Department of History, Faculty of Literature and Humanities, Shiraz University, shiraz, Iran

10.22103/jic.2025.25457.1446

Abstract

Migration and population movements have always been central elements in the socio-historical analysis of societies, playing a pivotal role in the formation or transformation of power structures, social order, and cultural diversity. In the history of Iran, one of the lesser-studied yet civilizationally significant trajectories has been the migration of Iranian groups to the territories of the Eastern Roman Empire (Byzantium). This study aims to investigate the causes and dynamics of these migrations during the Sasanian period and the early Islamic centuries, as well as their broader civilizational impacts. Employing Everett Lee’s push-pull theory of migration, the research explains the underlying drivers and cultural consequences of these movements. The methodology adopted is descriptive-analytical with a historical-sociological approach, grounded in primary historical sources. The findings indicate that during the Sasanian era, migrations were mainly carried out by members of the royal family and military commanders—some seeking refuge in Byzantium due to internal conflicts and political repulsion in Iran, while others were transferred as war captives. Religious migrations are also observed, particularly among Iranian Christian minorities. Following the Arab Muslim conquest and the collapse of Sasanian structures, profound social and religious transformations led to the migration of Zoroastrians and remnants of the Sasanian court to Byzantium. During the Abbasid period, the suppression of uprisings such as Babak Khorramdin’s revolt and the Zutt rebellion led to the migration or exile of some dissidents to Byzantium. Moreover, religious persecution of Christians under certain Abbasid caliphs prompted further waves of religious migration. This study concludes

Keywords

References

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Iranian Civilization Research
Volume 7, Issue 2 - Serial Number 14
December 2026
Pages 90-111

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