Journal of Archaeological Studies

Abstract In the religion of Ancient Elamites, various gods were worshiped. One of the most important gods was Inshushinak. Despite the importance of Inshushinak in the history of Elam, his name does not appear in Persepolis Fortification Tablets in the Achaemenid period; therefore, the purpose of this research is to study the reasons of this absence. By examining the process of Inshushinak worshiping in the history of Ancient Elam and Early Achaemenid period, and also through desk study of inscriptions and examining new researches from other researchers, we can conclude that Inshushinak worshiping in different periods had a direct relationship with the political position of Susa in Elam at the same time. By considering all the evidence and research, five possible hypotheses were formed, including the quantity of existing texts, limited area covered by fortification texts, weak settlement of Susa in the Achaemenid period, interference of Achaemenid government in Elamite rituals and the merging of Inshushinak with the Iranian gods. Finally, by examining the above cases, it was concluded that the absence of Inshushinak in the Achaemenid period is due to a set of reasons including limitation of texts, lack of urban and religious prosperity of Susa and perhaps the Achaemenids' intolerance for the god Inshushinak. The last reason was either due to the revolt of the Elamites in Khuzestan plain during the first years of Darius’ reign or Inshushinak’s contradiction to some of their beliefs, every single factor could have had a significant role, either by itself or in combination with each other, for creating such a religious situation in the Achaemenid period.

Abstract It is difficult to debate about the planning, correct implementation, and effectiveness of a government's strategies, such as defining the concept of the strategy. Having a strong military force and utilizing a variety of efficient and modern armament has always been one of the ideals of governments throughout history. The Iranian states have not been exempted from this rule and have used their financial and human resources to achieve these goals. Although the Sasanians were more advanced in many aspects of administration and military than the previous Iranian governments, they could not have been so successful in military affairs without careful strategic planning. The question is, what military strategy did the Sasanians adopt for the maintenance and the continuity of their empire? The answer to this question can be summarized in a variety of grand, long-term and short-term strategies. The very hostile strategy of the Sasanian government is not very much in line with modern theories, but it was fruitful and effective in the tumultuous late antiquity. Without their grand strategy, the Sasanian kings would not have been able to achieve numerous lasting and dramatic victories. Through the application of this strategy, they maintained and strengthened the position of the royal family among the traditional aristocracy (feudal clans), clergy, warlords, high nobility, and so on. In this paper, in order to find answers for our question, we attempt to explain the various types of strategies and tactics of the Sasanians through a descriptive-comparative-analytical approach and examine their role in the power, weakness, durability, or decline of their empire. The result generally shows the efficacy of the various Sasanian strategies and tactics in the early and middle periods, but the strategic errors of certain kings in the late period and several centuries of persistence and repetition of some aspects of their grand strategy resulted in undermining of their government