Name Sahralanyozan Sahralanyozan | ||
Shahr-alan-yozan, known in Greek sources as Sahralanyozan (also spelled Saralaneozan), was an Iranian officer who served as the military governor of Sasanian Egypt during the 620s.
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Etymology
Sahralanyozan is known in Middle Persian sources as "Shahr-alan-yozan", which is actually an honorific title and means "the one who combats the Alans".
Biography
Sahralanyozan is first mentioned in 621 as being appointed the military governor of Egypt after the conquest of the province by the Sasanian general Shahrbaraz. Sahralanyozan held the title of karframan-idar ("steward of the court") and was the most powerful Iranian in Egypt. Besides being governor of Egypt, he was also the tax-collector of the province, and most likely resided in Faiyum. Although Egypt suffered much damage during its invasion by the Sasanians, after the conquest was complete, peace, toleration and rehabilitation followed. Furthermore, the Sasanians retained the same administrative structure as the Byzantine Empire.
In 626, Shahrbaraz quarrelled with the Sasanian king Khosrow II (r. 590-628) and mutinied against him. It is not known whom Sahralanzoyan supported, since he is not mentioned in any source thereafter and Shahrbaraz is described as the ruler of the province. Following the end of the Byzantine–Sassanid war in 628, by 630/1, Egypt had returned to Byzantine hands.