Kartir

Kartir Hangirpe (alternatively Karter, Kerdēr, Kerdīr, Kirder, Kirdīr ) was Mobedan - Mobed ( " priests of the " High Priest ) of the Zoroastrian religion. He is regarded as a reformer of the Zoroastrian faith, and as the founder of the Zoroastrian orthodoxy in the Persian Empire.

Kartir began his career probably as a simple priest and chaplain was Schapurs I. accompanied, on this his campaigns, and he served as a counselor. Finally, he rose to the chief priests ( Mobed ) that rewarded loyal priest and punished others whose opinions he considered heretical. Later, he called for the persecution of the Jews, Buddhists, Hindu and the indigenous and Greek Christians and Manicheans.

Schapurs son Hormizd I granted the title Kartir magupat ( magu - paiti = Lord of the Mage [ priest ] ), and increased his influence. Also Bahram I and Bahram II promoted him, among the latter, he was promoted to the peerage and became high priest and judge of the empire. He was given the additional title of " Kartir by which the soul is saved Bahrams ": " Kirder -i - Vahram bokhtruwan ".

Kartir authority finally the temple Anahid - Ardashir and the Anahita Temple were subordinated to Istachr. Thus, he also took over that temple, whose custody had been, and already in the Parthian period granted to the home of the Sassanids, even in hereditary succession.

The social rank Kartir becomes especially clear that he was allowed to leave inscriptions in royal style. He left many inscriptions, in which he stressed, donated numerous fire altars and have always rendered outstanding services to the king and kingdom. The promotion of the existing temple and the foundation of new fire he caused especially on trips and expeditions which he undertook in the wake of the Great King. He reported on the Ka'ba -yi Zarduscht:

" And I let Iran thrive and also to non -Iranian areas, many fire and seminaries in the kingdom. There was fire and lean on non- Iranian areas, which reached the armies of the King of Kings., The provincial capital of Antioch and the province of Syria, and of Syria dependent districts, the provincial capital of Tarsus and the province of Cilicia and the dependent districts of Cilicia "..." and I put a lot of documents and certificates on the fire and the seminaries. "

In Manichaean writings Kartir is mentioned as followers of Mani under Bahram I.; the persecutions seem to have been set but under King Narseh. It would seem, than the influence of Zoroastrianism had reached its peak in the Sassanid Empire at the time Kartir to then go back again.