Mazdak

Mazdak (died 524 or 528) was a Persian reformer and religious activist. He became influential under the reign of the Sassanian Shahanshah Kavadh I. He claimed to be a prophet of God, and started communal possessions and social welfare programs.

Mazdakism

He was the main representative of set of religious and philiosopical teachings called Mazdakism, which are seen as a reformed version of Zoroastrianism.Yarshater, Ehsan. 1983. The Cambridge history of Iran, volume 2. p.995-997Shaki, Mansour. 1985. The cosmogonical and cosmological teachings of Mazdak. Papers in Honour of Professor Mary Boyce, Acta Iranica 25, Leiden, 1985, pp. 527-43.
Some people have argued, his teachings show influences from Manichaeism as well. Zoroastrianism was the dominant religion of Sassanid Persia. Mazdak was a Zoroastrian priest. Most of the Zoroastrian clergy regarded his teaching as a heresy.

There is very little information about Mazdakism. The teaching of Khurramism developed from Mazdakism and can be used to tell certain details about Mazdakism.Yarshater, Ehsan. The Cambridge history of Iran, volume 2.

References

Category:Year of birth unknown
Category:520s deaths
Category:Religions
Category:Eastern philosophers