What is Mazdak?
'''Mazdak''' (died 524 or 528) was a [[Persia]]n reformer and religious activist. He became influential under the reign of the [[Sassanid Empire|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]].<ref name=ya56>Yarshater, Ehsan. 1983. The Cambridge history of Iran, volume 2. p.995-997</ref><ref name=cosmo>[http://azargoshnasp.net/famous/babak_khorramdin/teachingsmazdakshaki.pdf Shaki, Mansour. 1985. The cosmogonical and cosmological teachings of Mazdak.] Papers in Honour of Professor Mary Boyce, Acta Iranica 25, Leiden, 1985, pp. 527-43.</ref> Some people have argued, his teachings show influences from [[Manichaeism]] as well.<ref name=ya56/> 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 [[Khurramites|Khurramism]] developed from Mazdakism and can be used to tell certain details about Mazdakism.<ref>Yarshater, Ehsan. The Cambridge history of Iran, volume 2.</ref> ==References== {{reflist}} {{Classic World Religions}} {{Philosophy topics}} [[Category:Year of birth unknown]] [[Category:520s deaths]] [[Category:Religions]] [[Category:Eastern philosophers]] {{multistub|bio|religion}}