Buran (333 AD-404 AD) was a nobleman of the Sassanid Empire. He had no influence and was a poor commander, but he emerged as one of the leaders of the rebels in the Sassanid Civil War.
Biography[]
Buran was a family member of King Shapur II of Persia, and fought against the Eastern Roman Empire alongside him. He was a Zoroastrian, worshipping Zoroaster, along with most of the Persian noblity. In 365 AD he was defeated in his attempt to capture Antioch, with Theodosius and Equitius Flavius repelling his army. Defeated in the battle, Buran was bribed by the Western Roman Empire and he joined Equitius in his invasion of Persia.
Buran was later joined by fellow bribed Sassanid noble Kuru, ironically after Buran had been defeated in battle by him, and the two launched an invasion of the Sassanid Empire, capturing Hatra in 368 AD. Buran, Kuru, and Equitius continued on their invasion, but Buran was left as the Governor of Hatra, since he was a Zoroastrian like most of the populace. However, he was reluctant to carry out a highly-controversial act: the destruction of the Zoroastrian Large Temple in Hatra, a holy site of his religion. But because the Romans had given him so much, he carried out his orders and was forced to build a Christian abbey. Later, he had learned to loathe Christians.
Having served the rest of his life as governor of Hatra under Kuru I, prince Buran died in the winter of 404 AD of natural causes.