of the third millennium BC (cf 'Abdullah Masry, 1973). The Danish known civilisation since the : the island whose prominent feature is the castle of al-'Abd al-Wahhab, which belonged to the pearl merchant Mul:_lammad al-'Abd al-Wahhab the heyday of the pearl trade. The gates of the castle

doi:10.4324/9780203038017-132

Chapter

of the third millennium BC (cf 'Abdullah Masry, 1973). The Danish known civilisation since the

ABSTRACT

Silverdirhamshavebeendiscoveredfromseveralperiodsin history,someofthemidentifiedandsomenotidentifiedyet.Among theidentifieddirhamsinIranarethosefromtheParthianperiodused inthereignsofMithridatesIandMithridatesII(88-122AD)and theSassanidsilverdirhamsofthereignsofArdashirI(224-241AD) andShapurI(241-272AD).TheSassanidshadambitionstospread theirinfluenceintotheArabianPeninsula,andtheGulfareain particular.Ibnal-AthirsaysthattheSassanidswerethefourthdynasty ofPersiankings,andthatArdashirIbnBabikwasthefounderofthe Sassanidstate.OneoftheirfamouskingswasShapur'dhial-aktaf' (the'lordoftheshoulders')(310-379AD),whocrossedtheseato attacktheArabsatal-Khag,'thelandofal-Qatif'.Hemarchedon Hajar'thelandofal-Il:isa'',wipedouttheBani'Abdal-Qaysand subjugatedthecountry,andthenproceededtoal-Yamama.Hewas called'dhial-aktaf'becauseheusedtotearofftheshouldersofthe chiefsofthosecountries.Oneofthekingswhoextendedhis influenceoutsidehisowncountrywasChosroesAnushirvan,or ChosroesI(531-579AD).HistoryhasitthatChosroesI,or ChosroesAnushirvan,madeamanfromLakhmkingoverBahrain,alYamamaasfarasTa'if,andtherestofthelandsoftheHijaz. Accordingtoal-MudabbirIbnal-Na'mantheProphetwasbornatthe endofhisreign.(Ibnal-Athir,al-Kami!,part1,p.220).