Apranik: Commander of Persia
- Mar 9
- 3 min read
Born: 7th Century CE
Died: 7th Century CE
Country: Iran
Culture: Sasanian Empire
“No retreat, no surrender”
This was the motto of Apranik, a fierce Sasanian military commander and rebel fighter. To this day she is remembered as a hero and a symbol of resistance, even when when impossible odds are stacked against you.
Apranik had fighting in her blood. She was born into a chaotic world-the Sasanian Empire was at war with the Byzantine Empire, their neighboring empire to the west, and her people had been severely weakened. As a child, her father was often away commanding his troops in battles against the Byzantines. When she was a teenager, Apranik was tired of waiting at home. As soon as she finished school she enrolled in the army.
In Apranik’s culture it was not unusual for women to be soldiers. Women in the Sasanian Empire had many more freedoms than most other cultures, even today. They were respected as the equal of men and could own land and businesses, hold political office, command armies, and received equal pay. In fact, pregnant women and new mothers actually got paid more than other workers in gratitude for their sacrifice. So Apranik’s decision to join the army was not strange at all. What made her stand out was her razor-sharp skill in strategy and unquenchable fire in defending her country.
Apranik joined the army as a lowly soldier, but soon moved her way up. Through dedication and talent she climbed the ranks all the way up to being commander of the king’s army. Astride her white horse, she bravely fought in many battles against the empire’s enemies, garnering the respect of all imperial troops. But soon disaster would strike.
The Sassanid Empire was weakened after their war with the Byzantines, and before they could recover another empire invaded: the Rashidun Caliphate, the neighboring empire to the south who had set their sights on conquering the Sassanids. The Rashidun soldiers did not fight like a normal army. Instead, they used guerilla tactics. They would quickly invade with a small force and then escape into the desert to hide. Then they would rally and do the same thing again, over and over. The Sasanians fought bravely against their new enemies, but they were too weakened by previous battles and the king did not know how to defend against such unpredictable forces.
Apranik fought bravely but it was not enough. The Sasanian forces were eventually defeated. Soon after, the king was assassinated, his sons fled to China, and the nobility fled to other lands.
But not Apranik. She refused to desert her country. When the king fled and her empire fell, she organized all of her soldiers who were willing to stay. With these forces she created a rebel army and fought against the Rashidun troops on her own. She knew from experience that regular military tactics would not work against them. So she devised a new strategy. Her forces would do “hit-and-run” attacks, quickly striking and then disappearing into the desert, just like her enemies. They were designed to deliver the most amount of damage in the shortest amount of time possible. She would ride astride her white horse, leading soldiers in wreaking havoc, sowing chaos, and taking out her enemies before disappearing into the desert like a mirage.
She staged an all-out resistance war against the invaders, taking out key battalions, supply lines, and anything she could to weaken her enemies. She kept up her ragtag resistance for quite a while, but in the end, Apranik made her last stand in battle. During one of her campaigns, she was slain in combat. She lived her motto to the end: never retreat, never surrender.
The white horse that Apranik rode into battle became a symbol of freedom, which it still is today. She has become an iconic symbol of resistance and freedom, and her passion and courage in defending her people inspired women throughout history. Female rebels who demonstrated great bravery are called “Apranik” as a term of great respect.
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