Ma`rifat Adyan

The study of the status of women in Zoroastrian jurisprudence during the Sassanid era contributes to a historical understanding of the interconnection between religion, law, and power structures in ancient Iran. This research, by focusing on the structure of marriage and divorce, seeks to demonstrate how the institution of family in this system was utilized to preserve paternal lineage, maintain the religious-class order, and regulate gender relations. The central issue is the analysis of the legal status of women within the framework of jurisprudential rules and its relation to male guardianship (wilāyah) and authority. This study, employing a descriptive-analytical method and relying on Pahlavi sources, conceptually examines the types of marriage, the mechanism of divorce, and the legal capacities of women. The findings reveal that in most forms of marriage, even as an official wife, women did not possess full legal independence, and the right to divorce was primarily held by men. Furthermore, the institution of guardianship continued even after divorce, defining the woman's status within that framework. Thus, Zoroastrian jurisprudence in the Sassanid era played an effective role in structuring family law and consolidating dominant social patterns.