Adhurgunbadh, rendered in Greek as Adergoudounbades (Ἀδεργουδουνβάδης), was a prominent Sassanid Persian nobleman, general and kanarang in the reigns of Kavadh I (r. 488–531), and Khosrau II (r. 531–579). His life is known only through the work of the Byzantine historian Procopius.
Adhurgunbadh first appears in 488. A young man at the time, according to Procopius he already had a reputation as a soldier. In that year, he helped Kavadh rise to the throne against his uncle Balash. As a reward, Kavadh raised Adhurgunbadh to the important post of kanarang, governor of the northeastern province of Abarshahr which adjoined Hephthalite territory, replacing his relative, Gushnaspdad (Gousanastades), who was executed.[1][2]
Little is known of Adhurgunbadh during the subsequent decades, save that he had considerable success as a general: Procopius reports that he subdued twelve barbarian tribes to Persian rule.[3] He participated in the Anastasian War, being involved in the siege and capture of Amida.[4]
When Khosrau ascended the throne in 531, a conspiracy was formed which wanted to overthrow him and elevate his nephew Kavadh, the son of his elder brother Djamasp (Zames), to the throne. The conspiracy was discovered and suppressed, but Kavadh was away from the court, being raised by Adhurgunbadh. Khosrau sent orders to kill Kavadh, but Adhurgunbadh disobeyed and brought him up in secret, until he was betrayed to the shah in 541 by his own son, Bahram (Varranes). Khosrau had him executed, but Kavadh, or someone claiming to be him, managed to flee to the Byzantine Empire.[5][6][7]