[4][9] There's a possibility that the Late Sasanian marzbānān also originated from the āzādān,[10] who mostly were lords of villages (dihqānān), supplied the cavalry with young riders (asbārān), or were bodyguards and security forces with titles bandagān, ayyārān or jānbāzān, all signifying association with the king.
[17] In the early years the main marzbān regions were Armenia, Beth Aramaye, Pars, Kirman, Spahan, Adurbadagan, Tabaristan, Nishapur, Tus, Sakastan, Mazun, Harev, Marv and Sarakhs,[21] several mentioned belonging to the Greater Khorasan.
[22] Marzbāns were granted the administration of the border provinces and were responsible for maintaining the security of the trade routes, fighting the encroaching nomadic tribes such as Bedouin Arabs, White Huns and Oghuz Turks, and holding the first line of defense against settled enemies such as Romans and Kushans.
[23] During the reign of Khosrow I (531–579 AD) were held military reforms by which were created four frontier regions (Khwarasan, Khwarwaran, Nemroz, Adurbadagan) with spāhbed in charge, sometimes still called as marzbān, but now generally considered for more central provinces.
[25] However, this measures of centralization caused the transfer of the power to the military (the dihqānān gradually became more independent from the government, while the four large spāhbed territories quasi-independent fiefs), and led to the eventual disintegration of the Empire.
[26] The Sasanian social, administrative and military structure and system was inherited by the Medieval Islamic civilization,[17] however, the marzbāns steadily disappeared depending on the region, as such in Iraq diminished and were replaced by Muslim frontier warriors muqātila, while in Khorasan still had special privileges.