Varsken of Gugark

Varsken
Viceroy of Gugark
Reign	470 - 482
Predecessor	Arshusha II
Successor	Arshusha III
Died	482 Iberia
Consort	Shushanik Unnamed Sasanian princess
Dynasty	Mihranids
Father	Arshusha II
Mother	Anushvram Artsruni
Religion	Christianity (5th-century-470) Zoroastrianism (470-482)

Varsken (Middle Persian: Vazgēn) was an Iranian prince from the Mihranid family of Gardman, who served as the viceroy of Gugark from 470 to 482. He was the son and successor of Arshusha II. Varsken was a highly regarded man among the Iranians, and played a leading role in the Sasanians effort to Zoroastrianize Caucasus, which even made him murder his own wife Shushanik and attack Iberia, which resulted in his death at the hands of the troops of the Chosroid ruler Vakhtang I in 482.

Varsken belonged to the Mihranid family of Gardman. The family claimed Sasanian Persian descent, but were in reality a branch of the Parthian Mihranid family of Ray. Although the family of Varsken originally practiced Zoroastrianism, it converted to Christianity during the family's service in Caucasus.

Varsken's mother was Anushvram Artsruni, an Armenian noblewomen from the Artsruni family, who was the sister-in-law of the Armenian aristocrat Hmayeak Mamikonian, himself brother of the Armenian rebel and martyr Vardan Mamikonian. Varsken's father, Arshusha II, was a hostage of the Sasanian court at Ctesiphon, and could not participate in the Christian Armenian rebellion in 451, led by Vardan Mamikonian. After the defeat of the Armenian rebels at Avarayr, Hmayeak Mamikonian was killed at Tao. Hmayeak's sons, Vahan Mamikonian, Vasak, Vard and Artaxias, were then taken hostage and sent to Ctesiphon, where they met Arshusha II.

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