# Mani

> 3rd century prophet and founder of Manichaeism

**Wikidata**: [Q203922](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q203922)  
**Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mani_(prophet))  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/mani

## Summary
Mani (also known as Suraik, Kurbik, and Manes) was a 3rd century prophet, theologian, writer, philosopher, and poet who founded the Persian religion Manichaeism. He is primarily known as the founder and prophetic leader of Manichaeism in the 3rd century CE.

## Biography
- Born: 3rd century (date and place not specified in the provided material)
- Nationality: Not specified in the provided material; associated with the Persian religion Manichaeism
- Education: Not specified in the provided material
- Known for: Founder and prophet of Manichaeism
- Employer(s): Founder/leader of the Manichaean religious movement (affiliation: Manichaeism)
- Field(s): Theology, prophecy, writing, philosophy, poetry

## Contributions
- Founded the religion Manichaeism in the 3rd century CE. Manichaeism is described in the provided material as a Persian religion founded in the 3rd century CE.  
- Served as a prophet and religious leader for the Manichaean movement.  
- Worked in roles described in the source material as theologian, writer, philosopher, and poet (specific works, dates, and publications are not provided in the source material).

## FAQs
Q: Who was Mani?  
A: Mani was a 3rd century prophet and the founder of the Persian religion Manichaeism. He is also described as a theologian, writer, philosopher, and poet.

Q: When did Mani live?  
A: Mani lived in the 3rd century (the provided material does not give exact birth or death dates).

Q: What did Mani found?  
A: He founded Manichaeism, a Persian religion established in the 3rd century CE.

Q: What names did Mani use?  
A: Mani is also known by the aliases Suraik, Kurbik, and Manes.

Q: What historical empires frame Mani’s era?  
A: The provided material places related historical context in the timeframe of the Parthian Empire (247 BC–224 AD) and the Sasanian Empire (224–651 AD).

Q: Where can I find the standard identifiers for Mani?  
A: The provided material lists his Wikipedia title as "Mani (prophet)" and gives a Wikidata description of "3rd century prophet and founder of Manichaeism."

## Why They Matter
Mani matters because he founded Manichaeism, creating a distinct religious tradition described in the source material as a Persian religion founded in the 3rd century CE. That founding is the central and defining fact about his historical role. The combination of roles attributed to him in the provided material — prophet, theologian, writer, philosopher, and poet — marks him as a multifaceted religious founder whose name is used to identify the movement he established.

## Notable For
- Founder of Manichaeism (a Persian religion founded in the 3rd century CE).  
- Described roles: prophet, theologian, writer, philosopher, and poet.  
- Known aliases: Suraik, Kurbik, Manes.  
- Wikipedia title: "Mani (prophet)".  
- Wikidata description: "3rd century prophet and founder of Manichaeism."  
- The subject entry has a sitelink_count of 73 in the provided material.  
- Manichaeism (the religion he founded) is recorded with a sitelink_count of 89 in the provided material.

## Body

### Early life and basic facts
- Mani is identified in the provided material as a human member of Homo sapiens.  
- The supplied description places him in the 3rd century but does not give specific birth or death dates.  
- No places of birth, family background, or formal education details are provided in the source material.

### Founding of Manichaeism
- Mani founded Manichaeism in the 3rd century CE.  
- The provided material explicitly describes Manichaeism as a Persian religion founded in that century.  
- Mani’s role in the movement is characterized as its founder and prophetic leader.

### Roles, titles, and intellectual profile
- The provided material classifies Mani with multiple intellectual and religious roles: theologian, writer, prophet, philosopher, and poet.  
- These descriptors indicate his activities spanned religious leadership (prophecy and theology) and literary or intellectual production (writing, philosophy, poetry).  
- Specific texts, poems, philosophical treatises, or theological works are not named in the provided material.

### Historical context
- The related entities listed in the source material place Mani’s era adjacent to two major Iranian empires:  
  - Parthian Empire (247 BC–224 AD).  
  - Sasanian Empire (224–651 AD).  
- The provided material does not explicitly state Mani’s political affiliations or give details about his interactions with these empires, but these empires provide temporal and regional context for the 3rd century.

### Names and identifiers
- Aliases listed for Mani in the provided material are: Suraik, Kurbik, and Manes.  
- Reference and identifier metadata in the provided material:  
  - Wikipedia title: "Mani (prophet)".  
  - Wikidata description: "3rd century prophet and founder of Manichaeism."  
  - The entry for Mani in the provided material has a sitelink_count of 73.  
- Related subject sitelink counts included in the material: human (273), theologian (29), writer (176), prophet (125), philosopher (108), poet (171), and Manichaeism (89).

### Legacy and significance
- The primary legacy recorded in the provided material is the founding of Manichaeism, identified as a Persian religion established in the 3rd century CE.  
- The provided material does not enumerate subsequent historical developments, disciples, schisms, or texts beyond the fact of the founding and Mani’s multiple roles.

### Summary of evidence in source material
- Core factual claim supported by the provided material: Mani was a 3rd century prophet and the founder of Manichaeism.  
- Supplementary descriptors provided: theologian, writer, philosopher, poet, and aliases Suraik/Kurbik/Manes.  
- Contextual entities included: Parthian Empire and Sasanian Empire, with dates as supplied.  
- Metadata and identifiers are given as Wikipedia title, Wikidata description, and multiple sitelink_count values.

(End of entry)

## References

1. Encyclopædia Iranica
2. International Standard Name Identifier
3. Virtual International Authority File
4. BnF authorities
5. Freebase Data Dumps. 2013
6. Q29720027
7. Autoritats UB
8. CERL Thesaurus
9. Bibliography of the History of the Czech Lands