In the mid-fifth century AD, the Persian authorities forced the Armenians to convert to Madaism (a branch of Zoroastrianism) believed by the Persians, which aroused strong opposition from the Armenian people. In 450 AD, a popular uprising occurred in Eastern Armenia. The commander of the uprising army was Vardan Mamikonyan, a descendant of Ma Kang. In 451 AD, the two sides fought a decisive battle. At the swearing-in meeting before the war, Vardan Mamikonyan said: "If you die ignorantly, you will die with the grass; if you live with enlightenment, you will live forever." This sentence later became a well-known saying among Armenians.