Piruz Khosrow
Piruz Khosrow (
Biography
Sasanian civil war
Piruz is first mentioned in 628, as one of the conspirators against
However, shortly after these events, the Parsig and Pahlav faction came into conflict, which divided the resources of the country. Soon, a devastating plague spread over western Iran, which killed half of the population along with Kavadh II, who was succeeded by Ardashir III.[1] Piruz was then succeeded by Mah-Adhur Gushnasp as the wuzurg framadār of the empire, while Piruz remained as the commander of the royal guard (hazarbed).[2][3]
One year later,
Borandukht, was, however, deposed by Shapur-i Shahrvaraz, the son of Khosrow II's sister Mirhran and Shahrbaraz. He was shortly deposed by Piruz and his faction, who did not acknowledge his rule. He crowned Azarmidokht, the sister of Borandukht, as monarch of Persia.[7] In order to make a union with the Parsig faction, and to seize power, Farrukh Hormizd asked Azarmidokht to marry him. Not daring to refuse, Azarmidokht had him killed with the aid of the Mihranid Siyavakhsh, who was the grandson of Bahram Chobin, the famous spahbed and briefly shahanshah.
She was, however, shortly killed by the latter's son Rostam Farrokhzad, who then restored Borandukht to the throne, who later made a meeting with the Pahlav and Parsig faction, where both factions agreed to work together. Piruz, however, later strangled Borandukht himself,[8] which ended the Parsig-Pahlav alliance and resumed their hostilities. Rostam and Piruz, were, however, threatened by their own men, who, according to al-Tabari, told the two faction leaders that: "the two of you have not reached such a rank that Iran will concur with you in this opinion and that you expose it to perdition. After Baghdad, Valashabad, and Tikrit, there is only Ctesiphon. By God, either the two of you unite, or else we will indeed begin with you." Piruz and Rostam then agreed to work together once again, and crowned Yazdegerd III, the grandson of Khosrow II, as the new king of the empire.
Arab invasion
One year later,
Ctesiphon was shortly captured, and Piruz fled to Jalula, where he began raising another army. He later clashed with the Arabs at the battle of Jalula in 637, where he was once again defeated, while Mihran Razi was killed.[10] Piruz then fled to Media, where he regrouped with the Sasanian nobles, and fought at the Arabs at the battle of Nahavand in 642, where he was at last killed.[11]
References
- ^ SASANIAN DYNASTY, A. Shapur Shahbazi, Encyclopædia Iranica, (20 July 2005).[1]
- ^ Morony 2005, p. 92.
- ^ Pourshariati (2008), p. 180
- ^ ARDAŠĪR III, A. Sh. Shahbazi, Encyclopædia Iranica,(11 August 2011).[2]
- ^ Pourshariati (2008), p. 180
- ^ Pourshariati (2008), p. 175
- ^ Pourshariati (2008), p. 204
- ^ Pourshariati (2008), p. 218
- ^ Morony 2005, p. 192.
- ^ Pourshariati (2008), p. 235
- ^ Pourshariati (2008), p. 242
Sources
- Pourshariati, Parvaneh (2008). Decline and Fall of the Sasanian Empire: The Sasanian-Parthian Confederacy and the Arab Conquest of Iran. London and New York: I.B. Tauris. ISBN 978-1-84511-645-3.
- Shapur Shahbazi, A. (1986). "ARDAŠĪR III". Encyclopaedia Iranica, Online Edition. Retrieved 4 April 2014.
- Shapur Shahbazi, A. (2005). "SASANIAN DYNASTY". Encyclopaedia Iranica, Online Edition. Retrieved 4 April 2014.
- ISBN 978-1-59333-315-7.
- Zarrinkub, Abd al-Husain (1975). "The Arab conquest of Iran and its aftermath". The Cambridge History of Iran, Volume 4: From the Arab Invasion to the Saljuqs. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. pp. 1–57. ISBN 978-0-521-20093-6.