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Khosrow II

Khosrow II (aka Kosrau II, r. 590-628) was the last powerful shahanshah (king of kings) of the Sassanian Empire. Grandson of Kosrau I (r. 531-579) and near-conqueror of the Byzantine Empire in the Byzantine-Sassanian War of 602-628, Khosrow II was a devout Zoroastrian, whose favorite wife, Shireen, was a Christian. His reign marks the end of classical Zoroastrian culture before the Islamic conquest of modern-day Iran in 651.

Rise to Power

Khosrow II’s father and predecessor, Hormizd IV (r. 570-590), sent his general Bahram Chobin to subdue the hordes of Turkish horsemen who were threatening the Persian Empire. While Chobin successfully ended the threat, Hormizd IV insulted him for losing a minor battle. Chobin was enraged and rebelled against the Sassanian dynasty, the family that had ruled ancient Persia since 224 CE. Then, Khosrow II’s uncles, Vistam and Vindoe, also rose in rebellion. The brothers put out Hormizd IV’s eye with a red-hot poker.

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