Khosrow II

Did You Know?

• Khosrow II was the last emperor of Iran to have a lengthy reign before the Muslim conquest, which began five years after his execution.
• He was given the epithet Abarwēz (New Persian Parwēz / Parviz), meaning 'victorious.'
• His name in Middle Persian is Husraw, which derives from Avestan Haosrauuah ('he who has good fame').
• Khosrow II served as governor of Caucasian Albania and ended the Kingdom of Iberia, turning it into a Sasanian province.

Rebellion of Bahram Chobin

In 590, Hormizd IV had his general Bahram Chobin disgraced and dismissed. Bahram rebelled, joined by his soldiers and many others due to his noble status and military knowledge. He appointed a new governor for Khorasan and set out for Ctesiphon. This was the first time in Sasanian history that a Parthian dynast challenged the Sasanian family's legitimacy.

Meanwhile, Hormizd's brothers-in-law Vistahm and Vinduyih, who both hated Hormizd, overthrew him in a bloodless palace revolution. They blinded Hormizd with a red-hot needle and put Khosrow II on the throne. Sometime in summer 590, they had Hormizd killed, with Khosrow's implicit approval. Bahram continued his march, now claiming to avenge Hormizd.

Khosrow wrote to Bahram stressing his rightful claim: "Khosrow, kings of kings... to Bahram, the general of the Iranians, our friend.... We have also taken over the royal throne in a lawful manner and have upset no Iranian customs...." Bahram ignored the warning. At the Nahrawan Canal, Khosrow's outnumbered men held briefly but were defeated.

Khosrow, with his two uncles, wives, and 30 nobles, fled to Byzantine territory. Ctesiphon fell to Bahram, who declared himself king of kings in summer 590, asserting Ardashir I had usurped the Arsacid throne. Bahram minted coins showing himself with a crenellation-shaped crown and two crescents, with a fire altar on the reverse. Many nobles and priests still sided with Khosrow.

Khosrow went to Roman Syria and sent a message to Maurice, requesting help to regain the throne. Maurice agreed; in return, Byzantines would regain Amida, Carrhae, Dara, and Martyropolis, and Iran would stop intervening in Iberia and Armenia, ceding Lazistan to the Byzantines.

Consolidation of the empire

With his rule restored, Khosrow aimed to consolidate his grip over the realm, showing tolerance and support to his Christian subjects. His wife Shirin, a Christian from Khuzestan, was the most influential of his wives and played an important role in the royal favour enjoyed by Mesopotamian Christians. She had a church and monastery constructed near the palace in Ctesiphon. The Arab Lakhmid kingdom at al-Hira could now openly convert to the Church of the East. For the first eleven years, Iranians and Byzantines enjoyed good relations, managing issues in Armenia together. After his victory, Khosrow rewarded his uncles Vinduyih and Vistahm with high positions, but soon changed his intentions. Trying to disassociate himself from his father's murder, he decided to execute his uncles. Vinduyih was soon put to death, captured while trying to flee to his brother in the East.

Byzantine–Sasanian War of 602–628

Khosrow II had good relations with the Byzantines early in his reign. In 602, Emperor Maurice was murdered by his general Phocas, who usurped the throne. Khosrow launched an offensive against Constantinople, ostensibly to avenge Maurice's death, but clearly aiming to annex Byzantine territory. Khosrow then handed operations to Shahrbaraz and Shahin Vahmanzadegan. He tried to negotiate peace, but Khosrow rejected the offer, saying the kingdom belonged to him and that he would enthrone Maurice's son Theodosius. Khosrow had the diplomats executed.

Religious policy and beliefs

Khosrow II was an adherent of Zoroastrianism, like all Sasanian rulers. Since the 5th century, Sasanian monarchs had tried to integrate religious minorities into a structure where all were treated as citizens of the country. Jews and Christians accepted the concept of Eranshahr, but Manichaeans were persecuted. During his reign, there was constant conflict between Monophysite and Nestorian Christians.

Khosrow favored the Monophysites, perhaps under the influence of Shirin and the royal physician Gabriel of Sinjar, and ordered all subjects to adhere to Monophysitism. He dispensed money or gifts to Christian shrines. His tolerance of Christianity made some Armenian writers think he was a Christian. This positive policy made him unpopular with Zoroastrian priests and caused Christianity to spread greatly.

In 591, an edict of toleration was issued, banning proselytization. During the war with the Byzantines, Christian elites and organizations were incorporated into the Sasanian system. Mushegh II Mamikonian, a prominent Armenian nakharar, is the only Christian nobleman praised by courtly historiographers for rejecting Bahram Chobin's enticements.