| The Late Sasanian Kingdom lasted 60
eventful years. At the beginning of Khusru II's reign, Varhran
Chobin (who had dethroned Hormazd IV) took power as Varhran VI. Khusru fled to the
Byzantine Empire, where Maurice Tiberius helped him regain the throne.
When Maurice was overthrown by Phocas, Khusru II invaded
and
overran large parts of the Empire against
ineffective resistance. Phocas was
overthrown byHeraclius, who
slew the Persian commander in single combat
at Nineveh in 627, where 70,000 Byzantine troops
won a crushing victory. The Byzantines
took the new capital of Destigerd, Ctesiphon was invested
and Khusru II was
overthrown. |
 |
Khusru II was unpopular for personal faults and
demands for men
and treasure, but after his overthrow the kingdom fell into anarchy.
So many men of the royal house were killed in internecine
fighting that Khusru's daughters Buran and Azarmidukht had to take the throne. Persia was
invaded by Arab armies inspired by the new creed of
Islam, and by the time Yazdgard III
restored enough order to fight them it was too late. In 637 the
Persians suffered a disastrous defeat at Qadisiyya, and their general Rustam was
killed. At Nihavand in 642 the Persian last stand ended in utter disaster. The kingdom swiftly
collapsed and Persia gradually fell to the Arabs. |
