Yazdegerd II Sipahdost Shahanshah of the Sasanian Empire

• Preferred Name: Yazdegerd II Sipahdost Shahanshah of the Sasanian Empire^{[1] [2] [3]}
  
• Gender: M
  
• Death: 457 in Cteisphon, Persia, Sasanian Empire at LATI: N2 LONG: E3
  
• Birth: 416 in Cteisphon, Persia, Sasanian Empire at LATI: N2 LONG: E3 with note: For most of history, the tract of land now called Iran was known as Persia. It wasn't until 1935 that it adopted its present name.
  
• Burial: 457
  
• http://familysearch.org/v1/TitleOfNobility: Shahanshah of the Sasanian EmpireBET 438 AND 457 in Ctesiphon, Persia, Sasanian Empire at LATI: N2 LONG: E3
  
• FSID: 9CCL-12T
  
• Notes:

  === Life Sketch ===
  Yazdegerd II (also spelled Yazdgerd and Yazdgird; Middle Persian: 𐭩𐭦𐭣𐭪𐭥𐭲𐭩), was the Sasanian King of Kings (shahanshah) of Iran from 438 to 457. He was the successor and son of Bahram V (r. 420–438).
  His reign was marked by wars against the Eastern Roman Empire in the west and the Kidarites in the east, as well as by his efforts and attempts to strengthen royal centralisation in the bureaucracy by imposing Zoroastrianism on the non-Zoroastrians within the country, namely the Christians. This backfired in Armenia, culminating in a large-scale rebellion led by the military leader Vardan Mamikonian, who was ultimately defeated and killed at the Battle of Avarayr in 451. Nevertheless, religious freedom was subsequently allowed in the country.
  Yazdegerd II was the first Sasanian ruler to assume the title of kay ("king"), which evidently associates him and the dynasty to the mythical Kayanian dynasty commemorated in the Avesta. His death led to a dynastic struggle between his two sons Hormizd III and Peroz I for the throne, with the latter emerging victorious.
  
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  Yazdegerd II, fue el rey de reyes de Sasán de Irán desde 438 hasta 457. Fue el sucesor e hijo de Bahram V. Su reinado estuvo marcado por guerras contra el Imperio Romano de Oriente en el oeste y los kidaritas en el este, así como por sus esfuerzos e intentos de fortalecer la centralización real en la burocracia al imponer el zoroastrismo dentro del país. Esto fracasó en Armenia, que culminó en una rebelión a gran escala dirigida por el líder militar Vardan Mamikonian, quien finalmente fue derrotado y asesinado en la Batalla de Avarayr en 451. Sin embargo, posteriormente se permitió la libertad religiosa en el país. Yazdegerd II fue el primer gobernante sasánida en asumir el título de kay o rey, lo que evidentemente lo asocia a él y a la dinastía con la mítica dinastía kayaniana conmemorada en el Avesta. Su muerte condujo a una lucha dinástica entre sus dos hijos Hormizd III y Peroz I por el trono, con este último saliendo victorioso.
  
  === "iraq" did not exist prior to 1920- ===
  Modern Iraq dates back to 1920, when the British Mandate for Mesopotamia, joining three Ottoman vilayets, was created under the authority of the League of Nations. A British-backed Kingdom was established in 1921 under Faisal I of Iraq. The Hashemite Kingdom of Iraq gained independence from the UK in 1932. In 1958,

• m. ABT 430 in Ctesiphon, Persia, Sasanian Empire

1. Peroz Shahanshah of the Sasanian Empire I, b. ABT 445 in Ctesiphon, Persia, Sasanian Empire     d. 484 in Balkh, Hephthalite Kingdom

1. Title: Wikipedia - Yazdegerd II
   Author: Rezakhani, Khodadad (2017). "East Iran in Late Antiquity". ReOrienting the Sasanians: East Iran in Late Antiquity. Edinburgh University Press. pp. 1–256. ISBN 9781474400305. JSTOR 10.3366/j.ctt1g04zr8. (registration required) 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. Sauer, Eberhard (2017). Sasanian Persia: Between Rome and the Steppes of Eurasia. London and New York: Edinburgh University Press. pp. 1–336. ISBN 9781474401029. Schindel, Nikolaus (2013). "Sasanian Coinage". In Potts, Daniel T. (ed.). The Oxford Handbook of Ancient Iran. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0199733309. Shahbazi, A. Shapur (2003). "Yazdegerd I". Encyclopaedia Iranica. Shahbazi, A. Shapur (2005). "Sasanian dynasty". Encyclopaedia Iranica, Online Edition. et.al......
   Publication: Name: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yazdegerd_II;
   Note: The following is an excerpt - Yazdegerd II 𐭩𐭦𐭣𐭪𐭥𐭲𐭩 King of Kings of Iran and non-Iran[a] Shahanshah of the Sasanian Empire Reign 438–457 Predecessor Bahram V Successor Hormizd III Died 457 Consort Denag Issue Hormizd III Peroz I Balash Zarer Vachagan III (?) House House of Sasan Father Bahram V Religion Zoroastrianism Yazdegerd II (also spelled Yazdgerd and Yazdgird; Middle Persian: 𐭩𐭦𐭣𐭪𐭥𐭲𐭩), was the Sasanian King of Kings (shahanshah) of Iran from 438 to 457. He was the successor and son of Bahram V (r. 420–438). His reign was marked by wars against the Eastern Roman Empire in the west and the Kidarites in the east, as well as by his efforts and attempts to strengthen royal centralisation in the bureaucracy by imposing Zoroastrianism on the non-Zoroastrians within the country, namely the Christians. This backfired in Armenia, culminating in a large-scale rebellion led by the military leader Vardan Mamikonian, who was ultimately defeated and killed at the Battle of Avarayr in 451. Nevertheless, religious freedom was subsequently allowed in the country. Yazdegerd II was the first Sasanian ruler to assume the title of kay ("king"), which evidently associates him and the dynasty to the mythical Kayanian dynasty commemorated in the Avesta. His death led to a dynastic struggle between his two sons Hormizd III and Peroz I for the throne, with the latter emerging victorious. Personality Yazdegerd II was an astute and well-read ruler whose motto was "Question, examine, see. Let us choose and hold that which is best."[31] He is generally praised in Persian sources, and is described as a compassionate and benevolent ruler.[32] He is commended for abandoning his father's overindulgence in hunting, feasting, and having long audience sessions.[33][5] According to the medieval historians Ibn al-Balkhi and Hamza al-Isfahani, he was known as "Yazdegerd the Gentle" (Yazdegerd-e Narm).[5] However, the favorable account of Yazdegerd II is due to his policy of persecuting non-Zoroastrians within the empire, which appeased the Iranian aristocracy and especially the Zoroastrian priesthood, which sought to use the Sasanian Empire to impose their authority over the religious and cultural life of its people.[33] This is the opposite of the policy of his grandfather and namesake, Yazdegerd I (known as the "sinner"), who is the subject of hostility in Persian sources due to his tolerant policy towards his non-Zoroastrian subjects, and his refusal to comply with the demands of the aristocracy and priesthood.[34] Death and succession Yazdegerd II died in 457; he had reportedly not designed a successor and instead—according to the medieval historian al-Tha'alibi—entrusted the task to the elite.[22] Civil war soon followed; his eldest son Hormizd III ascended to the throne at the city of Ray in northern Iran, while Peroz fled to the northeastern part of the empire and began raising an army in order to claim the throne for himself.[43][44] The empire thus fell into a dynastic struggle and became divided. The mother of the two brothers, Denag, temporarily ruled as regent of the empire from its capital, Ctesiphon.[43] Family Marriages Denag, an Iranian princess, possibly from the royal Sasanian family. Issue Hormizd III, seventeenth shah of the Sasanian Empire (r. 457–459).[5] Peroz I, eighteenth shah of the Sasanian Empire (r. 459–484).[5] Zarer, Sasanian prince, who tried to claim the throne by rebelling in 485.[45] Balash, nineteenth shah of the Sasanian Empire (r. 484–488).[31] Vachagan III (r. 485–510), king of Caucasian Albania. His exact relation with Yazdegerd II is uncertain, he was either a son or nephew of his.[46] Unnamed daughter, who married the Caucasian Albanian king Aswagen (r. 415–440).[46]
   
2. Title: The Sassanids 224-651 (in French w/ English translation)
   Author: Touraj Daryaee: – Sasanian Iran, 224-651 CE: Portrait of a late antique empire , Calif. : Mazda Publishers, Costa Mesa, 2008. Gérard Dédéyan: –History of the Armenian people , Toulouse, Éditions Privat, 2007. Marcel Dieulafoy: – The ancient art of Persia: Achaemenids, Parthians, Sassanids , Librairie centrale d'architecture, Paris, 1884-1889. Beate Dignas and Engelbert Winter: – Rome and Persia in late antiquity: Neighbors and rivals , Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 2007. Boris Andreevich Dorn – Collection of Sasanian coins of the late Lieutenant-General I. de Bartholomaei, depicted after the Most Outstanding Pieces , Imperial Academy of Sciences, St. Petersburg, 1873. Wilhelm Ensslin: -Zu den Kriegen des Sassaniden Schapur I. Vorgetragen am 4. Juli 1947 , Bayerischen Akademie der Wissenschaften, München, 1949. Kaveh Farrokh and Angus McBride: – Sassanian Elite Cavalry, AD224-642 , Osprey Publishing, Oxford, New York, 2004-2005 . Greg Fisher: – Between empires: Arabs, et.al....
   Note: Yazdgard II Sipahdost (or Yazdegerd or Yazdagird or Yezdegard, in Persian: یزدگرد دوم Izdigerdes or Istijerdes or Izdekerti or Izdigerdesen "made by God" , 438 to 457) at the beginning of his reign, will quickly attack the Eastern Roman Empire with a mixed army of different nations, including its Indian allies, in order to eliminate the threat of a Roman establishment. The Romans built fortifications in the vicinity of the Persian territories at Harran (or Carrhae), in anticipation of later expeditions. Roman Emperor Theodosius II the Younger (402-450), asked Yazdgard II to sign peace and sent his personal commander to the Persian King's camp. In negotiations in 441, the two Empires promised not to build new fortifications in their border territories. Yazdgard II sent forces to Nishapur (or Neyshābūr or Nishapur, a city in the province of Khorasan, northern Iran) in 443 and launched a prolonged campaign against the Kidarites (Chinese: Ki-To-Lo). After many battles he crushed them, and in 450 he sent them back across the Oxos River. As soon as he came to power Yazdgard II was at first religiously conciliatory, he even showed himself to be a very fervent Zoroastrian in the 450s, then he decided to convert Armeniato Mazdeism and launched a campaign to eradicate Christianity. Under this threat, while he was occupied in the East fighting the Hephthalites who threatened the Empire, the Princes, the nobility and the people of Armenia united in a huge revolt and the Sassanid troops were defeated. Yazdgard II at the head of his army attacked Armenia , but the Emperor of Constantinople could not come to the aid of the country because he was in talks with the Huns. On June 2, 451, under the leadership of the Commander-in-Chief, Vardan Mamikonian, the Armenians faced the Persians and his Commander Mihr-Narseh at the battle of Avarayr (or Avaraïr, also called Vartanantz). The Armenians were defeated and Vardan Mamikonian was killed in battle. Yazdgard II eliminated the insurgents and deported the heads of the great families to Iran. Patriarch Joseph and ten clerics were imprisoned and executed three years later. However, the rebellions continued in the mountains. A nephew of Vardan, Vahan Mamikonian who will have the title of Mazpan (Governor, 485-510), continued the fight. The losses suffered, the "guerrilla" that the Armenians deliveredto get rid of their guardianship and the threat of the Hephthalites in the East, prevented Yazdgard II from imposing Mazdeism. During his campaign in the East, the Persian King increased his distrust of Christians in his army and nobility and expelled many of them. He then persecuted the Assyrian Christians and, to a much lesser extent, the Jews. In the last years of his reign the King was again engaged with the Kidarites. He married Mohri and Dînak (or Denagh), a Persian noblewoman who bore him two or three sons: Hormizd III (or Ormizd or Ormuz) whom some give as the son of Queen Mohri, Perôz I and Palash (or Balash or Balaxes or Valash or Vologese). All three will succeed him.
   
3. Title: Iranica online - Yazdegerd II
   Author: Sebeos, The Armenian History Attributed to Sebeos I, tr. with notes Robert W. Thomson, historical commentary by James Howard-Johnston, Assistance from Tim Greenwood, Liverpool, 1999. ʿAbd-al-Malek b. Moḥammad Ṯaʿālebi, Ḡorar aḵbār moluk al-fors wa siarehem/ Histoire des rois des Perses, ed. and tr. Hermann Zotenberg, Paris, 1900; tr. M. Fażāʾli, Tehran, 1368. Moḥammad b. Jarir Ṭabari, Ketāb taʾriḵ al-rosol wa’l-moluk, ed. M. J. de Goeje et al., 15 vols., Leiden, 1964, I/II, pp. 871-72; tr. by various scholars as The History of al-Ṭabarī, 40 vols., Albany, N.Y., 1985-2007, V: The Sāsānids, the Byzantines, the Lakmids, and Yemen, tr. C. E. Bosworth, Albany, N.Y., 1999, pp. 106-9. Tajāreb al-omam fi aḵbār moluk al-ʿArab wa’l-ʿAjam, ed. Reżā Anzābi-nežād and Yaḥyā Kalāntari, Mashad, 1994. R. C. Zaehner, Zurvan: A Zoroastrian Dilemma, Oxford, 1955. et.al... (Touraj Daryaee) Originally Published: January 1, 2000 Last Updated: October 19, 2012 YAZDEGERD II
   Publication: Name: https://iranicaonline.org/articles/yazdgerd-ii;
   Note: YAZDEGERD II (r. 439-57 CE), Sasanian king, whose reign is marked by wars with Byzantium in the west and the Hephthalites in the east. He stayed in the east for some years fighting the nomadic tribes and is known for imposing Zoroastrianism in Armenia. Yazdgerd II was the son and successor to his father Bahrām V (r. 421-39 CE), known as Bahrām Gōr. He is remembered fondly in the Sasanian- based sources as a king who was interested in the wellbeing of the country, justice, and for not being harsh-tempered like his grandfather and not following his father’s practice of hunting, feasting, and holding long audience sessions. He tended to the masses and organized the army (Ṯaʿālebi, tr. Fażāʾli, p. 367; Ṭabari, I/2, p. 871, tr. p. 106). According to Ebn al-Balḵi and Ḥamza Eṣfahāni, he was know as Gentle Yazdegerd (Ḥamza Eṣfahāni, p. 55: “Yazdejerd al-Layyen”; Ebn al-Balḵi, p. 42: Yazdegerd-e Narm). He was aided in his affairs by his capable wuzurg framādār (grand vizier), Mehr-Narseh, who had served his father and grandfather as well. After Yazdegerd II’s death, his two sons, Hormozd and Pērōz vied for the throne, the former taking it first, but consequently being dislodged by Pērōz with the help of the Hephthalites (Ṭabari, I/2, pp. 871-72, tr. p. 107). Religious policy. Yazdgerd II’s devotion to Zoroastrianism is clearly mentioned in sources. Islamic texts claim that he did not partake in the indulgences of his father and conducted a more stoic life style (Ṭabari, I/2, p. 871, tr. p. 106). His persecution of Christians and Jews along with his promotion of Zoroastrianism suggests his devotion to the latter faith. The positive image of Yazdgerd II in Sasanian based sources is in contrast to the Christian and Jewish evidence, which remember his rule as a period of hardship in the empire and Armenia. In 445-46, repressive measures were enacted against the Christians in the Sasanian empire, including their expulsion from the army. At the same time, Yazdgerd II sent Mehr-Narseh to Armenia to impose Zoroastrianism on the members of the Armenian noble houses (naxarar). Mehr-Narseh sent an edict to the Armenians requiring that they accept the Mazdean religion. The basic tenets of the faith described in his edict reflect the Zurvanite heresy, which was popular at the time and was espoused by Mehr-Narseh (Ełishe, pp. 77-78; Russell, p. 136; Zaehner, pp. 41-42; Daryaee, pp. 23-24). This resulted in an uprising by a group of Armenian nobility, led by Vardan Mamikonian, culminating in the killing of Persian officials and the Zoroastrian priests. The Sasanians dispatched Muškan Niusałavurt to Armenia, who defeated the Mamikonian’s forces on 2 June 451 at the battle of Avrayar at the foot of Mount Ararat (Łazar, pp. 34-36; Ełiše 6.1-9; Langlois, pp. 220-21, 296-97). The confrontation resulted in the annihilation of the Armenian forces, death and capture of Christian priests, and the exile of the remainder to Khorasan in 454 CE (Sebeos, pp. 64-65), as well as the strengthening of the position of the pro-Iranian and Zoroastrian Armenians. In 455 CE, a Jewish persecution was initiated in the form of forbidding the Jews to celebrate the Sabbath openly and publicly, and by 467 CE Jewish schools were closed and some of the leaders were executed. The Jewish population reacted harshly to these measures and retaliated by flaying two Zoroastrian priests alive in Isfahan, resulting in further persecution and revolts. These activities by the Jews are suggested to be the result of Jewish messianic expectations, which coincided with the fifth century CE (Neusner, pp. 915-16). The persecution of the Christians and Jews may also be explained as Yazdgerd II’s active policy to bring the non-Zoroastrian Iranian nobility in line with the state religion of Zoroastrianism. These actions were thus taken to create a uniform religious identity among the king’s subjects, an agenda of the Sasanian kings from the time of Šāpur II in the fourth century CE. Thus, the effort was part of the centralization program of Yazdgerd II, attempting to subdue the Christian and Jewish population of the empire (McDonough, pp. 70-76). It is also noteworthy that the earliest Christian Sogdian texts may date from the time of Yazdgerd II, when the Christians moved eastwards to Central Asia (Dresden, p. 1125) War with Rome and the Hephthalites. Upon ascending the throne, Yazdgerd II waged a war with the Roman empire, starting in 440 CE and with little success for either side (Greatrex, p. 2). The Romans, hard pressed on their southern front by the Vandal invasion and conquest of Carthage, sued for a quick end to war in return for payments to the Sasanians in order to defend the Caucusus. Concluded by Yazdgerd II and the Emperor Theodosius I, it was agreed that no new frontier fortresses were to be built in Mesopotamia (Rubin, p. 681; Dignas and Winter, p. 137). Yazdgerd II then moved toward Armenia and defeated the Armenians, taking the surviving Armenian nobility, priests, and their forces to the east to fight the Hephthalites. As late as 453 CE and towards the end of his rule, Yazdgerd II, having established his headquarters in Nishapur in the northeast, appears to have spent a number of years prosecuting wars in the east against the Hephthalites (Frye, 1983, p. 146; idem, 1984, p. 321). We are mainly informed through the Armenian sources about these campaigns (Ełisē, 1982, p. 192; Łazar Pʿarpecʿi, p. 58), and these mostly deal with the Armenians who accompanied him. According to one Middle Persian text, the Šahrestānīhā ī Ērānšahr (passage 18), Yazdegerd fortified the city of Qumes (i.e., Dāmḡān) and turned it into a strong border post against the Čōl (New Per./Ar. Sōl; Tajāreb al-omam, p. 275) tribe of Hun in what the text calls “at the boundary of the Gruznian Guard.”