Hormizd IV

Timeline

1. c. 540–579Ctesiphon · MesopotamiaHormizd IV was a son of Khosrow I; his mother was a daughter of Istämi, daughter of the Western Turkic khagan, giving him both Persian and Turkic blood. He grew up during his father's golden age, received rigorous court education and military training, and was designated heir in his father's late years.
2. 579–590Ctesiphon · MesopotamiaAfter succeeding, Hormizd IV adopted a hardline policy of suppression against the nobility and Zoroastrian priestly class, executing several senior generals and officials, yet treated Christians and Jews relatively leniently, saying 'fire shows its brilliance only when set off by dark matter.' His war with the Byzantine Empire remained deadlocked, and the famous general Bahram Chobin suffered a humiliating demotion after a minor defeat on the western front, directly triggering the armed rebellion of 590.
3. 590Ctesiphon · MesopotamiaIn 590, as Bahram Chobin's army approached Ctesiphon, court nobles Vinduyih and Bistam seized the opportunity to launch a coup, arresting Hormizd IV and blinding him. His son Khosrow II was then placed on the throne, and Hormizd IV was promptly executed, ending his eleven-year reign.