See Also: Khosrow I(encyclopedia)
Khosrow II(encyclopedia)
Khosrow (as used in expressions)(encyclopedia)

Khosrow II (sh)




or Khosrow Parviz

died 628

King of the Sasanian dynasty (r. 590-628) whose military exploits extended the empire to its furthest extent.

He came to the throne
assisted by Maurice, the emperor of the Byzantine Empire
in troubled times. When a new Byzantine emperor took the throne, however, Khosrow launched a war against the empire, seizing Armenia and central Anatolia. In 613 his forces took Damascus, and Jerusalem fell in 614. His fortunes suffered a reverse when Byzantine forces recaptured lost ground and killed his ablest generals. Revolution within the royal family followed, and Khosrow was executed. Under his reign, silverwork and carpet weaving reached a peak, and there is evidence of a renaissance in rock sculpture. After his death the empire rapidly declined, falling to the Arabs during the Islamic conquests in 640.