Behram fights Khushru

The armies requested by the Kaisar for Khushru arrived. He added one lakh of his own soldiers and along with a lot of wealth, weapons, gifts and servants, sent it to Khushru. Along with that, he also sent Maryam, one of his princesses, as a queen for Khushru. Then he asked his brother Neyātus to lead the army to Khushru.

Neyātus met Khushru, along with the army. Maryam was presented to Khushru and he spent three days with her. Then he prepared to move towards Azarbaizan to go to Iran. He made Neyātus the commander of his army. On the way, he met Bandui and his friend Mausil who offered Khushru his army. The army of Nimruz also joined him.

When Behram Chobin came to know of Khushru advancing with the army, he prepared letters for Khushru’s commanders Gastaham, Bandui, Gordui, Shapur and Andiyān asking them to desert Khushru and come into his fold. He sent the letters with Dārā-panāh, one of his commanders.

When Dārā-panah reached Khushru’s army, he was awe-struck by its size and might. He and his commander Behram had expected something very small. Dārā-panāh did not like the betrayal, and he decided to go straight to Khushru and give the letters to him.

Khushru went through the letters and consulted his commanders. Together they decided to beat Behram in his own game, and prepared a reply, as if it was jointly written by the commanders. In the reply, Behram was informed that they would remain on Khushru’s side but fight for him against the Roman army. When Behram received this letter he was very happy.

Behram asked his commanders Yalān-sineh and Yazad-goshasp to prepare the army to attack Khushru. When the commanders approached Khushru’s army, they were over-whelmed by its sheer size. The combined army of Khushru was ready to take them on.

A Roman warrior by the name Kut asked Khushru whether he could go and fight Behram. Khushru allowed him to go. Kut was very easily defeated and killed, and so were many other Roman warriors, who went one after the other. Now, Khushru decided to send his Iranian army to fight Behram.

In the war, Khushru’s army met Behram’s army. Behram was on a white elephant. The Iranian warriors wounded the elephant, but Behram continued fighting on horse-back. He wreaked havoc in the enemy folds.  Khushru first wanted to himself go and fight Behram, but his warriors stopped him from doing that.

Sarosh Yazad to the rescue

Khushru’s warriors went to fight Behram. First Yalān-sineh and Azar-goshasp went, but both of them were defeated. Then Behram saw Khushru and followed him. Khushru started fleeing on his horse, but he soon realized that he had reached a dead end and there was no way he could escape. Just then, out of nowhere, a divine figure dressed in green, riding a white stallion, appeared before him.

The divine figure gently picked up Khushru and placed him in a safe place. A relieved Khushru could not control his tears at being saved from near death. He asked the figure, “Pray, tell me, who are you?”

The divine figure replied, “I am Sarosh Yazad. You will soon become the emperor of Iran. You are honest and divine. Never lose your piety.” So saying he disappeared from view.

Just then, Behram approached the place and saw Khsuhru talking to a divine figure. In exasperation, he exclaimed, “Uptil now, I was successful, as I had to just contend with humans. Now that I have to contend also with divine beings, I don’t think I could succeed.”

Neyātus and Maryam had seen Khushru being chased by Behram in the dead end. They were almost certain about his imminent death. Just then they saw Khushru coming from the other side of the mountain. They were shocked and surprised. Khushru narrated the whole incidence to his soldiers, and the entire army rejoiced. Now Khushru was confident that he will be able to regain his empire.

Behram Chobin defeated

On the following day, when the war resumed, Behram tried to attack an unprepared Khushru, but he missed his mark. Khushru then followed Behram. The Iranian army was motivated by their king’s bravery. They followed Behram’s army which had started retreating.

Khushru announced that whoever decides to surrender should be pardoned. Many of Behram’s commanders and soldiers surrendered. When Behram became aware of this, he collected some treasures and fled.

Khushru sent Neyātus to follow Behram. The two met in a bamboo forest and fought each other. Neyātus was defeated and he pleaded for his life. Behram spared his life and asked him to go to Khushru and tell him that he had spared him. From there Behram proceeded towards Rae, from where he went to China. Now the coast was clear for Khushru to re-occupy his throne.

Khushru re-occupies the throne

Khushru entered Ctesiphon in 591 CE and re-occupied the throne. He sent a letter to the Kaisar informing him about the developments. The Kaisar was very happy. In a return letter he praised him, and with it sent some clothes, ornaments, a jewel studded cross and wealth. When Khushru received this he was not sure whether to wear the rich clothes, as there was a cross on each clothe and he would run the risk of being called a Christian.

His minister however told him that by wearing the clothes he would not become a Christian, as he was a staunch Zoroastrian at heart. So Khushru wore the clothes. On seeing him, some of his courtiers understood that he had done this just to please the Kaisar, but others accused him for sympathizing with Christians and Christianity.

Khushru’s difficult task

After Khushru ascended the throne, he had the difficult responsibility to keep both the Zoroastrians and the Christians happy in his court. One day when Khushru was having food and drinks with his courtiers, he had worn the robes with the cross, presented to him by the Kaisar. The courtiers were not happy with this.

Once, when Khushru was praying the bāj before food, holding a barsom in his left hand, Neyātus stood up and shouted at the king, accusing him of insulting Christ by wearing a cross and doing Zoroastrian prayers and rituals.  This attitude angered Bandui, and he immediately stood up and slapped Neyātus.

A furious Neyātus stormed out of the court and sent a message to the king that he immediately wanted him to hand over Bandui to him or he would attack. Khushru was distressed at Neyātus’ behavior. He realized that this man could endanger the good relationship he shared with the Romans.

Just then Maryam approached the king and requested that she be allowed to play the mediator and pacify Neyātus, who was her paternal uncle. She went to him with Bandui and calmed him down. The Roman realized his mistake and there was reconciliation.

Khushru then sent Neyātus and the Roman soldiers back to Rome with lots of presents. He rewarded his faithful warriors Bandui, Gastaham, Burz-meher, Ram-barzin, Shapur, Andiyān, Gordui and Bālui by giving them lordship over provinces. He made Tokhāre the treasurer and Kharrade the Commander-in-chief of the armies. He handsomely rewarded all advisors and soldiers who had remained faithful to him.