Yazdezerd III, Yazdezerd Sheheryar (632 – 651) (Part 4)

King Yazdezerd on the run

After the defeat at Nehavand, Yazdezerd managed to escape from Rae. He was on the run for almost ten years from 641 to 651, trying to go as far away from the Arabs as possible. He was in flight from one place to another, trying to garner help from allies, but was not successful. He spent a long time in Kerman and from there went to Sistan.

In August 651, the king decided to move towards the province of Khorasan and then go further northeast. Before that, he wrote a letter to Mahuye-suri, the Governor of Marv in Khorasan, informing him about the situation. He told him to keep his troops ready as the enemies had already taken over Ctesiphon. He informed him about his plans to approach his allies, the Turks and Chinese, to seek their help.

Mahuye-suri was a shepherd boy, who was brought up by the king from childhood. The king had showered many favours on him and brought him to the position that he was now in. That is why he trusted him.

The king had conveyed his plans to seek Mahuye-suri’s help to Farrokhzad. However, Farrokh-zad was not in favour of keeping faith on an outsider like Mahuye-suri at such a crucial time, especially since he did not belong to the royal family. However, the king decided to go ahead. With a few trusted men, he set off towards Nishapur. Farrokh-zad also proceeded with his army to Nishapur, to help his king.

King Yazdezerd sent a message to the Governor of Tus, asking him and the Governors of surrounding areas to send food and rations to the fort at Nishapur, that could last for two months. He promised to reimburse them later, as much as possible.

The king after reaching Nishapur decided to go to Marv to seek the help of Mahuye-suri. When Mahuye-suri came to know about this, he sent a message to the king that he was coming to receive him.

Farrokh-zad wrote to Mahuye-suri to be faithful to the king, as the monarch implicitly trusted him. Then Farrokh-zad went eastwards to Rae to fight the Arabs.

Māhuye-suri’s treachery

Mahuye-suri realized that the king was fast losing ground to the Arabs, so he feigned sickness and avoided meeting the king. He sent a message to Bizan, the warrior king of Samarkand, that the Iranian king was all alone at Marv, and this was a wonderful opportunity to end his life and take away his wealth, army and throne.

Bizan sent an army of ten thousand soldiers from Bokhara to capture Yazdezerd. When the king inquired about the approaching army, Mahuye-suri lied that the Turks had attacked and they needed to fight them. The king put on his armour and weapons and went into the war followed by Mahuye-suri and his army. However, as soon as treacherous Mahuye-suri approached the enemy, he retreated with his soldiers as per the plan and Yazdezerd was left all alone to fend Bizan’s army.

The king realized that a trap was laid for him by Mahuye-suri. He valiantly fought Bizan for some time, but then he started retreating with the enemy soldiers on his back. On the way he came across a flour mill, in which he hid. The enemy soldiers searched for some time, and then went away.

Yazdezerd hid in the mill all night. In the morning, when the mill owner Khushru came, he was shocked. However, he soon realised that he was not an ordinary person, as was well-built and wearing rich clothes and fine ornaments.

Khushru asked Yazdezerd, “O illustrious one! Who are you, and why have you come to this humble flour mill?”

The king, hiding his identity, replied, “I am an Iranian soldier who had to flee after being defeated. I am hungry for three days, can you please give me something to eat?”

“I just have nān (bread) made of Jowar (sorghum) and some vegetables, if it is okay with you.” said Khushru.

The hungry king was ready to eat, but not before praying the bāj, that is, the grace before meal, for which he required the ritual implement of barsom.

He told Khushru, “I will eat anything, but first get me a barsom, so that I can perform the bāj before eating.”

Khushru went to a temple to get the barsom. He narrated whatever had transpired. The priest was aware that Mahuye-suri was looking for the fugitive Iranian king. He immediately realized that the stranger may be the king, since only priests and members of royal family insisted on performing the baj with barsom before meals, and the person described by Khushru fitted the description of the king. 

End of king Yazdezerd

The priest decided to inform Mahuye-suri about this, in the hope of getting a reward. He sent Khushru with a person to Mahuye-suri, who immediately realized that the stranger was the fugitive king. He ordered Khushru to go and kill the king, or else he would get him and his family killed. Khushru was also instructed to remove the king’s clothes and ornaments before disposing his body.

A couple of wise ministers advised Mahuye-suri against such an order, but he was adamant. He feared that since he had already committed treachery, the king will not forgive him if he survives.

Khushru was feeling miserable about taking the life of his king, however he had no option as his own life and the lives of his family were at stake.

It was the night of 23^rd August 651 CE.  Khushru went back to his mill and approached the king, as if he wanted to tell him something. As the king leaned forward, he drew his dagger and pierced his king’s heart.

The helpless king lay lifeless in a pool of blood. He was just thirty-six years old. The soldiers who had accompanied the miller, removed the king’s clothes and ornaments, and then, in the dark of the night, as per instructions, flung his clothes-less body in the river.

In the morning, two men who were walking by the river, saw the lifeless body of the king. One of them immediately rushed to a nearby house where a Christian priest was staying. Several priests rushed to the site, recognized the body as that of the king, and mourned his death.

A couple of Christian priests immediately covered the body and removed it from the water. A modest Dakhma was specially prepared and king Yazdezerd’s body was respectfully laid there with as much state honours and religious traditions as possible.

True to the prophecy, Yazdezerd proved to be the last unfortunate king of the Sasanian dynasty, from whose hands the reigns of the empire were lost to the Arabs.

In our next post we will see what happens to the treacherous Mahuye-suri………