18 Facts About Yazdegerd II

Yazdegerd II, was the Sasanian King of Kings of Iran from 438 to 457.

Yazdegerd II's 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.

Yazdegerd II was the first Sasanian ruler to assume the title of kay, which evidently associates him and the dynasty to the mythical Kayanian dynasty commemorated in the Avesta.

Yazdegerd II's death led to a dynastic struggle between his two sons Hormizd III and Peroz I for the throne, with the latter emerging victorious.

The name of Yazdegerd II is known in other languages as; Pahlavi Yazdekert; New Persian Yazdgerd; Syriac Yazdegerd II, Izdegerd, and Yazdeger; Armenian Yazkert; Talmudic Izdeger and Azger; Arabic Yazdeijerd; Greek Isdigerdes.

The Roman emperor Theodosius II's unwillingness to continue the payment made Yazdegerd II declare war against the Romans, which had ultimately little success for either side.

Yazdegerd II spent many years at war against the Kidarites.

The policies of Yazdegerd II have been a matter of discussion.

The unsteadiness of the empire was ever-increasing under Yazdegerd II, who had an uneasy relationship with the aristocracy and was facing a great challenge by the Kidarite in the east.

Yazdegerd II seems to have mainly targeted the non-Zoroastrian aristocracy.

Yazdegerd II had originally continued his father's policies of appeasing the magnates.

Yazdegerd II was still fully aware of the longstanding conflict between the crown and the nobility and priesthood, which had culminated in the murder of several Sasanian monarchs.

Yazdegerd II needed the cooperation of the aristocracy so that he could have an organized government to combat the external and internal issues endangering the empire.

Yazdegerd II targeted Zoroastrian aristocrats, dismantling their advantage of entry to the court and castrated men in his field armies to generate eunuchs more dutiful to him than to their own families.

Jews were the subject of persecution under Yazdegerd II; he is said to have issued decrees prohibiting them from observing the Sabbath openly, and ordered executions of several Jewish leaders.

Yazdegerd II is generally praised in Persian sources, and is described as a compassionate and benevolent ruler.

Yazdegerd II is commended for abandoning his father's overindulgence in hunting, feasting, and having long audience sessions.

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.