Azarmidokht Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Azarmidokht
Queen of Queens of Iran
Drachma of Azarmidokht with the bust of her father Khosrow II to the left.
Queen of the Sasanian Empire
Reign	630–631
Predecessor	Shapur-i Shahrvaraz
Successor	Boran

Died	631 Ctesiphon
House	House of Sasan
Father	Khosrow II
Religion	Zoroastrianism

Azarmidokht was a queen of the Sasanian Empire in Iran from 630 to 631 CE. She was the daughter of King Khosrow II. Azarmidokht was one of only two Sasanian queens; her sister Boran ruled before and after her. Azarmidokht became queen after her cousin Shapur-i Shahrvaraz was removed from power by a powerful group called the Parsig faction. This group, led by Piruz Khosrow, helped Azarmidokht become queen. However, the next year, she was killed by Rostam Farrokhzad, who was avenging his father's death. Her sister Boran became queen again after her.

Her Name
Early Life and Background
Her Time as Queen
Coins and Royal Ideas
Her Personality and Achievements
Images for kids
See also

Her Name

The name "Azarmidokht" is the modern New Persian way of saying her name. Her original name in Middle Persian was Āzarmīgdukht. This name means "daughter of the respected one." It refers to her father, King Khosrow II.

Early Life and Background

A gold dinar coin from the time of Khosrow II.

Azarmidokht was the daughter of Khosrow II, who was the last powerful king of Iran. In 628 CE, Khosrow II was overthrown and killed by his own son, Kavad II. Kavad II then had many of his brothers and half-brothers killed, including the heir to the throne. This was a huge blow to the empire, and it never fully recovered. Azarmidokht and her sister Boran reportedly spoke out against Kavad II's harsh actions, which made him feel bad.

The fall of Khosrow II led to a civil war that lasted four years. During this time, powerful noble families gained a lot of control and started to run their own areas. There was also a lot of fighting between two main noble groups: the Persian (Parsig) and the Parthian (Pahlav) families. This fighting divided the country's wealth.

A few months later, a terrible plague spread through the western parts of the Sasanian Empire. It killed half the people, including Kavad II. His eight-year-old son, Ardashir III, became king after him. But Ardashir III was killed two years later by a famous Iranian general named Shahrbaraz. Shahrbaraz himself was killed just forty days later in a takeover led by Farrukh Hormizd, a leader of the Pahlav group.

Farrukh Hormizd helped Boran, Azarmidokht's sister, become queen. However, Boran was removed from power the next year and replaced by their cousin Shapur-i Shahrvaraz. His rule was even shorter. He was removed after less than a year by the Parsig group, led by Piruz Khosrow, who then helped Azarmidokht become queen.

Her Time as Queen

A Drachma coin of Farrukh Hormizd.

When Azarmidokht became queen of Iran, she announced that she would rule the country just like her father, Khosrow II. Farrukh Hormizd, who was a powerful leader, wanted to make his position stronger. He also wanted to create peace between the Pahlav and Parsig groups. So, he asked Azarmidokht, who was supported by the Parsig group, to marry him.

However, Azarmidokht refused his proposal. After she said no, Farrukh Hormizd became even more ambitious. He declared, "Today I am the leader of the people and the pillar of the country of Iran." He even started making coins with his own image, like a king would. He did this in places like Istakhr and Nahavand.

To deal with Farrukh Hormizd, Azarmidokht reportedly teamed up with Siyavakhsh, a powerful noble from the House of Mihran. Siyavakhsh was the grandson of Bahram Chobin, a famous military leader who had briefly been king of Iran. With Siyavakhsh's help, Azarmidokht had Farrukh Hormizd killed.

Farrukh Hormizd's son, Rostam Farrokhzad, then became the new leader of the Pahlav group. He was in the northeastern region of Greater Khorasan at the time. To get revenge for his father's death, Rostam led his troops to Ctesiphon, the capital city of the Sasanian Empire. He defeated every army Azarmidokht sent against him. He then defeated Siyavakhsh's forces in Ctesiphon and took over the city. Soon after, Azarmidokht was killed by Rostam, who then put her sister Boran back on the throne.

After this event, the main power center of the empire may have shifted to the northeast. This was the homeland of the Pahlav group. It was also the area where Yazdegerd III, the last Sasanian king, later went to find help against the Arab invasion of Iran.

Coins and Royal Ideas

During her short time as queen, Azarmidokht had coins made. These coins showed an image of her father, Khosrow II, on one side. The coins also had the words khwarrah abzūd, which means "Increase in Glory". They also showed a winged crown, which represented Verethragna, the god of victory. On the other side of the coin, there was a typical Sasanian fire-altar with two guards.

Azarmidokht put her father's image on the coins not just because she was a woman. It was more important that she was connected to the royal Sasanian family, especially to Khosrow II. He was seen as the last true and rightful king of Iran. By putting his image on the coins, Azarmidokht wanted to bring back his good name and the strength of the Sasanian royal family. Her sister Boran had tried to do something similar by mentioning their father in her coin writings. But by the time Azarmidokht became queen, just writing about him might not have been enough. So, she decided to put Khosrow II's image directly on the coins.

Her Personality and Achievements

Writers from the Islamic world describe Azarmidokht as a very smart and charming woman. A book from the 10th century, which is now lost, described her as "seated, wearing a red embroidered gown and sky-blue studded trousers, grasping a battle-axe in her right hand and leaning on a sword held in her left hand." This description makes her sound like a strong ruler. She is also believed to have ordered the building of a castle in a place called Asadabad. Her royal title was "the Just."