This is a new and interesting acquisition of the Persian senior army commander Mehrbandak, a Parthian from the house of Mihran, who usurped the Persian thrown from the incumbent Shah Khusro II.
Mehrbandak was an accomplished general under Shah Hormizd IV, he was promoted to chief of the army after leading a cavalry unit in the capture of a Roman fortress.
In AD 588 Turkic Huns from Asia invaded Persia.It is recorded the Turks out numbered the Persians 5-1. This guy was elevated to commander-in- chief, thus they were repulsed, trapped and the Khan of the Goturks was struck in the face by an arrow.
During the final years of the 6th century various hostiles made incursions into Persia. Again and again Mehrbandak led successful compaghins against the nomads and defeated the Romans in Georgia.
After a minor defeat, Mehrbandak was disgraced by Hormizd IV and removed from his high office. Unhappy with his career change and with the personal loyalty of the main Persian column, he did what any accomplished general would in antiquity and marched against the Shah.
Hormizd had limilted support in Sassanian nobilty, he had disenfranchised a number folks, and when push came to shove Hormizd found himself up a creek without a paddle.
Mehrbandak then took the captial of Ctesiphon, Hormizd was imprisoned and blinded and Khusro II fled to the Romans for protection. Mehrbandak ruled as Shah Bahram VI in AD 590.
Khusro II with support of Romans under Maurice Tiberius sought to take the thrown as the rightful heir to House of Sasan. Mean while Mehrbandak appealed to the Armenian king an alliance against the House of Sasan and offered them equal partnership with a Persia ruled by a Parthian from the House of Mihran.
The Armenian king rejected the offer to support a Parthian dynasty. Khusro II launched an offensive against Bahram VI and Bahram was forced to retreat eastward.
Khusro II's army was supplied and supported by the Khan of Turks and the other local nomads. Bahram's fate was sealed. Khusro successfully sent his men to assassinate Bahram.
Khusro II's long reign would not be an uneventful one. Khusro II ruled from AD 590/1-628.
Persia,
Jay Mint
AR Drachm 29 mm x 3.92 grams
Dated. r.yr. 1, AD 590
Obverse: Bust of Mehrbandak (Bahram VI) wearing mural crown.
Reverse: Zoroastrian Fire Altar flanked by two attendants.
ref:Sunrise Collection #975
Note: Rare, Holed, Cheap ($30)
Posted 02/24/2015 5:19 pm
