Editing Kavad II (section)

{{Short description|Shahanshah of the Sasanian Empire in 628}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2023}}
{{Infobox royalty
|name        = {{ubl|Kavad II|{{lang|pal|𐭪𐭥𐭠𐭲}}}}
|title       = [[King of Kings of Iranians and non-Iranians]]
|image       = Coin of the Sasanian king Kavad II (cropped), minted at Susa in 628.jpg
|image_size  = 
|caption     = Silver [[Sasanian coinage|drachma]] of Kavad II with the mint signature "AYLAN"
|succession  = [[List of monarchs of the Sasanian Empire|Shahanshah]] of the [[Sasanian Empire]]
|reign      = 25 February 628 – Summer/Autumn 628
|predecessor= [[Khosrow II]]
|successor  = [[Ardashir III]]
|spouse      = {{ubl|Anzoy the Roman|[[Boran]]}}
|issue       = Ardashir III
|royal house = [[House of Sasan]]
|father      = [[Khosrow II]]
|mother      = [[Maria (daughter of Maurice)|Maria]]
|birth_date  = after 590
|birth_place =
|death_date  = Summer/Autumn 628
|death_place =
|religion    = [[Zoroastrianism]]
}}
'''Kavad II''' ({{langx|pal|𐭪𐭥𐭠𐭲|Kawād}}) was the [[Sasanian Empire|Sasanian]] [[King of Kings]] ({{transliteration|pal|[[shah]]anshah}}) of [[Iran]] briefly in 628.

Born '''Sheroe''', he was the son of [[Khosrow II]] ({{reign|590|628}}) and [[Maria (daughter of Maurice)|Maria]]. With help from different factions of the nobility, Sheroe overthrew his father in a coup d'état in 628. At this juncture, the Iranian army had been split into three separate armies, each led by one of the faction leaders. After ascending the throne, he had his father and all his brothers executed. Also, he made peace with the Byzantine emperor [[Heraclius]] ({{reign|610|641}}), thus concluding the [[Byzantine–Sasanian War of 602–628]].

Kavad II soon died of a devastating plague, which became known as the [[Plague of Sheroe]]. He was succeeded by his seven-year-old son [[Ardashir III]] ({{reign|628|630}}).

Contemporary sources and modern historiography present a mixed view of Kavad II, with some of the latter criticizing him for his fratricide, considering it to have heavy consequences for the empire. The Austrian historian and [[numismatist]] Nikolaus Schindel in contrast suggests that Kavad II's fratricide may have prevented a possible civil war, and had Kavad II lived longer, he might had been able to prevent the disintegration of the Sasanian political structure and the impending [[Muslim conquest of Persia|Arab-Islamic conquest of Iran]].