Editing Kavad I (section)

== Background and state of Sasanian Iran ==
[[Image:The Discomfiture and Death of Piroz, from a Manuscript of the Shahnama (Book of Kings) of Firdawsi LACMA M.73.5.23.jpg|thumb|alt= A 15th-century Shahnameh illustration showing the defeat and death of Peroz I | 15th-century [[Shahnameh]] illustration of the defeat and death of [[Peroz I]]]]
The son of the Sasanian [[shah]] [[Peroz I]] ({{reign|459|484}}), Kavad was born in 473.{{sfn|Schindel|2013a|pp=136–141}}{{efn|According to Greek chronicler [[John Malalas]], Kavad died at the age of 82, whilst the medieval Persian poet [[Ferdowsi]] states that he died at 80, which would put his year of birth sometime between 449 and 451.{{sfn|Schindel|2013a|pp=136–141}} The Greek historian [[Procopius]] states that Kavad was not old enough to take part in Peroz I's Hephthalite war in 484, and describes him as being around the age of 14 to 16. This also corresponds with account of the 9th-century Muslim historian [[Abu Hanifa Dinawari]], who stated that Kavad was 15 years-old when he became shah.{{sfn|Schindel|2013a|pp=136–141}} [[Sasanian coinage]] portray Kavad as a young man during his first reign, with short whiskers and no moustache.{{sfn|Schindel|2013a|pp=136–141}} This is unusual, since Sasanian shahs are generally bearded on their coinage. Besides Kavad, the only Sasanian shahs not to have a bearded portrait are the child-rulers [[Ardashir III]] ({{reign|628|630|show=no}}) and [[Khosrow III]] ({{reign|630|630|show=no}}).{{sfn|Schindel|2013a|pp=136–141}} This implies that Kavad most likely ascended the throne at a rather young age, which puts his birth in 473.{{sfn|Schindel|2013a|pp=136–141}}}} The Sasanian family had been the monarchs of Iran since 224 after the triumph of the first Sasanian shah [[Ardashir I]] ({{reign|224|242|show=no}}) over the [[Parthian Empire|Parthian (Arsacid) Empire]].{{sfn|McDonough|2013|p=603}} Although Iranian society was greatly militarised and its elite designated themselves as a "warrior nobility" (''arteshtaran''), it still had a significantly smaller population, was more impoverished, and was a less centralized state compared to the [[Roman Empire]].{{sfn|McDonough|2013|p=603}} As a result, the Sasanian shahs had access to fewer full-time fighters, and depended on recruits from the nobility instead.{{sfn|McDonough|2013|p=603}} Some exceptions were the royal cavalry bodyguard, garrison soldiers, and units recruited from places outside Iran.{{sfn|McDonough|2013|p=603}}

The bulk of the high nobility included the powerful [[Parthia]]n noble families (known as the ''[[wuzurgan]]'') that were centered on the [[Iranian plateau]]. They served as the backbone of the Sasanian "[[Feudalism|feudal]]" army and were largely autonomous.{{sfn|McDonough|2013|loc=p. 604 "The backbone of Sasanian military power, the Iranian ('Aryan') cavalry, was, for lack of a more accurate term, a 'feudal' army organized around the banners of the aristocratic ''azadan'' ('the free'), most prominently the ''vuzurgan'' ('great families') of Parthian descent"}} The Sasanian shahs had noticeably little control over the ''wuzurgan''; attempts to restrict their self-determination usually resulted in the murder of the shah.{{sfn|McDonough|2013|p=604 (see also note 3)}} Ultimately, the Parthian nobility worked for the Sasanian shah for personal benefit, personal oath, and, conceivably, a common awareness of the "Aryan" (Iranian) kinship they shared with their [[Persian people|Persian]] overlords.{{sfn|McDonough|2013|p=604}}

Another vital component of the army was the Armenian cavalry, which was recruited from outside the ranks of the Parthian ''wuzurgan''.{{sfn|McDonough|2011|p=307}} However, the [[Battle of Avarayr|revolt of Armenia]] in 451 and the loss of its cavalry had weakened the Sasanians' attempts to keep the Hunnic tribes (i.e., the [[Hephthalites]], [[Kidarites]], [[Chionites]] and [[Alkhans]]){{sfn|Rezakhani|2017|pp=85–87}} of the northeastern border in check.{{sfn|McDonough|2011|p=305}}{{sfn|McDonough|2013|p=613}}{{efn|Armenian soldiers, however, would serve the Sasanians again in the 6th and 7th centuries.{{sfn|McDonough|2011|p=305}}}} Indeed, Kavad's grandfather [[Yazdegerd II]] ({{reign|438|457|show=no}}) had managed to hold off the Kidarites during his wars against them, which had occupied him throughout most of his reign.{{sfn|McDonough|2013|p=613}}{{sfn|Daryaee|2014|p=23}}{{sfn|Daryaee}} Now, however, Sasanian authority in [[Central Asia]] began to decay.{{sfn|McDonough|2013|p=613}}

First in 474 and again in the late 470s/early 480s, Peroz was defeated and captured by the Hephthalites.{{sfn|Potts|2018|p=295}}{{sfn|Bonner|2020|pp=136–137}} In his second defeat, he offered to pay thirty mule packs of silver [[Dram (unit)|drachms]] in ransom, but could only pay twenty. Unable to pay the other ten, he sent Kavad in 482 as a hostage to the Hephthalite court until he could pay the rest.{{sfn|Potts|2018|p=295}}{{sfn|Rezakhani|2017|p=127}}{{sfn|Bonner|2020|p=137}} He eventually managed to gain the ten mule packs of silver by imposing a poll tax on his subjects, and thus secured the release of Kavad before he mounted his third campaign in 484.{{sfn|Bonner|2020|p=137}} There, Peroz was [[Hephthalite–Sasanian War of 484|defeated and killed]] by a Hephthalite army, possibly near [[Balkh]].{{sfn|McDonough|2011|p=305}}{{sfn|Schindel|2013a|pp=136–141}}{{sfn|Schippmann|1999|pp=631–632}} His army was completely destroyed, and his body was never found.{{sfn|Payne|2015b|p=287}} Four of his sons and brothers had also died.{{sfn|Potts|2018|p=295}} The main Sasanian cities of the eastern region of [[Greater Khorasan|Khorasan]]−[[Nishapur]], [[Herat]] and [[Merv|Marw]] were now under Hephthalite rule.{{sfn|Schindel|2013a|pp=136–141}}

[[Sukhra]], a member of the Parthian [[House of Karen]], one of the [[Seven Great Houses of Iran]], quickly raised a new force and stopped the Hephthalites from achieving further success.{{sfn|Payne|2015b|p=288}} Peroz's brother, [[Balash]], was elected as shah by the Iranian magnates, most notably Sukhra and the [[House of Mihran|Mihranid]] general [[Shapur Mihran]].{{sfn|Shahbazi|2005}} However, Balash proved unpopular among the nobility and clergy who had him blinded and deposed after just four years in 488.{{sfn|Chaumont|Schippmann|1988|pp=574–580}}{{sfn|Bonner|2020|p=139}} Sukhra, who had played a key role in Balash's deposition,{{sfn|Chaumont|Schippmann|1988|pp=574–580}} appointed Kavad as the new shah of Iran.{{sfn|Pourshariati|2008|p=78}} According to [[Miskawayh]] ({{died in|1030}}), Sukhra was Kavad's maternal uncle.{{sfn|Schindel|2013a|pp=136–141}}