Editing Kavad II (section)

== Early life ==
[[Image:KhosrauIIDinarHistoryofIran.jpg|thumb|Gold [[dinar]] of [[Khosrow II]] ({{reign|590|628}})]]
In 602, Maurice was murdered by his political rival [[Phocas]]. As a result, Khosrow II proceeded to [[Byzantine–Sasanian War of 602–628|declare war]], ostensibly to avenge the death of Maurice. During the two-decade war, Khosrow II was initially successful, conquering the Byzantine provinces in the [[Near East]], including [[Byzantine Egypt|Egypt]].{{sfn|Howard-Johnston|2000}} However, by 627 the tables had turned against the Sasanians, with the Byzantine emperor [[Heraclius]] ({{reign|610|641}}) seizing chunks of [[Adurbadagan]] (in present-day northwestern Iran) and laying waste to the temple of [[Adur Gushnasp]].{{sfn|Schindel|2022}} The nobles had grown weary of Khosrow II's policies, with some of them possibly already starting to form an opposition against him following the [[Siege of Constantinople (626)|failed siege of Constantinople]] in 626.{{sfn|Bonner|2020|pp=304–305}} During this period, Sheroe was imprisoned in a fortress outside of [[Babylon]] together with a couple of unidentified brothers.{{sfn|Schindel|2022}} There they were educated by tutors sent by Khosrow II.{{sfn|Al-Tabari|1985–2007|loc=v. 5: p. 378}}

Following the Byzantine sacking of the royal Sasanian residence at [[Dastagird]] on 6 January 628, Khosrow II fled to the Sasanian capital of [[Ctesiphon]].{{sfn|Bonner|2020|p=304}} There he tried to secure the city and his legacy. He planned to crown his son [[Mardanshah (Sasanian prince)|Mardanshah]] (whose mother was the Christian queen [[Shirin]]) as his heir apparent. When Sheroe was informed of this, he immediately sent his foster brother to Gurdanasp, a former general who led the opposition against Khosrow II. Gurdanasp declined to have an audience with Sheroe, instead asking him to send a letter to express himself. Sheroe soon sent a letter, in which he promised to replace Khosrow II as the ''shahanshah'', make peace with the Byzantines and the [[Western Turkic Khaganate]], and increase the rank of the conspirators and the income of the army.{{sfn|Bonner|2020|p=306}} Having convinced the conspirators with his letter, Sheroe continued to correspond with them through his foster brother, who made it possible for the two parties to plan their actions for the upcoming ''[[coup d'état]]''.{{sfn|Howard-Johnston|2020|p=316}}