1917.] Numismatic Supplement No. XXIX. 165 



'■ My investigations into the history of the coinage of this 

 period have led me to expect a much lower degree of exacti- 

 tude than I was at one time prepared to demand. The materi- 

 als, either legendary or monumental, hitherto available for 

 elucidating this history, are but scanty and it is unreasonable 

 to expect much help from numismatics, when the number and 

 variety of the coins of the last ephemeral sovereigns of the Sas- 

 sanian dynasty are so limited. 



To understand the history of these sovereigns I cannot do 

 better than quote so distinguished a specialist on Iranian sub- 

 jects as Justi (Grundriss der Iranischen Philologie, Vol. II, 

 1900, p. 545), whose terse account contains all the historical 

 information we require for our immediate purpose. 



" During the time of his (i e Kobad Shiroe's) minor son 

 Ardashlr III there took place a greater incursion of the Kha- 

 aars in Georgia, Albania and Armenia. Shahrvaraz was defeat- 

 ed both in Uti and in the vicinity of Lake Jelam (Bro^set, His. 

 de la Georgie, additions 49.'$). Thereafter this general, having 

 obtained the consent of Herakleios at a meeting in Arabissos, 

 removed the youthful monarch and himself ascended the throne 

 on the 27th April 630. He was slain on the 9th June. _ In 

 Khorasan he was opposed by Khusrau III, the son of Kavadh. 

 a brother or more correctly son of Ormazd IV, immediately after 

 the death of Ardashlr. Then we find mentioned a Juvansher, son 

 of Khusrau II, and Gurdia, a sister of Uahram Chubln, who 

 according to certain sources had already been assassinated by 

 Siroe (see Noeldeke, Gesch. d. Pers. 3U0, note 2). After Shahr- 

 varaz, Boran, who is alleged to have been married to him, was 

 crowned in Ktesiphon. She was a daughter of Khusrau. She 

 finally concluded peace with the emperor. The restoration of 

 the holy cross is ascribed to her, but it was received earlier by 

 Herakleios (according to Theophanes in 503 from Kavadh), 

 because it was ceremoniou 



and it was later brought to By . 



Chronik 32). Boran reigned from May 630 to October 631 

 (these dates are inferable from the coins, see Drouin, Revue 

 Numism. Ill, 11, 1893, 162). It appears that she abdicated 

 the throne in consequence of the defeat of her general. After 

 the brief interregnum of Jushnasbandeh, a cousin or more 

 correctly nephew, of Khusrau II and son of Kavadh (according 

 to Tabari), the brother of Khusrau II, there came to the 

 throne Azaruudukht, a second daughter of Khusrau II, who, 

 however, found a rival king in Ormazd V, the son of one of the 

 sons of Khusrau II killed by Siroe ; who according to his coins, 

 which are still existing, upheld himself till his second year 

 that is up to the first year of Yezdegerd, and then was k.lled 

 b y the soldiers in NiPlbln. After the assassination of Azarmi 

 dukht there followed a Khusrau IV, son of Mihr Juslmasp and a 

 grandson of Khusrau I. Then came Peroz called Jushnasban- 



sly set up on the 14th September 629, 

 to Byzantium (see Guidi's Syrische 



