REVOLT OF NUSHIZÂD BIN KESRA AGAINST HIS FATHER,
AND THE TURN OF HIS AFFAIRS.

Ancient chroniclers have narrated that Naushirvân pos­sessed a queen the like of whom in beauty had never existed in this world, and who was of the Christian religion:

Distich:A Christian lady of spiritual mind
To the spirit of God fully inclined.

Kesra entreated her in vain to renounce Christianity, but as he was bewitched by his spouse he acted according to the maxim: ‘You have your religion, and I mine.’* After some time this lady gave birth to a son of great beauty, called Nushizâd. When this prince had attained the years of discretion he made profession of the religion of his mother, and refused to become an ignicolist, despite of all the entreaties of his father. This obstinacy alienated the affection of Naushirvân from him, so that he imprisoned the refractory youth. When Kesra invaded Syria he fell sick in that country, and this news reaching Nushizâd, he considered it a good opportunity to escape from prison, which he did, and then gathered around himself numerous adherents, but more especially Christians. He succeeded in enlisting an army of thirty thousand men, and of ejecting the officials of his father from the provinces of Fârs and Ahvâz. He also propagated the rumour of Naushirvân’s death in those regions, and marched furthermore to invade E’râq. When Kesra was apprised of this state of affairs he sent the following letter to Râmberzin, who was one of his chief officers in the country of Erân: ‘On the strength of the rumour of my death my son Nushizâd has divided the kingdom into several portions, over each of which he has appointed a man of high position as governor. One portion consists of Khorâsân, Sejestân, and Kermân; the second is Esfahân, Gaillân, Azarbaijân, and Armenia; the third is Fârs and Ahvâz; and the fourth is E’râq, as far as the boundaries of Rûm. After having thus arranged the affairs of the realm, he invaded Turkharestân, conquered Kabulistân, and Choganiân, with the country of Hayatalah. Hearing that I was dead, he acted hastily before ascertaining the truth, and also liberated a number of persons whom I had kept in prison. It is my wish that you extirpate all the evil-disposed persons who are as yet in concealment, and that you be not dismayed by the great number of Christians; they have no great power. If Nushizâd returns to obedi­ence, and again imprisons my captives; if he exterminates the chiefs and nobles who have obeyed him, and if he causes his other vagabonds to depart wherever they like, he is welcome. But if he persists in his obstinacy and dis­obedience, then Râmberzin is to make haste to attack him, and if he captures him not to injure one hair of his head, but to keep him prisoner with his companions in the locality in which he was caught. He is to be provided with everything he stands in need of, but no man of the army is to be allowed to speak to him, for:

Distich:My heart bears abundant testimony
That the dishonourable fellow is my son.’

Having sealed the letter, he despatched it by a courier to Râmberzin. As soon as the commander-in-chief of Erân had perused the letter of the king he hastened with a powerful army towards Nushizâd. The prince on his part likewise marched with an army, and Shamâs at its head— Shamâs, surnamed Rûmi, being a celebrated warrior of those times and the champion of the troops—against Râm­berzin. When the two armies met in battle-array, the right wing attacked the left of Râmberzin, conquered it and made great carnage. Râmberzin then ordered the rest of the army

Distich:To pour forth a shower of arrows,
To transmute the air into a vernal cloud.

On this occasion an arrow struck Nushizâd suddenly in a mortal part, and he forthwith expired. As soon as the army of Nushizâd became aware of the fate of its leader it took to flight. Râmberzin approached the deathbed of Nushizâd with lamentation and weeping. He ordered that no more persons be killed or plundered, and asked the bishop, who had been one of the favourites of Nushizâd, whether the prince had left any injunctions to him. The reply was that the last words of the prince had been these?? ‘Tell my mother to give me a Christian burial.’ But Abu Hanifah Dinvari states that Nushizâd was [not slain, but only] captured in this battle.

After Naushirvân had appointed Munzar Bin Omm-us-saha to govern Arabia, he proceeded to Madâin, and thence despatched a general with a numerous army to Hindustân, who marched as far as Serandip.* The King of Hindustân then despatched an ambassador with countless presents to Naushirvân to sue for peace, which was concluded on the condition that the country opposite to the shores of O’mân, and adjoining Erân, be surrendered to the viceroy of Nau­shirvân. After this treaty had been made the sovereign of Persia sent an ambassador, who recalled the army from India.

In some histories it is related that when the sovereignties of Ma-vara-an-nahr, of Khorâsân, of Tabaristân, of Jorjân, of Fârs, of Kermân, of a portion of Hindustân and of E’râq, of Mesopotamia, of O’mân, of Bahrâin, of Yamamah, of Yaman, and of Northern Africa, had been concentrated under the sway of Naushirvân, he occupied himself with regulations concerning the administration of the govern­ment. He established equitable laws with reference to the ground-tax, because hitherto one-half, one-third, fourth, fifth, or tenth part of the harvest of a field had been levied. He also fixed the capitation-tax to be paid by Christians and Jews, but exempted every person under twenty or over fifty years of age from all imposts due to the royal treasury. He appointed a high officer to superintend the drilling of the army, and to examine the weapons issued to the men from the royal arsenal. This officer took his position on a rich seat in an extensive plain, and issued a proclamation for all combatants to appear before him. As, however, Naushirvân appeared neither on the first nor on the second day, the names of the soldiers were not registered. On the third day the warriors were again summoned, with the additional remark that not even he whom God the Most High had presented with the diadem and throne should refuse to respond to the call. When Naushirvân heard this remark he likewise came to the place fully armed; his equipment, however, not being complete, because he had no cuirass and bow, the reviewing-officer abstained from entering his name until he had brought them. Then the reviewing-officer assigned to each warrior a stipend of four thousand dirhems, but marked to the name of Kesra four thousand and one dirhems. The parade having come to an end, the reviewing-officer left his seat, paid obeisance to Naushirvân, and spoke as follows: ‘I beseech your majesty not to blame me for what I have done. My object was merely to establish justice and regularity in the army.’ Kesra replied: ‘I shall put up with the severity of any man who aims at the welfare of the realm in the same manner as a patient swallows a bitter draught to recover his health.’

It is related in some trustworthy books that when Naushirvân was fully established in his empire, and all men were awed by his glory and majesty, the kings of the surrounding regions sent embassies with presents to his most exalted court. One of these was the sovereign of China, who possessed a castle encrusted with gems and pearls, and from which two brooks flowed, watering cam­phor and lignum-aloe trees, the perfume whereof spread to a distance of two farsakhs, and two thousand maids waited on him in his harem. He sent an ambassador to Naushir­vân with gifts, among which was a horseman and his charger, inlaid with pearls, the eyes both of the cavalier and his steed consisting of red rubies, and the hilt of the rider’s sword of emeralds with other costly gems. He sent likewise a silken cloth which contained the portrait of the king sitting on his throne in full assembly, dressed in his regalia, and wearing a crown on his head. In his rear stood attendants, each of whom was dressed in a robe of blue silk, embroidered with gold. This gift was offered in a golden casket, borne by a slave-girl, whose stature was concealed by her own hair; whenever she removed it, her countenance shone according to the manner of lightning in a dark night.

The king sent a golden model of a palace, the gates whereof consisted of rubies. Also one thousand mauns of Indian lignum-aloe, which melted in fire like wax. Like­wise a ruby bowl, one span in diameter, filled with pearls, and a girl seven spans high, but with eyelashes reaching down to her cheeks; lastly, a couch made of a serpent’s skin, which was more soft to the touch than silk.

During the reign of Kesra, the book, ‘Kalila va Dimna,’* the game of chess, and the black dye, were also brought from Hindustân to Persia. This dye was such that, when smeared on gray hair, it made the very roots thereof so black that they could not be distinguished from those which were naturally so.

The King of Thibet likewise sent various gifts to Naushir­vân, among which were one hundred exquisite gilt coats of mail, and four thousand bags of musk.

It is related that the attainments of Naushirvân in the arts and sciences were unsurpassed by any [former] kings of Persia. He associated with men of learning, and knew their value. In his time the most excellent scholar and philosopher was Buzarjamehr Bin Bukhtagân.