Pirooz II

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For other uses, see Peroz (disambiguation).

Pirooz II (Peroz, Firuz or Feroz; Persian: پیروز "the Victor"; Chinese: 卑路斯; pinyin: Pílùsī) was son of Yazdgerd III, the last Sassanid king of Persia. After the death of his father at the hands of the Arabs, he retreated to territory under the control of Tang Dynasty China and served as a Tang general and the head of the Governorate of Persia, an exiled extension of the Sassanid court. Most of what is known of Pirooz is written in the diary of his son, prince Narsieh, the Old Book of Tang and the New Book of Tang.

[edit] Life

Prince Pirooz was very young at the time of the reign of his father Emperor Yazdgerd III and never exercised the imperial power of the Sassanids. After the Arab conquest of Persia, Pirooz and much of the imperial family escaped through the Pamir Mountains in what is now Tajikistan and arrived at Tang China, which was more supportive of the Sassanids.

According to the Old Book of Tang, Pirooz asked for military help from Tang China against the Arabs in 661. The Tang court created the Governorate of Persia (波斯都督府) at what is now Zaranj, Afghanistan, with Pirooz as governor. Between 670 and 674, Pirooz arrived personally at the Tang court and was given the title of Yòuwǔwèi Jīangjūn (右武衛將軍, "Martial General and Guard of the Right [Flank]").

In 678, the Deputy Minister for Personnel (吏部侍郎) of the Tang Court, Pei Xingjian (裴行儉) was ordered to escort Pirooz back to Persia. Pei Xingjian got as far as Suiye (near modern Tokmok, Kyrgyzstan) before returning, while Pirooz was forced to spend over 20 years in Tuhuoluo (吐火羅; likely Bactra or Tokharistan) with several thousand followers. In 708 Pirooz arrived at the Tang court again and was given the title of Zuoweiwei Jiangjun (左威衛將軍 Awe-inspiring General and Guard of the Left [Flank]).

[edit] Death

According to the New Book of Tang, Pirooz died after receiving the title Youwuwei Jiangjun. It was then Pirooz's son, Narsieh, a hostage at the Tang court, who was escorted by Pei Xingjian westwards to Persia in 679 (not 678). Like the Old Book of Tang, Pei got as far as Suiye, and Narsieh (not Pirooz) then spent 20 years in Tuhuoluo. Finally, it was again Narsieh and not Pirooz that received the title of Zuoweiwei Jiangjun.