Bahrām Chobin Bahrām Chobin ( Persian : بهرام چوبین ) , also known as Mehrbandak , was a famous " Eran spahbod " ( Persian army - commander ) during the late 6th century in Persia . He usurped the Sassanid throne from Khosrau II , ruling for a year as Bahram VI ( 590 - 591 ) . However , he was later defeated by Khosrau II and was forced to flee . Family . Bahram Chobin was son of Bahrām Gošnasp , of the House of Mihran , one of the seven Parthian clans of the Sasanian Empire . Bahram Chobin had three siblings whom were named : Gordiya , Gorduya and Mardansina . Life as Eran spahbod . Bahram Chobin originally started his career as Margrave of Ray , but in 572 he commanded a cavalry force which captured a Byzantine fortress and was promoted to spahbed of Atropatene and Media . After being promoted he fought a long but indecisive campaign against the Byzantines in northern Mesopotamia . In late 588 , a massive army of Turks invaded the eastern provinces of the Sasanian empire , reaching as far as Badghis and Herat . Bahram Chobin was elected as satrap of Khorasan and commander - in - chief to lead 12 , 000 Sasanian forces against the Turks . After reaching Central Asia his army ambushed a large army of Turks and conquered Balkh . He then crossed the Oxus river and trapped and defeated the Turks near Bukhara , killing the Göktürk Bagha / Yabghu Qaghan with an arrow . The Turkic forces is said to have outnumbered his troops five to one . After his great victory against the Turks he was sent to Caucasus to repel an invasion of nomads , possibly the Khazars . Bahram was once again victorious . Bahram Chobin was then made commander of the Sasanian forces against the Byzantines once again , and successfully defeated a Byzantine force in Georgia . However , he later suffered a minor defeat by an Byzantine army on the banks of the Araxes river . Rebellion against Hormizd IV . After his defeat Hormizd IV disgraced him , he removed Bahram Chobin from the Sasanian office and sent him a chain and a spindle to show that he regarded him as a low slave “ as ungrateful as a woman ” . Thus , he along with the main Persian army , rebelled against the Shah and marched toward Ctesiphon . Hormizd was killed and his son , Khosrau II , unable to fight such an army , fled to Byzantine territory and Bahram sat on the throne as Great King ( Shah ) of Persia . Hormizd IV tried to organize an effective resistance against Bahram Chobin . The Sasanian aristocracy , however , did not support him . Not even the religious leaders did . Hormizd IV responded by imprisoning many Sasanian nobles , however , it did not make the situation better , because the Sasanian aristocracy revolted against him and freed the imprisoned nobles . Hormizd IV was blinded and Khosrau II became king , however , Bahram Chobin wanted the throne for himself , he defeated the army of Khosrau II around the Zagros mountains , capturing his uncle Vinduyih . However , Khosrau II and his uncle Vistahm managed to escape . Vinduyih later managed to escape from his prison and fled over to Khosrau II . Life as Shah of Persia . Defeat . Vinduyih , the uncle of Khosrau II , was sent with a large army granted by the Byzantine Emperor Maurice . They went to Armenia to outflank Bahram , who was defeated in the lowlands and lost Ctesiphon . He retreated to Azerbaijan and then wrote a letter to Musel II Mamikonian , an Armenian spahbed who was helping Khosrau II , the letter said : " As for you Armenians who demonstrate an unseasonable loyalty , did not the house of Sasan destroy your land and sovereignty ? Why otherwise did your fathers rebel and extricate themselves from their service , fighting up until today for your country ? " Bahram Chobin in his letter promised that the Armenians would become partners of the Sasanian Empire ruled by a Parthian dynastic family if he accepted his proposal to betray Khosrau II . Musel , however , rejected the offer . Khosrau II ' s army then marched towards Azerbaijan and defeated Bahram Chobin at the Battle of Blarathon , forcing him to flee to the eastern parts of Persia . While Bahram Chobin was fleeing to the east he defeated a Karen army and later arrived in Ferghana where he was received honorably by the Khaqan of the Turks , entered his service and achieved heroic feats against his adversaries . Khosrau II , however , could not feel secure as long as Bahram Chobin lived , and he succeeded in having him assassinated . The remainder of Bahram ' s troops returned to northern Iran and joined the rebellion of Vistahm which took place in 590 / 1 – 596 or 594 / 5 – 600 . Legacy . There are many fables attributed to Bahram VI , as is the norm for many heroes in Persian literature . The chapters in Volume VIII of Ferdowsi ' s 11th - century " Shahnameh " on the reigns of " Hurmuzd , Son of Nushirwan , " and " Khusrau Parviz , " both of which are almost as much about Bahram Chobin as about Hormizd or his son . Following the collapse of the Sasanian Empire , the Samanid dynasty formed of descendants of Bahram Chobin , became one of the first independent Persian dynasties .