King Kobad

Kavadh I
King of Kings of Iranians and non-Iranians
Image of Kavadh I on one of his dinars.
Reign	488–496 (first reign) 498–531 (second reign)
Predecessor	Balash, Djamasp
Successor	Khosrau I
Born	473
Died	September 13, 531
Spouse	Perozdukht (also his sister) Nivandukht
Issue	Kawus Khosrau I Zamasp Xerxes
House	House of Sasan
Father	Peroz I
Religion	Zoroastrianism

Kavadh I (Middle Persian: kwʾt'‎ Kawād, Persian: قباد‎ Qobād) (c. 473 – September 13, 531) was the Sasanian king of Persia from 488 to 531. A son of Peroz I (457–484), he was crowned by the nobles in place of his deposed and blinded uncle Balash (484–488).

His reign saw the uprising of Vakhtang I of Iberia, as well as the Anastasian War and the Iberian War against the Sasanians' archrival, the neighboring Byzantines. During Kavadh's reign, massive fortification activities were conducted in the Caucasus, including Derbent.

Kavadh was born in 473. After the Sasanian disaster at the battle of Herat, only few members of the royal line remained; according to Procopius, of the ca. 30 sons of Peroz I. He was, however, in captivity under the Hephthalites, and was later rescued by the Karenid Sukhra, who managed to defeat their leader Khushnavaz. After this victory, Kavadh and Sukhra returned to Ctesiphon, where Balash was crowned as king of the Empire. However, in reality it was Sukhra who had control over the Sasanian Empire. Gushnaspdad, the kanarang of Abarshahr, urged the Sasanian nobles to have Kavadh executed.

However, the Sasanian nobles declined the suggestion and instead had Kavadh imprisoned. He later managed to escape and took refugee in Central Asia. In 488, Kavadh returned to Persia with the aid of the Hephthalites, and was joined by other Sasanian nobles, who included Adergoudounbades, a relative of Gushnaspdad. During the revolt of Kavadh, Sukhra told Balash that he was unsuitable to rule as the king of Sasanian Empire and had him deposed in favor of Kavadh. The new Sasanian king then had Gushnaspdad executed, and he was replaced by Adergoudounbades as kanarang.