YAZDEGERD III

died , 651, Merv, Sasanian Empire the last king of the Sasanian dynasty (reigned 632651), the son of Shahryar and a grandson of Khosrow II. A mere child when he was placed on the throne, Yazdegerd never actually exercised power. In his first year the Arab invasion began, and in 636/637 the Battle of al-Qadisiyah on one of the Euphrates canals decided the fate of the empire. His capital, Ctesiphon, was occupied by the Arabs, and Yazdegerd fled into Media, where his generals unsuccessfully attempted to organize resistance. After the Battle of Nahavand (642), in which Sasanian forces were badly defeated, Yazdegerd sought refuge in one district after another, until at last he was slain at Merv. The ParsisZoroastrians who immigrated to western India on the advent of Islamstill use the old Persian calendar and continue to count the years from Yazdegerd's accession.