In 484,
Peroz I () was
defeated and killed by a
Hephthalite army near
Balkh. His army was completely destroyed, and his body was never found. Four of his sons and brothers had also died. The main Sasanian cities of the eastern region of
Khorasan−
Nishapur,
Herat and
Marw were now under Hephthalite rule.
Sukhra, a member of the Parthian
House of Karen, one of the
Seven Great Houses of Iran, quickly raised a new force and stopped the Hephthalites from achieving further success. Peroz' brother, Balash, was elected as shah by the Iranian magnates, most notably Sukhra and the
Mihranid general
Shapur Mihran. Immediately after ascending the throne, Balash sought peace with the Hephthalites, which cost the Sasanians a heavy tribute. Little is known about Balash, but he is perceived by eastern sources as a mild and tolerant ruler. He was very tolerant of
Christianity, which earned him a reputation among Christian authors, who described him as a mild and generous monarch. Nevertheless, it would seem that Balash was only a nominee of the powerful nobleman and
de facto ruler Sukhra. At the announcement of the death of Peroz, the Iranian nobles of
Sasanian Armenia, including the prominent nobleman Shapur Mihran, had become eager to go to the Sasanian capital of
Ctesiphon to elect a new sovereign. This had allowed the
Armenians under
Vahan Mamikonian to proclaim independence from the Sasanians. Given the situation of the weakness in Iran, Balash did not send an army to fight the rebels, which forced him to
conclude peace with the Armenians. The conditions of the peace were: all existing fire-altars in Armenia should be destroyed and no new ones should be constructed;
Christians in Armenia should have freedom of worship and conversions to
Zoroastrianism should be stopped: land should not be allotted to people who convert to Zoroastrianism; the Iranian shah should, in person, administer Armenia and through the aid of governors or deputies. In 485, Balash appointed Vahan Mamikonian as the
marzban of Armenia. A few months later, a son of Peroz named
Zarer rose in rebellion. Balash, with the aid of the Armenians, put down the rebellion, captured and killed him. In 488, Balash, who was an unpopular figure among the nobility and clergy, was deposed after a reign of just four years. Sukhra played a main role in Balash's deposition, and appointed Peroz's son Kavad as the new shah of Iran. ==Notes==