Khosrow II

(died 628) King of the Sasanian dynasty (r. 590–628) whose military exploits extended the empire to its furthest extent. He came to the throne—assisted by Maurice, the emperor of the Byzantine Empire—in troubled times. When a new Byzantine emperor took the throne, however, Khosrow launched a war against the empire, seizing Armenia and central Anatolia. In 613 his forces took Damascus, and Jerusalem fell in 614. His fortunes suffered a reverse when Byzantine forces recaptured lost ground and killed his ablest generals. Revolution within the royal family followed, and Khosrow was executed. Under his reign, silverwork and carpet weaving reached a peak, and there is evidence of a renaissance in rock sculpture. After his death the empire rapidly declined, falling to the Arabs during the Islamic conquests in 640.