Editing Kavad II (section)

== Legacy and assessment ==
The personal power of the ''shahanshah'' was lower under Kavad II than under Khosrow II. The fact that the ''shahanshah'' had stopped leading his army into battle since [[Hormizd IV]] ({{reign|579|590}}) may have been a significant contributing element. This may have caused a growing disconnection between the army and the ''shahanshah'', which gave military commanders (such as [[Bahram Chobin]] and Shahrbaraz) the opportunity to challenge the ''shahanshah''—something which never happened in earlier Sasanian history.{{sfn|Schindel|2022}} Pourshariati considers Kavad II to have had little authority, arguing that the factions who had overthrown Khosrow II were in control of the affairs of the empire.{{sfn|Pourshariati|2008|pp=173–175}}

Some sources such as al-Tabari consider Kavad II to be a bad ruler, while others such as the ''[[Chronicle of Seert]]'' paint a more favorable picture of him.{{sfn|Schindel|2022}} Schindel suggests that if Kavad II had lived longer, he might had been able to prevent the disintegration of the Sasanian political structure and the impending [[Muslim conquest of Persia|Arab-Islamic conquest of Iran]].{{sfn|Schindel|2022}}

Assessing Kavad II's execution of his brothers, Schindel also states that; "While one cannot defend the slaughter of his brothers from an ethical point of view, it might have seemed preferable to risking a civil war if any of these potential rivals should have made a bid for the throne, especially given the depleted military manpower. At the same time, such a desperate measure was not completely new, since Hormizd IV is also said to have killed his brothers upon his accession."{{sfn|Schindel|2022}} According to Bonner, Kavad II's reign was "disgraced by the massacre of his brothers" and that the "near extermination of the male line of the Sasanian family was to disrupt the royal succession forever, and royal prestige never recovered."{{sfn|Bonner|2020|p=314}} Iranologist [[Touraj Daryaee]] states that Kavad II's fratricide "would have a devastating effect on the future of the empire."{{sfn|Daryaee|2014|p=35}}

Kavad II appears under the name "Siroes" in an [[Apocalyptic literature|apocalyptic]] chronicle, in which he fights [[Nehemiah]] over control of [[Jerusalem]]. The Jews escape after Siroes kills the progenitor of the [[Messiah]]. According to the prophecy, the events would take place in 1058. The modern historian Israel Levi places the author's residence in [[Palestine (region)|Palestine]] and dates the work to 629–636. The Jews of Palestine had great hopes for a Messianic verdict in history when the Iranians [[Sasanian conquest of Jerusalem|took control of Jerusalem]], and thus despised Kavad II for his murder of his father and subsequent peace with Heraclius. Considered the epitome of the [[anti-messiah]], Kavad II was as a result made into a villain in the messianic story.{{sfn|Neusner|1970|p=129}}