Editing Khosrow I (section)

== Early life ==
===Negotiations with the Byzantines over the adoption of Khosrow===
[[File:Solidus of Justin I (obverse).jpg|thumb|upright|[[Solidus (coin)|Solidus]] of the [[Byzantine Empire|Byzantine]] emperor [[Justin I]].]]
In {{circa|520}}, Kavad, in order to secure the succession of Khosrow, whose position was threatened by rival brothers and the Mazdakite sect, proposed that Emperor [[Justin I]] adopt him. The proposal was initially greeted with enthusiasm by the Byzantine Emperor and his nephew, [[Justinian]], but Justin's ''[[quaestor sacri palatii|quaestor]]'', Proclus, opposed the move, due to the concern of Khosrow possibly later try to take over the Byzantine throne.{{sfn|Schindel|2013a|pp=136–141}} The Byzantines instead made a counter-proposal to adopt Khosrow not as a Roman, but a barbarian.<ref name="PRO11">Procopius, [http://www.gutenberg.org/files/16764/16764-h/16764-h.htm 11].</ref> In the end the negotiations did not come to a consensus.{{sfn|Schindel|2013a|pp=136–141}} Khosrow reportedly felt insulted by the Byzantines, and his attitude towards them deteriorated.{{sfn|Schindel|2013a|pp=136–141}}

Mahbod, who had along with [[Siyawush]] acted as the diplomats of the negotiations, accused the latter of purposely sabotaging the negotiations.<ref name="PRO11"/> Further accusations were made towards Siyawush, which included the reverence of new deities and having his dead wife buried, which was a violation of Iranian laws.{{sfn|Schindel|2013a|pp=136–141}} Siyawush was thus most likely a Mazdakite, the religious sect that Kavad originally supported but now had withdrawn his support from. Although Siyawush was a close friend of Kavad and had helped him escape from imprisonment, the latter did not try to prevent his execution, seemingly with the purpose of restricting Siyawush's immense authority as the head of the Sasanian army, a post which was disliked by the other nobles.{{sfn|Schindel|2013a|pp=136–141}} Siyawush was executed, and his office was abolished.{{sfn|Sundermann|1986|p=662}} Despite the breakdown of the negotiations, it was not until 530 that full-scale warfare on the main eastern frontier broke out. In the intervening years, the two sides preferred to wage war by proxy, through [[Arabs|Arab]] allies in the south and Huns in the north.{{sfn|Greatrex|Lieu|2002|pp=81–82}}

===Persecution of Mazdak and his followers===
[[Image:The Iranian prophet Mazdak being executed.png|thumb|[[Shahnameh]] illustration of the death of [[Mazdak]]]]
[[Mazdak]] was the chief representative of a religious and philosophical teaching called [[Mazdakism]], which opposed violence, and reportedly called for the sharing of wealth, women and property,{{sfn|Daryaee|2014|p=26}} an archaic form of [[communism]].{{sfn|Frye|1983|p=150}} Mazdakism not only consisted of theological and cosmological aspects, but also political and social impacts, which was to the disadvantage of the nobility and clergy.{{sfn|Daryaee|2014|pp=26-27}}{{sfn|Daryaee|Canepa|2018}} According to modern historians [[Touraj Daryaee]] and [[Matthew Canepa]], the charge of sharing women was most likely an overstatement and defamation deriving from Mazdak's decree that loosened marriage rules to help the lower classes. Powerful families saw this as a tactic to weaken their lineage and advantages, which was most likely the case.{{sfn|Daryaee|Canepa|2018}} Kavad used the movement as a political tool to curb the power of the nobility and clergy.{{sfn|Frye|1983|p=150}}{{sfn|Daryaee|2014|p=26}} With the nobility and clergy weakened, Kavad was able to make reforms with less difficulty.{{sfn|Schindel|2013a|pp=136–141}}{{sfn|Axworthy|2008|pp=59–60}} By the 520s, Kavad's reforms were progressing smoothly, and he no longer had any use for Mazdak.{{sfn|Axworthy|2008|p=60}} As a result, he officially withdrew his support from the Mazdakites.{{sfn|Schindel|2013a|pp=136–141}} A debate was arranged where not only the Zoroastrian priesthood, but also the Christian and Jewish ones slandered Mazdak and his followers.{{sfn|Axworthy|2008|p=60}}

According to the ''[[Shahnameh]]'', Kavad had Mazdak and his supporters sent to Khosrow, who had his supporters killed by burying their heads in a walled orchard, with only their feet being visible.{{sfn|Axworthy|2008|p=60}} Khosrow then summoned Mazdak to look at his garden, saying the following: "You will find trees there that no-one has ever seen and no-one ever heard of even from the mouth of the ancient sages."{{sfn|Axworthy|2008|p=60}} Mazdak, seeing his followers corpses, screamed and passed out. He was afterwards executed by Khosrow, who had his feet fastened on a [[gallows]], and had his men shoot arrows at him.{{sfn|Axworthy|2008|p=60}} The validity of the story is uncertain; Ferdowsi used much earlier reports of events to write the ''Shahnameh'', and thus the story may report some form of contemporary memory.{{sfn|Axworthy|2008|p=61}}