Editing Yazdegerd III (section)

===Early clash with the Muslim Arabs===
[[Image:YazdegerdIIICoinHistoryofIran.jpg|thumb|[[Ancient drachma|Drachma]] of a young Yazdegerd III.]]
In May 633, the Muslims defeated a Sasanian force under [[Azadbeh]] near the important strategic Sasanian city of [[Al-Hira|Hira]], which was shortly afterwards occupied. After the fall of Hira, Yazdegerd began to pay greater attention to the Muslims; [[Rostam Farrokhzad]] sent an army under the Persian military officer [[Bahman Jadhuyih]] and the [[Armenians|Armenian]] military officer [[Jalinus]] against the Muslims. Rostam is known to have told Bahman secretly that: "if Jalinus returns to the like of his defeat, then cut off his head."{{sfn|Pourshariati|2008|p=217}} The Sasanian army managed to defeat the Muslims at the [[Battle of the Bridge]].

In 636, Yazdegerd III ordered [[Rostam Farrokhzad]] to subdue the invading Arabs and then told him: "Today you are the [most prominent] man among the Iranians. You see that the people of Iran have not faced a situation like this since the family of [[Ardashir I]] assumed power."{{sfn|Pourshariati|2008|p=217}} Envoys then came to Yazdegerd III asking him to consider the dismissal of Rostam in order to replace him with someone around whom the people would rally.{{sfn|al-Tabari|1992|p=44}}

Yazdegerd III asked Rostam for an assessment of the Arab forces since they had camped at Qadisiyyah.{{sfn|Pourshariati|2008|p=224}} [[Rostam Farrokhzad]] stated that the Arabs were "a pack of wolves, falling upon unsuspecting shepherds and annihilating them."{{sfn|Pourshariati|2008|p=224}} Yazdegerd III responds to Rostam by saying

{{cquote|It is not like that. The Arabs and the Persians are comparable to an eagle who looked upon a mountain where birds take shelter at night and stay in their nests at the foot of it. When morning came, the birds looked around and saw that he was watching them. Whenever a bird became separated from the rest, the eagle snatched him. The worst thing that could happen to them would be that all would escape save one.{{sfn|al-Tabari|1992|p=43}}}}