Editing Bahram II (section)

==Relations with Kartir and religious policy==
Before Bahram II, the Sasanian shahs had been "lukewarm Zoroastrians."{{sfn|Skjærvø|2011|pp=608–628}} He displayed a particular fondness to his name-deity by giving his son the name of Bahram, and by selecting the wings of the god's bird, [[Verethragna]], as the central component of his [[Sasanian crowns|crown]].{{sfn|Shahbazi|1988|pp=514–522}} Bahram II, like his father, received the influential Zoroastrian priest Kartir well. He saw him as his mentor, and handed out several honors to him, giving him the rank of grandee (''[[wuzurgan]]''), and appointing him as the supreme judge (''[[dadwar]]'') of the whole empire, which implies that thenceforth priests were given the office of judge.{{sfn|Shahbazi|1988|pp=514–522}}{{sfn|Daryaee|2014|p=76}} Kartir was also appointed the steward of the [[Anahid fire-temple]] at [[Istakhr]], which had originally been under the care of the Sasanian family.{{sfn|Shahbazi|1988|pp=514–522}}{{sfn|Daryaee|2014|p=11}} The Sasanian kings thus lost much of their religious authority in the empire.{{sfn|Daryaee|2014|p=11}} The clergy from now on served as judges all over the country, with court cases most likely being based on Zoroastrian jurisprudence, with the exception of when representatives of other religions had conflicts with each other.{{sfn|Daryaee|2014|p=11}}

It is thus under Bahram II that Kartir unquestionably becomes a powerful figure in the empire; the latter claimed on his inscription at the [[Ka'ba-ye Zartosht]] that he "struck down" the non-Zoroastrian minorities, such as the [[Christianity|Christians]], [[Jews]], [[Mandaeans]], [[Manichaeism|Manichaeans]], and [[Buddhism|Buddhists]].{{sfn|Skjærvø|2011|pp=608–628}} According to the modern historian Parvaneh Pourshariati: "it is not clear, however, to what extent Kartir's declarations reflect the actual implementation, or for that matter, success, of the measures he is supposed to have promoted."{{sfn|Pourshariati|2008|p=348}} Indeed, Jewish and Christian sources, for example, make no mention of persecutions during this period.{{sfn|Pourshariati|2008|p=348}}{{sfn|Payne|2015|p=24}}