Which Sassanid king was known as 'the Just'?
Answer
Khosrow I
Answer
Khosrow I
Which Sassanid king was known as “the Just”? Khosrow I was the ruler remembered by that epithet.
Khosrow I, also called Khosrau or Anushirvan, ruled the Sasanian Empire from 531 to 579. His reign is often regarded as the high point of Sasanian statecraft. He strengthened central administration, reorganized taxation, improved the army, and supported scholarship, philosophy, architecture, and trade.
The title “the Just” reflects the Middle Persian epithet Dādgar, meaning “Dispenser of Justice.” In later Islamic-era writing, he was also called ʿAdil, or “the Just.” These titles helped turn him into an enduring model of the ideal philosopher-king in Persian and Arabic historical traditions.
A common mix-up is Khosrow II, the later Sasanian monarch famous for his wars against Byzantium and his connection with the Byzantine emperor Heraclius. The justice epithet belongs chiefly to Khosrow I, whose reforms and reputation shaped the image of the wise Sasanian ruler.
Source: Wikipedia · fact-checked Sept. 2026