His name has become
proverbial, and to describe a superior as rivalling Naushirvan in
justice is a commonplace of flattery. The prophet Muhammad was born
during his reign, and was proud of the fact. The alleged expedition
of Naushirvan into India is discredited by the best modern writers.
Gibbon tells the story of the wars between the two Khusrus and the
Romans in his forty-sixth chapter, and a critical history of the
reigns of both Khusru (Khosrau) I and Khusru II will be found in
Professor Rawlinson's _Seventh Great Oriental Monarchy_ (London,
1876). European authors have, until recently, generally written the
name Khusru in its Greek form as Chosroes. The name of Shirin is also
written Sira.
'With the name of Shirin and the rock of Bahistun the Persians have
associated one of those poetic romances so dear to the national
genius. Ferhad, the most famous sculptor of his time, who was very
likely employed by Chosroes II to execute these bas-reliefs, is said
in the legend to have fallen madly in love with Shirin, and to have
received a promise of her from the king, if he would cut through the
rock of Behistun, and divert a stream to the Kermanshah plain.
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