historian Gignoux to be a hypocoristic from *baurāspa ('having many horses'). The medieval Persian poet Ferdowsi refers to her as Pūrāndokht in his epic poem, the Shahnameh ('The Book of Kings'). The suffix of dokht (-dukht in Middle Persian), meaning 'daughter', was a new development made in Middle Iranian languages to more easily differentiate a female's name from that of a male. The suffix should not be taken too literally. Her name appears as Boran (and similar) in the Chronicle of Khuzestan (7th-Century), Jacob of Edessa's Chronicle (8th-Century), in the Chronicle of Seert (9th-Century ?), in Agapius of Hierapolis's Kitab al-'Unwan (10th-Century) and in Michael the Syrian's Chronicle (12th-Century), as Βοράνη(ς) (Boránes) in Theophanes the Confessor's Chronicle (9th-Century), as Բորն (Born) in Tovma Artsruni's History of the House of Artsrunik (9th-Century), Baram in the Chronicle of 1234, George Kedrenos's Synopsis historion (11th-Century) and Bar Hebraeus's Chronicle (13th-Century), Tūrān Dukht in the works of the 10th-century Persian historian Muhammad Bal'ami, Queen Bor by the 7th-century Armenian historian Sebeos, and Dukht-i Zabān by the 8th-century Arab historian Sayf ibn Umar. Background and early life Boran was the daughter of the last prominent shah of Iran, Khosrow II () and the Byzantine princess Maria. Khosrow II was overthrown and executed in 628 by his own son Sheroe, better known by his dynastic name of Kavad II, who proceeded to have all Boran's brothers and half-brothers executed, including the heir Mardanshah. This dealt a heavy blow to the empire, from which it would never recover. Boran and her sister Azarmidokht reportedly criticized and scolded Kavad II for his barbaric actions, which caused him to become remorseful. According to Guidi's Chronicle, Boran was also Kavad II's wife, demonstrating the practice in Zoroastrianism of Khwedodah, or close-kin marriage. The fall of Khosrow II culminated in the Sasanian civil war of 628–632, with the most powerful members of the nobility gaining full autonomy and starting to create their own government. The hostilities between the Persian (Parsig) and Parthian (Pahlav) noble-families were also resumed, which broke up the wealth of the nation. A few months later, the devastating Plague of Sheroe swept through the western Sasanian provinces. Half the population, including Kavad II himself, perished. He was succeeded by his eight-year-old son, who became Ardashir III. Ardashir's ascension was supported by both the Pahlav, Parsig, and a third major faction named the Nimruzi. However, sometime in 629, the