409–411 AD: The Short Reign of the Forgotten King

King Mihrdat IV is often a footnote in the grand saga of the Chosroid dynasty, but his brief, two-year reign serves as a crucial transition point. He was the brother of the fiery rebel King Pharasmanes IV, but he possessed little of his brother’s revolutionary spirit. Mihrdat ascended the throne as an old man, inheriting a kingdom that was exhausted from the constant tug-of-war between Rome and Persia.

His reign is characterized by the chroniclers as a time of “neglect.” While his brother had expelled the Zoroastrian fire-worshippers, Mihrdat failed to maintain the same vigilance. He allowed the Persian influence to creep back into the court, not out of malice, but perhaps out of weariness. He represents the stagnation that often precedes a great revival.

A Kingdom on Pause

Mihrdat IV didn’t build great fortresses or win decisive battles. Instead, he tried to maintain the status quo. He avoided provoking the Sassanid Empire, likely paying the tribute his brother had refused. This bought peace, but at the cost of sovereignty.

However, his passivity had a consequence: the Christian church in Georgia, which needed royal protection to flourish against the well-funded Zoroastrian missionaries, felt abandoned. His death in 411 AD was not mourned as a tragedy, but seen as an opportunity for a new, more vigorous generation to take the helm.