Eventually, in a remote area, they came across a school where they found a teacher. They presented the dream to the teacher and asked him to interpret it. The teacher admitted that he had no knowledge of dream interpretation but revealed that he had a 15-year-old student who might be able to explain its meaning. The King’s messenger spoke to the young man, and he replied, “I know the interpretation of the dream, but I will not reveal it to you. I will explain it only to Khosrow himself.” Upon arriving at the palace, the young man was brought before the King, who recounted his dream. The youth, Bozorgmehr, first asked the King to guarantee his safety before revealing the interpretation. Anushirvan assured him that no harm would come to him.
Bozorgmehr then told the King, “Go to the private quarters of your household, where your wife, daughters, and handmaidens reside. You will find a man hiding among them.” Anushirvan immediately summoned his guards and ordered them to search the women’s quarters. During the inspection, they discovered that a man was indeed hiding among the women. The King ordered that he be executed. Impressed by the young man’s wisdom and insight, Anushirvan commanded him to remain at the palace and prepare for royal service. Bozorgmehr eventually rose to become one of the King’s most prominent and renowned ministers. Bozorgmehr-e Bokhtagan is regarded as one of the most celebrated political thinkers in Persian history.
Much of the glory associated with the final pre-Islamic Persian Empire is attributed to this distinguished minister and his political wisdom. He was born in Khorasan, northeastern Iran, in 531 AD. Throughout his life, Bozorgmehr witnessed several political upheavals. Nevertheless, he emerged as the mastermind behind the Persian state, leaving a lasting legacy and exerting considerable influence on its history. He also left a profound mark on Persian literature. Many moral teachings and wisdom traditions reflected in the works of ancient Persian writers, including Marzban ibn Rustam and Khwaja Nizam al-Mulk, are attributed to him.
From then on, Bozorgmehr held a distinguished position at the Sassanid court. Anushirvan assigned Bozorgmehr to teach at scholarly gatherings, where he quickly gained a distinguished reputation and earned the emperor’s favor. Because of his exceptional talent in various sciences, the king appointed him vizier. The sixth-century AH historian Ibn al-Balkhi, in his book “Fars-nama” (the Knight of Nama), describes the high status Bozorgmehr enjoyed at the court of Khosrow. He writes, “The king placed a golden chair for his wise vizier before his throne. Bozorgmehr’s position was higher than that of the advisors and all other government officials.”
Some Arabic sources claim that Abu Muslim al- Khurasani, the leader of the Abbasid Revolution, was one of Bozorgmehr’s descendants, who was distinguished in prophecy and knowledge of hidden secrets, or what is called foresight. Ibn Khaldun mentions Bozorgmehr in his Muqaddimah, attributing to him a prophecy concerning the eventual fall of the Sasanian Empire. Over time, Bozorgmehr became a literary model of the wise, astute, and strategic vizier in Persian literature. Perhaps the most significant work attributed to Bozorgmehr is “The Advice of Bozorgmehr Bokhtagan.” Written in Pahlavi and comprising 1,425 words, the book offers guidance on principles of conduct and personal development, including good manners in speech and perseverance in the pursuit of excellence.
The King of India sent Khosrow a chessboard crafted from emeralds and rubies as a royal gift. In an accompanying letter, he wrote, “Since you are our emperor, your wise men should be superior to ours. I have sent you a game called chess and I challenge you to discover its secrets. If you succeed, I will send you money and gifts every year. Otherwise, the obligation will be yours.” Khosrow summoned his ministers and advisors, informed them of the challenge, and asked them to find a solution. After some time, Bozorgmehr came forward and told Khosrow, “I have understood the game of chess and discovered its secrets.” He explained that chess represented a battlefield in which two opposing sides engaged in a struggle using small pieces, and that victory belonged to whoever possessed greater wisdom, intelligence, and strategic insight. Bozorgmehr revealed all the secrets of chess and demonstrated how the pieces should be arranged.
Delighted by his achievement, the emperor praised him and rewarded him with 10,000 gold coins. He then sent the explanation of the game, along with a detailed report, to the King of India. The King of India acknowledged his defeat but decided to issue another challenge by sending the finest chess player in India to challenge them. Under the terms of the challenge, the losing side would be required to send money and gifts to the victorious king every year. The Indian king hoped to avenge his earlier defeat and restore his pride. However, he had not anticipated that his representative would face Bozorgmehr, one of the most astute players of his time. The first match lasted a long time before ending in victory for the Persian minister. They then played a second game, which Bozorgmehr also won.
At Bozorgmehr’s request, they proceeded to a third match. Following the contest, he instructed the Indian player to return to his people and report that he had lost all three games. Furthermore, the emperor presented a new game and asked the Indian chess player to take it back to India, present it to the king, and explain its rules to him if possible. The emperor instructed the Indian player to inform the king that Persia would send money and gifts to India annually if they could decipher the game’s secrets and win the match, and vice versa. The messenger carried the game to the King of India, and they both tried to understand and solve it, but they were unable to do so. The game was called “Win Ardashir,” known today as “backgammon.” The King of India eventually conceded defeat and became obligated to pay the agreed tribute three times a year.
