In the wake of Alexander's demise, a shadow of fragmented sovereignty fell across the vast realm of Iran. Sensing his impending end, Alexander had devised a cunning scheme to splinter Persian unity and shield Rome from future vengeance: he divided the empire among local chieftains so that no single monarch could unite the throne of the world. These warlords, descended from the lineage of Arash and the Kayanians, were proud, fierce, and independent, each seizing a corner of the realm. Thus began the era of the 'Petty Kings' (Muluk al-Tawa'if), spanning two centuries in which no sole Emperor commanded the earth. Each local ruler kept to his own domain, leaving the land in a quiet, shattered truce. Among these royal lines arose Ashk of Qobad's seed, followed by Shapur, Gudarz the Ashkanian, Bizhan, Narsi, Ormazd, Arash, Bahram, and Ardavan the Great. Ardavan held sway from Shiraz to Isfahan, protecting his domain like a shepherd defending sheep from wolves, while mighty Babak governed Istakhr under his authority. Yet because the ancient scrolls preserved little beyond their names, their detailed history faded into the mist of time.