Bahram Gur stood before the assembled elders and world-wise leaders of Iran, declaring that the sovereignty of the realm belonged to him by right of uninterrupted lineage. He questioned why the bestowal of the crown had been taken into their hands. But the Iranians, scarred by the agonizing cruelty of his father, Yazdegerd the Sinner, raised their voices in protest, declaring that they could no longer endure devastation and would never accept him as king, for his lineage had brought them nothing but distress, cold winds, and ashes.
Bahram reasonably replied that while inclination governs every man's heart, it was unjust to crown another in his place without his consent. The wise High Mobad intervened, advocating for a path of justice where a ruler praised by all would be chosen. For three days, the nobles gathered the names of one hundred glorious figures worthy of the throne, among whom Bahram was also included. Through rigorous selection, the candidates were narrowed down from a hundred to fifty, then to thirty, and finally to four elite leaders—yet in every stage, Bahram remained at the top of the list.
Despite his clear standing, the veteran lords of Iran renewed their resistance, deeming Bahram rash, headstrong, and self-willed. Seeing the fiery uproar, Monzer of the Arabs, who had reared the prince, asked the Iranians why they held such profound bitterness toward a young prince who had not yet exercised power. In response, the noblemen brought forth a horrific spectacle upon the plain: hundreds of victims mutilated by King Yazdegerd—men with severed limbs, cut tongues and ears, stripped shoulder blades, and eyes gouged out with iron nails.
Witnessing this dreadful sight, Monzer erupted in furious indignation at the late king's atrocities, while Bahram was struck with profound grief and shame. Weeping over his father's memory, Bahram lamented how Yazdegerd had condemned his own soul to hellish fire through such senseless wickedness. Monzer then counselled the young prince that these grievances could not be denied or hidden, and that a true monarch must answer such suffering not with pride or anger, but with utmost justice and compassion.