Varhran V Gor was the son of Yazdgird I, Shahanshah, and Shushandukht, the daughter of the Exilarch - the leader of the Jews within the Sasanian Empire. In his youth, Varhan fell out of favour with his father and was exiled to the city of al-Hira in the Lakhmid kingdom. When his father died in 420 AD, the powerful elite of the Sasanian empire attempted to stop the sons of Yazdgird from claiming the throne. Shapur, Varhran's elder brother, rushed to Ctesiphon where he was murdered, and Yazdgird's brother Khusrau elected as Shahanshah in his place. With the support of the Lakhmids, Varhran marched on Ctesiphon - the epic Shahnameh claims that Varhran arranged an ordeal where the royal crown and garb were placed between two lions, and whoever claimed them would be King. Khusrau ran away, and Varhran was fortuitously not eaten.
Varhran had a generally peaceful and much loved reign, and is famous in Iranian history as a result. He left much of his adminsitration to his father's officials, such as the Wuzurg framadar (grand minister) Mihr Narseh, and Varhran took support from the Zoroastrian priests over the nobles - he was the first Shahanshah to be crowned by a mohbed (priest). Varhran fought two wars during his reign - first in 421, when the Eastern Roman Empire invaded ostensibly to protect the Persian Christians whom Varhran was persecuting. The war resulted in a status quo ante bellum, with promises of freedom of religion on both sides. His war against the Hephthalites in 427 was much more succesful. Varhran retook the city of Merv, executed their King, and extended their influence of his eastern frontiers - as far as Bukhara, coins were minted immitating his own. Varhran would also annex Armenia after the King he installed proved unpopular, granting it marzban status and beginning the Marzpanate Period.

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