 Furthermore, the fall of Khosrow II also culminated in a civil war lasting four years, with the most powerful members of the nobility gaining full autonomy and starting to create their own government.The hostilities between the Persian ("Parsig") and Parthian ("Pahlav") noble-families were also resumed, which split up the wealth of the nation.A few months later, a devastating plague swept through the western Sasanian provinces, killing half of its population including Kavad II.