Yohannan VIII Hormizd
According to his autobiography, Yohannan Hormizd was born in 1760 in Alqosh to an Assyrian family. His father, the deacon Hanna (Yohannan), was the brother of the Mosul patriarch Eliya XII Denha (1722–78).
Azen Gushnasp
Azen Gushnasp was a native of Khuzestan, and is also called "Khuzi" by al-Mas'udi and Gardezi. He belonged to the "arteshtaran" class. It seems that when the Sasanian military commander Bahram Chobin won a great victory over the Turks, Azen Gushnasp reportedly became jealous and accused the general of having kept the best part of the booty for himself and only sending a small part to Hormizd IV. According to other sources, however, it was the captive Turkic prince Birmudha or the courtiers that raised Hormizd's suspicion. Regardless, Bahram Chobin was later dismissed by Hormizd, which resulted in the latter starting a major rebellion. Azen Gushnasp was sent to suppress the rebellion, but was murdered in Hamadan by one of his own men, Zadespras.