Marzpanate period is the time in Armenian history after the fall of the Arshakuni Dynasty of Armenia in 428, when most of Armenia was governed by Marzbans (Governors-general of the boundaries), nominated by the Sassanid Persian King. Meanwhile, Byzantine Armenia was at that time ruled by Kuroupalates (Governors). The Marzpanate period ended with the Arab conquest of Armenia in the 7th century. // Prehistory Archaeologists refer to the Shulaveri-Shomu culture of the central Transcaucasus region, including modern Armenia, as the earliest known prehistoric culture in the area, carbon-dated to roughly 6000 - 4000 BC. However, a recently discovered tomb has been dated to 9000 BC. Another early culture in the Armenian Highland... Kingdom of Armenia under the Arshakuni Dynasty, 150 AD The Arsacid Dynasty (Arshakuni Dynasty) ruled the Kingdom of Armenia from AD 54 to 428. ... Events April 10 - Nestorius is made Patriarch of Constantinople. ... The word Marzban consists of two sections: Marz (border or boundary in Persian) and the suffix -ban (guardian in Persian). ... Sassanid Empire at its greatest extent The Sassanid dynasty (also Sassanian) was the name given to the kings of Persia during the era of the second Persian Empire, from 224 until 651, when the last Sassanid shah, Yazdegerd III, lost a 14-year struggle to drive out the Umayyad Caliphate... The 7th century is the period from 601 - 700 in accordance with the Julian calendar in the Christian Era. ...

The Marzpan was invested with supreme power, even to the imposing of death sentences; but he could not interfere with the age-long privileges of the Armenian nakharars. The country as a whole, enjoyed a considerable autonomy. The office of Hazarapet, corresponding to that of a Minister of the Interior and Public Works, was entrusted to an Armenian, as was also the post of Sparapet (Commander-in‑chief). Each nakharar had his own army, according to the extent of his domain. The "National cavalry" or "Royal force" was under the Commander-in‑chief. The tax collectors were all Armenians. The courts of justice and the schools were directed by the Armenian clergy. Sparapet (Armenian: Սպարապետ) was a hereditary military rank used in ancient and medieval Armenia. ...

Three times during the Marzpanic period, Persian kings launched persecutions against Christianity in Armenia. The Persians had tolerated the invention of the Armenian alphabet and the founding of schools, thinking those would promote the spiritual severance of Armenia from the Byzantines; but on the contrary, the new cultural movement among the Armenians actually proved to be conducive to a closer relation with Byzantium. The Armenian alphabet is an alphabet used for writing the Armenian language, created by Saint Mesrop Mashtots in AD 405. ...

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This article incorporates text from History of Armenia by Vahan M. Kurkjian, a publication in the public domain. Vahan M. Kurkjian (Aleppo, 1863 - New York City, 1961) was an Armenian author, teacher, and community leader. ... The public domain comprises the body of all creative works and other knowledge—writing, artwork, music, science, inventions, and others—in which no person or organization has any proprietary interest. ...