NationMaster - Encyclopedia: Sassanid Persia

The Sassanid Empire or Sassanian Empire (Persian: ساسانیان Sasanian) is the name used for the fourth Iranian dynasty, and the second Persian Empire (226 - 651). The Sassanid dynasty was founded by Ardashir I after defeating the last Arsacid king, Artabanus IV and ended when the last Sassanid Shahanshah (King of Kings), Yazdegerd III (632–651), lost a 14-year struggle to drive out the early Caliphate, the first of the Islamic empires. The empire's territory encompassed all of today's Iran, Iraq, Armenia, Afghanistan, eastern parts of Turkey, and parts of Syria, Pakistan, Caucasia, Central Asia and Arabia. During Khosrau II's rule in 590–628 Egypt, Jordan, Palestine, Lebanon was also annexed to the Empire. The Sassanids called their empire Erānshahr ايرانشهر (Iranshæhr) "Dominion of the Iranians (Aryans)" ^[1] Image File history File links LinkFA-star. ... Image File history File links Sassanid-empire-610CE.pngâ€Ž Summary Licensing File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Iran Persian Empire Zurvanism Talk:Sassanid Empire Fall of Sassanids Template:Sassanid Empire infobox Sassanid Empire ... Pahlavi is a term that refers: (1) to a script used in Iran derived from the Aramaic script, and (2) more broadly, to Middle Persian, the Middle Iranian language written in this script. ... Ctesiphon, 1932 Ctesiphon (Parthian: Tyspwn as well as Tisfun) is one of the great cities of ancient Mesopotamia and the capital of the Parthian Empire and its successor, the Sassanid Empire, for more than 800 years located in the ancient Iranian province of Khvarvaran. ... Map of Iran and surrounding countries, showing location of Firouzabad. ... Places where monarchies maintain rule appear in blue. ... Shah is an Iranian & Pakistani/Indian term in Persian language & Urdu (Ø´Ø§Ù‡), for a monarch (king or emperor), and has also been adopted in many other languages. ... The Council of the European Union forms, along with the European Parliament, the legislative arm of the European Union (EU). ... Events: Accession of Wei Mingdi as emperor of the Kingdom of Wei of China. ... The Muslim conquests represent a century of rapid Arab and Islamic expansion that took place from the death of Mohammed in 632 to the Battle of Tours in 732, during which time a vast Muslim empire and area of influence would come to stretch from India, across the Middle East... Yazdegerd III, (also Yazdgird III) (made by God, Izdegerdes), king of Persia, a grandson of Khosrau II, who had been murdered by his son Kavadh II in 628, was raised to the throne in 632 after a series of internal conflicts. ... Merv â€“ Persian name: Ù…Ø±Ùˆ; formerly Alexandria and Antiochia in Margiana (Greek: Î‘Î½Ï„Î¹ÏŒÏ‡ÎµÎ¹Î± Î· ÎœÎ±ÏÎ³Î¹Î±Î½Î®) â€“ in current-day Turkmenistan, was a major oasis-city in Central Asia, on the historical Silk Road, located near todays Mary. ... Events End of Yazdegard IIIs attempts to drive out the Saracens. ... Silver coin of Ardashir I with a fire altar on its verso (British Museum London). ... Yazdegerd III, (also Yazdgird III) (made by God, Izdegerdes), king of Persia, a grandson of Khosrau II, who had been murdered by his son Kavadh II in 628, was raised to the throne in 632 after a series of internal conflicts. ... Parthian Empire at its greatest extent, c60 BCE. The Parthian Empire was the dominating force on the Iranian plateau beginning in the late 3rd century BCE, and intermittently controlled Mesopotamia between ca 190 BCE and 224 CE. Parthia was the arch-enemy of the Roman Empire in the east and... An Anglicized/Latinized version of the Arabic word خليفة or Khalīfah, Caliph ( listen?) is the term or title for the Islamic leader of the Ummah, or community of Islam. ... Drachma, pl. ... Persian is an Indo-European language spoken in Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Bahrain, Iraq, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Georgia, Southern Russia, neighboring countries, and elsewhere. ... The Persian Empire was a series of historical empires that ruled over the Iranian plateau (IrÄn - Land of the Aryans) and beyond. ... Silver coin of Ardashir I with a fire altar on its verso (British Museum London). ... The Arsacid Dynasty ruled Persia. ... Artabanus IV of Parthia ruled the Parthian Empire (c. ... Shananshah (Persian: شاهنشاه) (sometimes written Shahenshah, Shan-an-shah, or Shan-en-shah) was a title used by various rulers of Persia/Iran. ... Yazdegerd III, (also Yazdgird III) (made by God, Izdegerdes), king of Persia, a grandson of Khosrau II, who had been murdered by his son Kavadh II in 628, was raised to the throne in 632 after a series of internal conflicts. ... An Anglicized/Latinized version of the Arabic word خليفة or Khalīfah, Caliph ( listen?) is the term or title for the Islamic leader of the Ummah, or community of Islam. ... Islam (Arabic: ; ( â–¶ (helpÂ· info)), the submission to God) is a monotheistic faith, one of the Abrahamic religions and the worlds second-largest religion. ... The Caucasus is a region in eastern Europe and western Asia between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea which includes the Caucasus mountains and surrounding lowlands. ... Map of Central Asia showing three sets of possible boundaries for the region Central Asia located as a region of the world Central Asia is a vast landlocked region of Asia. ... The Arabian Peninsula The Arabian Peninsula is a mainly desert peninsula in Southwest Asia at the junction of Africa and Asia and an important part of the greater Middle East. ... Khosrau II, the Victorious (Parvez), king of Persia, son of Hormizd IV, grandson of Khosrau I, 590 - 628. ... Palestine (from Latin: ; Hebrew: Pleshet, ×¤×œ×©×ª×™× ×” Palestina; Arabic: â€Ž FilastÄ«n, FalastÄ«n) is one of several names for the geographic region between the Mediterranean Sea and the banks of the Jordan River with various adjoining lands. ... This article is about the term Aryan. For Arian, a follower of the ancient Christian sect, See Arianism. ...

The Sassanid era, encompassing the length of the Late Antiquity period, is considered to be one of the most important and influential historical periods in Iran. In many ways the Sassanid period witnessed the highest achievement of Persian civilization, and constituted the last great Iranian Empire before the Muslim conquest and adoption of Islam. Persia influenced Roman civilization considerably during the Sassanids times^[2]; their cultural influence extending far beyond the empire's territorial borders, reaching as far as Western Europe^[3], Africa^[4], China and India^[5] and also playing a prominent role in the formation of both European and Asiatic medieval art.^[6] This influence carried forward to the early Islamic world. The dynasty's unique and aristocratic culture transformed the Islamic conquest of Iran into a Persian Renaissance.^[7] Much of what later became known as Islamic culture, architecture, writing and other skills, were taken mainly from the Sassanid Persians into the broader Muslim world^[8]. Late Antiquity is a rough periodization (c. ... Wikipedia does not yet have an article with this exact name. ... Combatants Sassanid Persia Rashidun Caliphate The Islamic conquest of Persia (637-651 CE) led to the end of the Sassanid Empire and the eventual decline of the Zoroastrian religion in Persia (modern day Iran). ... The Islamic world is the world-wide community of those who identify with Islam, known as Muslims, and who number approximately one-and-a-half billion people. ...

History

Origins and Early History (205-310)

The Sassanid Dynasty was established by Ardashir I (226–241), a descendant of a line of the priests of goddess Anahita in Istakhr, Persis (Pars) who at the beginning of the third century had acquired the governorship of Persis. His father Papag (also pronounced Papak and Babak), was originally the ruler of a small town called Kheir, but had managed, in 205, to depose Gocihr, the last king of the Bazrangids (the local rulers of Persis as a client of the Arsacids) and appointed himself as the new ruler. His mother, Rodhagh, was the daughter of the provincial governor of Peris. The eponymous founder of the line was Ardashir I's paternal grandfather, Sassan, the great priest of the Temple of Anahita. Image File history File linksMetadata Naghsh-e_Rostam_2. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Naghsh-e_Rostam_2. ... NÃ¦qÅ¡-e RostÃ¦m, near Shiraz A rock relief at Naqsh-e Rostam, depicting the triumph of Shapur I over three Roman Emperors Valerian, Gordian III and Philip the Arab. ... Silver coin of Ardashir I with a fire altar on its verso (British Museum London). ... It has been suggested that Anahit be merged into this article or section. ... Istakhr(Ç-stÃ¡xÇœr), also known as Stakhr, is a city located in southern Iran close to Persepolis and Zohak. ... External links Official website of Fars Governorship Categories: Iran geography stubs | Provinces of Iran ... PARS (Programmable Airline Reservation System) is an IBM proprietary large scale airline reservation application, executing under the control of IBMs ACP (and later its successor, TPF). ... External links Official website of Fars Governorship Categories: Iran geography stubs | Provinces of Iran ... Babak (Persian: Ø¨Ø§Ø¨Ú© ) is a common Persian male name. ... The Bazrangids (also known as Bazrangi or Badhrangids) were an ancient mountain-dwelling Iranian tribe that established a maritime empire outside the Iranian plateau. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... PeriÅŸ is a commune in the far north-western corner of Ilfov county, Romania. ... Sasan or Sassan (in Persian Ø³Ø§Ø³Ø§Ù†) was the great priest of Temple of Anahita and father of Papag (Babak) and grandfather Ardashir I, the establisher of the second Persian Empire, the Sassanid empire. ... It has been suggested that Anahit be merged into this article or section. ...

Pabag's efforts in gaining local power at the time escaped the attention of Artabanus IV, the Arsacid Emperor of the time who was involved in a dynastic struggle with his brother Vologases (Walakhsh) VI in Mesopotamia. Using the relief offered by this problems among the Arsacids, Pabag and his eldest son Shapur managed to expand their power over all of Persis. The subsequent events are highly doubtful, due to the sketchy nature of the sources. It is however certain following the death of Pabag around 220, Ardashir who at the time was the governor of Darabgird, got involved in a power struggle of his own with his elder brother Shahpur. The sources tell us that in 222, Shapur, leaving for a meeting with his brother, was killed when the roof of a building collapsed on him.^[9] Artabanus IV of Parthia ruled the Parthian Empire (c. ... The Arsacid Dynasty ruled Persia. ... Vologases, also seen as Vologaeses, Vologaesus, Vologeses, Ologases, Valarsh (Armenian), and Balash (modern Persian) was the name of six kings of Parthia: Vologases I c. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Shapur refers to one of three Sassanian kings: Shapur I of Persia - 241 to 272 CE Shapur II of Persia - 309 to 379 CE Shapur III of Persia - 383 to 388 CE This is a disambiguation page: a list of articles associated with the same title. ... Events Pope Urban I succeeds Pope Callixtus I Roman Emperor Alexander Severus succeeds Heliogabalus Kingdom of Wu is established in China Sun Quan defeats Liu Bei at the Battle of Yi Ling Deaths March 11 - Roman Emperor Heliogabalus murdered Tertullian, theologian Pope Callixtus I Claudius Aelianus, teacher and rhetorician Ma...

At this point, Ardashir moved his capital further to the south of Persis and founded a capital at Ardashir-Khwarrah (formerly Gur, modern day Firouzabad). The city, well supported by high mountains and easily defendable through narrow passes, became the center of Ardashir's efforts to gain more power. The city was surrounded by a high, circular wall, probably copied from that of Darabgird, and on the north-side included a large palace, remains of which still survive. Map of Iran and surrounding countries, showing location of Firouzabad. ... Map of Iran and surrounding countries, showing location of Firouzabad. ...

After establishing his rule over Persis, Ardashir I rapidly extended his territory, demanding fealty from the local princes of Fars, and gaining control over the neighboring provinces of Kerman, Isfahan, Susiana, and Mesene. This expansion quickly came to the attention of Artabanus IV (216–224), Ardashir I's overlord. Artabanus IV initially ordered the governor of Khuzestan to march against Ardashir in 224, but this ended up in a major victory for Ardashir. Artabanus himself marched a second time against Ardashir I in 224. Their armies clashed at Hormizdeghan, where Artabanus IV was killed. Ardashir I went on to invade the western provinces of the now defunct Parthian (Arsacid) Empire. Crowned in 226 at Ctesiphon as the sole ruler of Persia, he took the title Shahanshah, or "King of Kings" (the inscriptions mention Adhur-Anahid as his "Queen of Queens", but her relationship with Ardashir is not established), bringing the 400-year-old Parthian Empire to an end and beginning four centuries of Sassanid rule. Image File history File links Shapur_i. ... Image File history File links Shapur_i. ... A coin of Shapur I. Shapur I, son of Ardashir I (226â€“241), was King of Persia from 241 to 272. ... Image File history File links Schapur_I.jpg Summary (c) http://www. ... Image File history File links Schapur_I.jpg Summary (c) http://www. ... Naqshe Rostam, near Shiraz Tomb of Naksh-i Rustam (also Naqsh-i Rustam or Nakshi Rustam) is an archaeological site in Iran. ... Valerian may mean: Valerian, two genera of garden plants Emperor Valerian I, Roman emperor 253-260 Valerian II, son of Gallienus (d. ... This coin struck under Philip to celebrate Saeculum Novum bears, on the reverse, a temple devoted to Roma goddess. ... Gordian III Marcus Antonius Gordianus Pius (January 20, 225-244), known in English as Gordian III, was Roman emperor from 238 to 244. ... Roland pledges his fealty to Charlemagne; from a manuscript of a chanson de geste. ... Kerman is one of the 30 provinces of Iran. ... // Isfahan province has enjoyed the benefit of being capital of Persia for 200 years during the 17th and 18th centuries. ... Winged sphinx from the palace of Darius the Great at Susa. ... Characene also known as Mesene, was a kingdom within the Parthian empire at the head of the Persian Gulf. ... Artabanus IV of Parthia ruled the Parthian Empire (c. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... The Arsacid Dynasty ruled Persia. ... Ctesiphon, 1932 Ctesiphon (Parthian: Tyspwn as well as Tisfun) is one of the great cities of ancient Mesopotamia and the capital of the Parthian Empire and its successor, the Sassanid Empire, for more than 800 years located in the ancient Iranian province of Khvarvaran. ... Shananshah (Persian: شاهنشاه) (sometimes written Shahenshah, Shan-an-shah, or Shan-en-shah) was a title used by various rulers of Persia/Iran. ... Banebshenan banebshen (In Persian Ø¨Ø§Ù†Ø¨Ø´Ù†Ø§Ù† Ø¨Ø§Ù†Ø¨Ø´Ù†) was the Pahlavi title of Sassanid Queens of Persia. ...

Over the next few years, following local rebellions around the empire, Ardashir I managed to further expanded his new empire to the east and northwest, conquering the provinces of Sistan, Gorgan, Khorasan, Margiana (in modern Turkmenistan), Balkh, and Chorasmia. He also added Bahrain and Mosul to Sassanid possessions. Later Sasanid inscriptions also claim the submission of the Kings of Kushan, Turan, and Mekran to Ardashir, although based on numismatic evidence, it is more likely that these actually submitted to Ardashir's son, the future Shapur I. In the west, assaults against Hatra, Armenia, and Adiabene met with less success. Categories: Iran geography stubs | Provinces of Iran ... Map of Iran and surrounding countries, showing location of Gorgan Gorgan (Persian: Ú¯Ø±Ú¯Ø§Ù†, Land of the Wolf) is the capital city of the Iranian province of Golestan. ... Khorasan (Persian: Ø®Ø±Ø§Ø³Ø§Ù†) (also transcribed as Khurasan and Khorassan; Horasan in Turkish) is a region located in eastern Iran. ... Merv â€“ Persian name: Ù…Ø±Ùˆ; formerly Alexandria and Antiochia in Margiana (Greek: Î‘Î½Ï„Î¹ÏŒÏ‡ÎµÎ¹Î± Î· ÎœÎ±ÏÎ³Î¹Î±Î½Î®) â€“ in current-day Turkmenistan, was a major oasis-city in Central Asia, on the historical Silk Road, located near todays Mary. ... Today Balkh is a small town in the Province of Balkh, Afghanistan, about 20 kilometers northwest of the provincial capital, Mazar-e Sharif, and some 74 km (46 miles) south of the Amu Darya, the Oxus River of antiquity, of which a tributary formerly flowed past Balkh. ... Khwarezmia (also with various alternate spellings, including Chorasmia and Khorezm) was a state located on what was then the coast of the Aral Sea, including modern Karakalpakstan across the Ust-Urt plateau and perhaps extending to as far west as the eastern shores of the North Caspian Sea. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Boundary of the Kushan empire, c. ... Turan (in Persian: ) is the ancient Iranian name for the Northeastern nomads. ... Makran is the southern region of Balochistan, in Iran and Pakistan along the coast of the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman. ... A coin of Shapur I. Shapur I, son of Ardashir I (226â€“241), was King of Persia from 241 to 272. ... Hatra (al-aar Ø§Ù„ØØ¶Ø±) is an ancient ruined city in the former Iranian province of Khvarvaran, today part of Iraq, located at 35Â°34â€² N 42Â°42â€² E. It was an important fortified city of the Iranian Parthian Empire, and withstood repeated attacks by the Roman Empire. ... Adiabene (In Syriac: ÜšÜ•ÜÜÜ’) was an ancient Assyrian kingdom in Mesopotamia with its capital at Arbela. ...

Ardashir I's son Shapur I (241–272), whose mother was the daughter of a Parthian monarch, possibly Artabanus IV or one of the members of Suren Clan, continued this expansion, conquering Bactria and Kushan, while leading several campaigns against Rome. Penetrating deep into Roman territory, Shapur I conquered and plundered Antiochia in Syria (253 or 256) and finally defeated the Roman emperors Gordian III (238–244), Philip the Arab (244–249), and Valerian (253–260). The latter was taken (259) into Persian imprisonment after the Battle of Edessa, a tremendous and hitherto unknown disgrace for the Romans. Shapur I celebrated his victory by carving the impressive rock reliefs in Naqsh-e Rostam, for example, with Bishapur, as well as a monumental inscription in Persian and Greek with Naqsh-i Rustam in the proximity of Persepolis. Between 260 and 263, Shapur I lost some of these newly conquered territories to Odaenathus, a Roman ally. A coin of Shapur I. Shapur I, son of Ardashir I (226â€“241), was King of Persia from 241 to 272. ... The House of Suren-Pahlav, was one of the oldest surviving Iranian clans and was once member one of the Seven Parthian clans. ... It has been suggested that Ta-Hsia be merged into this article or section. ... Boundary of the Kushan empire, c. ... Nickname: The Eternal City Location within Province of Rome in the Region of Latium Coordinates: Region Latium Province Province of Rome Mayor of Rome Walter Veltroni Area - City 1,285 kmÂ² (496. ... Antioch on the Orontes (Greek: Î‘Î½Ï„Î¹ÏŒÏ‡ÎµÎ¹Î± Î· ÎµÏ€Î¯ Î”Î¬Ï†Î½Î·, Î‘Î½Ï„Î¹ÏŒÏ‡ÎµÎ¹Î± Î· ÎµÏ€Î¯ ÎŸÏÏŒÎ½Ï„Î¿Ï… or Î‘Î½Ï„Î¹ÏŒÏ‡ÎµÎ¹Î± Î· ÎœÎµÎ³Î¬Î»Î·; Latin: Antiochia ad Orontem, also Antiochia dei Siri), the Great Antioch or Syrian Antioch was an ancient city located on the eastern side (left bank) of the Orontes River about 30 km from the sea and its port, Seleucia Pieria. ... Gordian III Marcus Antonius Gordianus Pius (January 20, 225-244), known in English as Gordian III, was Roman emperor from 238 to 244. ... This coin struck under Philip to celebrate Saeculum Novum bears, on the reverse, a temple devoted to Roma goddess. ... Valerian on a coin celebrating goddess Fortuna, associated with health and wealth. ... Combatants Sassanid Empire Roman Empire Commanders Shapur I Valerian Strength 40,000 70,000 including Praetorian Guard Casualties Minimal Heavy The Battle of Edessa took place between the armies of the Roman Empire under the command of Emperor Valerian and Sassanid forces under King Shapur I in 259. ... Naqshe Rostam, near Shiraz Tomb of Naksh-i Rustam (also Naqsh-i Rustam or Nakshi Rustam) is an archaeological site in Iran. ... City of Bishapur Another view of Bishapur Bishapur (or BishÃ¢pÃ»r) is an ancient city situated south of modern Faliyan, Iran on the ancient road between Persis and Elam. ... Persepolis Aerial View - After 2500 years, the ruins of Persepolis still inspire visitors from far and near. ... Septimius Odaenathus, or Odenatus (Greek: (Hodainathos), Palmyrene אחינל = little ear), the Latinized form of Odainath, was a famous prince of Palmyra, in the second half of the 3rd century AD, who succeeded in recovering the Roman East from the Persians and restoring it to the Empire. ...

Shapur I had intensive development plans. He founded many cities, some settled in part by emigrants from the Roman territories. These included Christians who could exercise their faith freely under Sassanid rule. Two cities, Bishapur and Nishapur, are named after him. Shapur I particularly favored Manichaeism. He protected Mani and sent many Manichaeist missionaries abroad. Shapur I also befriended a Babylonian rabbi called Shmuel. This friendship was advantageous for the Jewish community and gave them a respite from the oppressive laws enacted against them. City of Bishapur Another view of Bishapur Bishapur (or BishÃ¢pÃ»r) is an ancient city situated south of modern Faliyan, Iran on the ancient road between Persis and Elam. ... Nishapur (or NeyshÃ¢bÃ»r; Ù†ÛŒØ´Ø§Ø¨ÙˆØ± in Persian) is a town in the province of Khorasan in northeastern Iran, situated in a fertile plain at the foot of the Binalud Mountains, near the regional capital of Mashhad. ... Manichean priests, writing at their desk, with panel inscription in Sogdian. ... Mani (in Persian: Ù…Ø§Ù†ÛŒ) was born of Iranian (Parthian) parentage in Babylon, Mesopotamia (modern-day Iraq) which was a part of Persian Empire about 210-276 CE. He was a religious preacher and the founder of Manichaeism, an ancient Persian gnostic religion that was once prolific but is now extinct. ... Samuel of Nehardea or Samuel bar Abba was a Babylonian amora of the first generation; son of Abba bar Abba and head of the Yeshiva at Nehardea. ...

Later kings reversed Shapur I's policy of religious tolerance. Succeeding Shapur I, Bahram I (273–276) persecuted Mani and his followers under pressure from Magi. Bahram I imprisoned Mani and ordered him killed; Mani died, according to the legend, in jail awaiting his execution.^[10] Bahram I, was king of Persia (AD 274-277). ...

Bahram II (276–293) followed his father's religious policy. He was a weak ruler and lost several western provinces to the Roman Emperor Carus (282–283). During his rule most of Armenia, after half a century of Persian rule, was ceded to Diocletian (284–305).^[11] Bahram II, king of Persia (277-294), son of Bahram I. During his reign the emperor Carus attacked the Persians and conquered Ctesiphon (283), but died by the plague. ... Carus on a posthumous coin. ... Emperor Diocletian. ...

Succeeding Bahram III (who ruled briefly in 293), Narseh (293–302) embarked on another war with the Romans. After an early success against the Emperor Galerius (305–311) near Callinicum on the Euphrates in 296, Narseh was decisively defeated in an ambush while he was with his harem in Armenia in 297. In the treaty that concluded this war, the Sassanids ceded all lands west of the Tigris and agreed not to interfere in the affairs of Armenia and Georgia.^[12] Following this crushing defeat, Narseh resigned in 301 and died in grief a year later. Narseh's son Hormizd II (302–309) assumed the throne. Although he suppressed revolts in Sistan and Kushan, Hormizd II was another weak ruler, unable to control the nobles. He was killed by Bedouins while hunting in 309. Bahram III, king of Persia, son of Bahram II, under whose rule he had been governing Sistan (therefore called Saganshah, Agathias iv. ... Narseh (also known as Narses, Narseus) was king of Persia (292 - 303), and son of Shapur I. He rose as pretender to the throne against his grand-nephew Bahram III in AD 292, and soon became sole king. ... Galerius on a coin Galerius Maximianus (c. ... The Euphrates (the traditional Greek name, Arabic: Ø§Ù„ÙØ±Ø§Øª; Al-Furat, Hebrew: ×¤Ö°Ö¼×¨Ö¸×ª Perath, Kurdish: Firat, Turkish: FÄ±rat, Old Persian: Ufrat, Syriac: Ü¦ÜªÜ˜Ü¬ or Ü¦ÜªÜ¬; Frot or PrÃ¢th, Akkadian: Pu-rat-tu) is the westernmost of the two great rivers that define Mesopotamia (the other being the Tigris). ... Hormizd II, king of Persia, son of Narseh, reigned for seven years and five months, 302-309. ...

First Golden Era (309–379)

Following Hormizd II's death, Arabs from the south started to ravage and plunder the southern cities of the empire, even attacking the province of Fars, the birthplace of the Sassanid kings. Meanwhile, Persian nobles killed Hormizd II's eldest son, blinded the second, and imprisoned the third (who later escaped to Roman territory). The throne was reserved for the unborn child of one of Hormizd II's wives. It is said that Shapur II (309–379) may have been the only king in history to be crowned in utero: the crown was placed upon his mother's belly. This child, named Shapur, was therefore born king. During his youth the empire was controlled by his mother and the nobles. Upon Shapur II's coming of age, he assumed power and quickly proved to be an active and effective ruler. Falak ol Aflak, Lorestan province Iran. ... Falak ol Aflak, Lorestan province Iran. ... Falak-ol-aflak is almost 1800 years old. ... 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...

Shapur II first led his small but disciplined army south against the Arabs, whom he defeated, securing the southern areas of the empire.^[13] He then started his first campaign against Romans in the west, experiencing early success. After the Siege of Singara, however, his conquests were halted by nomadic raids along the eastern borders of the empire. These raids threatened Transoxiana, a strategically critical area for control of the Silk Road. In addition, Shapur II's military forces were not sufficient to hold the territory he had taken in the west. He therefore signed a peace treaty with Constantius II (353–361) in which both sides agreed not to attack each other's territory for a limited period of time. The Battle of Singara was fought in 344 between Roman and Sassanid Persian forces. ... Map showing modern Transoxiana. ... The Silk Road in the 1st century CE. For other uses, see Silk Road (disambiguation). ... Constantius II coin, celebrating the 15th year of reign. ...

Shapur II then marched east toward Transoxiana to meet the eastern nomads. He crushed the Central Asian tribes, and annexed the area as a new province. He completed the conquest of the area now known as Afghanistan. Cultural expansion followed this victory, and Sassanid art penetrated Turkistan, reaching as far as China. Shapur II, along with the nomad King Grumbates, started his second campaign against the Romans in 359, this time with his full military force and support from the nomads. The campaign was overwhelmingly successful; a total of five Roman provinces were ceded to the Persians after its completion. Map showing modern Transoxiana. ... Türkistan (also spelled Turkistan or Turkestan) is a region in Central Asia, largely inhabited by Turkic people. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ...

Shapur II pursued a harsh religious policy. Under his reign the collection of the Avesta, the sacred texts of Zoroastrianism, was completed, heresy and apostasy were punished, and Christians were persecuted. The latter was a reaction against the Christianization of the Roman Empire by Constantine the Great (324–337). Shapur II, like Shapur I, was amicable towards Jews, who lived in relative freedom and gained many advantages in his period (see also Raba (Talmud)). See Avesta Municipality for the Swedish town Yasna 28. ... Raba or Raba Ben Joseph Ben Hama(c. ...

At the time of Shapur's death, the Persian Empire was stronger than ever, with its enemies to the east pacified and Armenia under Persian control.

Intermediate Era (379–498)

From Shapur II's death until Kavadh I's (488–531) first coronation, Persia was largely stable with few wars against the Byzantine Empire. Throughout this era Sassanid religious policy differed dramatically from king to king. Despite a series of weak leaders, the administrative system established during Shapur II's reign remained strong, and the empire continued to function effectively. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (600x1340, 443 KB) Summary copyright Â© Smithsonian Institution http://www. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (600x1340, 443 KB) Summary copyright Â© Smithsonian Institution http://www. ... Persian literature (in Persian: ) spans two and a half millennia, though much of the pre-Islamic material has been lost. ... External links The Legend of Leyli and Majnun Nizami, Jamal al-Din Ilyas. ... The Safavids were a long-lasting Turkic-speaking Iranian dynasty that ruled from 1501 to 1736 and first established Shiite Islam as Persias official religion. ... Kavadh I (449â€“531), son of Peroz I (457â€“484), was a Sassanid King from 488 to 531. ...

After Shapur II died in 379, he left a powerful empire to his half-brother Ardashir II (379–383; son of Vahram of Kushan) and his son Shapur III (383–388), neither of whom demonstrated their predecessor's talent. Ardashir II, who was raised as the "half-brother" of the emperor, failed to fill his brother's shoes, and Shapur III was too much of a melancholy character to achieve anything. Bahram IV (388–399), although not as inactive as his father, still failed to achieve anything important for the empire. During this time Armenia was divided by treaty between the Roman and Sassanid empires. The Sassanids reestablished their rule over Greater Armenia, while the Byzantine Empire held a small portion of western Armenia. Ardashir II was king of Persia from 379-383. ... Shapur III was king of Persia from 383 to 388. ... Bahram IV, King of Persia (388â€“399), son and successor of Shapur III of Persia (383â€“388), under whom he had been governor of Kirman; therefore he was called Kirmanshah (Agathias iv. ...

Bahram IV's son Yazdegerd I (399–421) is often compared to Constantine I. Like him, he was powerful both physically and diplomatically. Much like his Roman counterpart, Yazdegerd I was opportunistic. Like Constantine the Great, Yazdgerd I practiced religious tolerance and provided freedom for the rise of religious minorities. He stopped the persecution against the Christians and even punished nobles and priests who persecuted them. His reign marked a relatively peaceful era. He made lasting peace with the Romans and even took the young Theodosius II (408–450) under his guardianship. He also married a Jewish princess who bore him a son called Narsi. Yazdegerd I (made by God Izdigerdes), king of Persia, son of Shapur III, 399-420, called the sinner by the Persians. ... Head of Constantines colossal statue at Musei Capitolini Gaius Flavius Valerius Aurelius Constantinus[1] (February 27, 272â€“May 22, 337), commonly known as Constantine I, Constantine the Great, or (among Eastern Orthodox and Eastern Catholic[2] Christians) Saint Constantine, was a Roman Emperor, proclaimed Augustus by his troops on... Theodosius II Flavius Theodosius II (April, 401 - July 28, 450 ). The eldest son of Eudoxia and Arcadius who at the age of 7 became the Roman Emperor of the East. ...

Yazdegerd I's successor was his son Bahram V (421–438), one of the most well-known Sassanid kings and the hero of many myths. These myths persisted even after the destruction of the Sassanid empire by the Arabs. Bahram V, better known as Bahram-e Gur, gained the crown after Yazdgerd I's sudden death (or assassination) against the opposition of the grandees with the help of al-Mundhir, the Arabic dynast of al-Hirah. Bahram V's mother was Soshandukht, the daughter of the Jewish Exilarch. In 427 he crushed an invasion in the east by the nomadic Hephthalites, extending his influence into Central Asia, where his portrait survived for centuries on the coinage of Bukhara (in modern Uzbekistan). Bahram V deposed the vassal King of the Persian part of Armenia and made it a province. Bahram V, king of Persia (420-439), also called Bahram Gur,son of Yazdegerd I, after whose sudden death (or assassination) he gained the crown against the opposition of the grandees by the help of al-Mondhir, the Arabic dynast of Hira. ... Al-Mundhir (Arabic: Ø§Ù„Ù…Ù†Ø°Ø± ), (c. ... Al Hirah was an ancient city located south of al-Kufah in south-central Iraq. ... The Hephthalites, also known as White Huns, were a nomadic people who lived across northern China, Central Asia, and northern India in the fourth through sixth centuries. ... Bukhara (Bokhara in XIX century English, Buxoro or Ð‘ÑƒÑ…Ð¾Ñ€Ð¾ in Uzbek (the Cyrillic alphabet was officially phased out for Uzbek after independence); Ø¨ÙØ®Ø§Ø±Ø§ /BukhÃ¢rÃ¢/ in Persian, Buhe/Puhe Tang Chinese, Ð‘ÑƒÑ…Ð°Ñ€Ð° in Russian; also Boxara in Tatar) is the fifth-largest city in Uzbekistan, and capital of the Bukhara region (Bukhoro Wiloyati). ...

Bahram V is a great favorite in Persian tradition, which relates many stories of his valor and beauty, of his victories over the Romans, Turks, Indians and Africans, and of his adventures in hunting and in love; he is called Bahram-e Gur, Gur meaning Onager, on account of his love for hunting and, in particular, hunting onagers. He symbolized a king in the height of a golden age. He had won his crown by competing with his brother and spent time fighting foreign enemies, but mostly kept himself amused by hunting and court parties with his famous band of ladies and courtiers. He embodied royal prosperity. During his time the best pieces of Sassanid literature were written, notable pieces of Sassanid music were composed, and sports such as polo became royal pastimes, a tradition that continues to this day in many kingdoms.^[14] A world map showing the continent of Africa. ... Binomial name Equus hemionus Pallas, 1775 The Onager (Equus hemionus) is a large mammal belonging to the horse family and native to the deserts of Syria, Iran, India, and Tibet. ... This article needs to be wikified. ... Ancient Iranians attached great importance to music and poetry, as they still do today. ... now. ...

Bahram V's son Yazdegerd II (438–457) was a just, moderate ruler but, in contrast to Yazdegerd I, practiced a harsh policy towards minority religions, particularly Christianity.^[15] Image File history File links YazdII.jpg Sassanid king. ... Image File history File links YazdII.jpg Sassanid king. ... Yazdegerd II, (made by God, Izdegerdes), king of Persia was the son of Bahram V Gor and reigned from 438 to 457. ... Yazdegerd I (made by God Izdigerdes), king of Persia, son of Shapur III, 399-420, called the sinner by the Persians. ...

At the beginning of his reign, Yazdegerd II gathered a mixed army of various nations, including his Indian allies, and attacked the Eastern Roman Empire, which was building fortifications (a trick used by Romans for subsequent expeditions) in Persian territory nearby Carrhae. The Romans were taken by surprise, and if it were not for a heavy flood, Yazdegerd could have advanced greatly in Roman territory. Byzantine emperor Theodosius II asked for peace, sending his commander to Yazdegerd II's camp. In the pursued negotiation in 441, both empires promised not to build any new fortifications on their borders. Yazdegerd II, however, had the upper hand and did not demand more because of Kidarite incursions in Parthia and Khwarezmia. He gathered his forces in Neishabur in 443 and launched a prolonged campaign against the Kidarites. Finally after a number of battles, he crushed the Kidarites and drove them out beyond Oxus river in 450.^[16] Byzantine Empire is the term conventionally used to describe the Roman Empire during the Middle Ages, centered around its capital in Constantinople. ... Harran, also known as Carrhae, is an archeological site in present day southeastern Turkey, 24 miles (39 kilometers) southeast of Sanli Urfa. ... Theodosius II Flavius Theodosius II (April, 401 - July 28, 450 ). The eldest son of Eudoxia and Arcadius who at the age of 7 became the Roman Emperor of the East. ... Coin of Kidara (reigned circa 360-380 CE), founder of the Kidarite Kingdom Obv: King Kidara standing. ... Khwarezmia (also with various alternate spellings, including Chorasmia and Khorezm) was a state located on what was then the coast of the Aral Sea, including modern Karakalpakstan across the Ust-Urt plateau and perhaps extending to as far west as the eastern shores of the North Caspian Sea. ... Tomb of Omar Khayyam, Neishabur Nishapur (or Neyshâbûr; نیشابور in Persian) is a town in the province of Khorasan in northeastern Iran, situated in a fertile plain at the foot of the Binalud Mountains, near the regional capital of Mashhad. ... The Amu Darya (in Persian آمودریا; Darya means river in Persian) rises in the Pamirs and flows mainly north-west through the Hindu Kush, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan to join the Aral Sea in a large river delta. ...

During his eastern campaign, Yazdegerd II grew suspicious of the Christians in the army and expelled them all from the governing body and army. He then persecuted the Christians and, to a much lesser extent, the Jews.^[17] In order to reestablish Zoroastrianism in Armenia, he crushed an uprising of Armenian Christians at the Battle of Vartanantz in 451. The Armenians, however, remained primarily Christian. In his later years, he was engaged yet again with Kidarites until his death in 457. Hormizd III (457–459), younger son of Yazdegerd II, ascended to the throne. During his short rule, he continually fought with his elder brother Peroz, who had the support of nobility,^[18] and with the Ephthalites in Bactria. He was killed by his brother Peroz in 459. Christianity is a monotheistic[1] religion centered on Jesus of Nazareth, and on his life and teachings as presented in the New Testament. ... Combatants Sassanid Empire Armenian rebels Commanders Yazdegerd II Vartan Mamikonian Strength 180,000 to 220,000(According to Armenian sources) 60,000 Casualties Unknown Heavy Battle of Vartanantz (May 26, 451) is remembered by Armenians as probably the greatest battle in their history. ... Hormizd III, King of Persia, son of Yazdegerd II (438â€“457), succeeded his father in 457. ... Peroz I (Pirooz, Peirozes, Priscus, fr. ... The Hephthalites, also known as White Huns, were a nomadic people who lived across northern China, Central Asia, and northern India in the fourth through sixth centuries. ... It has been suggested that Ta-Hsia be merged into this article or section. ...

In the beginning of the 5th century, the Hephthalites (White Huns), along with other nomadic groups, attacked Persia. At first Bahram V and Yazdegerd II inflicted decisive defeats against them and drove them back eastward. The Huns returned at the end of 5th century and defeated Peroz I (457–484) in 483. Following this victory the Huns invaded and plundered parts of eastern Persia for two years. They exacted heavy tribute for some years thereafter. The Hephthalites, also known as White Huns, were a nomadic people who lived across northern China, Central Asia, and northern India in the fourth through sixth centuries. ... Bahram V, king of Persia (420-439), also called Bahram Gur,son of Yazdegerd I, after whose sudden death (or assassination) he gained the crown against the opposition of the grandees by the help of al-Mondhir, the Arabic dynast of Hira. ... Yazdegerd II, (made by God, Izdegerdes), king of Persia was the son of Bahram V Gor and reigned from 438 to 457. ... Peroz I (Pirooz, Peirozes, Priscus, fr. ...

These attacks brought instability and chaos to the kingdom. Peroz I tried again to drive out Hephthalites, but on the way to Herat, he and his army were trapped by Huns in the desert; Peroz I was killed, and his army was wiped out. After this victory Hephthalites advanced forward to the city of Herat, throwing the empire into chaos. Eventually, a noble Persian from the old family of Karen, Zarmihr (or Sokhra), restored some degree of order. He raised Balash, one of Peroz I's brothers, to the throne, although the Hunnic threat persisted until the reign of Khosrau I. Balash (484–488) was a mild and generous monarch, who made concessions to the Christians; however, he took no action against the empire's enemies, particularly, the White Huns. Balash, after a reign of four years, was blinded and deposed (attributed to magnates), and his nephew Kavadh I was raised to the throne. Court of the Friday Mosque in HerÄt. ... Balash (in the Greek authors, Balas; the later form of the name Vologases), Sassanian King in 484â€“488, was the brother and successor of Peroz I of Persia (457â€“484), who had died in a battle against the Hephthalites (White Huns) who invaded Persia from the east. ... A coin of Khosrau I Khosrau I, (Most commonly known as Anooshiravan also spelled Anushirvan, Persian: Ø§Ù†ÙˆØ´ÙŠØ±ÙˆØ§Ù† meaning the immortal soul), also known as Anooshiravan the Just (Ø§Ù†ÙˆØ´ÛŒØ±ÙˆØ§Ù† Ø¹Ø§Ø¯Ù„, Anooshiravan-e-Ädel) (ruled 531â€“579), was the favourite son and successor of Kavadh I of Persia (488â€“531), and the most famous and... Balash (in the Greek authors, Balas; the later form of the name Vologases), Sassanian King in 484â€“488, was the brother and successor of Peroz I of Persia (457â€“484), who had died in a battle against the Hephthalites (White Huns) who invaded Persia from the east. ...

Kavadh I (488–531) was an energetic and reformist ruler. Kavadh I gave his support to the communistic sect founded by Mazdak, son of Bamdad, who demanded that the rich should divide their wives and their wealth with the poor. His intention evidently was, by adopting the doctrine of the Mazdakites, to break the influence of the magnates and the growing aristocracy. These reforms led to his deposition and imprisonment in the "Castle of Oblivion" (Lethe) in Susa, and his younger brother Jamasp (Zamaspes) was raised to the throne in 496. Kavadh I, however, escaped in 498 and was given refuge by the White Hun king. Kavadh I (449â€“531), son of Peroz I (457â€“484), was a Sassanid King from 488 to 531. ... This article is about communism as a form of society and as a political movement. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... In Classical Greek, Lethe (LEE-thee) literally means forgetfulness or concealment. The Greek word for truth is a-lethe-ia, meaning un-forgetfulness or un-concealment. In Greek mythology, Lethe is one of the several rivers of Hades. ... Winged sphinx from the palace of Darius the Great at Susa. ... Alt. ...

Djamasp (496–498) was installed on the Sassanid throne upon the deposition of Kavadh I by members of the nobility. Djamasp was a good and kind king, and he reduced taxes in order to relieve the peasants and the poor. He was also a proper adherent of the Mazdakism sect, diversions from which had cost Kavadh I his throne and freedom. His reign soon ended when Kavadh I, at the head of a large army granted to him by the Hephthalite king, returned to the empire's capital. Djamasp loyally stepped down from his position and restored the throne to his brother. No further mention of Djamasp is made after the restoration of Kavadh I, but it is widely believed that he was treated favorably at the court of his brother.^[14] Alt. ... In a detail of Brueghels Land of Cockaigne (1567) a soft-boiled egg has little feet to rush to the luxuriating peasant who catches drops of honey on his tongue, while roast pigs roam wild: the 16th century was a good time for European peasants A peasant, from 15th... Mazdak was a proto-socialist Persian philosopher who gained influence under the reign of the Sassanian king Kavadh I. He was hanged and his followers were massacred by Khosrau I, Kavadhs son. ...

Second Golden Era (498–622)

The second golden era began after the second reign of Kavadh I. With the support of the Hephtalites, Kavadh I launched a campaign against the Romans. In 502, he took Theodosiopolis (Erzurum) in Armenia. In 503 he took Amida (Diarbekr) on the Tigris. In 505, an invasion of Armenia by the western Huns from the Caucasus led to an armistice, during which the Romans paid subsidies to the Persians for the maintenance of the fortifications on the Caucasus. In year 525, he suppressed revolts in Lazica and recaptured Georgia. His army with aid of Lakhmid ruler (a Sassanid vassal kingdom), al-Mundhir IV ibn al-Mundhir defeated the Byzatine army under command of famed Belisarius twice, one in year 530 in Battle of Nisbis and other in year 531 in Battle of Callinicum.^[19] Although he could not free himself from the yoke of the Ephthalites, Kavadh succeeded in restoring order in the interior and fought with success against the Romans, founded several cities, some of which were named after him, and began to regulate the taxation. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (1200x1176, 882 KB) Summary Hunting scene depicting King Chosroes. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (1200x1176, 882 KB) Summary Hunting scene depicting King Chosroes. ... A coin of Khosrau I. Khosrau I, (Chosroes I in classical sources, most commonly known in Persian as Anooshiravan also spelled Anushirvan, Persian: Ø§Ù†ÙˆØ´ÙŠØ±ÙˆØ§Ù† meaning the immortal soul), also known as Anooshiravan the Just (Ø§Ù†ÙˆØ´ÛŒØ±ÙˆØ§Ù† Ø¹Ø§Ø¯Ù„, Anooshiravan-e-Ädel) (ruled 531â€“579), was the favourite son and successor of Kavadh I (488â€“531... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (691x681, 77 KB) (c) http://www. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (691x681, 77 KB) (c) http://www. ... The most famous of the surviving Byzantine mosaics of the Hagia Sophia in Constantinople - the image of Christ on the walls of the upper southern gallery. ... Also see: France in the Middle Ages. ... Image File history File links Relief04. ... Image File history File links Relief04. ... Khosrau II, the Victorious (Parvez), king of Persia, son of Hormizd IV, grandson of Khosrau I, 590 - 628. ... Kermanshah or Taq-i-Bustan , is located in western Iran , four miles north-East of Kermanshah. ... It has been suggested that Anahit be merged into this article or section. ... Diadem has a number of different meanings, including the following: A diadem is a type of crown. ... Kavadh I (449â€“531), son of Peroz I (457â€“484), was a Sassanid King from 488 to 531. ... Arpos was an ancient city in the region that is now European Turkey. ... Amida can mean: Amida is the Japanese name of a popular Buddhist deity. ... Egrisi (or Kolkheti) was a kingdom in the western part of Georgia, which flourished between the 6th century BC and the 7th century AD. It was covered the territory of the former kingdom Kolkha (Colchis) and the territory of modern Abkhazia). ... The Lakhmids (Arabic: ) or Muntherids (Arabic: ) were Arab Christians that lived in Iraq,al-Hirah became their capital in (266 AD). ... The Lakhmids (Arabic: ) less commonly Muntherids (Arabic: ) were a group of Arab Christians who lived in Southern Iraq, and made al-Hirah which was a fabulous city with many castles and bath-houses and Palm gardens their capital in (266). ... Belisarius, to the right of Emperor Justinian I, in the mosaic in Ravenna that celebrates the reconquest of Italy, performed by the Byzantine army under the skilful leadership of Belisarius himself. ... Combatants Sassanid Persians Byzantine Empire Commanders Kavadh I, al-Mundhir IV ibn al-Mundhir Belisarius Strength Unknown plus an unknown number of Lakhmids Unknown plus an unknown number of Ghassanid Arab allies Casualties Unknown Unknown The Battle of Nisbis took place between the armies of the Eastern Roman Empire under... The Battle of Callinicum took place between the armies of the Eastern Roman Empire under the command of General Belisarius and Persians under Azarethes on April 19, 531 AD. Belisarius had been skirmishing with the Persian forces after the Battle of Dara in an attempt to incite a rout, but...

After Kavadh I, his son Khosrau I, also known as Anushirvan ("with the immortal soul"; ruled 531–579), ascended to the throne. He is the most celebrated of the Sassanid rulers. Khosrau I is most famous for his reforms in the aging governing body of Sassanids. In his reforms he introduced a rational system of taxation, based upon a survey of landed possessions, which his father had begun and tried in every way to increase the welfare and the revenues of his empire. Previous great feudal lords fielded their own military equipment, followers and retainers. Khosrau I developed a new force of dehkans or "knights" paid and equipped by the central government^[20] and the bureaucracy, tying the army and bureaucracy more closely to the central government than to local lords. (For more about Khosrau I's reforms, visit [2]). Kavadh I (449â€“531), son of Peroz I (457â€“484), was a Sassanid King from 488 to 531. ... A coin of Khosrau I. Khosrau I, (Chosroes I in classical sources, most commonly known in Persian as Anooshiravan also spelled Anushirvan, Persian: Ø§Ù†ÙˆØ´ÙŠØ±ÙˆØ§Ù† meaning the immortal soul), also known as Anooshiravan the Just (Ø§Ù†ÙˆØ´ÛŒØ±ÙˆØ§Ù† Ø¹Ø§Ø¯Ù„, Anooshiravan-e-Ädel) (ruled 531â€“579), was the favourite son and successor of Kavadh I (488â€“531... Landed property or landed estates is a real estate term that usually refers to a property that generates income for the owner without himself having to do the actual work at the estate. ...

Although the Emperor Justinian I (527–565) had paid him a bribe of 440,000 pieces of gold to keep the peace, in 540 Khosrau I broke the "eternal peace" of 532 and invaded Syria, where he temporarily captured and plundered the city of Antioch. During Khosrau's en route return, he collected money from the different Byzantine cities. Justinian I depicted on one of the famous mosaics of the Basilica of San Vitale. ...

In 565, Justinian I died and was succeeded by Justin II (565–578), who resolved to stop subsidies to Arab chieftains to restrain them from raiding Byzantine territory in Syria. A year earlier the Sassanid governor of Armenia, of the Suren family, built a fire temple at Dvin near modern Yerevan, and he put to death an influential member of the Mamikonian family, touching off a revolt which led to the massacre of the Persian governor and his guard in 571. Justin II took advantage of the Armenian revolt to stop his yearly payments to Khosrau I for the defense of the Caucasus passes. The Armenians were welcomed as allies, and an army was sent into Sassanid territory which besieged Nisibis in 572. However, dissension among the Byzantine generals not only led to an abandonment of the siege, but they in turn were besieged in the city of Dara, which was taken by the Persians who then ravaged Syria, causing Justin II to sue for peace. Armenian revolt came to an end with a general amnesty from Khosrau I, which brought Armenia back into the Sassanid Empire.^[20] Flavius Iustinus Iunior Augustus Flavius Iustinus Iunior Augustus or Justin II (c. ... Dvin (Armenian: ; Greek: ) â€” was a large commercial city, the capital of medieval Armenia, the ruins of which are located in the province of Ararat nearby a town by the same name. ... Yerevan (Armenian: ÔµÖ€Õ¥Ö‚Õ¡Õ¶ or ÔµÖ€Ö‡Õ¡Õ¶; sometimes written as Erevan; former names include Erebuni and Erivan) (population: 1,088,300 (2004 estimate) [1]) is the largest city and capital of Armenia. ... Location the governorate of Dara within Syria Dara (fortress, compare Dura-Europos) (Arabic: Ø¯Ø±Ø¹Ø§) is a city in southwestern Syria, near the border with Jordan. ...

Around 570, "Ma 'd-Karib", half-brother of the King of Yemen, requested Khosrau I's intervention. Khosrau I sent a fleet and a small army under a commander called Vahriz to the area near present Aden, and they marched against the capital San'a'l, which was occupied. Saif, son of Mard-Karib, who had accompanied the expedition, became King sometime between 575 and 577. Thus the Sassanids were able to establish a base in south Arabia to control the sea trade with the east. Later the south Arabian kingdom renounced Sassanid overlordship, and another Persian expedition was sent in 598 that successfully annexed southern Arabia as a Sassanid province, which lasted until the time of troubles after Khosrau II.^[20] Vahriz was head of the small expedition army sent by Khosrau I to Yemen to help them against the invading Ethiopians of Axum. ... Port of Aden (around 1910). ... The term South Arabia commonly refers to either: the Federation of South Arabia or the Protectorate of South Arabia This is a disambiguation page â€” a list of articles associated with the same title. ...

Khosrau I's reign witnessed the rise of the dihqans (literally, village lords), the petty landholding nobility who were the backbone of later Sassanid provincial administration and the tax collection system.^[21] Khosrau I was a great builder, embellishing his capital, founding new towns, and constructing new buildings. He rebuilt the canals and restocked the farms destroyed in the wars. He built strong fortifications at the passes and placed subject tribes in carefully chosen towns on the frontiers to act as guardians against invaders. He was tolerant of all religions, though he decreed that Zoroastrianism should be the official state religion, and was not unduly disturbed when one of his sons became a Christian. Zoroastrianism is the religion and philosophy based on the teachings ascribed to the prophet Zoroaster (Zarathushtra, Zartosht). ...

After Khosrau I, Hormizd IV (579–590) took the throne. Hormizd IV was also a vigorous ruler who continued the success and prosperity established by his predecessors. During the reign of Khosrau II (590–628), the revolt of general Bahram Chobin (rival King Bahram VI) briefly threw the empire into crisis, but the crisis was short lived, and Khosrau II soon reestablished firm control over the empire. Taking advantage of a civil war in the Byzantine Empire, Khosrau II launched a full-scale invasion. The Sassanid dream of restoring the Achaemenid boundaries was close to completion when Jerusalem and Damascus fell; Egypt fell soon after. In 626 Constantinople also was under siege by Slavic and Avar forces supported by the Persians. This remarkable peak of expansion was paralleled by a blossoming of Persian art, music, and architecture. By 622, the Byzantine Empire was on the verge of collapse and the borders of the Achaemenid Empire were restored on all fronts except for parts of Anatolia. Hormizd IV, son of Khosrau I, reigned as king of Persia from 578 to 590. ... Khosrau II, the Victorious (Parvez), king of Persia, son of Hormizd IV, grandson of Khosrau I, 590 - 628. ... Bahram Chobin (in Persian Ø¨Ù‡Ø±Ø§Ù… Ú†ÙˆØ¨ÛŒÙ†) was a famous Eran spahbod (military commander) during Khosrau IIs rule in Sassanid Iran. ... Achaemenid Empire The Achaemenid Dynasty was a dynasty in the ancient Persian Empire, including Cyrus II the Great, Darius I and Xerxes I. At the height of their power, the Achaemenid rulers of Persia ruled over territories roughly emcompassing some parts of todays Iraq, Egypt, Syria, Jordan, Israel, Lebanon... Jerusalem (Hebrew: , YerushalÃ¡yim or Yerushalaim; Arabic: , al-Quds (the Holy); official Arabic in Israel: Ø£ÙˆØ±Ø´Ù„ÙŠÙ… Ø§Ù„Ù‚Ø¯Ø³, Urshalim-al-Quds (combining the Hebrew Bible and common usage Arabic names) is the capital and largest city of the State of Israel with a population of 724,000 (as of May 24, 2006[1... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Map of Constantinople. ... Distribution of Slavic peoples by language Countries inhabited predominantly by Slavic peoples The Slavic peoples are a linguistic and ethnic branch of Indo-European peoples, living mainly in Europe. ... Map showing the location of Avar Khaganate, c. ...

Decline and fall (622–651)

Although hugely successful, Khosrau II's campaign had overextended the Persian army and overtaxed the people. The Byzantine emperor Heraclius (610–641) retaliated with a tactical move, abandoning his besieged capital and sailing up the Black Sea to attack Persia from the rear. Meanwhile, mutual suspicion had arisen between Khosrau II and his general Shahrbaraz. Byzantine agents showed Shahrbaraz pseudo letters indicating that Khosrau II was planning the general's execution. Shahrbaraz, fearing for his life, remained neutral during this critical period. Persia was thus denied the services of one of its largest armies and one of its best generals. To Khosrau's bad fortune, Shahin, the other great spahbod of Sassanid army who had conquered Caucasus and Anatolia passed away unexpectedly, further tipping the balance in favor of the Byzantines and drove Khosrau into state of melancholia. The Sassanid era is considered to be one of the most important and influential historical periods in Iran (Persia). ... Combatants Sassanid Persia Rashidun Caliphate The Islamic conquest of Persia (637-651 CE) led to the end of the Sassanid Empire and the eventual decline of the Zoroastrian religion in Persia (modern day Iran). ... Image File history File links Drachma of Queen Buran 630 AD. State Hermitage Museum, St. ... Image File history File links Drachma of Queen Buran 630 AD. State Hermitage Museum, St. ... Queen Poran, the only woman on the throne of the Sassanid dynasty, 630 AD.State Hermitage Museum ,St. ... Image File history File links Palace of Ardeshir I. Persia. ... Image File history File links Palace of Ardeshir I. Persia. ... Aerial view of Ardeshirs castle ruins, built by Ardashir I of the Sassanian dynasty of Persia. ... Silver coin of Ardashir I with a fire altar on its verso (British Museum London). ... Eram Garden, Shiraz most popular garden. ... Khosrau II, the Victorious (Parvez), king of Persia, son of Hormizd IV, grandson of Khosrau I, 590 - 628. ... Heraclius and his sons Heraclius Constantine and Heraclonas. ... Map of the Black Sea. ... Shahrbaraz (died June 9, 630) was a general, with the rank of Eran Spahbod, in the Persian army under Khosrau II of Persia (590â€“628). ... Spahbod (Persian:Ø³Ù¾Ù‡Ø¨Ø¯ is consisted of two words: Spah Ø³Ù¾Ù‡ (army) bod Ø¨Ø¯ (master) ) was a rank used in the Parthian empire and more widely in Sassanid dynasty of Persia (Iran). ... Asia Minor lies east of the Bosporus, between the Black Sea and the Mediterranean. ... Melancholia (Greek Î¼ÎµÎ»Î±Î½Ï‡Î¿Î»Î¹Î±) is a mood of non-specific depression. ...

Heraclius, with the assistance of the Khazars and other Turkic troops, took advantage of Shahin and Shahrbaraz's absence to win several devastating victories against a Sassanid state substantially weakened by 15 years of war. Heraclius' campaign culminated in the Battle of Nineveh, where the Byzantines (without the Khazars, who had left Heraclius) defeated the Persian army, commanded by Rhahzadh. Heraclius then marched through Mesopotamia and Western Persia sacking Takht-e Soleyman and the Palace of Dastugerd, where he received the news of the assassination of Khosrau II. The site of the Khazar fortress at Sarkel. ... Combatants Byzantine Empire Sassanid Empire Commanders Heraclius Rhahzadhâ€ Strength ? ? Casualties ? ? The Battle of Nineveh was the climactic battle of the last of the Roman-Persian Wars between the Byzantine Empire and the Sassanid Empire, in 627. ... Rhahzadh , alternatively known as Razates was a Persian Spahbod (commander) under Sassanid king Khosrau II. As the war with between Sassanid empire and Byzantium came close to its 15 year the Byzantine general and emporer Heraclius made a bold move. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... The fortress appears in full view in the foreground. ...

Chaos and civil war followed after assassination of Khosrau II. Over a period of fourteen years and twelve successive kings, including two daughters of Khosro II and spahbod Shahrbaraz, the Sassanid Empire weakened considerably. The power of the central authority passed into the hands of the generals. It would take several years for a strong king to emerge from a series of coups, and the Sassanids never had time to be fully recovered.^[21]

In the spring of 632, a grandson of Khosrau I, Yazdegerd III who had lived in the hiding, ascended the throne. In that same year, the first Arab squadrons made their raids into Persian territory. Years of warfare had exhausted both the Byzantines and the Persians. The Sassanids were further weakened by economic decline, heavy taxation, religious unrest, rigid social stratification, the increasing power of the provincial landholders, and a rapid turnover of rulers. These factors facilitated the Arab invasion. Yazdegerd III, (also Yazdgird III) (made by God, Izdegerdes), king of Persia, a grandson of Khosrau II, who had been murdered by his son Kavadh II in 628, was raised to the throne in 632 after a series of internal conflicts. ... The Arabs (Arabic: Ø¹Ø±Ø¨) are an ethnic group who are predominantly speakers of the Arabic language, mainly found throughout the Middle East and North Africa. ...

The Sassanids never mounted a truly effective resistance to the pressure applied by the initial Arab armies. Yazdegerd was a boy at the mercy of his advisers and incapable of uniting a vast country crumbling into small feudal kingdoms, despite the fact that Byzantine, under similar pressure from the newly expansive Arabs, no longer threatened. The first encounter between Sassanids and Muslim Arabs was in the Battle of the Bridge in 634 which resulted in a Sassanid victory, however the Arab threat did not stop there and reappeared shortly from the disciplined armies of Khalid ibn Walid, once one of Muhammad's chosen companion-in-arms and leader of the Arab army. Under the Caliph `Umar ibn al-Khattāb, a Muslim army defeated a larger Persian force lead by general Rostam Farrokhzad at the plains of al-Qādisiyyah in 637 and besieged Ctesiphon. Ctesiphon fell after a prolonged siege. Yazdgerd fled eastward from Ctesiphon, leaving behind him most of the Empire's vast treasury. The Arabs captured Ctesiphon shortly afterward, leaving the Sassanid government strapped for funds and acquiring a powerful financial resource for their own use. Had the empire not been exhausted, and divided, without an effective government, at the time of the Arab invasions, the Asawaran (Azatan) knightly caste could in all probablity have defeated them, if summoned at once, and massed as a single army. But they were never summoned in time, events unfolded too quickly, in a relative vacuum of power in the Empire. The result was the Islamic conquest. A number of Sassanid governors attempted to combine their forces to throw back the invaders, but the effort was crippled by the lack of a strong central authority, and the governors were defeated at the Battle of Nihawānd; the empire, with its military command structure non-existent, its non-noble troop levies decimated, its financial resources effectively destroyed, and the Asawaran (Azatan) knightly caste destroyed piecemeal, the Sassanid empire was now utterly helpless in the face of the invaders. Combatants Muslim Arabs Sassanid Empire Commanders Abu Ubaid Bahman Strength 9,000 unknown Casualties 4,000 dead unknown The Battle of the Bridge was fought in 634 between Arab Muslims led by Abu Ubaid and the Sassanid Empire forces led by Bahman. ... Khalid bin Walid (AKA:Syaifullah/Sword of Allah);(584 - 642) was a Muslim Arab soldier and general. ... For other persons named Muhammad, see Muhammad (disambiguation). ... Caliph is the title for the Islamic leader of the Ummah, or community of Islam. ... For other uses of the name, see Umar (disambiguation). ... Rostam FarrÅkhzÄd (Ø±Ø³ØªÙ… ÙØ±Ù‘Ø®Ø²Ø§Ø¯ in Persian) was the commander of the SÄsÄnian Empires armed forced under the reign of Yazdgird III, r. ... The Battle of al-QÄdisiyyah (in Arabic: Ù…Ø¹Ø§Ø±Ùƒ Ø§Ù„Ù‚Ø§Ø¯Ø³ÙŠÙ‘Ø©, alternate spellings: Qadisiyya, Qadisiyyah, Kadisiya) was the decisive engagement between the Arab Muslim army and the SÄsÄnian Persian army during the first period of Islamic expansion which resulted in the Islamic conquest of Iran. ... Ctesiphon, 1932 Ctesiphon (Parthian: Tyspwn as well as Tisfun) is one of the great cities of ancient Mesopotamia and the capital of the Parthian Empire and its successor, the Sassanid Empire, for more than 800 years located in the ancient Iranian province of Khvarvaran. ... The Persian Knight. ... Combatants Muslim Arabs Sassanid Empire The Battle of NihawÄnd was fought in 642 between Arab and Sassanid. ... The Persian Knight. ...

Upon hearing the defeat in Nihawānd, Yazdgerd along with most of Persian nobilities fled further inland to the northern province of Khorasan. He was assassinated by a miller in Merv in late 651 while the rest of the nobles settled in central Asia where they contributed greatly in spreading Persian culture and language in those regions and the establishment of the first native Iranian dynasty, the Samanid dynasty, which sought to revive and ressuscitate Sassanid traditions and culture after the invasion of Islam. Khorasan (Persian: Ø®Ø±Ø§Ø³Ø§Ù†) (also transcribed as Khurasan and Khorassan; Horasan in Turkish) is a region located in eastern Iran. ... Merv â€“ Persian name: Ù…Ø±Ùˆ; formerly Alexandria and Antiochia in Margiana (Greek: Î‘Î½Ï„Î¹ÏŒÏ‡ÎµÎ¹Î± Î· ÎœÎ±ÏÎ³Î¹Î±Î½Î®) â€“ in current-day Turkmenistan, was a major oasis-city in Central Asia, on the historical Silk Road, located near todays Mary. ... The Samanid dynasty (819-999) was a Persian dynasty in Central Asia, named after its founder Saman Khuda. ...

The abrupt fall of Sassanid Empire was completed in a period of five years, and most of its territory was absorbed into the Islamic caliphate; however many Iranian cities resisted and fought against the invaders several times. Cities such as Rayy, Isfahan and Hamadan were exterminated thrice by Islamic caliphates in order to suppress revolts and to terrify Iranian people.^[22] The local population either willingly accepted Islam, thus escaping from various restrictions imposed on non-Muslims, including the requirement to pay a special poll tax (jizya),^[23] or were forced to convert by the invading armies. Invaders destroyed the Academy of Gundishapur and its library, burning piles of books. Most Sassanid records and literary works were destroyed. A few that escaped this fate were later translated into Arabic and later to Modern Persian.^[14] During the Islamic invasion many Iranian cities were destroyed or deserted, palaces and bridges were ruined and many magnificent imperial Persian gardens were burned to the ground.^[24] Says Persian poet, Ferdowsi of their downfall, in commending the Sassanids: An Anglicized/Latinized version of the Arabic word خليفة or Khalīfah, Caliph ( listen?) is the term or title for the Islamic leader of the Ummah, or community of Islam. ... Ray, also spelled Rayy or Rages (ری in Persian) is the most historic city in the province of Tehran, Iran. ... Part of Shah Abbas large urban project in his new capital, the ChahÄr BÄgh Four Gardens, is a four-kilometer avenue in the city of Isfahan. ... Avicennas tomb in Hamedan Hamadan or Hamedan ( Persian: Ù‡Ù…Ø¯Ø§Ù† ) is the capital city of Hamadan Province of Iran. ... A poll tax, soul tax, or capitation is a tax of a uniform, fixed amount per individual (as opposed to a percentage of income). ... In states ruled by Islamic law, jizya or jizyah (Arabic: Ø¬Ø²Ù’ÙŠØ©) is a per capita tax imposed on non-Muslim adult males. ... The Academy of Gundishapur (also Jondishapoor, Jondishapur, and Jondishapour, Gondeshapur, GONDÃŠ SHÃ‚PÃ›R, etc. ... Persian (فارسی), also known as Farsi (local name), Parsi (older local name, but still used by some speakers), Tajik (a Central Asian dialect) or Dari (an Afghan dialect), is a language spoken in Iran, Tajikistan, Afghanistan and Uzbekistan. ... Art depicting two men in a Persian Garden Persian Gardens refers to a tradition and style of garden design which originated in Persia, modernday Iran. ... Ferdowsi Tousi (ÙØ±Ø¯ÙˆØ³ÛŒ Ø·ÙˆØ³ÛŒ in Persian) (more commonly transliterated Firdausi, Ferdosi or Ferdusi) (935â€“1020) is considered to be one of the greatest Persian poets to have ever lived. ...

Government

The Sassanids established an empire roughly within the frontiers achieved by the Achaemenids, with the capital at Ctesiphon in the Khvarvaran province. In administering this empire, Sassanid rulers, took the title of Shāhanshāh (King of Kings), became the central overlords and also assumed guardianship of the sacred fire, the symbol of the national religion. This symbol is explicit on Sassanid coins where the reigning monarch, with his crown and regalia of office, appears on the obverse, backed by the sacred fire, the symbol of the national religion, on the coin's reverse.^[25] Sassanid queens had the title of Banebshenan banebshen (the Queen of Queens). Image File history File links Depiction of Queen Scheherazade telling her stories to King Shahryar in The Arabian Nights. ... Image File history File links Depiction of Queen Scheherazade telling her stories to King Shahryar in The Arabian Nights. ... The Book of One Thousand and One Nights (كتاب ألف ليلة و ليلة in Arabic or هزار و یک شب in Persian), also known as The book of a Thousand Nights and a Night... Queen Scheherazade tells her stories to King Shahryar. ... Queen Scheherazade tells her stories to King Shahryar. ... Achaemenid Empire The Achaemenid Dynasty was a dynasty in the ancient Persian Empire, including Cyrus II the Great, Darius I and Xerxes I. At the height of their power, the Achaemenid rulers of Persia ruled over territories roughly emcompassing some parts of todays Iraq, Egypt, Syria, Jordan, Israel, Lebanon... Ctesiphon, 1932 Ctesiphon (Parthian: Tyspwn as well as Tisfun) is one of the great cities of ancient Mesopotamia and the capital of the Parthian Empire and its successor, the Sassanid Empire, for more than 800 years located in the ancient Iranian province of Khvarvaran. ... KhvÄrvarÄn, (Modern Iraq)From the Fall of Sasanian Dynasty to the Arab Occupations and Umayyads In CE 600 the country which in our modern time known as Iraq was a province of the Iranian Empire, to which it had belonged to Iran since Cyrus the Great. ... Shananshah (Persian: شاهنشاه) (sometimes written Shahenshah, Shan-an-shah, or Shan-en-shah) was a title used by various rulers of Persia/Iran. ... Banebshenan banebshen (In Persian Ø¨Ø§Ù†Ø¨Ø´Ù†Ø§Ù† Ø¨Ø§Ù†Ø¨Ø´Ù†) was the Pahlavi title of Sassanid Queens of Persia. ...

On smaller scale the territory might also be ruled by a number of petty rulers from Sassanid royal family, known as Shahrdar (شهردار) overseen directly by Shahanshah. Sassanid rule was characterized by considerable centralization, ambitious urban planning, agricultural development, and technological improvements.^[21] Below the king a powerful bureaucracy carried out much of the affairs of government; The head of the bureaucracy and vice chancellor, was the "Vuzorg (Bozorg) Farmadar" (بزرگ فرمادار). Within this bureaucracy the Zoroastrian priesthood was immensely powerful. The head of the Magi priestly class, the Mobadan (موبدان), along with the commander in chief, the Iran (Eran) Spahbod (ايران سپهد), the head of traders and merchants syndicate "Ho Tokhshan Bod" (هوتوخشان بد) and minister of agriculture "Vastrioshansalar" (واستریوشانسالار) who was also head of farmers were, below the emperor, the most powerful men of the Sassanid state.^[26] // Universities A Vice-Chancellor (commonly called the VC) of a university in the United Kingdom, other Commonwealth countries, and some universities in Hong Kong, is the de facto head of the university. ... The Wise Men are given the names Gaspar, Melchior, and Balthasar in this Romanesque mosaic from the Basilica of St Apollinarius in Ravenna, Italy. ... Spahbod (Persian:Ø³Ù¾Ù‡Ø¨Ø¯ is consisted of two words: Spah Ø³Ù¾Ù‡ (army) bod Ø¨Ø¯ (master) ) was a rank used in the Parthian empire and more widely in Sassanid dynasty of Persia (Iran). ...

The Sassanid monarch usually acted with the advice of his ministers, who composed a council of state. Masudi, the Muslim historian, praised the "excellent administration of the [Sassanid] kings, their well-ordered policy, their care for their subjects, and the prosperity of their domains." Abd al-Hasan Ali ibn al-Husayn Masudi (d. ...

In normal times the monarchical office was hereditary, but might be transmitted by the king to a younger son; in two instances the supreme power was held by queens. When no direct heir was available, the nobles and prelates chose a ruler, but their choice was restricted to members of the royal family.^[27]

The Sassanid nobility was a mixture of old Parthian clans, Persian aristocratic families, and noble families from subjected territories. Many new noble families had risen after the dissolution of Parthian dynasty, while several of the once-dominant Seven Parthian clans remained of high importance. At the court of Ardashir I, the old Arsacid families of Suren-Pahlav and Karen-Pahlav, along with several Persian families, the Varazes and Andigans, held positions of great honor. Ardashir's successor, Shapur I , used as his symbol the Gondophar's crest (a circle surrounded by crescent), which may have indicated his relationship through his mother to the House of Suren-Pahlav. Alongside these Iranian and non-Iranian noble families, the kings of Merv, Abarshahr, Carmania, Sakastan, Iberia, and Adiabene, who are mentioned as holding positions of honor amongst the nobles, appeared at the court of the Shahanshah. Indeed, the extensive domains of the Surens, Karens, and Varazes had become part of the original Sassanid state as semi-independent states. The Suren-Pahlavs maintained their rule over the Sakastan, and one of their branches ruled the area around Nishapur. Thus, the noble families that attended at the court of the Sassanid empire continued to be ruling lines in their own right, although subordinate to the Shahanshah. Seven Clans or more accurately Seven Parthian clans (Persian, Haft Khandan) were seven different Parthian clans who constituted the Dahae Confederation. ... The Arsacid Dynasty ruled Persia. ... The House of Suren-Pahlav, was one of the oldest surviving Iranian clans and was once member one of the Seven Parthian clans. ... A coin of Shapur I. Shapur I, son of Ardashir I (226â€“241), was King of Persia from 241 to 272. ... Merv â€“ Persian name: Ù…Ø±Ùˆ; formerly Alexandria and Antiochia in Margiana (Greek: Î‘Î½Ï„Î¹ÏŒÏ‡ÎµÎ¹Î± Î· ÎœÎ±ÏÎ³Î¹Î±Î½Î®) â€“ in current-day Turkmenistan, was a major oasis-city in Central Asia, on the historical Silk Road, located near todays Mary. ... Kerman is a province rich in historical sites and monuments. ... Categories: Iran geography stubs | Provinces of Iran ... Aran or Arran is a historical geographical name used in early medieval times to define some parts of what is now the republic Azerbaijan as well as Armenia. ... Adiabene (In Syriac: ÜšÜ•ÜÜÜ’) was an ancient Assyrian kingdom in Mesopotamia with its capital at Arbela. ... Categories: Iran geography stubs | Provinces of Iran ... Nishapur (or NeyshÃ¢bÃ»r; Ù†ÛŒØ´Ø§Ø¨ÙˆØ± in Persian) is a town in the province of Khorasan in northeastern Iran, situated in a fertile plain at the foot of the Binalud Mountains, near the regional capital of Mashhad. ...

In general, Bozorgan from Persian families held the most powerful positions in the imperial administration, including governorships of border provinces (Marzban مرزبان). Most of these positions were patrimonial, and many were passed down through a single family for generations. Those Marzbans of greatest seniority were permitted a silver throne, while Marzbans of the most strategic border provinces, such as the Caucasus province, were allowed a golden throne.^[28] In military campaigns the regional Marzbans could be regarded as field marshals, while lesser spahbods could command a field army.^[29] The Ethnolinguistic patchwork of the modern Caucasus - CIA map This article concerns the geographic region. ... Spahbod (Persian:Ø³Ù¾Ù‡Ø¨Ø¯ is consisted of two words: Spah Ø³Ù¾Ù‡ (army) bod Ø¨Ø¯ (master) ) was a rank used in the Parthian empire and more widely in Sassanid dynasty of Persia (Iran). ...

Culturally, the Sassanids implemented a system of social stratification. This system was supported by Zoroastrianism, which was established as the state religion. Other religions appear to have been largely tolerated (although this claim is the subject of heated discussion; see, for example, Wiesehöfer, Ancient Persia, or the Cambridge History of Iran, vol. 3). Sassanid emperors consciously sought to resuscitate Persian traditions and to obliterate Greek cultural influence.^[21] The Persian Empire was a series of historical empires that ruled over the Iranian plateau (IrÄn - Land of the Aryans) and beyond. ...

Sassanid army

The backbone of the Persian army (Spah) in the Sassanid era was composed of two types of heavy cavalry units: Clibanarii and Cataphracts. This cavalry force, composed of elite noblemen trained since youth for military service, was supported by light cavalry, infantry, and archers. Sassanid tactics centered around disrupting the enemy with archers, war elephants, and other troops, thus opening up gaps the cavalry forces could exploit. The Persian Knight. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (522x768, 309 KB) Summary Subject: One of the oldest depictions of a Knight from the Sassanide relief. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (522x768, 309 KB) Summary Subject: One of the oldest depictions of a Knight from the Sassanide relief. ... Kermanshah or Taq-i-Bustan , is located in western Iran , four miles north-East of Kermanshah. ... The Clibanarii (from the Latin, clibani, meaning campoven) were a late Roman and Byzantine military unit of heavy armored horsemen. ... Sarmatian Cataphracts The word cataphract (from the Greek ÎºÎ±Ï„Î¬Ï†ÏÎ±ÎºÏ„Î¿Ï‚) was what Greek- and later Latin-speaking peoples used to describe heavy cavalry. ...

Unlike their predecessors, the Parthians, the Sassanids developed advanced siege engines. This development served the empire well in conflicts with Rome, in which success hinged upon the ability to seize cities and other fortified points; conversely, the Sassanids also developed a number of techniques for defending their own cities from attack. The Sassanid army was famous for its heavy cavalry, which was very much like its predecessor Parthian army, albeit more advanced and fatal. The Greek historian Ammianus Marcellinus's description of a Shapur II's clibanarii cavalry manifestly shows how heavily equipped it was: A siege engine is a device that is designed to break or circumvent city walls and other fortifications in siege warfare. ... Ammianus Marcellinus is a Roman historian who wrote during Late Antiquity. ... The Clibanarii (from the Latin, clibani, meaning campoven) were a late Roman and Byzantine military unit of heavy armored horsemen. ...

The amount of money involved in maintaining a warrior of the Asawaran (Azatan) knightly caste required a small estate, and the Asawaran (Azatan) knightly caste received that from the throne, and in return, were the throne's most notable defenders in time of war. Had the empire not been exhausted, and divided, without an effective government, at the time of the Arab invasions, the Asawaran (Azatan) knightly caste could in all probablity have defeated them. But they were never summoned in time, events unfolded too quickly, in a relative vacuum of power in the Empire. The result was the Islamic conquest. The Persian Knight. ... The Persian Knight. ... The Persian Knight. ...

Conflicts

The Sassanids, like the Parthians, were in constant hostilities with the Roman Empire. Following the division of the Roman Empire in 395, the Eastern Roman Empire, with its capital at Constantinople, replaced the Roman Empire as Persia's principle western enemy. Hostilities between the two empires became more frequent.^[21] The Sassanids, similar to the Roman Empire, were in a constant state of conflict with neighboring kingdoms and nomadic hordes. Although the threat of nomadic incursions could never be fully resolved, the Sassanids generally dealt much more successfully with these matters than did the Romans, due to their policy of making coordinated campaigns against threatening nomads.^[31] Parthias greatest extent in 60 BCE The Parthian Empire had grown from the decline of the Seleucid Empire and during the first century BCE it came into contact with Rome when the general Crassus attempted to invade the kingdom. ... Articles in category Battles of the Sassanid Empire There are 15 articles in this section of this category. ... The Roman-Persian Wars were a series of conflicts between the Roman world and the Persian Empire that started during the late Roman Republic in 92 BC and was carried over to the Eastern Roman Empire lasting until 627. ... Image File history File links Shapur_valerian. ... Image File history File links Shapur_valerian. ... The Roman Empire was a phase of the ancient Roman civilization characterized by an autocratic form of government. ... Byzantine Empire is the term conventionally used to describe the Roman Empire during the Middle Ages, centered around its capital in Constantinople. ... Map of Constantinople. ... The Roman Empire was a phase of the ancient Roman civilization characterized by an autocratic form of government. ...

In the west, Sassanid territory abutted that of the large and stable Roman state, but to the east its nearest neighbors were the Kushan Empire and nomadic tribes such as the White Huns. The construction of fortifications such as Tus citadel or the city of Nishapur, which later became a center of learning and trade, also assisted in defending the eastern provinces from attack. Boundary of the Kushan empire, c. ... The Hephthalites, also known as White Huns, were a nomadic people who lived across western China, Central Asia, South Asia and northern India in the fourth through sixth centuries AD. The term Hephthalite derives from Greek, supposedly a rendering of Hayathelite (from the term Haital = Big/Powerful in the dialect... The remains of Arg-e-Tus. ... Nishapur (or NeyshÃ¢bÃ»r; Ù†ÛŒØ´Ø§Ø¨ÙˆØ± in Persian) is a town in the province of Khorasan in northeastern Iran, situated in a fertile plain at the foot of the Binalud Mountains, near the regional capital of Mashhad. ...

In the south in central Arabia, Bedouin Arab tribes occasionally raided the Sassanid empire. The Kingdom of Al-Hirah, a Sassanid vassal kingdom, was established to form a buffer zone between the empire's mainland and the Bedouin tribes. The dissolution of the Kingdom of Al-Hirah by Khosrau II in 602 contributed greatly to decisive Sassanid defeats suffered against Bedouin Arabs later in the century. These defeats resulted in a sudden takeover of the Sassanid empire by Bedouin tribes under the Islamic banner. Bedouin resting at Mount Sinai Bedouin, derived from the Arabic , a generic name for a desert-dweller, is a term generally applied to Arab nomadic pastoralist groups, who are found throughout most of the desert belt extending from the Atlantic coast of the Sahara via the Western Desert, Sinai, and... The Lakhmids (Arabic: ) less commonly Muntherids (Arabic: ) were a group of Arab Christians who lived in Southern Iraq, and made al-Hirah which was a fabulous city with many castles and bath-houses and Palm gardens their capital in (266). ...

In the north, Khazars and other Turkic nomads frequently assaulted northern provinces of the empire. They plundered the territory of the Medes in 634. Shortly thereafter, the Persian army defeated them and drove them out. The Sassanids built numerous fortifications in the Caucasus region to halt these attacks. The Khazars were a Turkic semi-nomadic people from Central Asia who adopted Judaism. ... The Medes(ancient Kurdistan) were an Iranian people, who lived in the north, western, and northwestern portions of present-day Iran, and roughly the areas of present day Tehran, Hamedan, Azarbaijan, north of Esfahan, Zanjan, and Kurdistan. ...

Download high resolution version (776x603, 549 KB)Fresco from Qizil. ... Download high resolution version (776x603, 549 KB)Fresco from Qizil. ... Tocharian donors, with light hair and light eye color, dressed in Sassanian style, 6th century CE fresco, Qizil, Tarim Basin. ... Taklamakan Desert in the Tarim Basin. ... Tocharian refers to an Indo-European culture that inhabited the Tarim basin in what is now Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, northwestern Peoples Republic of China. ...

Interactions with Eastern states

Relations with China

Like their predecessors the Parthians, the Sassanid Empire carried out active foreign relations with China, and ambassadors from Persia frequently traveled to China. Chinese documents report on thirteen Sassanid Embassies to China. Commercially, land and sea trade with China was important to both the Sassanid and Chinese Empires. Large number of Sassanid coins have been found in southern China, confirming maritime trade. Iran-China relations date back over many centuries. ...

On different occasions Sassanid kings sent their most talented Persian musicians and dancers to the Chinese imperial court. Both empires benefited from trade along the Silk Road, and shared a common interest in preserving and protecting that trade. They cooperated in guarding the trade routes through central Asia, and both built outposts in border areas to keep caravans safe from nomadic tribes and bandits. The Silk Road in the 1st century CE. For other uses, see Silk Road (disambiguation). ...

Politically, we hear of several Sassanid and Chinese efforts in forging alliances against the common enemy who were the Hephthalites. Upon the encroachment of the nomadic Turkic states in Central Asia, we also see what looks like a collaboration between China and the Sassanid to defuse the Turkic advances. The documents from Mt. Mogh also talk about the presence of a Chinese general in the service of the king of Sogdiana at the time of the Arab invasions. The Hephthalites, also known as White Huns, were a nomadic people who lived across northern China, Central Asia, and northern India in the fourth through sixth centuries. ... This is the disambiguation page for the terms Turk, Turkey, Turkic, and Turkish. ... Sogdiana (Sug`ud,Sug`diyona -Uzbek, Sughd - Tajik, Sugdiane, Old Persian Sughuda, Persian:Ø³ØºØ¯, Chinese: Kang-KÃ¼) ancient civilization of Iranian peoples, then was a province of the Achaemenian Empire, the eighteenth in the list in the Behistun Inscription of Darius the Great (i. ...

Following the invasion of Iran by Muslim Arabs, Pirooz, son of Yazdegerd III, escaped along with a few Persian nobles and took refuge in the Chinese imperial court. Both Piroz and his son Narseh (Chinese neh-shie) were given high titles at the Chinese court. At least in two occasions, last one possibly in 670, Chinese troops were sent with Peroz in order to restore him to the Sassanid throne with mixed results, one possibly ending up in a short rule of Peroz in Sistan (Sakestan) from which we have a few remaining numsmatic evidence. Narseh later reached the position of the commander of the Chinese Impersial guards and his descendants lived in China as respected princes. Pirooz (the winner) was son of Yazdgerd III the last Sassanid king of Persia. ... Narseh (also known as Narses, Narseus) was king of Persia (292 - 303), and son of Shapur I. He rose as pretender to the throne against his grand-nephew Bahram III in AD 292, and soon became sole king. ... Categories: Iran geography stubs | Provinces of Iran ...

Expansion to India

After the Sassanids had secured Iran and its neighboring regions under Ardashir I, the second emperor, Shapur I (240–270), extended his authority eastwards into what is today Pakistan and northwestern India. The previously autonomous Kushans were obliged to accept his suzerainty. Although the Kushan empire declined at the end of the 3rd century, to be replaced by the northern Indian Gupta Empire in the 4th century, it is clear that Sassanid influence remained relevant in India's northwest throughout this period. Coin of the Indo-Sassanian king Varahran I (early 4th century). ... File links The following pages link to this file: Sassanid dynasty ... File links The following pages link to this file: Sassanid dynasty ... Punjab, 1903 Punjab Province, 1909 Punjab (meaning: Land of five Rivers (c. ... Boundary of the Kushan empire, c. ... The Gupta Empire in 400 CE (not including vassal states) The Gupta Empire was one of the largest political and military empires in ancient India. ...

Persia and northwestern India engaged in cultural as well as political intercourse during this period, as certain Sassanid practices spread into the Kushan territories. In particular, the Kushan's were influenced by the Sassanid conception of kingship, which spread through the trade of Sassanid silverware and textiles depicting emperors hunting or dispensing justice.

This cultural interchange did not, however, spread Sassanid religious practices or attitudes to the Kushans. While the Sassanids always adhered to a stated policy of religious proselytization, and sporadically engaged in persecution or forced conversion of minority religions, the Kushans preferred to adopt a policy of religious tolerance.

Lower-level cultural interchanges also took place between India and Persia during this period. For example, Persians imported chess from India and changed the game's name from chaturanga to chatrang. In exchange, Persians introduced Backgammon to India. Chess (Sanskrit: Chaturanga) is an abstract strategy board game and mental sport for two players. ... Chaturanga. ... Backgammon is a board game for two players in which pieces are moved according to the roll of dice and the winner is the first to remove all his pieces from the board. ...

During Khosrau I's reign many books were brought from India and translated into Pahlavi, the language of the Sassanid Empire. Some of these later found their way into the literature of the Islamic world. A notable example of this was the translation of the Indian Panchatantra by one of Khosrau's ministers, Burzoe; this translation, known as the Kelileh va Demneh, later made its way into Arabia and Europe.^[32] The details of Burzoe's legendary journey to India and his daring acquirement of Panchatantra is written in full details in Ferdowsi's Shahnameh. The Pahlavi script was used broadly in the Sasanid Persian Empire to write down Middle Persian for secular, as well as religious purposes. ... The Islamic world is the world-wide community of those who identify with Islam, known as Muslims, and who number approximately one-and-a-half billion people. ... The Panchatantra[1] (also spelled PaÃ±catantra, Sanskrit à¤ªà¤žà¥à¤šà¤¤à¤¨à¥à¤¤à¥à¤° Five Chapters) or Kelileh va Dimneh or Anvar-i-Suhayli [2][3] or The Lights of Canopus (in Persian) [4] or Kalilag and Damnag (in Syriac)[5] or Kalila and Dimna (also Kalilah and Dimnah, in Arabic)[6] or The Fables of... Burzoe (Bozorgmehr or Borzoyeh) is a famous Iranian man of learning and politician who lived and worked in the Sassanid Empire of Persia in the sixth century. ... Ferdowsi Tousi (ÙØ±Ø¯ÙˆØ³ÛŒ Ø·ÙˆØ³ÛŒ in Persian) (more commonly transliterated Firdausi, Ferdosi or Ferdusi) (935â€“1020) is considered to be one of the greatest Persian poets to have ever lived. ... Shahnameh Scenes from the Shahnameh carved into reliefs at Tus, where Ferdowsi is buried. ...

Iranian society under the Sassanids

Sassanid society and civilization were among the most flourishing of their time, rivaled in their region only by the Byzantine civilisation. The amount of scientific and intellectual exchange between the two empires is witness to the competition and cooperation of these cradles of civilization.^[14] Image File history File linksMetadata Sassanid_Music_Plate_7thcentury. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Sassanid_Music_Plate_7thcentury. ... 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 most famous of the surviving Byzantine mosaics of the Hagia Sophia in Constantinople - the image of Christ on the walls of the upper southern gallery. ...

The most striking difference between Parthian and Sassanid society was renowed emphasis on charismatic and centeralized government. In Sassanid theory, the ideal society was one which could maintain stability and justice and the necessary instrument for this was a strong monarch.^[33] Sassanid society was immensely complex, with separate systems of social organization governing numerous different groups within the empire.^[34] Historians believe that society was divided into four classes: Priests (Atorbanan in Persian: آتروبانان), Warriors (Arteshtaran in Persian: ارتشتاران), Secretaries (Dabiran in Persian: دبيران), and Commoners (Vasteryoshan-Hootkheshan in Persian: هوتخشان-واستريوشان). At the center of the Sassanid caste system was the Shahanshah, ruling over all the nobles.^[35] The royal princes, petty rulers, great landlords, and priests together constituted a privileged stratum, and were identified as Bozorgan بزرگان, or nobles. This social system appears to have been fairly rigid.^[21]

Membership in a class was based on birth, although it was possible for an exceptional individual to move to another class on the basis of merit. The function of the king was to ensure that each class remained within its proper boundaries, so that the strong did not oppress the weak, nor the weak the strong. To maintain this social equilibrium was the essence of royal justice, and its effective functioning depended on the glorification of the monarchy above all other classes.^[36]

On a lower level, Sassanid society was divided into Azatan (Azadan) آزادان (freemen), who jealously guarded their status as descendants of ancient Aryan conquerors, and the mass of originally non-Aryan peasantry. The Azatan formed a large low-aristocracy of low-level administrators, mostly living on small estates. The Azatan provided the cavalry backbone of Sassanid army.^[37] The Persian Knight. ... Aryan () is an English language word derived from the Sanskrit and Iranian terms ari-, arya-, Ärya-, and/or the extended form aryÄna-. The Sanskrit and Old Persian languages both pronounced the word as arya- () and aryan. ... The Persian Knight. ...

Art, science and literature

The Sassanid kings were enlightened patrons of letters and philosophy. Khosrau I had the works of Plato and Aristotle translated into Pahlavi taught at Gundishapur, and even read them himself. During his reign many historical annals were compiled, of which the sole survivor is the Karnamak-i Artaxshir-i Papakan (Deeds of Ardashir), a mixture of history and romance that served as the basis of the Iranian national epic, the Shahnama. When Justinian I closed the schools of Athens, seven of their professors fled to Persia and found refuge at Khosrau's court. In time they grew homesick, and in his treaty of 533 with Justinian, the Sassanid king stipulated that the Greek sages should be allowed to return and be free from persecution.^[38] Sassanid art is the term commonly used to describe the various artistic products of the Sassanid Empire of Persia from about the 3rd century until its fall of Ctesiphon in 640. ... Ancient Iranians attached great importance to music and poetry, as they still do today. ... The Academy of Gundishapur (also Jondishapoor, Jondishapur, and Jondishapour, Gondeshapur, GONDÃŠ SHÃ‚PÃ›R, etc. ... This article needs to be wikified. ... Taq-e-kasra, Built during the Persian empire of the Sassanide dynasty. ... Here are the list of castles whove been built by Sassanid dynasty of Persia. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1532x1485, 964 KB) Description Licensing File links The following pages link to this file: Sassanid Empire Sassanid art ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1532x1485, 964 KB) Description Licensing File links The following pages link to this file: Sassanid Empire Sassanid art ... A coin of Khosrau I. Khosrau I, (Chosroes I in classical sources, most commonly known in Persian as Anooshiravan also spelled Anushirvan, Persian: Ø§Ù†ÙˆØ´ÙŠØ±ÙˆØ§Ù† meaning the immortal soul), also known as Anooshiravan the Just (Ø§Ù†ÙˆØ´ÛŒØ±ÙˆØ§Ù† Ø¹Ø§Ø¯Ù„, Anooshiravan-e-Ädel) (ruled 531â€“579), was the favourite son and successor of Kavadh I (488â€“531... This image is copyrighted. ... This image is copyrighted. ... This image is copyrighted. ... This image is copyrighted. ... This image is copyrighted. ... This image is copyrighted. ... Shapur II was king of Persia (310 - 379). ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (1660x1650, 1264 KB) Description fr: TÃªte de cheval en argent dorÃ©, IVe siÃ¨cle av. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (1660x1650, 1264 KB) Description fr: TÃªte de cheval en argent dorÃ©, IVe siÃ¨cle av. ... For other uses, see Plato (disambiguation). ... Aristotle (Greek: AristotÃ©lÄ“s) (384 BC â€“ March 7, 322 BC) was an ancient Greek philosopher, a student of Plato and teacher of Alexander the Great. ... The KÃ¢rnÃ¢mag Ã® ArdashÃ®r Ã® BabagÃ¢n or Book of the Deeds of Ardashir, Son of Babag, is a mythological Persian Phalavi tale written sometime during the Sassanid dynasty. ... Shahnameh Shahnameh Scenes from the Shahnameh carved into reliefs at Tus, where Ferdowsi is buried. ...

Under Khosrau I the college of Gundishapur, which had been founded in the 4th century, became "the greatest intellectual center of the time," drawing students and teachers from every quarter of the world. Nestorian Christians were received there, and brought Syriac translations of Greek works in medicine and philosophy. Neoplatonists, too, came to Gundishapur, where they planted the seeds of Sufi mysticism; the medical lore of India, Persia, Syria, and Greece mingled there to produce a flourishing school of therapy.^[38] Syriac is an Eastern Aramaic language that was once spoken across much of the Fertile Crescent. ... Sufism (Arabic تصوف taṣawwuf) is a system of esoteric philosophy commonly associated with Islam. ... Mysticism from the Greek Î¼Ï…ÏƒÏ„Î¹ÎºÏŒÏ‚ (mystikos) an initiate (of the Eleusinian Mysteries, Î¼Ï…ÏƒÏ„Î®ÏÎ¹Î± (mysteria) meaning initiation[1]) is the pursuit of achieving communion or identity with, or conscious awareness of, ultimate reality, the divine, spiritual truth, or God through direct experience, intuition, or insight; and the belief that such experience is an...

Artistically, the Sassanid period witnessed some of the highest achievements of Persian civilization. Much of what later became known as Muslim culture, including architecture and writing, was originally drawn from Persian culture. At its peak the Sassanid Empire stretched from Syria to northwest India, but its influence was felt far beyond these political boundaries. Sassanid motifs found their way into the art of Central Asia and China, the Byzantine Empire, and even Merovingian France. Islamic art however, was the true heir to Sassanid art, whose concepts it was to assimilate while, at the same time instilling fresh life and renewed vigor into it^[39]. According to Will Durant: Wikipedia does not yet have an article with this exact name. ... Map of Central Asia showing three sets of possible boundaries for the region Central Asia located as a region of the world Central Asia is a vast landlocked region of Asia. ... Byzantine Empire (native Greek name: - Basileia tÅn RomaiÅn) is the term conventionally used since the 19th century to describe the Greek-speaking Roman Empire of the Middle Ages, centered at its capital in Constantinople. ... For other uses, see Merovingian (disambiguation). ... Islamic art is the art of Islamic people, cultures, and countries. ... William Durant William James Durant (November 5, 1885â€“November 7, 1981) was an American philosopher, historian, and writer. ...

Sassanid carvings at Taq-e Bostan and Naqsh-e Rustam were colored; so were many features of the palaces; but only traces of such painting remain. The literature, however, makes it clear that the art of painting flourished in Sasanian times; the prophet Mani is reported to have founded a school of painting; Firdowsi speaks of Persian magnates adorning their mansions with pictures of Iranian heroes; and the poet al-Buhturi describes the murals in the palace at Ctesiphon. When a Sasanian king died, the best painter of the time was called upon to make a portrait of him for a collection kept in the royal treasury. Image File history File links Cquote1. ... Image File history File links Cquote2. ... Kermanshah or Taq-i-Bustan , is located in western Iran , four miles north-East of Kermanshah. ... NÃ¦qÅ¡-e RostÃ¦m, near Shiraz A rock relief at Naqsh-e Rostam, depicting the triumph of Shapur I over three Roman Emperors Valerian, Gordian III and Philip the Arab. ... Mani (in Persian: Ù…Ø§Ù†ÛŒ) was born of Iranian (Parthian) parentage in Babylon, Mesopotamia (modern-day Iraq) which was a part of Persian Empire about 210-276 CE. He was a religious preacher and the founder of Manichaeism, an ancient Persian gnostic religion that was once prolific but is now extinct. ... فردوسی Ferdowsi Ferdowsi Ferdowsi Tousi (فردوسی طوسی in Persian) (more commonly transliterated Firdausi) (935–1020) is considered to be one of the greatest Persian poets to have ever lived. ... Ctesiphon, 1932 Ctesiphon (Parthian: Tyspwn as well as Tisfun) is one of the great cities of ancient Mesopotamia and the capital of the Parthian Empire and its successor, the Sassanid Empire, for more than 800 years located in the ancient Iranian province of Khvarvaran. ...

Painting, sculpture, pottery, and other forms of decoration shared their designs with Sasanian textile art. Silks, embroideries, brocades, damasks, tapestries, chair covers, canopies, tents, and rugs were woven with servile patience and masterly skill, and were dyed in warm tints of yellow, blue, and green. Every Persian but the peasant and the priest aspired to dress above his class; presents often took the form of sumptuous garments; and great colorful carpets had been an appanage of wealth in the East since Assyrian days. The two dozen Sasanian textiles that escaped the teeth of time are the most highly valued fabrics in existence. Even in their own day, Sasanian textiles were admired and imitated from Egypt to the Far East; and during the Crusades these pagan products were favored for clothing the relics of Christian saints. When Heraclius captured the palace of Khosru Parvez at Dastagird, delicate embroideries and an immense rug were among his most precious spoils. Famous was the "Winter Carpet", also known as "Khosro's Spring" (Spring Season Carpet قالى بهارستان) of Khosru Anushirvan, designed to make him forget winter in its spring and summer scenes: flowers and fruits made of inwoven rubies and diamonds grew, in this carpet, beside walks of silver and brooks of pearls traced on a ground of gold. Harun al-Rashid prided himself on a spacious Sasanian rug thickly studded with jewelry. Persians wrote love poems about their rugs.^[38] Relief from Assyrian capital of Dur Sharrukin, showing transport of Lebanese cedar (8th c. ... Heraclius and his sons Heraclius Constantine and Heraclonas. ... Khosrau II, the Victorious (Parvez), king of Persia, son of Hormizd IV, grandson of Khosrau I, 590 - 628. ... A coin of Khosrau I. Khosrau I, (Chosroes I in classical sources, most commonly known in Persian as Anooshiravan also spelled Anushirvan, Persian: Ø§Ù†ÙˆØ´ÙŠØ±ÙˆØ§Ù† meaning the immortal soul), also known as Anooshiravan the Just (Ø§Ù†ÙˆØ´ÛŒØ±ÙˆØ§Ù† Ø¹Ø§Ø¯Ù„, Anooshiravan-e-Ädel) (ruled 531â€“579), was the favourite son and successor of Kavadh I (488â€“531... Persian miniature depicting HÄrÅ«n ar-RashÄ«d. ...

Studies on Sassanid remains show that over 100 types of crowns being worn by Sassanid kings. The various Sassanid crowns demonstrate the cultural, economic, social, and historical situation in each period. The crowns also show the character traits of each king in this era. Different symbols and signs on the crowns, the moon, stars, eagle, and palm, each illustrate the wearer's religious faith and beliefs.^[40] (For more on Sassanid crowns please visit [3])

The Sassand Dynasty, like the Achaemenid, originated in the province of Persis (Fars). The Sassanids saw themselves as successors of the Achaemenids, after the Hellenistic and Parthian interlude, and believed that it was their destiny to restore the greatness of Persia. External links Official website of Fars Governorship Categories: Iran geography stubs | Provinces of Iran ... // Introduction Fars is one of the 30 provinces of Iran. ... The term Hellenistic (established by the German historian Johann Gustav Droysen) in the history of the ancient world is used to refer to the shift from a culture dominated by ethnic Greeks, however scattered geographically, to a culture dominated by Greek-speakers of whatever ethnicity, and from the political dominance...

In reviving the glories of the Achaemenid past, the Sassanids were no mere imitators. The art of this period reveals an astonishing virility, in certain respects anticipating key features of Islamic art. Sassanid art combined elements of traditional Persian art with Hellenistic elements and influences. The conquest of Persia by Alexander the Great had inaugurated the spread of Hellenistic art into Western Asia. Though the East accepted the outward form of this art, it never really assimilated its spirit. Already in the Parthian period, Hellenistic art was being interpreted freely by the peoples of the Near East. Throughout the Sassanid period there was reaction against it. Sassanid art revived forms and traditions native to Persia, and in the Islamic period, these reached the shores of the Mediterranean. ^[41] According to Fergusson: The Persepolis Ruins The Achaemenid dynasty (Old Persian:Hakamanishiya, Persian: Ù‡Ø®Ø§Ù…Ù†Ø´ÛŒØ§Ù†) - was a dynasty in the ancient Persian Empire. ... The Persian Empire was a series of historical empires that ruled over the Iranian plateau (IrÄn - Land of the Aryans) and beyond. ... Alexander the Great (Greek: [1], Megas Alexandros; July 356 BC â€” June 11, 323 BC), also known as Alexander III, king of Macedon (336â€“323 BC), was one of the most successful military commanders in history, conquering most of the known world before his death; he is frequently included in a... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ...

Surviving palaces illustrate the splendor in which the Sassanid monarchs lived. Examples include palaces at Firouzabad and Bishapur in Fars and the capital city of Ctesiphon in Khvarvaran province, Iraq. In addition to local traditions, Parthian architecture influenced Sassanid architectural characteristics. All are characterized by the barrel-vaulted iwans introduced in the Parthian period. During the Sassanid period, these reached massive proportions, particularly at Ctesiphon. There, the arch of the great vaulted hall, attributed to the reign of Shapur I (241–272), has a span of more than 80 feet and reaches a height of 118 feet. This magnificent structure fascinated architects in the centuries that followed and has been considered one of the most important examples of Persian architecture. Many of the palaces contain an inner audience hall consisting, as at Firuzabad, of a chamber surmounted by a dome. The Persians solved the problem of constructing a circular dome on a square building by employing squinches, or arches built across each corner of the square, thereby converting it into an octagon on which it is simple to place the dome. The dome chamber in the palace of Firouzabad is the earliest surviving example of the use of the squinch, suggesting that this architectural technique was probably invented in Persia. Map of Iran and surrounding countries, showing location of Firouzabad. ... City of Bishapur Another view of Bishapur Bishapur (or BishÃ¢pÃ»r) is an ancient city situated south of modern Faliyan, Iran on the ancient road between Persis and Elam. ... // Introduction Fars is one of the 30 provinces of Iran. ... Ctesiphon, 1932 Ctesiphon (Parthian: Tyspwn as well as Tisfun) is one of the great cities of ancient Mesopotamia and the capital of the Parthian Empire and its successor, the Sassanid Empire, for more than 800 years located in the ancient Iranian province of Khvarvaran. ... KhvÄrvarÄn, (Modern Iraq)From the Fall of Sasanian Dynasty to the Arab Occupations and Umayyads In CE 600 the country which in our modern time known as Iraq was a province of the Iranian Empire, to which it had belonged to Iran since Cyrus the Great. ... The Baháí House of Worship by Fariborz Sahba, also known as the Lotus Temple. ... A squinch in architecture is a piece of construction used for filling in the upper angles of a square room so as to form a proper base to receive an octagonal or spherical dome. ...

The unique characteristic of Sassanid architecture was its distinctive use of space. The Sassanid architect conceived his building in terms of masses and surfaces; hence the use of massive walls of brick decorated with molded or carved stucco. Stucco wall decorations appear at Bishapur, but better examples are preserved from Chal Tarkhan near Rayy (late Sassanid or early Islamic in date), and from Ctesiphon and Kish in Mesopotamia. The panels show animal figures set in roundels, human busts, and geometric and floral motifs. Ray, also spelled Rayy or Rages (ری in Persian) is the most historic city in the province of Tehran, Iran. ... Kish, an ancient city in Sumer, now in Iraq Kish, an Iranian island and city in the Persian Gulf Kish, a person in Bible The Kish Bank is a shallow in the Irish Sea, a fishing ground. ...

At Bishapur some of the floors were decorated with mosaics showing scenes of merrymaking as at a banquet. The Roman influence here is clear, and the mosaics may have been laid by Roman prisoners. Buildings were decorated with wall paintings. Particularly fine examples have been found at Kuh-i Khwaja in Sistan. SistÄn and BalÅ«chestÄn is one of the 30 provinces of Iran. ...

Industry and trade

Persian industry under the Sassanids developed from domestic to urban forms. Guilds were numerous, and some towns had a revolutionary proletariat. Silk weaving was introduced from China; Sassanid silks were sought for everywhere, and served as models for the textile art in Byzantium, China, and Japan. Chinese merchants came to Iran to sell raw silk and buy rugs, jewels, rouge; Armenians, Syrians, and Jews connected Persia, Byzantium, and Rome in slow exchange. Good roads and bridges, well patrolled, enabled state post and merchant caravans to link Ctesiphon with all provinces; and harbors were built in the Persian Gulf to quicken trade with India.^[38] Sassanid merchants ranged far and wide and gradually ousted Romans from lucrative Indian ocean trade routes.^[43] The recent Archeological discovery has shown an interesting fact that Sassanids used special labels (commercial labels) on goods as a way of promoting their brands and distinguish between different qualities.^[44] Image File history File links Khosrau_I_Textile. ... Image File history File links Khosrau_I_Textile. ... Khosrau II, the Victorious (Parvez), king of Persia, son of Hormizd IV, grandson of Khosrau I, 590 - 628. ... King Ezanas Stele in Axum. ... Image File history File links Indo-Sassanid. ... Image File history File links Indo-Sassanid. ... Image File history File links Textile0001. ... Image File history File links Textile0001. ... Sassanid silk twill textile of a Simurgh in a beaded surround, 6-7th c. ...

Khosrau I further extended the already vast trade network. The Sassanid state now tended toward monopolistic control of trade, with luxury goods assuming a far greater role in the trade than heretofore, and the great activity in building of ports, caravanserais, bridges, and the like was linked to trade and urbanization. The Persians dominated international trade, both in the Indian Ocean and in Central Asia and South Russia in the time of Khosrau, although competition with the Byzantines was at times intense. Sasanian settlements in Oman and Yemen testify to the importance of trade with India, but the silk trade with China was mainly in the hands of Sassanid vassals and the Iranian people, the Sogdians.^[45] The Sogdians were an ancient people of Central Asia, who inhabited the region known to the West as Sogdiana. ...

The main exports of Sassanids were silk, woolen and golden textile, carpet and rug, skin, leather and Pearl from Persian gulf. Also there were goods in transit from China (paper, silk) and India (spices) whom Sassanid customs imposed taxes on them and were re-exported from Empire to Europe.^[46] It has been suggested that Persian Gulf States be merged into this article or section. ...

It was also a time of increased metallurgical production, so Iran earned a reputation as the "armory of Asia". Most of the Sassanids mining centers were at the fringes of the Empire, in Armenia, the Caucasus and above all Transoxania. The extraordinary mineral wealth of Pamir Mountains on the eastern horizon of the Sassanid empire led to a legend among the Tajiks, an Iranian people living there, which is still told today. It said when God was creating the world, he tripped over Pamirs, dropping his jar of minerals which spread across the region.^[47] The Entholinguistic patchwork of the modern Caucasus - CIA map The Caucasus, a region bordering Asia Minor, is located between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea which includes the Caucasus Mountains and surrounding lowlands. ... Transoxiana (sometimes also spelled Transoxania) is the now-largely obsolete name used for the portion of Central Asia corresponding approximately with modern-day Uzbekistan and southwest Kazakhstan. ... Located in Central Asia, the Pamir Mountains are formed by the junction of the Tian Shan, Karakoram, Kunlun, and Hindu Kush ranges. ... Tajikmay refer to: Tajiks, an ethnic group living in Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iran, and China The Tajik language, the official language of Tajikistan The Arabic-schooled, ethnically Persian administrative caste of the Turco-Persian society. ...

Religion

The religion of the Sassanid state was Zoroastrianism, but Sassanid Zoroastrianism had clear distinctions from the practices laid out in the Avesta, the holy books of Zoroastrianism. Sassanid Zoroastrian clergy modified the religion in a way to serve themselves, causing substantial religious uneasiness. Sassanid religious policies contributed to the flourishing of numerous religious reform movements, the most important of these being the Mani and Mazdak religions. Zoroastrianism is the religion and philosophy based on the teachings ascribed to the prophet Zoroaster (Zarathushtra, Zartosht). ... Image File history File links ArdashirII_. ... Image File history File links ArdashirII_. ... Kermanshah or Taq-i-Bustan , is located in western Iran , four miles north-East of Kermanshah. ... Ardashir II was king of Persia from 379-383. ... Ahura Mazda is the Avestan language name for an exalted divinity of ancient proto-Iranian religion that was subsequently declared by Zarathustra (Zoroaster) to be the one uncreated creator of all (God). ... Mithra (Avestan MiÎ¸ra, modern Persian Ù…Ù‡Ø± Mihr, Mehr, Meher) is an important deities or divine concepts (so called Yazata) in Zoroastrianism and later Persian mythology and culture. ... Download high resolution version (2011x1501, 603 KB)Main Fire Temple in Yazd, Iran July 2004 File links The following pages link to this file: Zoroastrianism Dari (Zoroastrian) Categories: GFDL images ... Download high resolution version (2011x1501, 603 KB)Main Fire Temple in Yazd, Iran July 2004 File links The following pages link to this file: Zoroastrianism Dari (Zoroastrian) Categories: GFDL images ... The city of Yazd, as seen from the tall minarets of its 12th century mosque. ... See Avesta Municipality for the Swedish town Yasna 28. ... Mani (in Persian: Ù…Ø§Ù†ÛŒ) was born of Iranian (Parthian) parentage in Babylon, Mesopotamia (modern-day Iraq) which was a part of Persian Empire about 210-276 CE. He was a religious preacher and the founder of Manichaeism, an ancient Persian gnostic religion that was once prolific but is now extinct. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ...

Extreme and pronounced dualism constituted the most noticeable feature of Zoroastrianism. Ormazd and Ahriman, the principles of Good and Evil, were expressly declared to be "twins" who had "in the beginning come together to create Life and Death, and to settle how the world was to be." There was no priority of existence of the one over the other, and no decided superiority. The two, being coeval, had contended since the beginning of time and would, it was almost certain, continue to contend for all eternity, neither being able to vanquish the other. It has been suggested that Combative dualism be merged into this article or section. ... Ahura Mazda is the Avestan language name for an exalted divinity of ancient proto-Iranian religion that was subsequently declared by Zarathustra (Zoroaster) to be the one uncreated creator of all (God). ... Angra Mainyu or Ahriman was the evil spirit in the dualistic strain of Zoroastrianism. ...

These two principles were represented as persons. Ormazd was "the creator of life, the earthly and the spiritual," he who "made the celestial bodies, earth, water, and trees." He was "good," "holy," "pure," "true," "the Holy God," "the Holiest," "the Essence of Truth," "the father of all truth," "the being best of all," "the master of purity." He was supremely "happy," being possessed of every blessing, "health, wealth, virtue, wisdom, immortality." From him came every good gift enjoyed by man; on the pious and the righteous he bestowed, not only earthly advantages, but precious spiritual gifts, truth, devotion, "the good mind," and everlasting happiness; and, as he rewarded the good, so he also punished the bad, though this was an aspect in which he was but seldom represented.^[48]

Zoroastrian worship was intimately connected with fire-temples and fire-altars. A fire-temple was maintained in every important city throughout the empire; and in these a sacred flame, believed to have been lighted from heaven, was kept perpetually alight by the priests, and was spoken of as "unextinguishable". Fire-altars probably also existed independently of temples; throughout Sassanid history a freestanding fire-altar was given a prominent place on coinage as the main impress on the reverse. It was represented with the flame rising from it, and sometimes with a head in the flame; its stem was ornamented with garlands or fillets; and on either side, as protectors or as worshippers, were represented two figures, sometimes watching the flame, sometimes turned from it, guarding it apparently from external enemies.^[49] The Yazd Atash Behram A Fire Temple (also Dar-e Mihr, or Atash Kadeh in Iran, Agiary in India, and various names in North America) is a place of worship for Zoroastrians. ... The Yazd Atash Behram A Fire Temple (also Dar-e Mihr, or Atash Kadeh in Iran, Agiary in India, and various names in North America) is a place of worship for Zoroastrians. ...

Alongside Zoroastrianism other religions, primarily Judaism, Christianity and Buddhism existed in Sassanid society, and were largely free to practice and preach their beliefs. A very large Jewish community flourished under Sassanid rule, with thriving centers at Isfahan, Babylon and Khorasan, and with its own semiautonomous Exilarchate leadership based in Mesopotamia. This community would, in fact, continue to flourish until the advent of Zionism.^[50]Jewish communities suffered only occasional persecution. They enjoyed a relative freedom of religion, and were granted privileges denied to other religious minorities.^[51] Shapur I (Shabur Malka in Aramaic) was a particular friend to the Jews. His friendship with Shmuel produced many advantages for the Jewish community.^[52] He even offered the Jews in the Sassanid empire a fine white Nisaean horse, just in case that the Messiah, who was thought to ride a donkey or a mule, would come ^[53]. Shapur II, whose mother was Jewish, had a similar friendship with a Babylonian rabbi named Raba. Raba's friendship with Shapur II enabled him to secure a relaxation of the oppressive laws enacted against the Jews in the Persian Empire. Moreover, in the eastern portion of the empire, various Buddhist places of worship, notably in Bamiyan were active as Buddhism gradually became more popular in that region. Judaism is the religion of the Jewish people. ... Christianity is a monotheistic[1] religion centered on Jesus of Nazareth, and on his life and teachings as presented in the New Testament. ... A replica of an ancient statue of Gautama Buddha, found in Sarnath, near Varanasi. ... Part of Shah Abbas large urban project in his new capital, the ChahÄr BÄgh Four Gardens, is a four-kilometer avenue in the city of Isfahan. ... , Babylon is the Greek variant of Akkadian Babilu (bÄb-ilÃ», meaning Gateway of ... Khorasan (Persian: Ø®Ø±Ø§Ø³Ø§Ù†) (also transcribed as Khurasan and Khorassan; Horasan in Turkish) is a region located in eastern Iran. ... Poster promoting a film about Jewish settlement in Palestine, 1930s: Toward a New Life (in Romanian),The Promised Land (in Hungarian), the small caption (bottom) reads First Palestinian film with sound Zionism is a political movement that supports a homeland for the Jewish people in the Land of Israel, where... In the Old Testament, Samuel or Shmuel (שְׁמוּאֵל Name/Heard of God, Standard Hebrew Šəmuʾel, Tiberian Hebrew Šəmûʾēl) is a leader of ancient Israel. ... Raba or Raba Ben Joseph Ben Hama(c. ... Bamiyan province is one of the thirty_four provinces of Afghanistan. ...

Christians in Iran at this time belonged mainly to the Nestorian and Jacobite branches of Christianity, also known as respectively the Assyrian Church of the East and the Syriac Orthodox Church. Although these churches were originally maintaining ties with the Christian churches in the Roman Empire, they were indeed quite different from the churches in the Roman Empire. One of the most important reasons for this, is that the Church language of the Nestorian and Jacobite churches was the Aramaic language, which is also the language spoken by the Jews in Judea and Galilee at the time of Jesus. This language was not used by the vast majority of the Christians in the Roman Empire, who mainly spoke Latin, Koine Greek, or Coptic. The term Nestorianism is eponymous, even though the person who lent his name to it always denied the associated belief. ... The Syriac Orthodox Church is an autocephalous Oriental Orthodox church based in the Middle East with members spread throughout the world. ... The Holy Apostolic and Catholic Assyrian Church of the East under His Holiness Mar Dinkha IV, is a Christian church that traces its origins to the See of Babylon, said to be founded by Saint Thomas the Apostle. ... The Syriac Orthodox Church is an autocephalous Oriental Orthodox church based in the Middle East with members spread throughout the world. ... Judea or Judaea (×™×”×•×“×” Praise, Standard Hebrew , Tiberian Hebrew ) (Greek: Î™Î¿Ï…Î´Î±Î¯Î±) is a term used for the mountainous southern part of the historic Land of Israel (Hebrew: ××¨×¥ ×™×©×¨××œ Eretz Yisrael), an area now divided between Israel and the West Bank, and, in a few geographical definitions of Judea, Jordan. ... Galilee (Arabic al-jaleel Ø§Ù„Ø¬Ù„ÙŠÙ„, Hebrew hagalil ×”×’×œ×™×œ), meaning circuit, is a large area overlapping with much of the North District of Israel. ... Jesus (8â€“2 BC/BCE to 29â€“36 AD/CE),[1] also known as Jesus of Nazareth, is the central figure of Christianity. ... Latin is an ancient Indo-European language originally spoken in Latium, the region immediately surrounding Rome. ... Koine Greek () is an ancient Greek dialect which marks the third stage in the history of the Greek language. ... Coptic is an adjective referring to the original inhabitants of Egypt, the Copts. ...

Another factor that the churches within the Persian Empire did not maintain such close ties with their counterparts in the Roman Empire, was also the continuous rivalry between these two great empires. And quite often, Christians in Persia were (often falsely) accused of sympathizing with the Romans, especially when the Roman emperor Theodosius I declared Christianity the state religion of the Roman Empire. On the reverse of this coin minted under Valentinian II, both Valentinian and Theodosius are depicted with halos. ...

But it was not until the Council of Ephesus in 431 that the vast majority of Christians in Persia broke their ties with the churches in the Roman Empire. At this council, Nestorius, a theologian of Syrian/Assyrian origin and the patriarch of Constantinople, taught a different view of the Christology that was rejected and regarded as heretical by the majority of Greek, Roman and Coptic Christians. One of the differences in Nestorius' teachings, was that he refused to call Mary, the mother of Jesus Christ "Theotokos" or Mother of God. The Assyrian Church, however, disagreed with the other churches, and refused to condemn Nestorius' teachings. The Council of Ephesus was held in Ephesus, Asia Minor in 431 under Emperor Theodosius II, grandson of Theodosius the Great. ... Nestorius - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia /**/ @import /skins-1. ... Christology is that part of Christian theology which studies and attempts to define Jesus the Christ. ... Heresy, according to the Oxford English Dictionary, is a theological or religious opinion or doctrine maintained in opposition, or held to be contrary, to the ‘catholic’ or orthodox doctrine of the Christian Church, or, by extension, to that of any church, creed, or religious system, considered as orthodox. ... Wikipedia does not yet have an article with this exact name. ... Theotokos of Kazan Theotokos (Greek Î˜ÎµÎ¿Ï„ÏŒÎºÎ¿Ï‚) is a title of Mary, the mother of Jesus. ...

Nestorius eventually lost the debate, and was deposed as patriarch. He was forced to flee with a number of his followers to the Sassanid Persian Empire where he was allowed to settle in Persian territories. He and his followers were welcomed into the Assyrian Church in Mesopotamia. Several Persian emperors also used this opportunity to strengthen Nestorius' position within the Assyrian Church (which made up the vast majority of the Christians in the Persian Empire) by eliminating the most important pro-catholic clergymen in Persia and making sure that their places were taken by Nestorians. This was to assure that the only loyalty these Christians would have, would be to the Persian Empire. (see also Sassanid Church) Nestorius - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia /**/ @import /skins-1. ... The Sassanid Church or Sassanian Chruch was established in 422 under Yezdegird I, shah of Sassanid Persia (Iran), to satisfy Persias (Irans) relatively large indigenous Christian population. ...

Most of the Christians in the Sassanid empire lived on the western edge of the empire, predominately in Mesopotamia, but there were also important communities on the island Tylos (present day Bahrain), the southern coast of the Persian Gulf, the area of the Arabian kingdom of Lakhm and the Persian part of Armenia. Some of these areas were the earliest to be Christianized; the kingdom of Armenia became the first independant Christian state in the world in 301 while a number of Assyrian territories had almost become fully Christianized even earlier during the 3rd century, they never became independant nations.^[14] Dilmun (sometimes transliterated Telmun) is associated with ancient sites on the islands of Bahrain in the Persian Gulf. ... For other uses, see Arab (disambiguation). ... The Lakhmids (Arabic: ) less commonly Muntherids (Arabic: ) were a group of Arab Christians who lived in Southern Iraq, and made al-Hirah which was a fabulous city with many castles and bath-houses and Palm gardens their capital in (266). ... Events September 3 - The republic of San Marino is established (traditional date). ...

Most Christians in the Persian Empire belonged to a number of predominately Christian ethnic groups. Some of these groups were the Assyrians, the Arabs of southern Mesopotamia, the Armenians, as well as some smaller ethnic groups such as the Monophysite Syriacs. The latter group was taken to Persia as prisoners of war from the many conflicts with the Roman Empire. Conversion did take place among ethnic Persians and other ethnicities residing in the empire. Among them were certain small Caucasian and Kurdish tribes which had converted to Christianity. It has been suggested that Assyrian people be merged into this article or section. ... The Arabs (Arabic: Ø¹Ø±Ø¨ ) are an ethnic group found throughout the Middle East and North Africa. ... Monophysitism (from the Greek monos meaning one and physis meaning nature) is the christological position that Christ has only one nature, as opposed to the Chalcedonian position which holds that Christ has two natures, one divine and one human. ... The factual accuracy of this article is disputed. ... Geneva Convention definition A prisoner of war (POW) is a soldier, sailor, airman, or marine who is imprisoned by an enemy power during or immediately after an armed conflict. ... The Kurds are an Iranian-speaking ethnic group who consider themselves to be indigenous to a region often referred to as Kurdistan, an area which includes adjacent parts of Iran, Iraq, Syria, and Turkey. ... Christianity is a monotheistic[1] religion centered on Jesus of Nazareth, and on his life and teachings as presented in the New Testament. ...

Legacy and Importance

In Europe

Sassanids had a significant influence on Roman civilization. The character of the Roman army was affected by the methods of Persian warfare. In a modified form, the Roman Imperial autocracy imitated the royal ceremonial of the court of Sassanids at Ctesiphon, and the Roman ceremonies had in turn an influence on the ceremonial traditions of the courts of modern Europe. The origin of the formalities of European diplomacy is attributed to the diplomatic relations between the Persian governments and Roman Empire.^[54] Ctesiphon, 1932 Ctesiphon (Parthian: Tyspwn as well as Tisfun) is one of the great cities of ancient Mesopotamia and the capital of the Parthian Empire and its successor, the Sassanid Empire, for more than 800 years located in the ancient Iranian province of Khvarvaran. ...

The principles of the European knighthood (heavily armoured cavalry) of the Middle ages can be traced to the Sassanid Asawaran (Azatan) knightly caste, with whom it also shares a number of similarities.^[55] The Persian Knight. ...

In India

Following the collapse of the Sassanid Empire, after which Zoroastrianism was supplanted by Islam, Zoroastrians increasingly became a persecuted minority, and a number of them chose to emigrate. According to the Qissa-i Sanjan, one group of those refugees landed in what is now Gujarat, India, where they were allowed greater freedom to observe their old customs and to preserve their faith. The descendants of those Zoroastrians, now known as the Parsis, would play a significant role in the development of India. Today there are around 70,000 Parsis in India. [4] This article is about (members of) the Parsi Zoroastrian community in and from India. ... The Qissa-i Sanjan (or Kisse-i Sanjan, the Story of Sanjan) is an account of the early years of Zoroastrian settlers on the Indian subcontinent. ... GujarÄt (GujarÄtÄ«: , IPA: , ) is the most industrialized state in the Republic of India with 19. ... This article is about (members of) the Parsi Zoroastrian community in and from India. ...

The Parsis, as Zoroastrians, still use a variant of the religious calendar instituted under the Sassanids. That calendar still marks the number of years since the accession of Yazdegerd III, just as it did in 632. (See also: Zoroastrian calendar) Yazdegerd III, (also Yazdgird III) (made by God, Izdegerdes), king of Persia, a grandson of Khosrau II, who had been murdered by his son Kavadh II in 628, was raised to the throne in 632 after a series of internal conflicts. ... The Zoroastrian calendar is a religious calendar used by members of the Zoroastrian faith, and it is an approximation of the (tropical) solar calendar. ...

In modern media

The Sassanid Empire is one of a number of factions in the 2005 PC game Rome Total War: Barbarian Invasion. In the game, they start at easternmost section of the map, replacing the Parthian faction in the original game. They are rivals with the Eastern Roman empire and the only faction to have Zoroastrianism as the state religion (Sassanids, unlike other factions, can adopt only Zoroastrianism,) hence persecuting Christians. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (1107x696, 747 KB) Licensing This is a screenshot of a copyrighted computer game or video game, and the copyright for it is most likely held by the company that developed the game. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (1107x696, 747 KB) Licensing This is a screenshot of a copyrighted computer game or video game, and the copyright for it is most likely held by the company that developed the game. ... The Clibanarii (from the Latin, clibani, meaning campoven) were a late Roman and Byzantine military unit of heavy armored horsemen. ... Rome: Total War is a grand strategy computer game where players fight historical and fictious battles during the era of the Roman Republic, from 270 BCE to 14 CE. The game was developed by Creative Assembly and released on September 22, 2004. ... Rome: Total War is a grand strategy computer game where players fight historical and fictious battles during the era of the Roman Republic, from 270 BCE to 14 CE. The game was developed by Creative Assembly and released on September 22, 2004. ... Zoroastrianism is the religion and philosophy based on the teachings ascribed to the prophet Zoroaster (Zarathushtra, Zartosht). ...

The Sassanid army as the only faction in the game features war elephants. The main focus of the Sassanid army is its ultra-heavily armored cavalry with a good infantry and archer support, making it an excellent combination of troops. Sassanid signature unit is its commander unit, Clibanarii Immortals. Indian war elephant, relief at Mathura, 2nd century BC War elephants were important, although not widespread, weapons in ancient military history. ...

Overall, many consider the Sassanids along with Eastern Roman Empire the strongest factions in the game, both military and financially. The Sassanid empire's campaign difficulty is considered to be easy to average mainly due to its geographical position which prevents it from encountering barbarian hordes, a fact that makes its campaign easy to complete.

Sassanid Empire chronology

226–241: Reign of Ardashir I: Silver coin of Ardashir I with a fire altar on its verso (British Museum London). ... Events Shah Artashir I wins Persian independence from Parthia and establishes the Sassanid dynasty. ... Events Shapur I of Persia succeeds Ardashir I Births Deaths Ardashir I, first ruler of the Sassanids Categories: 241 ... A coin of Shapur I. Shapur I, son of Ardashir I (226â€“241), was King of Persia from 241 to 272. ... Events Shapur I of Persia succeeds Ardashir I Births Deaths Ardashir I, first ruler of the Sassanids Categories: 241 ... Events Roman emperor Aurelian reconquers the kingdom of Palmyra (Egypt and large parts of Asia Minor), forcing queen Zenobia to flee to Parthia. ... Hormizd I, king of Persia, (272-273) was the son of Shapur I, under whom he was governor of Khorasan, and appears in his wars against Rome (Trebellius Pollio, 2, where Noldeke has corrected the name Odomastes into Oromastes, i. ... Events Roman emperor Aurelian reconquers the kingdom of Palmyra (Egypt and large parts of Asia Minor), forcing queen Zenobia to flee to Parthia. ... Events Under the command of Emperor Aurelian, the Roman Army sacks the city of Palmyra. ... Bahram I, was king of Persia (AD 274-277). ... Events Under the command of Emperor Aurelian, the Roman Army sacks the city of Palmyra. ... Events Sassanid Shah Bahram II succeeded Bahram I. Probus became Roman Emperor. ... Bahram II, king of Persia (277-294), son of Bahram I. During his reign the emperor Carus attacked the Persians and conquered Ctesiphon (283), but died by the plague. ... Events Sassanid Shah Bahram II succeeded Bahram I. Probus became Roman Emperor. ... Events March 1 - Diocletian and Maximian appoint Constantius Chlorus and Galerius as Caesars. ... Bahram III, king of Persia, son of Bahram II, under whose rule he had been governing Sistan (therefore called Saganshah, Agathias iv. ... Events March 1 - Diocletian and Maximian appoint Constantius Chlorus and Galerius as Caesars. ... Narseh (also known as Narses, Narseus) was king of Persia (292 - 303), and son of Shapur I. He rose as pretender to the throne against his grand-nephew Bahram III in AD 292, and soon became sole king. ... Events March 1 - Diocletian and Maximian appoint Constantius Chlorus and Galerius as Caesars. ... Events Diocletian starts passing laws against Sassanid Shah Narseh. ... Hormizd II, king of Persia, son of Narseh, reigned for seven years and five months, 302-309. ... Events Diocletian starts passing laws against Sassanid Shah Narseh. ... Events While Constantine was campaigning against the Bructeri, Maximian attempted to make himself emperor at Arles. ... Shapur II was king of Persia (310 - 379). ... Events While Constantine was campaigning against the Bructeri, Maximian attempted to make himself emperor at Arles. ... Events January 19 - Theodosius I is elevated as Roman Emperor at Sirmium. ... Ardashir II was king of Persia from 379-383. ... Events January 19 - Theodosius I is elevated as Roman Emperor at Sirmium. ... Events By Place Roman Empire January 19 - Arcadius is elevated to Emperor. ... Shapur III was king of Persia from 383 to 388. ... Events By Place Roman Empire January 19 - Arcadius is elevated to Emperor. ... // Events Bahram IV becomes king of Persia. ... Bahram IV, King of Persia (388â€“399), son and successor of Shapur III of Persia (383â€“388), under whom he had been governor of Kirman; therefore he was called Kirmanshah (Agathias iv. ... // Events Bahram IV becomes king of Persia. ... Events Yazdegerd I becomes king of Persia November 27 - St. ... Yazdegerd I (made by God Izdigerdes), king of Persia, son of Shapur III, 399-420, called the sinner by the Persians. ... Events Yazdegerd I becomes king of Persia November 27 - St. ... For other uses, see 420 (disambiguation). ... Bahram V, king of Persia (420-439), also called Bahram Gur,son of Yazdegerd I, after whose sudden death (or assassination) he gained the crown against the opposition of the grandees by the help of al-Mondhir, the Arabic dynast of Hira. ... For other uses, see 420 (disambiguation). ... Events February 15 - The Codex Theodosianus, a collection of edicts of Roman law, is published. ... Yazdegerd II, (made by God, Izdegerdes), king of Persia was the son of Bahram V Gor and reigned from 438 to 457. ... Events February 15 - The Codex Theodosianus, a collection of edicts of Roman law, is published. ... Events February 7 - Leo I becomes East Roman emperor. ... Hormizd III, King of Persia, son of Yazdegerd II (438â€“457), succeeded his father in 457. ... Events February 7 - Leo I becomes East Roman emperor. ... Events Dathusena becomes king of Sri Lanka Arguably the worlds first recognizable labor union is formed in Turkey Births Deaths Simeon Stylites dies on top of his tower along the road from Antioch to Seleucia Hormizd III, king of Persia Category: ... Peroz I (Pirooz, Peirozes, Priscus, fr. ... Events February 7 - Leo I becomes East Roman emperor. ... Events December 28 - Alaric II succeeds Euric as king of the Visigoths. ... Balash (in the Greek authors, Balas; the later form of the name Vologases), Sassanian King in 484â€“488, was the brother and successor of Peroz I of Persia (457â€“484), who had died in a battle against the Hephthalites (White Huns) who invaded Persia from the east. ... Events December 28 - Alaric II succeeds Euric as king of the Visigoths. ... Events Theodoric the Great becomes king of the Ostrogoths. ... Kavadh I (449â€“531), son of Peroz I (457â€“484), was a Sassanid King from 488 to 531. ... Events Theodoric the Great becomes king of the Ostrogoths. ... Events End of the reign of Northern Wei Chang Guang Wang, ruler of the Chinese Northern Wei Dynasty. ... Djamasp (also transcribed as Jamasp or Zamasp) was a Sassanid king who ruled from 496-498. ... Events Battle of Tolbiac; Clovis I defeats the Alamanni accepts Catholic baptism at Reims. ... Events November 22 - After the death of Anastasius II, Symmachus is elected pope in the Lateran Palace, while Laurentius is elected pope in Santa Maria Maggiore. ... A coin of Khosrau I. Khosrau I, (Chosroes I in classical sources, most commonly known in Persian as Anooshiravan also spelled Anushirvan, Persian: Ø§Ù†ÙˆØ´ÙŠØ±ÙˆØ§Ù† meaning the immortal soul), also known as Anooshiravan the Just (Ø§Ù†ÙˆØ´ÛŒØ±ÙˆØ§Ù† Ø¹Ø§Ø¯Ù„, Anooshiravan-e-Ädel) (ruled 531â€“579), was the favourite son and successor of Kavadh I (488â€“531... Events End of the reign of Northern Wei Chang Guang Wang, ruler of the Chinese Northern Wei Dynasty. ... Events End of the Northern Qi Dynasty in China. ... Hormizd IV, son of Khosrau I, reigned as king of Persia from 578 to 590. ... Events End of the Northern Qi Dynasty in China. ... Events September 3 - St. ... Bahram Chobin (in Persian Ø¨Ù‡Ø±Ø§Ù… Ú†ÙˆØ¨ÛŒÙ†) was a famous Eran spahbod (military commander) during Khosrau IIs rule in Sassanid Iran. ... Events September 3 - St. ... Events Ethelbert of Kent elected Bretwalda after Ceawlin of Wessex, the former Bretwalda, is deposed. ... Khosrau II, the Victorious (Parvez), king of Persia, son of Hormizd IV, grandson of Khosrau I, 590 - 628. ... Events Ethelbert of Kent elected Bretwalda after Ceawlin of Wessex, the former Bretwalda, is deposed. ... Events Khusro II of Persia overthrown Pippin of Landen becomes Mayor of the Palace Brahmagupta writes the Brahmasphutasiddhanta Births Deaths Empress Suiko of Japan Theodelinda, queen of the Lombards Categories: 628 ... Kavadh II (Siroes), King of Persia, son of Khosrau II (590â€“628), was raised to the throne in opposition to his father in February 628, after the great victories of the Emperor Heraclius (610â€“641). ... Events Khusro II of Persia overthrown Pippin of Landen becomes Mayor of the Palace Brahmagupta writes the Brahmasphutasiddhanta Births Deaths Empress Suiko of Japan Theodelinda, queen of the Lombards Categories: 628 ... Ardashir III (c. ... Events Khusro II of Persia overthrown Pippin of Landen becomes Mayor of the Palace Brahmagupta writes the Brahmasphutasiddhanta Births Deaths Empress Suiko of Japan Theodelinda, queen of the Lombards Categories: 628 ... Events Muhammad captures Mecca (January). ... Shahrbaraz (died June 9, 630) was a general, with the rank of Eran Spahbod, in the Persian army under Khosrau II of Persia (590â€“628). ... Events Muhammad captures Mecca (January). ... Queen Poran, the only woman on the throne of the Sassanid dynasty, 630 AD.State Hermitage Museum ,St. ... Events Muhammad captures Mecca (January). ... Events Battle of Wogastisburg between Slavs led by Samo and Dagobert I, king of the Franks Births Deaths Categories: 631 ... Hormizd VI, King of Persia, was one of the many nobility who rose after the murder of Khosrau II (590â€“628) in 628. ... Events Battle of Wogastisburg between Slavs led by Samo and Dagobert I, king of the Franks Births Deaths Categories: 631 ... Events Abu Bakr becomes first caliph or Successor of the Prophet, leader of Islam Abu Bakr defeats Mosailima in the Battle of Akraba. ... Yazdgerd III (Persian: ÛŒØ²Ø¯Ú¯Ø±Ø¯ Ø³ÙˆÙ…, made by God), last king of Sassanid dynasty, a grandson of Khosrau II (590â€“628), who had been murdered by his son Kavadh II of Persia in 628, and was raised to the throne in 632 after a series of internal conflicts. ... Events Abu Bakr becomes first caliph or Successor of the Prophet, leader of Islam Abu Bakr defeats Mosailima in the Battle of Akraba. ... Events End of Yazdegard IIIs attempts to drive out the Saracens. ... Silver coin of Ardashir I with a fire altar on its verso (British Museum London). ...

241–271: Reign of Shapur I: Parthian Empire at its greatest extent, c60 BCE. The Parthian Empire was the dominating force on the Iranian plateau beginning in the late 3rd century BCE, and intermittently controlled Mesopotamia between ca 190 BCE and 224 CE. Parthia was the arch-enemy of the Roman Empire in the east and... Zoroastrianism is the religion and philosophy based on the teachings ascribed to the prophet Zoroaster (Zarathushtra, Zartosht). ... See Avesta Municipality for the Swedish town Yasna 28. ... A coin of Shapur I. Shapur I, son of Ardashir I (226â€“241), was King of Persia from 241 to 272. ...

271–301: A period of dynastic struggles. Valerian on a coin celebrating goddess Fortuna, associated with health and wealth. ... Combatants Sassanid Empire Roman Empire Commanders Shapur I Valerian Strength 40,000 70,000 including Praetorian Guard Casualties Minimal Heavy The Battle of Edessa took place between the armies of the Roman Empire under the command of Emperor Valerian and Sassanid forces under King Shapur I in 259. ... Mani (in Persian: Ù…Ø§Ù†ÛŒ) was born of Iranian (Parthian) parentage in Babylon, Mesopotamia (modern-day Iraq) which was a part of Persian Empire about 210-276 CE. He was a religious preacher and the founder of Manichaeism, an ancient Persian gnostic religion that was once prolific but is now extinct. ... Manichaeism was one of the major ancient religions. ...

309–379: Reign of Shapur II "the Great": Shapur II was king of Persia (310 - 379). ...

399–420: Reign of Yazdegerd I "the Sinner": Yazdegerd I (made by God Izdigerdes), king of Persia, son of Shapur III, 399-420, called the sinner by the Persians. ...

420–438: Reign of Bahram V: Bahram V, king of Persia (420-439), also called Bahram Gur,son of Yazdegerd I, after whose sudden death (or assassination) he gained the crown against the opposition of the grandees by the help of al-Mondhir, the Arabic dynast of Hira. ...

438–457: Reign of Yazdegerd II: Yazdegerd II, (made by God, Izdegerdes), king of Persia was the son of Bahram V Gor and reigned from 438 to 457. ...

483: Edict of Toleration granted to Christians. Combatants Sassanid Empire Armenian rebels Commanders Yazdegerd II Vartan Mamikonian Strength 180,000 to 220,000(According to Armenian sources) 60,000 Casualties Unknown Heavy Battle of Vartanantz (May 26, 451) is remembered by Armenians as probably the greatest battle in their history. ...

491: Armenian Church repudiates the Council of Chalcedon: The Council of Chalcedon was an ecumenical council that took place from October 8â€“November 1, 451 at Chalcedon (a city of Bithynia in Asia Minor) which today is part of the city of Istanbul on the Asian side of the Bosphorus and known as the district of KadÄ±k...

531–579: Reign of Khosrau I, "with the immortal soul" (Anushirvan) The Assyrian Church of the East is a church that traces its origins to the See of Babylon, said to be founded by Saint Thomas the Apostle. ... A coin of Khosrau I. Khosrau I, (Chosroes I in classical sources, most commonly known in Persian as Anooshiravan also spelled Anushirvan, Persian: Ø§Ù†ÙˆØ´ÙŠØ±ÙˆØ§Ù† meaning the immortal soul), also known as Anooshiravan the Just (Ø§Ù†ÙˆØ´ÛŒØ±ÙˆØ§Ù† Ø¹Ø§Ø¯Ù„, Anooshiravan-e-Ädel) (ruled 531â€“579), was the favourite son and successor of Kavadh I (488â€“531...

590–628: Reign of Khosrau II Khosrau II, the Victorious (Parvez), king of Persia, son of Hormizd IV, grandson of Khosrau I, 590 - 628. ...

603–628: War with Rome. Conquests in Syria, Palestine, Egypt and Anatolia, Persia nearly restored to boundaries of Achaemenid dynasty before being beaten back by Romans. The Persepolis Ruins The Achaemenid dynasty (Old Persian:Hakamanishiya, Persian: Ù‡Ø®Ø§Ù…Ù†Ø´ÛŒØ§Ù†) - was a dynasty in the ancient Persian Empire. ...

626: Unsuccessful siege of Constantinople by Avars and Persians. Map of Constantinople. ...

627: Roman Emperor Heraclius invades Assyria and Mesopotamia. Definitive defeat of Persian forces at the battle of Nineveh by the joint Byzantine force. Heraclius and his sons Heraclius Constantine and Heraclonas. ... There were two battles with this name Battle of Nineveh (612 BC) - Fall of Assyria Battle of Nineveh (627) - Byzantine-Persian Wars This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ...

632–642: Reign of Yazdegerd III. Yazdegerd III, (also Yazdgird III) (made by God, Izdegerdes), king of Persia, a grandson of Khosrau II, who had been murdered by his son Kavadh II in 628, was raised to the throne in 632 after a series of internal conflicts. ...

636: Decisive Sassanid defeat at the Battle of al-Qādisiyyah during the Islamic conquest of Iran. The Battle of al-QÄdisiyyah (in Arabic: Ù…Ø¹Ø§Ø±Ùƒ Ø§Ù„Ù‚Ø§Ø¯Ø³ÙŠÙ‘Ø©, alternate spellings: Qadisiyya, Qadisiyyah, Kadisiya) was the decisive engagement between the Arab Muslim army and the SÄsÄnian Persian army during the first period of Islamic expansion which resulted in the Islamic conquest of Iran. ... The Islamic conquest of Iran (637-651 CE) destroyed the Sassanid Empire and led to the eventual decline of the Zoroastrian religion in Iran. ...

642: Final victory of Arabs when Persian army destroyed at Nahavand (Nehavand). Nahavand (also spelled Nahawand in some texts) is a town in Hamadan Province in Iran. ...

651: Last Sassanid ruler Yazdegerd III murdered at Merv, present-day Turkmenistan, ending the dynasty. His son Pirooz and many others went into exile in China. Pirooz (the winner) was son of Yazdgerd III the last Sassanid king of Persia. ...

Notes

^ Garthwaite, Gene R., The Persians, p. 2
^ J. B. Bury, p. 109.
^ Durant.
^ Transoxiana 04: Sasanians in Africa
^ Sarfaraz, pp. 329–330
^ Iransaga: The art of Sassanians
^ Durant.
^ Zarinkoob, p. 305.
^ Zarinkoob, p. 194-198.
^ Zarinkoob, p. 197.
^ Zarinkoob, p. 199.
^ Zarinkoob, p. 200.
^ Zarinkoob, p. 206.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e Iranologie History of Iran Chapter V: Sasanians
^ Zarinkoob, p. 218
^ Zarinkoob, p. 217
^ Zarinkoob, p. 219
^ Zarinkoob, p. 219
^ Zarinkoob, p. 229.
^ ^a ^b ^c Richard Frye "The History of Ancient Iran"
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f Iran Chamber Society: The Sassanid Empire, 224 - 642 CE
^ Zarinkoob, pp. 305-317
^ Bashear, Suliman, Arabs and others in Early Islam, p. 117
^ Zarinkoob, p. 307
^ [1] Guitty Azarpay "The Near East in Late Antiquity The Sasanian Empire"
^ Sarfaraz, p. 344
^ Durant.
^ Nicolle, p. 10
^ Nicolle, p. 14
^ Sassanian Army, By A.Sh. Shahbazi
^ Nicolle, pp. 15-18
^ Zarinkoob, p. 239
^ Daniel, p. 57
^ Nicolle, p. 11
^ Zarinkoob, p. 201
^ Daniel, p. 57
^ Nicolle, p. 11
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e Durant.
^ Iransaga: The art of Sassanians
^ Iranian cultrual heritage news agency (CHN)
^ Parviz Marzban, p.36
^ Fergusson, History of Architecture, vol. i, 3rd edition, pp. 381−3.
^ Nicolle, p. 6
^ Iranian Cultural Heritage News Agency
^ Frye, p. 325
^ Sarfaraz, p. 353
^ Nicolle, p. 6
^ Rawlinson, p. 176
^ Rawlinson, p. 177
^ Nicolle, p. 14
^ Zarinkoob, p. 272
^ Zarinkoob, p. 207
^ Livius article on Sassanid Empire
^ J. B. Bury, p. 109.
^ "Sassanian Elite Cavalry" Book review by Dr. David Khoupenia

File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Iran is one of the worlds oldest continuous major civilizations. ... The Persian Empire was a series of historical empires that ruled over the Iranian plateau (IrÄn - Land of the Aryans) and beyond. ... The following is a comprehensive list of all Persian Empires and their rulers: // Early realms in Iran Elamite Kingdom, 3000â€“660 BC The Elamites were a people located in Susa, in what is now Khuzestan province. ... See further the article on proto-Elamite at the education pages of the CDLI project. ... The Jiroft Kingdom or Jiroft Civilization (ØªÙ…Ø¯Ù† Ø¬ÙŠØ±ÙØª) is a relatively recent and ongoing multinational archeological project that aims to uncover an unknown civilization in a series of newly discovered sites in Irans Kerman Province, located at 28Â° 48 N latitude and 57Â° 46 E Longitude, known as Jiroft or Halilrud... Elam (Persian: Ø§ÛŒÙ„Ø§Ù…) is one of the most ancient civilizations on record. ... The Mannaeans (or Mannai, Mannae, Biblical Minni) were an ancient people of unknown origin, who lived in the territory of present-day Iranian Azerbaijan around the 10th to 7th century BC. At that time they were neighbours of the empires of Assyria and Urartu, as well as other small buffer... The Medes(ancient Kurdistan) were an Iranian people, who lived in the north, western, and northwestern portions of present-day Iran, and roughly the areas of present day Tehran, Hamedan, Azarbaijan, north of Esfahan, Zanjan, and Kurdistan. ... The Persepolis Ruins The Achaemenid dynasty (Old Persian:Hakamanishiya, Persian: Ù‡Ø®Ø§Ù…Ù†Ø´ÛŒØ§Ù†) - was a dynasty in the ancient Persian Empire. ... The Seleucid Empire was a Hellenistic successor state of Alexander the Greats dominion. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... The Sassanid Empire in the time of Shapur I; the conquest of Cappadocia was temporary Official language Pahlavi (Middle Persian) Dominant Religion Zoroastrianism Capital Ctesiphon Sovereigns Shahanshah of the Iran (Eranshahr) First Ruler Ardashir I Last Ruler Yazdegerd III Establishment 224 AD Dissolution 651 AD Part of the History of... Combatants Sassanid Persia Rashidun Caliphate The Islamic conquest of Persia (637-651 CE) led to the end of the Sassanid Empire and the eventual decline of the Zoroastrian religion in Persia (modern day Iran). ... The Tahirid dynasty ruled the northeastern Persian region of Khorasan between AD 821-873. ... The Alavids (Ø³Ù„Ø³Ù„Ù‡ Ø¹Ù„ÙˆÛŒØ§Ù† Ø·Ø¨Ø±Ø³ØªØ§Ù† in Persian) were a Shia emirate based in Tabaristan of Iran. ... The Saffarid dynasty of Persia ruled a short-lived empire centred on Seistan, a border district between modern-day Afghanistan and Iran, between 861-1003. ... The Samanids (875-999) (in Persian: Samanian) were a Persian dynasty in Central Asia and eastern Iran, named after its founder Saman Khoda. ... The tomb of Ghaboos ebne Voshmgir, built in 1007AD, rises 160 ft from its base. ... The Buwayhids or Buyyids or Ä€l-i Buyeh, were a Yazdani tribal confederation from Daylam, a region on the southern shore of the Caspian Sea. ... The Ghaznavid Empire (Ø³Ù„Ø³Ù„Ù‡ ØºØ²Ù†ÙˆÛŒØ§Ù† in Persian) was a state in the region of todays Afghanistan that existed from 962 to 1187. ... The Ghurids (or Ghoris) were rulers from Ghor in Central Afghanistan. ... The Seljuqs (also Seldjuk, Seldjuq, Seljuk, sometimes also Seljuq Turks; in modern Turkish SelÃ§uklular; in Persian Ø³Ù„Ø¬ÙˆÙ‚ÙŠØ§Ù† SaljÅ«qiyÄn; in Arabic Ø³Ù„Ø¬ÙˆÙ‚ SaljÅ«q, or Ø§Ù„Ø³Ù„Ø§Ø¬Ù‚Ø© al-SalÄjiqa) were a dynasty that ruled parts of Central Asia and the Middle East from the 11th to 14th centuries. ... The Khwarezmid dynasty also known as the Shahs of Khwarezm (in Persian: Khwarezmshahian) was a Muslim Iranian state in the 11th century in Khwarezmia that lasted until the Mongol invasion in 1220. ... Khanates of Mongolian Empire: Il-Khanate, Chagatai Khanate, Empire of the Great Khan (Yuan Dynasty), Golden Horde The Ilkhanate (also spelled Il-khanate or Il Khanate) was one of the four divisions within the Mongol Empire. ... The Muzaffarids were a Sunni Arab family that came to power in Iran following the breakup of the Ilkhanate in the 14th century. ... The Chobanids (also known as the Chupanids) were members of a Mongol family that came to prominence in 14th century Persia. ... The Jalayirids were a Mongol dynasty which ruled over Iraq and western Persia after the breakup of the Mongol Khanate of Persia (or Ilkhanate) in the 1330s. ... Timurids Map The Timurids were a mixed Turkic-Mongol and Persian (Turco) dynasty of Central Asia established by Timur (Tamerlane). ... The Karakoyunlu or the Black Sheep Turkomans (Azeri-Turkish: Qaraqoyunlular/Karakoyunlular) were a Turkoman tribal federation that ruled what is today Azerbaijan, including present-day northwestern Iran and Iraq from 1375 to 1468. ... Flag of the Ak Koyunlu (Colours are speculative) The Akkoyunlu or the White Sheep Turkomans (Azeri-Turkish: AÄŸqoyunlular/Akkoyunlular) were a Turkoman tribal federation that ruled present-day Azerbaijan, eastern Anatolia, northern Iraq and western Iran from 1378 to 1508. ... The Safavid Empire at its 1512 borders. ... The Hotaki were a Ghilzai Pashtun (Afghan) dynasty (1709-1738). ... Tomb of Nader Shah Afshar, a popular tourist attraction in Mashad. ... Vakeel mosque, Shiraz. ... The Qajar dynasty was the ruling family of Persia from 1781 to 1925. ... The Pahlavi dynasty(Ø³Ù„Ø³Ù„Ù‡ Ù¾Ù‡Ù„ÙˆÛŒ) of Iran began with the crowning of Reza Shah Pahlavi in 1925 and ended with the Iranian Revolution of 1979, and the subsequent collapse of the ancient tradition of Iranian monarchy. ... Protestors take to the street in support of Ayatollah Khomeini. ... The Provisional Government of Iran (PGOI) preceded the Islamic Republic of Iran. ...

References

Publication

William Durant William James Durant (November 5, 1885â€“November 7, 1981) was an American philosopher, historian, and writer. ... Abdolhossein Zarrinkoub, prominent historian of Persian literature. ... EncyclopÃ¦dia Britannica, the 11th edition The EncyclopÃ¦dia Britannica Eleventh Edition (1910â€“1911) is perhaps the most famous edition of the EncyclopÃ¦dia Britannica. ... 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. ...

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