Sasanian Empire

Eranshahr 𐭠𐭩𐭥𐭠𐭭𐭱𐭲𐭥𐭩 (Middle Persian) Ērānšahr
224–651
Derafsh Kaviani (Standard) Simurgh (Emblem)
Map of the Sasanian Empire's greatest territorial extent, c. 620, under the reign of Khosrow II.
Capital	Istakhr (224–226)[1] Ctesiphon (226–637)
Official languages	Middle Persian[2]
Religion	Zoroastrianism (official) Christianity Manichaeism Judaism Mazdakism Buddhism
Government	Feudal monarchy[3]
Shahanshah
• 224–241	Ardashir I (first)
• 632–651	Yazdegerd III (last)
Historical era	Late antiquity
• Battle of Hormozdgan	28 April 224
• Battle of Edessa	260
• Iberian War	526–532
• Byzantine–Sasanian War of 602–628	602–628
• Sasanian Interregnum[4]	628–632
• Battle of al-Qadisiyyah	16–19 November 636
• Battle of Nahavand	642
• Fall to the Rashidun Caliphate	651
Area
550[5][6][7]	3,500,000 km2 (1,400,000 sq mi)
Preceded by Succeeded by Parthian Empire Kingdom of Iberia Kushan Empire Kingdom of Armenia Kings of Persis Rashidun Caliphate Dabuyid dynasty Bavand dynasty Zarmihrids Masmughans of Damavand Qarinvand dynasty Tokhara Yabghus

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Prehistoric period BCE / BC Baradostian culture c. 36,000–18,000 Zarzian culture c. 20,000–10,000 Shulaveri–Shomu culture c. 6000–5000 Zayandeh River Culture c. 6th millennium Dalma culture c. 5th millennium
Ancient period Kura–Araxes culture 3400–2000 Helmand culture/Jiroft culture c. 3300–2200 Proto-Elamite 3200–2700 Lullubi Kingdom/Zamua c. 3100-675 Elam 2700–539 Marhaši c. 2550-2020 Oxus Civilization c. 2400–1700 Akkadian Empire 2400–2150 Kassites c. 1500–1155 Avestan period c. 1500–500 Neo-Assyrian Empire 911–609 Urartu 860–590 Mannaea 850–616 Zikirti 750-521 Saparda 720-670
Imperial period Median Empire 678–550 BC Scythian Kingdom 652–625 BC Anshanite Kingdom 635 BC–550 BC Neo-Babylonian Empire 626 BC–539 BC Sogdia c. 6th century BC–11th century AD Achaemenid Empire 550 BC–330 BC Kingdom of Armenia 331 BC–428 AD Atropatene c. 323 BC–226 AD Kingdom of Cappadocia 320s BC–17 AD Seleucid Empire 312 BC–63 BC Kingdom of Pontus 281 BC–62 BC Fratarakas 3rd-century BC–132 BC Parthian Empire 247 BC–224 AD Elymais 147 BC–224 AD Characene 141 BC–222 AD Kings of Persis 132 BC–224 AD Indo-Parthian Kingdom 19 AD–224/5 Paratarajas 125–300 Sasanian Empire 224–651 Zarmihrids 6th century–785 Qarinvandids 550s–11th century
Medieval period CE / AD Rashidun Caliphate 632-661 Umayyad Caliphate 661–750 Abbasid Caliphate 750–1258 Dabuyids 642–760 Bavandids 651–1349 Masmughans of Damavand 651–760 Baduspanids 665–1598 Justanids 791 – 11th century Alid dynasties 864 – 14th century Tahirid dynasty 821–873 Samanid Empire 819–999 Saffarid dynasty 861–1003 Ghurid dynasty pre-879 – 1215 Sajid dynasty 889–929 Sallarid dynasty 919–1062 Ziyarid dynasty 930–1090 Ilyasids 932–968 Buyid dynasty 934–1062 Rawadid dynasty 955–1070 Hasanwayhids 959–1095 Ghaznavid dynasty 977–1186 Annazids 990/1–1117 Kakuyids 1008–1141 Nasrid dynasty 1029–1236 Shabankara 1030–1355 Seljuk Empire 1037–1194 Khwarazmian dynasty 1077–1231 Eldiguzids 1135–1225 Atabegs of Yazd 1141–1319 Salghurids 1148–1282 Hazaraspids 1155–1424 Pishkinid dynasty 1155–1231 Khorshidi dynasty 1184-1597 Qutlugh-Khanids 1223-1306 Mihrabanids 1236–1537 Kurt dynasty 1244–1396 Ilkhanate Empire 1256–1335 Chobanid dynasty 1335–1357 Muzaffarid dynasty 1335–1393 Jalayirid Sultanate 1337–1376 Sarbadars 1337–1376 Injuids 1335–1357 Afrasiyab dynasty 1349–1504 Mar'ashis 1359–1596 Timurid Empire 1370–1507 Kar-Kiya dynasty 1370s–1592 Qara Qoyunlu 1406–1468 Aq Qoyunlu 1468–1508
Early modern period Safavid Iran 1501–1736 (Hotak dynasty) 1722–1729 Afsharid Iran 1736–1796 Zand dynasty 1751–1794
Modern period Qajar Iran 1789–1925 Pahlavi Iran 1925–1979
Contemporary period Iranian Revolution 1979 Interim Government 1979 Islamic Republic 1979–present
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The Sasanian Empire (/səˈsɑːniən, səˈseɪniən/), officially Eranshahr (Middle Persian: 𐭠𐭩𐭥𐭠𐭭𐭱𐭲𐭥𐭩 Ērānšahr, "Empire of the Iranians"),^[8][9][a] was an Iranian empire that was founded and ruled by the House of Sasan from 224 to 651. Enduring for just over four centuries, the length of the Sasanian dynasty's reign over ancient Iran was second only to the directly preceding Arsacid dynasty of Parthia.^[11][12]

Founded by Ardashir I, whose rise coincided with the decline of Arsacid influence in the face of both internal and external strife, the House of Sasan was highly determined to restore the legacy of the Achaemenid Empire by expanding and consolidating the Iranian nation's dominions. Most notably, after defeating Artabanus IV of Parthia during the Battle of Hormozdgan in 224, it began competing far more zealously with the neighbouring Roman Empire than the Arsacids had, thus sparking a new phase of the Roman–Iranian Wars. This effort by Ardashir's dynasty ultimately re-established Iran as a major power of late antiquity.^[13][14][15]

At their zenith, the Sasanians controlled all of modern-day Iran and Iraq and parts of the Arabian Peninsula (particularly Eastern Arabia and South Arabia), as well as the Caucasus, the Levant, and parts of Central Asia and South Asia.^[16] They maintained Ctesiphon as the capital city—as it had been under the Arsacids—for all but the first two years of their empire's existence, when Istakhr briefly served in this capacity.

One of the high points in the history of Iranian civilization,^[17] the Sasanian Empire was characterized by a complex and centralized government bureaucracy and the revitalization of Zoroastrianism as a legitimizing and unifying ideal.^[18] This period saw the construction of many grand monuments, public works, and patronized cultural and educational institutions. Under the Sasanians, Iran's cultural influence spread far beyond the physical territory that it controlled, impacting regions as distant as Western Europe,^[19] Eastern Africa,^[20] and China and India.^[21] It also helped shape European and Asian medieval art.^[22]

Following the rise of Islam in Arabia, the Sasanian Empire capitulated to the early Muslim conquests, which were initiated by Muhammad and continued by the Rashidun Caliphate. Although the Muslim conquest of Iran marked a significant religious and cultural shift in the nation's history, the Islamization of Iran enabled the gradual absorption of Sasanian art, architecture, music, literature, and philosophy into nascent Islamic culture, which, in turn, ensured and sustained the proliferation of evolving Iranian culture, knowledge, and ideas throughout the growing Muslim world.^[23]

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