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Sasanian Empire

Iran, 224 CE–651 CE. Draft, not yet reviewed

The Sasanian Empire was an Iranian empire that was founded and ruled by the House of Sasan from 224 to 651 AD. After defeating Artabanus IV of Parthia at the Battle of Hormozdgan in 224, it began competing far more zealously with the neighboring Roman Empire than the Arsacids had, thus sparking a new phase of the Roman-Iranian Wars. They maintained Ctesiphon as the capital city for all but the first two years of their empire's existence, when Istakhr briefly served in this capacity. Following the rise of Islam in Arabia, and a devastating war with the Byzantine/Eastern Roman Empire, the Sasanian Empire fell to the early Muslim conquests.

Seat of power: Istakhr

Rulers

Ardashir I

emperor of the Sasanian Empire, 224 CE–242 CE

He was the founder of the Sasanian Empire, the last empire of ancient Iran. After defeating Artabanus IV, the last King of Kings of Parthia, on the Hormozdgan plain in 224, he overthrew the Arsacid dynasty and established the Sasanian dynasty.

Portrait of Ardashir I: Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, file

Shapur I

emperor of the Sasanian Empire, 240 CE–270 CE

Shapur also consolidated and expanded the empire of Ardashir I, waged war against the Roman Empire, and seized its cities of Nisibis and Carrhae while he was advancing as far as Roman Syria. It is generally agreed that he ruled from 240 to 270, with his father Ardashir I as co-regent until the death of the latter in 242.

Portrait of Shapur I: Unknown after Rawlinson, George, 1812-1902, Public domain, file

Bahram II

emperor of the Sasanian Empire, 274 CE–293 CE

Bahram II, while still in his teens, ascended the throne with the aid of the powerful Zoroastrian priest Kartir, just like his father had done. He faced a rebellion in the east led by his brother, the Kushano-Sasanian dynast Hormizd I Kushanshah.

Portrait of Bahram II: Classical Numismatic Group; [1], CC BY-SA 3.0, file

Narseh

emperor of the Sasanian Empire, 293 CE–302 CE

The youngest son of Shapur I, Narseh served as the governor of Sakastan, Hind and Turan under his father.

Portrait of Narseh: Diego Delso, CC BY 4.0, file

Shapur II

emperor of the Sasanian Empire, 309 CE–379 CE

He took the title at birth and held it until his death at age 70, making him the longest-reigning monarch in Sasanian history. His reign saw the military resurgence of the country and the expansion of its territory, which marked the start of the first Sasanian golden era.

Portrait of Shapur II: Unknown author, CC0, file

Bahram IV

emperor of the Sasanian Empire, 388 CE–399 CE

His reign as shahanshah was largely uneventful. In 395, the Huns invaded the countryside around the Euphrates and the Tigris, but were repelled.

Portrait of Bahram IV: Classical Numismatic Group; [1], CC BY-SA 3.0, file

Yazdegerd I

emperor of the Sasanian Empire, 399 CE–420 CE

His largely uneventful reign is seen in Sasanian history as a period of renewal. He enjoyed cordial relations with the Eastern Roman Empire and was entrusted by Arcadius with the guardianship of his son Theodosius.

Portrait of Yazdegerd I: Unknown author, CC0, file

Bahram V

emperor of the Sasanian Empire, 420 CE–438 CE

After the assassination of his father, Bahram hurried to the Sasanian capital of Ctesiphon with a Lakhmid army. His reign was generally peaceful, with two brief wars.

Portrait of Bahram V: Unknown author, CC0, file

Yazdegerd II

emperor of the Sasanian Empire, 438 CE–457 CE

His reign was marked by wars against the Eastern Roman Empire in the west and the Kidarites in the east, as well as by his efforts and attempts to strengthen royal centralisation in the bureaucracy by imposing Zoroastrianism on the non-Zoroastrians within the country, namely the Christians. This backfired in Armenia, culminating in a large-scale rebellion led by the military leader Vardan Mamikonian, who was ultimately defeated and killed at the Battle of Avarayr in 451.

Portrait of Yazdegerd II: Classical Numismatic Group; [1], Public domain, file

Peroz I

emperor of the Sasanian Empire, 459 CE–484 CE

His reign was marked by war and famine. Early in his reign, he successfully quelled a rebellion in Caucasian Albania in the west, and put an end to the Kidarites in the east, briefly expanding Sasanian rule into Tokharistan, where he issued gold coins with his likeness in Balkh.

Portrait of Peroz I: Hermitage Museum, CC BY-SA 4.0, file

Kavad I

King of Kings, 498 CE–531 CE

Inheriting a declining empire where the authority and status of the Sasanian kings had largely weakened, Kavad tried to reorganize his empire by introducing many reforms whose implementation was completed by Khosrow I, his son and successor. They were made possible by Kavad's use of the Mazdakite preacher Mazdak, leading to a social revolution that weakened the authority of the nobility and the clergy.

Portrait of Kavad I: None, Public domain, file

Khosrow I

emperor of the Sasanian Empire, 531 CE–579 CE

Inheriting a reinvigorated empire at war with the Byzantines, Khosrow I signed a peace treaty with them in 532, known as the Perpetual Peace, in which the Byzantine emperor Justinian I paid 11,000 pounds of gold to the Sasanians. Khosrow then focused on consolidating his power, executing conspirators, including his uncle Bawi.

Portrait of Khosrow I: Unknown author, CC BY-SA 4.0, file

Hormizd IV

emperor of the Sasanian Empire, 579 CE–590 CE

During his reign, Hormizd IV had the high aristocracy and Zoroastrian priesthood slaughtered while supporting the landed gentry (the dehqans). In the west, he fought a long and indecisive war with the Byzantine Empire, which had been ongoing since the reign of his father.

Portrait of Hormizd IV: CNG Coins, CC BY-SA 2.5, file

Khosrow II

emperor of the Sasanian Empire, 590 CE–628 CE

He is considered to be the last great monarch of pre-Islamic Iran, ruling the Sasanian Empire from 590 to 628, including an interruption of one year. He lost his throne, then regained it with the help of the Eastern Roman emperor Maurice.

Portrait of Khosrow II: Classical Numismatic Group; [1], CC BY-SA 3.0, file

Yazdegerd III

emperor of the Sasanian Empire, 632 CE–651 CE

The young shah lacked authority and reigned as a figurehead while real power remained in the hands of army commanders, courtiers and powerful members of the aristocracy, who engaged in internecine warfare. His death following successive defeats by the Rashidun Caliphate marked the end of the last pre-Islamic Iranian empire after more than four centuries of rule.

Portrait of Yazdegerd III: Classical Numismatic Group; [1], CC BY-SA 3.0, file

Culture

Picture

Tāq Kasrā was the facade of the main palace in Ctesiphon and is the only visible remaining structure of the ancient capital city.

Image: Safa.daneshvar, CC BY-SA 4.0, file

Sources

Text adapted from the Wikipedia articles listed as sources, CC BY-SA 4.0.