Persia
Iran is a land of extraordinary diversity, geographically, climatically and ethnically. To many Europeans the word Persia is evocative of beautiful works of art- carpets, tiles, fine ceramics, miniatures and metal-work. Or they might think of Persian poets such as Hafez, Saadi or Omar Khayyam, who are often quoted in translation. Yet these artistic and literary accomplishments all date from the Islamic era. Much less well known, but no less fascinating, are the art and history of ancient Persia, or Iran.
Although the very early history of man in Iran goes back well beyond the Neolithic period, it begins to get more interesting around 6000 BC, when people began to domesticate animals and plant wheat and barley. The number of settled communities increased, particularly in the eastern Zagros mountains, and handmade painted pottery appears. Throughout the prehistoric period, from the middle of the sixth millennium BC to about 3000 BC, painted pottery is a characteristic feature of many sites in Iran.
Around the ninth century BC (800's), people began to invade or enter Iran and caused conflicts among their neighbors. A group called the Medes first appeared on the historical scene in the ninth century BC, and were in conflicts with the Assyrians, their powerful neighbor to the west. Herodotus includes an account of the Medes in his stories. After the period of the Medes, the Achaemenid period followed around 550 BC, when Cyrus the Great deposed the Median king Astyages. Cyrus belonged to the ruling house of Persia but also had Median connections through his mother, whose father was supposedly Astyages. Cyrus established himself as king of the Medes and the Persians. Among his ancestors was the legendary king Achaemenes, the founder of the Achaemenid dynasty. Cyrus later was killed in 530 BC and his son Cambyses became the next ruler of Persia, followed soon after by a new man named Darius. According to Herodotus, Darius was a smart king. He divided his vast empire into twenty provinces, each with its own province and satrap (governor) to collect taxes and pay annual tribute. As an admistrator, Darius was brilliant. He died in 486 BC.
Towards the end of Darius' reign, intense struggle with Greece began which ended the superiority of the Persians. Xerxes, son of Darius, was king of Persia at this time. In the early part of his reign there were revolts in Egypt and Babylonia to deal with, but six years later he was ready to turn his attention toward Greece. Xerxes tried to attack Athens but all he accomplished was destroying the deserted city and burning the temples on the Acropolis, while the Athenians were waiting for him at Salamis. Xerxes believed that in order for him to gain control of the Peloponnese he would have to win this battle. The Greek and Persian fleets fought at Salamis, under Themistocles, in 480 B.C. The Greeks won a convincing victory. Later, the Achaemenid (Persian) attempt to overrun Greece was ended. In 465 BC, Xerxes was killed in his palace and his successor Artaxerxes continued building work at Persepolis. It was completed during the reign of Artaxerxes III, around 338 BC. In 334 BC, Alexander the Great defeated the Persian armies of the third Darius. He marched into Iran and, once there, he turned his attention to Persepolis, and that magnificent complex of buildings was burnt down. This act of destruction for revenge of the Acropolis, was surprising from one who prided himself on being a pupil of Aristotle. This was the end of the Persian Empire.
MEDES
Median names are followed by their Greek transcriptions, as those are generally better recognized.
Deioces
Kshatrita (Phraortes) |
728-675
675-653 |
SCYTHIAN
MEDES
Uwakshatra (Cyaxares)
Ishtumegu (Astyages) |
625-585
585-550 |
ACHAEMENID
As with the Medes, I give the much more widely recognized Greek transcriptions of these names in parentheses, where I have them available.
Kurush (Cyrus the Great)
Kambujiya (Cambyses) II
Smerdis the Usurper
Darayavahush (Darius) I the Great
Xshayarsha (Xerxes) I the Great
Artabanes
Artaxshassa (Artaxerxes) I Longhand
Xshayarsha (Xerxes) II
Sogdianos
Darayavahush (Darius) II the Bastard
Artaxshassa (Artaxerxes) II the Mindful
Artaxshassa (Artaxerxes) III
Arsha (Arses)
Darayavahush (Darius) III |
550-529
529-522
522
522-486
486-466
466-465
465-425
425-424
424-423
423-404
404-359
359-338
338-336
336-330 |
MACEDON
Alexander
Philip
Antigonus One-eye |
330-323
323-316
316-312 d. 301 |
SELEUCID
Seleucus I
Antiochus I Soter
Antiochus II Theos |
312-280
280-261
261-246 |
PARTHIA
Arsaces
Artabanus I
Priapatius
Phraates I
Mithridates I
Phraates II
Artabanus II
Mithridates II
Gotarzes I
Orodes I
Sanatruces
Phraates III
Mithridates III
Orodes II
Phraates IV
Tiridates II
Phraates IV (restored)
Tiridates II (restored)
Phraates IV (re-restored)
Phraataces
Orodes III
Vonones I
Artabanus III
Gotarzes II
Vardanes
Vonones II
Vologases I
Pacorus II
Artabanus IV
Pacorus II (restored)
Vologases II
Chosroes
Parthamaspates
Chosroes (restored)
Mithridates IV
Vologases III
Vologases IV
vacant
Vologases V
Artabanus V
Artavasdes |
246-c. 211
c. 211-c. 191
c. 191-c. 176
c. 176-c. 171
c. 171-138
138-c. 128
c. 128-124/3
124/3-87 opposed by...
c. 91-78
? -78
76/7-70
70-58/7
58/7-57
57-37
37-c. 30 d. 2 BCE
c. 30-c. 29 d. c. 26
c. 29-c. 28 d. 2 BCE
c. 28-c. 26
c. 26-2
2 BCE-4 CE
4-6/7
6/7-11/2
11/2-38
38-51 opposed by...
c. 39-47 ?
51
51-78 d. 80 ?
78-79 d. 115
79-81
81-115 opposed by...
105/6 and then...
109/10 d. 128 ?
116
117-128 ?
128-147 ?
148-192 with...
191
192-207
207- ?
213-226
226-227 |
SASSANID
Ardashir I
Shapur I
Hormazd I
Bahram I
Bahram II
Bahram III
Narses
Hormazd II
Adarnarseh
Shapur II
Ardashir II
Shapur III
Bahram IV
Yazdegerd I
Khusrau the Usurper
Bahram V the Wild Ass
Yazdegerd II
Hormazd III
Firuz I
Balash
Kobad I
Jamasp
Kobad I (restored)
Khusrau I the Just
Hormazd IV
Khusrau II the Victorious
Bahram VI the Usurper
Khusrau II the Victorious (restored)
Kobad II
Ardashir III
Shahrbaraz the Usurper
Khusrau III
Juvansher
Boran
Gushnasbandeh
Azarmidurht
Hormazd V
Khusrau IV
Firuz II
Khusrau V
Yazdegerd III
To the Caliphate [Arabs] ....
To the Abbasid Caliphs [Arabs] .... |
227-241
241-272
272-273
273-276
276-293
293
293-303
303-310
310
310-379
379-383
383-388
388-399
399-420
420
420-438
438-457
457
457-484
484-488
488-497 d. 531
497-499
499-531
531-579
579-590
590
590-591
591-628
628
628-630
630
630
630
630-631
631
631
631-632
632
632
632-633
633-649 d. 651
649-755
755-867 |
SAFFARID
Yaqub the Coppersmith
Amir I
Tahir |
867-879
879-901
901-902 d. 908 |
An era of disunity follows, as competing local dynasts established spheres of influence from the 10th century onwards. From 900 to 999 the dominant power in the region was Bokhara, under the Samanids. From 1029 to 1194 the Seljuqs were supreme.
SELJUQ
Mahmud II
Toghril
Mas'ud
Malik Shah III
Mohammed II
Sulaiman Shah
Arslan Shah
Toghril III |
1118-1131
1131-1134
1134-1152
1152-1153
1153-1160
1160-1161
1161-1176
1176-1194 |
From 1194 to 1221 the great regional power was Khwarazm.
Most Iranian locals become Mongol vassals
Most of Iran under direct Mongol rule |
1221-1253
1253-1295 |
IL-KHANS (Mongol)
(Local Mongol authority under the Great Horde, followed by independent Khans.
Hulegu Khan
Abaqa
Teguder
Arghun
Gaikhatu
Baidu
Mahmud Ghazan
Oljeitu
Abu Sa'id
Arpa
Musa
Mohammad
Sati Beg (fem.)
Jahan Timur
Suleiman |
1256-1265
1265-1282
1282-1284
1284-1291
1291-1295
1295
1295-1304
1304-1316
1316-1335
1335-1336
1336-1337 with...
1336-1338
1338-1339
1339-1340 with...
1339-1343 |
Another period of disunity, as remnants of the Hordes competed with local dynasts for authority. This era ends with the sweep of conquests by Timur Khan (known in Western Europe as Tamburlane).
TIMURID (Barlas Tribe)
Timur the Lame
Djalal Ud-Din Miran Shah
Khalil Sultan
Ayyal
Ailankar
Shah Rukh
Ulugh Beg |
1380-1405
1405-1409
1409-1414
1414
1414-1415
1415-1447
1447-1449 |
A third period of fragmentation, as Timur's Empire loses cohesion and local rulers strive against each other.
QARA QOYUNLU
Yet a fourth era of fragmentation, followed by reunification under the Safavid Dynasty.
SAFAVID
Ismail I
Tahmasp I
Ismail II
Mohammed Khodabanda
Shah Abbas I
Safi
Abbas II
Suleiman
Shah Sultan Husein
Tahmasp II
Abbas II |
1502-1524
1524-1576
1576-1578
1578-1581
1581-1629
1629-1642
1642-1667
1667-1694
1694-1722
1722-1732
1732-1736 |
AFSHARID
Nadir Shah
Adil
Shah Rukh
Ibrahim |
1736-1747
1747-1748
1748-1749 d. 1755 with...
1748-1749 |
ZAND
Mohammad Karim Khan Zand
Abul Fath
Ali Murad
Sadiq
Ali Murad (restored)
Jafar
Luftf Ali |
1750-1779
1779
1779 d. 1785
1779-1782
1782-1785
1785-1789
1789-1794 |
QAJAR
Aga Mohammad Shah
Baba Khan
Fath Ali Shah
Mohammed Shah
Nasir Ed-Din Shah
Muzaffar Ed-Din Shah
Mohammed Ali Shah
Ahmed Shah |
1779-1797
1797
1797-1834
1834-1848
1848-1896
1896-1907
1907-1909
1909-1925 d. 1929 |
PAHLAVI
Reza
Anglo-Soviet occupation
Mohammed Reza
Theocratic State |
1925-1941 d. 1944
1941-1946
1941-1979 d. 1980
1979 |
ISLAMIC REPUBLIC
Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini
Ayatollah Sayyed Ali Khamenei |
1979-1989
1989-Present |
|
