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Sasanian Empire
Middle East & Central AsiaHeartland today: Iran and
Iraq
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Ardashir I founded the Sasanian Empire in 224 CE after defeating the last Parthian king. Its kings promoted Zoroastrianism and fought Rome, then Byzantium, for four centuries. It was the last native dynasty of Persia before the Arab conquest, which ended it by 651.
Also alive at the same time
- Three Kingdoms
- Sui dynasty
- Tang dynasty
- Moche culture
- Nazca culture
- Tiwanaku
- Muisca
- Wari Empire
- Maya civilization
- Zapotec civilization
- Teotihuacan
- Ancient Rome
- Picts
- Visigothic Kingdom
- Anglo-Saxon England
- Ostrogothic Kingdom
- Merovingian Kingdom
- Kingdom of Gwynedd
- Lombard Kingdom
- Kingdom of Kush
- Kingdom of Aksum
- Sogdia
- Anuradhapura Kingdom
- Kushan Empire
- Gupta Empire
- Goguryeo
- Funan
- Champa
- Baekje
- Kofun period and Yamato state
- Silla
Key events
– Ardashir I defeats the last Parthian king, takes Ctesiphon and founds the Sasanian dynastyDisputed
Most sources give 224 CE for the defeat of the last Parthian king and so for the empire's start. Livius and EBSCO date the capture of Ctesiphon and Ardashir's coronation there to 226.
Sources
Also happening around
- Three KingdomsChina
- Moche cultureSouth America
- Nazca cultureSouth America
- Maya civilizationMesoamerica
- Zapotec civilizationMesoamerica
- TeotihuacanMesoamerica
- Ancient RomeEurope
- Kingdom of KushAfrica
- Kingdom of AksumAfrica
- SogdiaMiddle East & Central Asia
- Parthian EmpireMiddle East & Central Asia
- Anuradhapura KingdomSouth Asia
- Kushan EmpireSouth Asia
- GoguryeoEast Asia & Pacific
- FunanEast Asia & Pacific
- ChampaEast Asia & Pacific
- TiwanakuSouth America (uncertain overlap)
- Mixtec civilizationMesoamerica (uncertain overlap)
- ScythiansEurope (uncertain overlap)
- DaciaEurope (uncertain overlap)
- Yayoi periodEast Asia & Pacific (uncertain overlap)
- BaekjeEast Asia & Pacific (uncertain overlap)
- SillaEast Asia & Pacific (uncertain overlap)
Shapur I takes the Roman emperor Valerian prisoner
Also happening around
- Three KingdomsChina
- Moche cultureSouth America
- Nazca cultureSouth America
- Maya civilizationMesoamerica
- Zapotec civilizationMesoamerica
- TeotihuacanMesoamerica
- Ancient RomeEurope
- Kingdom of KushAfrica
- Kingdom of AksumAfrica
- SogdiaMiddle East & Central Asia
- Anuradhapura KingdomSouth Asia
- GoguryeoEast Asia & Pacific
- FunanEast Asia & Pacific
- BaekjeEast Asia & Pacific
- ChampaEast Asia & Pacific
- TiwanakuSouth America (uncertain overlap)
- Mixtec civilizationMesoamerica (uncertain overlap)
- ScythiansEurope (uncertain overlap)
- DaciaEurope (uncertain overlap)
- Kushan EmpireSouth Asia (uncertain overlap)
- Yayoi periodEast Asia & Pacific (uncertain overlap)
- SillaEast Asia & Pacific (uncertain overlap)
- Kofun period and Yamato stateEast Asia & Pacific (uncertain overlap)
Khosrow I becomes king and reforms taxation and the army
Also happening around
- Moche cultureSouth America
- Nazca cultureSouth America
- TiwanakuSouth America
- Maya civilizationMesoamerica
- Zapotec civilizationMesoamerica
- TeotihuacanMesoamerica
- Ancient RomeEurope
- PictsEurope
- Visigothic KingdomEurope
- Anglo-Saxon EnglandEurope
- Kingdom of GwyneddEurope
- Ostrogothic KingdomEurope
- Merovingian KingdomEurope
- Kingdom of AksumAfrica
- SogdiaMiddle East & Central Asia
- Anuradhapura KingdomSouth Asia
- GoguryeoEast Asia & Pacific
- FunanEast Asia & Pacific
- BaekjeEast Asia & Pacific
- SillaEast Asia & Pacific
- ChampaEast Asia & Pacific
- Kofun period and Yamato stateEast Asia & Pacific
- Wari EmpireSouth America (uncertain overlap)
- Mixtec civilizationMesoamerica (uncertain overlap)
- Ghana EmpireAfrica (uncertain overlap)
- Gupta EmpireSouth Asia (uncertain overlap)
Khosrow I takes Antioch from the Byzantines and settles its people in a new city near Ctesiphon
Sources
Also happening around
- Moche cultureSouth America
- Nazca cultureSouth America
- TiwanakuSouth America
- Maya civilizationMesoamerica
- Zapotec civilizationMesoamerica
- TeotihuacanMesoamerica
- Ancient RomeEurope
- PictsEurope
- Visigothic KingdomEurope
- Anglo-Saxon EnglandEurope
- Kingdom of GwyneddEurope
- Ostrogothic KingdomEurope
- Merovingian KingdomEurope
- Kingdom of AksumAfrica
- SogdiaMiddle East & Central Asia
- Anuradhapura KingdomSouth Asia
- GoguryeoEast Asia & Pacific
- FunanEast Asia & Pacific
- BaekjeEast Asia & Pacific
- SillaEast Asia & Pacific
- ChampaEast Asia & Pacific
- Kofun period and Yamato stateEast Asia & Pacific
- Wari EmpireSouth America (uncertain overlap)
- Mixtec civilizationMesoamerica (uncertain overlap)
- Ghana EmpireAfrica (uncertain overlap)
- Gupta EmpireSouth Asia (uncertain overlap)
Sasanian forces under Shahrbaraz take Jerusalem and carry off the relic of the True Cross
Sources
Also happening around
- Sui dynastyChina
- Moche cultureSouth America
- Nazca cultureSouth America
- TiwanakuSouth America
- Wari EmpireSouth America
- MuiscaSouth America
- Maya civilizationMesoamerica
- Zapotec civilizationMesoamerica
- Ancient RomeEurope
- PictsEurope
- Visigothic KingdomEurope
- Anglo-Saxon EnglandEurope
- Kingdom of GwyneddEurope
- Merovingian KingdomEurope
- Lombard KingdomEurope
- SogdiaMiddle East & Central Asia
- Anuradhapura KingdomSouth Asia
- GoguryeoEast Asia & Pacific
- BaekjeEast Asia & Pacific
- SillaEast Asia & Pacific
- ChampaEast Asia & Pacific
- Kofun period and Yamato stateEast Asia & Pacific
- TeotihuacanMesoamerica (uncertain overlap)
- Mixtec civilizationMesoamerica (uncertain overlap)
- Kingdom of AksumAfrica (uncertain overlap)
- Ghana EmpireAfrica (uncertain overlap)
- FunanEast Asia & Pacific (uncertain overlap)
Arab forces defeat the Sasanian army at al-Qadisiyyah and kill its commander, RostamDisputed
Sources date the battle to 636 or 637 CE: the Library of Congress and one World History Encyclopedia article say 636, another says 637.
Sources
- World History Encyclopedia, "Yazdegerd III" (battle in 636, Rostam commanding).
- U.S. Library of Congress Country Studies, "Iraq: The Arab Conquest and the Coming of Islam" (al-Qadisiyyah, May 636; Rustam killed).
- World History Encyclopedia, "Sasanian Empire" (dates the battle to 637 and records Rostam's death).
Also happening around
- Tang dynastyChina
- Moche cultureSouth America
- Nazca cultureSouth America
- TiwanakuSouth America
- Wari EmpireSouth America
- MuiscaSouth America
- Maya civilizationMesoamerica
- Zapotec civilizationMesoamerica
- Ancient RomeEurope
- PictsEurope
- Visigothic KingdomEurope
- Anglo-Saxon EnglandEurope
- Kingdom of GwyneddEurope
- Merovingian KingdomEurope
- Lombard KingdomEurope
- SogdiaMiddle East & Central Asia
- Anuradhapura KingdomSouth Asia
- GoguryeoEast Asia & Pacific
- BaekjeEast Asia & Pacific
- SillaEast Asia & Pacific
- ChampaEast Asia & Pacific
- Kofun period and Yamato stateEast Asia & Pacific
- TeotihuacanMesoamerica (uncertain overlap)
- Mixtec civilizationMesoamerica (uncertain overlap)
- Kingdom of AksumAfrica (uncertain overlap)
- Ghana EmpireAfrica (uncertain overlap)
- FunanEast Asia & Pacific (uncertain overlap)
Yazdegerd III's army is destroyed at Nahavand and he retreats north-east
Also happening around
- Tang dynastyChina
- Moche cultureSouth America
- Nazca cultureSouth America
- TiwanakuSouth America
- Wari EmpireSouth America
- MuiscaSouth America
- Maya civilizationMesoamerica
- Zapotec civilizationMesoamerica
- Ancient RomeEurope
- PictsEurope
- Visigothic KingdomEurope
- Anglo-Saxon EnglandEurope
- Kingdom of GwyneddEurope
- Merovingian KingdomEurope
- Lombard KingdomEurope
- SogdiaMiddle East & Central Asia
- Anuradhapura KingdomSouth Asia
- GoguryeoEast Asia & Pacific
- BaekjeEast Asia & Pacific
- SillaEast Asia & Pacific
- ChampaEast Asia & Pacific
- Kofun period and Yamato stateEast Asia & Pacific
- TeotihuacanMesoamerica (uncertain overlap)
- Mixtec civilizationMesoamerica (uncertain overlap)
- Kingdom of AksumAfrica (uncertain overlap)
- Ghana EmpireAfrica (uncertain overlap)
- FunanEast Asia & Pacific (uncertain overlap)
Yazdegerd III, the last Sasanian king, is killed at Merv
Also happening around
- Tang dynastyChina
- Moche cultureSouth America
- TiwanakuSouth America
- Wari EmpireSouth America
- MuiscaSouth America
- Maya civilizationMesoamerica
- Zapotec civilizationMesoamerica
- Ancient RomeEurope
- PictsEurope
- Visigothic KingdomEurope
- Anglo-Saxon EnglandEurope
- Kingdom of GwyneddEurope
- Merovingian KingdomEurope
- Lombard KingdomEurope
- SogdiaMiddle East & Central Asia
- Anuradhapura KingdomSouth Asia
- GoguryeoEast Asia & Pacific
- BaekjeEast Asia & Pacific
- SillaEast Asia & Pacific
- ChampaEast Asia & Pacific
- Nazca cultureSouth America (uncertain overlap)
- TeotihuacanMesoamerica (uncertain overlap)
- Mixtec civilizationMesoamerica (uncertain overlap)
- Toltec civilizationMesoamerica (uncertain overlap)
- Kingdom of AksumAfrica (uncertain overlap)
- Ghana EmpireAfrica (uncertain overlap)
- Kofun period and Yamato stateEast Asia & Pacific (uncertain overlap)