List of shahanshahs of the Sasanian Empire

Shahanshah of Ērānshahr

Details
First monarch Ardashir I
Last monarch Yazdegerd III
Formation 28 April 224 AD
Abolition 651
Residence

Sasanian palaces:

The Shahanshahs of the Sasanian Empire or "the King of Kings of the Sasanian Empire" ruled over a vast majority of land. At its height, the empire spanned from Turkey in the west to Pakistan in the east, and also included territory in contemporary Caucasus, Yemen, UAE, Oman, Egypt, Israel, Lebanon, Jordan and Central Asia.

The Sasanian Empire was recognized as one of the main powers in the world alongside its neighboring arch rival, the Roman-Byzantine Empire, for a period of more than 400 years.[1][2][3][4] The Sasanian dynasty began with Ardashir I in 224, who was a Persian from Estakhr, and was descended from the Achaemenid Kings, and ended with Yazdegerd III in 651. The downfall of the Sasanian Empire proved of great significance and effects to Zoroastrianism, the state religion of the Sasanian Empire. The previous Zoroastrian shahanshahs were replaced with Muslim Caliphs who forced the Zoroastrians and their faith to endure harsh conditions, including the destruction of fire temples throughout the previous Sasanian Empire and marginalization of the faith.[5]

Sasanian state organization

Main article: Sasanian Empire
Sasanian Empire timeline including important events and territorial evolution.

In the Sasanian era, the term "the king of kings of Iran" (Middle Persian: šāhān šāh Ērān; En. Shahanshahs, New Persian: شاهنشاه ایران) is the Persian term for "King of Kings." was used from the time of its establishment by Ardashir. The term "king of kings of Iran" appears in Sasanian documents. In Kabe Zartosht inscription of Shapur I the Great the titles are chosen in a precise manner. In that Shapur names four of his Sasanian predecessors with different titles and in "an ascending order of importance" by giving the title (Xwaday) "the lord" to Sasan, "the king" to Papag, "the King of kings of Iran" to Ardashir, and "king of kings of Iran and non-Iran" to himself.[6]

Throughout its existence, the Sassanid Empire was an absolute monarchy. The Shahenshah was the height of authority, with satraps ruling over their satrapies underneath them. The shahanshah was the highest form of authority throughout the empire, but often faced rebellions from their satraps. In fact, the Sasanian Empire had been founded when a satrap rebelled against the Parthian Empire.[7]

The Sasanian Empire reached its greatest extent under Khosrau II, who reigned for 38 years; the longest reigning king was Shapur II, who reigned for 70 years.

The Sasanian kings regarded themselves as successors of the Achaemenid Empire, and many Sasanian kings' goal was to conquer all territory previously held by the Achaemenids.

List of shahanshahs

The table below lists Sasanian shahanshahs and titles used by them.

Titles used by the Sasanian shahanshahs was:

Padishah, i.e. Emperor,
Šāhān Šāh known as Shanhanshah in English, i.e. Kings of Kings,
Sāhān šāh ērān ud anērān, i.e. King of kings of Iran and Aniran,
Šāhan šāh sākān, i.e King of the Sakas.
Šāh hindestān, i.e King of Hindustan
# Shahanshah Coin or statue Reigned from Reigned until Relationship to Predecessor Notes
House of Sasan
1 Ardashir I 224 February 242
  • Declared himself as Shahanshah after defeating Artabanus IV of Parthia at the Battle of Hormizdegan
  • Died of natural causes in 242
  • Also known as Artaxares and Artaxerxes
2 Shapur I 12 April 240 May 270 Son
  • Co-ruled with his father since 12 April 240
  • Died of natural causes in May 270
  • Also known as Sapores or Sapor
3 Hormizd I May 270 June 271 Son
  • Reigned only for 1 year
  • Also known as Oromastes
4 Bahram I June 271 September 274 Brother
  • Committed the persecution of Manichaeism, including the death of Mani
  • Died of disease/natural causes in September 274
5 Bahram II 274 293 Son
  • Died of natural causes in 293
6 Bahram III 293 293 Son
  • Possibly executed during the uprising which had been led by his own grand uncle Narseh
7 Narseh 293 302 Grand-uncle
  • Enthroned after seizing power from Bahram III in a rebellion led against him
  • Also known as Narses or Narseus
8 Hormizd II 302 309 Son
  • Enthroned after abdicating the throne from his father
9 Adhur Narseh 309 309 Son
  • Deposed by Sasanian nobles because of his cruelty
10 Shapur II 309 379 Brother
  • After the death of his brother, Adarnases, Shapur II was still in his mother's womb when he was crowned.
  • Also known as Sapor II
11 Ardashir II 379 383 Brother
  • Died of natural causes in 384
12 Shapur III 383 388 Brother
13 Bahram IV 388 399 Son
14 Yazdegerd I 399 420 Son
15 Shapur IV 420 420 Son
16 Khosrau 420 420 Cousin
17 Bahram V 420 438 Cousin
18 Yazdegerd II 438 457 Son
19 Hormizd III 457 459 Son
20 Peroz I 457 484 Brother
21 Balash 484 488 Brother
  • Two rebellions rose from two of Peroz's sons (his nephews)
  • The first rebellion was from Zarir, but he was unsuccessful and executed
  • The second rebellion was from Kavadh, who at first unsuccessful requested help from Hephthalites
22 Kavadh I 488 496 Nephew
  • Enthroned after leading a rebellion against his uncle Balash with assistance from Hephthalites
23 Djamasp 496 498 Brother
24 Kavadh I 498 531 Brother
25 Khosrau I 531 579 Son
26 Hormizd IV 579 590 Son
27 Khosrau II 590 590 Son
  • Rebelled against his father and proclaimed himself as king of Persia, however he was then overthrown by Bahram Chobin
House of Mihran
28 Bahrām Chobin 590 591 Rebel
  • Rebelled against Hormizd IV and Khosrau II and proclaimed himself to be king
House of Sasan
29 Khosrau II 591 628 Son of Hormizd IV
House of Ispahbudhan
30 Vistahm 591 595 Uncle
  • Uncle of Khosrau II
  • Founded the city of Bastam
House of Sasan
31 Kavadh II 628 628 Son
  • Enthroned after killing his father and eighteen brothers
  • Died after a few months of reign
32 Ardashir III 628 629 Son
House of Mihran
33 Shahrbaraz 27 April 629 17 June 629 General
House of Sasan
34 Khosrau III 629 629 Nephew of Khosrau II Briefly ruled in Khorasan as rival king
35 Borandukht 17 June 629 16 June 630 Daughter of Khosrau II
  • Daughter of Khosrau II
  • One of two only women who attained the Sasanian throne
36 Shapur-i Shahrvaraz 630 630 Son of Shahrbaraz and a sister of Khosrau II
37 Peroz II 630 630 Descended from Khosrau I
38 Azarmidokht 630 631 Daughter of Khosrau II
  • Daughter of Khosrau II and sister of Borandukht
  • Second woman to attain the Sassanid throne
House of Ispahbudhan
39 Farrukh Hormizd 630 631 General
House of Sasan
40 Hormizd VI 630 631 Usurper
41 Khosrau IV 631 631 Son of Khosrau II
42 Farrukhzad Khosrau V March 631 April 631 Son of Khosrau II
43 Borandukht 631 632 Daughter of Khosrau II
  • Was restored to the Sasanian throne
44 Yazdegerd III 632 651 Grandson of Khosrau II
Destruction of the Sassanid Empire
- Peroz III 651 (In exile) 679 (In exile) Son
  • Retreated to Chinese territory where he served as a Tang General
  • Served as the head of the Governorate of Persia, an exiled extension of the Sassanid court
- Narsieh 679 (In exile) Unknown Son
  • Served as a Tang general, like his father
  • The last Sassanid emperor (in exile) about whom there is information

See also

Notes

  1. "The Cambridge Illustrated History of the Islamic World" (PDF). Retrieved 6 June 2014.
  2. (Shapur Shahbazi 2005)
  3. Norman A. Stillman The Jews of Arab Lands pp 22 Jewish Publication Society, 1979 ISBN 0827611552
  4. International Congress of Byzantine Studies Proceedings of the 21st International Congress of Byzantine Studies, London, 21–26 August 2006, Volumes 1-3 pp 29. Ashgate Pub Co, 30 sep. 2006 ISBN 075465740X
  5. Molavi 2002, p. 52.
  6. Frye, R. N. (1983), "The political history of Iran under the Sasanians", The Cambridge History of Iran, Cambridge University Press, 3 (1), ISBN 978-0-521-20092-9 |chapter= ignored (help), page 116.
  7. Freedman 2000, p. 458.

References

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