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The '''Sassanid dynasty''' (also '''Sassanian''') was the name given to the kings of ] during the era of the second Persian ], from ] until ], when the last Sassanid ], ], lost a 14-year struggle to drive out the ], the first of the ] empires. The '''Sassanid dynasty''' (also '''Sassanian''') was the name given to the kings of ] during the era of the second Persian ], from ] until ], when the last Sassanid ], ], lost a 14-year struggle to drive out the ], the first of the ] empires.


The Sassanid era began in earnest in ], when the Shah ] destroyed the ]n Empire which had held sway over the region for centuries. He and his successors created a vast empire, based in ], ], which included those lands of the old ] Persian empire east of the ]. The Sassanids wanted to re-create the longed-for ancient empire. ] was made the state religion, and all other faiths were persecuted. It was the shahs' long sought-after goal to reunify all of the old Achaemenid territory, and this brought them into frequent wars against the ] and ]. The Sassanid era began in earnest in ], when the Shah ] destroyed the ]n Empire which had held sway over the region for centuries. He and his successors created a vast empire, based in ], ], which included those lands of the old ] Persian empire east of the ]. The Sassanids wanted to recreate the glories of ancient Iran and claimed to Persianise the country. They made ] the state religion and claimed in inscriptions to have persecuted other faiths (although these claims are not reflected in native Jewish and Christian sources of the time). It was the shahs' long sought-after goal to reunify all of the old Achaemenid territory, which brought them into frequent wars against the ] and ].


Shah ] (''Kasrâ'' in ]) fleetingly achieved this goal in a series of wars against the Byzantine Empire between ] and ], conquering ], ] and ]. However, the Byzantine Emperor ] turned the tide with a daring invasion of Persia itself. In ], Khosrau was deposed with Heraclius' army at the gates of the capital of ]. In the peace that followed, the Sassanids retreated to their traditional frontiers. ] ] (] ''Kasrā'') fleetingly achieved this goal in a series of wars against the ] between ] and ], conquering ], ] and ]. However, the Byzantine Emperor ] turned the tide with a daring invasion of ] itself. In ], Heraclius' army deposed ] at the gates of the Persian capital city of ]. In the ensuing peace, the Sassanids retreated to their traditional frontiers.


The long war exhausted both sides, and the Sassanids were soon destroyed by the rise of Islam. The long war exhausted both sides, and the Sassanids were soon destroyed by the rise of Islam.

Revision as of 16:11, 31 March 2005

File:ShapurII.jpg
Head of king Shapur II (Sasanian dynasty A.D. 4th century). From The New York Metropolitan Museum of Art permanent collection.
File:Ardeshir-kakh4.jpg
The palace ruins of Ardashir I, founder of the dynasty, south of Shiraz, Iran.

The Sassanid dynasty (also Sassanian) was the name given to the kings of Persia during the era of the second Persian Empire, from 224 until 651, when the last Sassanid shah, Yazdegerd III, lost a 14-year struggle to drive out the Umayyad Caliphate, the first of the Islamic empires.

The Sassanid era began in earnest in 228, when the Shah Ardashir I destroyed the Parthian Empire which had held sway over the region for centuries. He and his successors created a vast empire, based in Firouzabad, Fars, which included those lands of the old Achaemenid Persian empire east of the Euphrates River. The Sassanids wanted to recreate the glories of ancient Iran and claimed to Persianise the country. They made Zoroastrianism the state religion and claimed in inscriptions to have persecuted other faiths (although these claims are not reflected in native Jewish and Christian sources of the time). It was the shahs' long sought-after goal to reunify all of the old Achaemenid territory, which brought them into frequent wars against the Roman Empire and Byzantine Empire.

Shah Khosrau II (Arabic Kasrā) fleetingly achieved this goal in a series of wars against the Byzantine Empire between 602 and 616, conquering Egypt, Syria and Palestine. However, the Byzantine Emperor Heraclius turned the tide with a daring invasion of Persia itself. In 628, Heraclius' army deposed Khosrau II at the gates of the Persian capital city of Ctesiphon. In the ensuing peace, the Sassanids retreated to their traditional frontiers.

The long war exhausted both sides, and the Sassanids were soon destroyed by the rise of Islam.

Sassanid rulers

Template:Iran

See also

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