Persian Empire

Extent of the first Persian Empire, the Achaemenid Empire.

Extent of the third Persian Empire, the Parthian Empire.

Extent of the fourth Persian Empire, the Sasanian Empire in 621.

The maximum extent of the Afsharid Empire under Nader Shah.

The Persian Empire is any of a series of imperial dynasties centered in Persia (modern–day Iran). The first of these was established by Cyrus the Great in 550 BC with the conquest of Media, Lydia and Babylonia. Several later dynasties "claimed to be heirs of the Achaemenids".

Persian dynastic history was interrupted by the Muslim conquest of Persia in 651 AD and later by the Mongol conquest of Khwarezmia.

The main religion of ancient Persia was Zoroastrianism, but after the seventh century, it was replaced by Islam.

In the modern era, a series of Islamic dynasties ruled Persia independently of the universal caliphate. Since 1979 Persia has been a Republic.

List of dynasties described as a Persian Empire

• Achaemenid Empire (550–330 BC)
• Seleucid Empire (312–63 BC)
• Parthian Empire (247 BC–224 AD), also called the "Arsacid Empire"
• Sasanian Empire (224–651), also called the "Sassanid Empire" or the "Empire of Empires"

Muslim conquest of Persia (633–654)

• Samanid Empire (819-999)
• Saffarid Empire (861-1000)
• Seljuk Empire (1037–1194)
• Khwarazmian dynasty (1077-1231), centered in Khwarezm

Mongol conquest of Khwarezmia (1218–1221) - Established the Ilkhanate (1256–1335)

• Timurid Empire (1370-1507)
• Safavid dynasty (1501–1736)
• Afsharid dynasty (1736–1796)
• Zand dynasty (1750–1794)
• Qajar dynasty (1785–1925)
• Pahlavi dynasty (1925–1979)

See also

• Iranian monarchy
• Persia (disambiguation)
• Persian (disambiguation)
• List of kings of Persia
• Persia
• Iranian people
• Persian people
• List of Iranian dynasties and countries
• List of tombs of Persian poets and leaders

External links

• Media related to Persian Empire at Wikimedia Commons
• Persian Empire travel guide from Wikivoyage