Sasanian dynasty facts for kids
| House of Sasan |
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Quick facts for kids  |
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| Country: |  Sasanian Empire |
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| Titles: | *Shahanshah
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| Founder: | Ardashir I | ||
| Final Ruler: | Yazdegerd III | ||
| Founding Year: | 224 | ||
| Cadet Branches: | Dabuyid dynasty Mikalid dynasty Banu Munajjim Bavand Dynasty |
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The Sasanian dynasty (also known as the Sassanids or the House of Sasan) was a powerful family. They started the Sasanian Empire in Iran. This family ruled the empire from 224 to 651 AD. The dynasty began with Ardashir I. He named the family after his ancestor, Sasan.
The Sasanian Empire was a very important part of ancient Iranian history. It was the last Iranian empire before the rise of Islam. The Sasanian rulers saw themselves as the heirs to the earlier Achaemenid Empire. They wanted to bring back the glory of ancient Persia.
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Who Ruled the Sasanian Empire?
The main ruler of the Sasanian Empire was called the Shahanshah. This title means "King of Kings." The Shahanshah was the leader of the country and the government. He had all the power.
Sometimes, other important officials, like the spahbed, would gain a lot of power. The spahbed was a high-ranking military commander. This meant that sometimes the Shahanshah's power was shared.
What Happened to the Sasanian Dynasty?
The Sasanian Empire ended in 651 AD. This happened after the Islamic caliphate took over Persia. The last Sasanian ruler was Yazdegerd III. After his death, many members of the royal family had to leave their home country.
They went to China to live in exile. The Chinese emperor, Emperor Gaozong of Tang, welcomed them. They became part of the Chinese imperial court. There were attempts to get Chinese help to take back Persia. However, this branch of the Sasanian family stayed in China forever.
Narsieh was the grandson of Yazdegerd. He was the last Sasanian recorded in China. He took the Chinese surname Li. He did this to honor the Chinese imperial family.
Where Did the Sasanians Come From?
The Sasanian kings said they were related to the Kayanids. The Kayanids were a legendary Persian family. They are mentioned in the Avesta, which are the holy texts of Zoroastrianism. Many people think the Kayanids were based on the later Achaemenid dynasty.
For example, Dara II was a Kayanid king. Sasan supposedly came from his family. Dara II was likely based on Darius III. Darius III's empire was conquered by Alexander the Great, just like Dara's.
There is another story in a book called Kar-Namag i Ardashir i Pabagan. In this story, Ardashir is the son of Sasan. This Sasan was a descendant of Darius III. Ardashir's mother was the daughter of Pabag. Pabag was a local ruler in Persis. Her name is not mentioned.
These different stories made some historians wonder. Historians like Touraj Daryaee believe Ardashir might have claimed to be related to anyone who was helpful for him. Connecting Ardashir to the legendary Kayanians, and to Sasan (a guardian deity), and to Dara (possibly a mix of Darius I and Darius III of the Achaemenid family), suggests he wanted to link himself to the Achaemenids.
The name "Sasan" was also found on old pottery and documents. It was written as "Ssn." This made some think Sasan was a Zoroastrian god. However, he is not mentioned in the Avesta or other Iranian texts. Recently, Martin Schwartz showed that the deity on the pottery is not Sasan. It is Ssn, an old Semitic goddess. She was worshipped in Ugarit a long time ago.
Coins found in Taxila have the word "Sasa" on them. This word is probably related to "Sasan." The symbols on these coins are like those on coins of Shapur I. Shapur I was Ardashir's son. All these clues suggest that Ardashir claimed his family had a divine, or god-like, origin. The Sasanians might have even raised Sasan's status to that of a god.
See Also
- List of shahanshahs of the Sasanian Empire
- Sasanian family tree
- Sasanian architecture
