Sasanian empire
Also called: Sasanids · Topic: The Roman Empire · NCERT: Class 11, Ch 2 "An Empire Across Three Continents"
Meaning
The Sasanian empire was an Iranian dynasty founded in c. 224–225 CE. It took its name from an ancestor called Sasan. It replaced the Parthians and was Rome's great rival in the east. The two powers were separated only by a narrow strip of land along the Euphrates. Unlike Rome's mix of many peoples, the Sasanians ruled a mostly Iranian population with a conscripted army, meaning men were forced to serve. Their aggressive push towards the Euphrates was one cause of Rome's third-century crisis.
Example
Shapur I's famous rock inscription, written in three languages, claims he wiped out a Roman army of 60,000 and captured Antioch. Later, Khusro II occupied Rome's eastern provinces, including Egypt, in 614–19. By c. 651 the empire had fallen to the Arab conquests.
Don't confuse with
- Parthians: they were the Iranian dynasty that ruled before the Sasanians.