Rulers and Dynasties of Persia (Iran) - History of Persia

The following is a timetable of rulers and dynasties that ruled over Iran. It has been tried to name all rulers of Iran from the period of the Medesto the present. The dates mentioned are the period that the person inquestion ruled over (some part of ) Iran. Therefore you will also find different persons during the same time period. They probably ruled over different parts or were rival pretenders to the throne.

Sources:

1. Encyclopaedia Brittanica
2. The Wordsworth Handbook of Kings and Queens, John E.Morby

Rulers and Dynasties:

• Medes
  • Deioces, 728BC - 675BC
  • Phraortes (Kashtariti?), 675BC - 653BC
  • Scythian interregnum
  • Cyaxares, 625BC - 585BC
  • Astyages, 585BC - 550BC
• Achaemenids
  • Achaemenes
  • Teispes
  • Cyrus I
  • Cambyses I (Kambiz)
  • Cyrus the Great, Start of Achaemenid Empire, 559BC - 530BC
  • Kambiz II, 530BC - 522BC
  • Darius I the Great, 522BC - 486BC
  • Xerxes I (Khashyar), 486BC - 465BC
  • Artaxerxes I , 465BC - 425BC
  • Xerxes II, 425BC - 424BC (45 days)
  • Darius II, 423BC - 404BC
  • Artaxerxes II, 404BC - 359BC
  • Artaxerxes III, 359BC - 339BC
  • Arses, 338BC - 336BC
  • Darius III, 336BC - 330BC
• Hellenistic period
  • Alexander (III) the Great, 330BC - 323BC
  • Philip III (Arrhidaeus), 323BC - 317BC
  • Alexander IV, 317BC - 312BC
• Seleucids
  • Seleucus I, 312BC - 281BC
  • Antiochus I Soter, 281BC - 261BC (coregent)
  • Seleucus, 280BC - 267BC (coregent)
  • Antiochus II Theos, 261BC - 246BC
  • Sleucus II Callinicus, 246BC - 238BC
• Arsacids, Parthian Empire
  • Arsaces, 238BC - 217BC (or 211BC?)
  • Artabanus (Ardawan) or Arsaces II, 211BC - 191BC
  • Priapatius I, 191BC - 176BC
  • Phraates I, 176BC - 171BC
• Phil-Hellenistic period
  • Mithradates I, 171BC - 138BC
  • Phraates II, 138BC - 128BC
  • Artabanus I, 128BC - 123BC
  • Mithradates II (the Great), 123BC - 87BC
  • Gotarzes, 90BC - 80BC
  • Orodes I, 80BC - 77BC
  • Sanatruces, 77BC - 70BC
  • Phraates III, 70BC - 57BC
  • Mithradtes III, 57BC - 55BC
  • Orodes II, 57BC - 37BC
  • Phraates IV, 37BC - 2BC
  • Phraates V, 2BC - AD 4
  • Orodes III, AD 4 - AD 7
  • Vonones, AD 7 - AD 11
• Anti-Hellenistic Period
  • Artabanus II, 12 - 38
  • Gotarzes II, 38 - 51
  • Vardanes I, 39 - 45
  • Vonones II, 51
  • Vologases I, 51 - 78
  • Vardanes II, 55 - 58
  • Vologases II, 77 - 80
  • Artabanus III, 80 - 81
  • Pacorus, 78 - 105
• End of Parthian Empire
  • Vologases III, 105 - 147
  • Osroes, 109 - 129
  • Mithridates IV, 129 - 147
  • Vologases IV, 147 - 191
  • Vologases V, 191 - 208
  • Vologases VI, 208 - 222
  • Artabanus IV, 213 - 224
• Sassanians
  • Ardashir I, 224 - 241
  • Shapur I, 241 - 272
  • Hormizd I, 272 - 273
  • Bahram I, 273 - 276
  • Bahram II, 276 - 293
  • Bahram III, 293
  • Narses, 293 - 302
  • Hormizd II, 302 - 309
  • Shapur II, 309 - 379
  • Ardashir II, 379 - 383
  • Shapur III, 383 - 388
  • Bahram IV, 388 - 399
  • Yazdegerd I, 399 - 420
  • Bahram V Gur, 420 - 438
  • Yazdegerd II, 438 - 457
  • Hormizd III, 457 - 459
  • Piruz, 457 - 484
  • Balash, 484 - 488
  • Kavadh (Qobad) I, 488 - 496
  • Tamasb, 496 - 499
  • Kavadh I, 499 - 531
  • Khosrow I (Anushirvan), 531 - 579
  • Hormizd IV, 579 - 590
  • Khosrow II Parviz, 590
  • Bahram VI, 590 - 591
  • Khosrow II Parviz, 591 - 628
  • Bestam (in Media), 591 - 596
  • Kavadh (Qobad) II Shiruye (Siroes), 628 - 630
  • Ardashir III, 628 - 630
  • Shahrbaraz, 630
  • Purandokht, 629 - 631
  • Azarmedukht, 631 - 632
  • Hormizd V, 631 - 632
  • Khosrow III, 632 - 633
  • Yazdegird III, 632 - 651
• Arabs - Orthodox Caliphate (650 -661)
  • Uthman (Osman), 650 - 656
  • Ali, 656 - 661
• Arabs - Umayyad Caliphate(661 - 750)
  • Mu'awiya I, 661 - 680
  • Yazid I, 680 - 683
  • Mu'awiya II, 683 - 684
  • Marwan I, 684 - 685
  • Abd-al-Malik, 685 - 705
  • Al-Walid I, 705 - 715
  • Suleyman, 715 - 717
  • Umar II, 717 - 720
  • Yazid II, 720 - 724
  • Hisham, 724 - 743
  • Al-Walid II, 743 - 744
  • Yazid III, 744
  • Ibrahim, 744
  • Marwan II, 744 - 750
• Arabs - AbbasidCaliphate(750 - 821)
  • Abu al-Abbas al-Saffah, 750 - 754
  • Al-Mansur, 754 - 775
  • Al-Mahdi, 775 - 785
  • Al-Hadi, 785 - 786
  • Harun al-Rashid, 786 - 809
  • Al-Amin, 809 - 813
  • Al-Mamun, 813 - 833
• "Iranian intermezzo" (821 - 1055), Saffarids, Samanids, Ghaznavids, Buyids
  • Samanid (Turkestan)
    • Nasr I, 864 - 892
    • Ismail, 892 - 907
    • Ahmad, 907 - 914
    • Nasr II, 914 - 942
    • Nuh I, 942 - 954
    • Abd al-Malik I, 954 - 961
    • Mansur I, 961 - 976
    • Nuh II, 976 - 997
    • Mansur II, 997 - 999
    • Abd al-Malik, 999
  • Ghaznavid (Khurasan)
    • Sebüktigin, 977 - 997
    • Ismail I, 997 - 998
    • Mahmud, 998 - 1030
    • Muhammad, 1030
    • Masoud I, 1030 - 1040
    • Muhammad (restored), 1040 - 1041
    • Maudud, 1041 - 1048
    • Masoud II, 1048
    • Ali, 1048 - 1049
    • Abd al-Rashid, 1049 - 1051
    • Toghril, 1051 - 1052
    • Farokhzad, 1052 - 1059
    • Ibrahim, 1059 - 1099
    • Masoud III, 1099 - 1115
    • Shirzad, 1115 - 1116
    • Arslanshah, 1116 - 1117
    • Bahramshah, 1117 - 1157
    • Khusrowshah, 1157 - 1160
    • Khosrow Malik, 1160 - 1186
• Seljuq
  • Great Seljuqid Sultanate
    • Toghril Beg, 1038 - 1063
    • Alp-Arslan, 1063 - 1072
    • Malik Shah, 1072 - 1092
    • Berk Yaruq, 1092 - 1105
    • Malik Shah II, 1105
    • Muhammad I, 1105 - 1118
    • Sanjar, 1118 - 1157
  • Iraq and Western Persia
    • Mahmud II, 1118 - 1131
    • Toghril II, 1131 - 1134
    • Mas'ud, 1134 - 1152
    • Malikshah III, 1152 - 1153
    • Muhammad II, 1153 - 1159
    • Sulayman, 1160
    • Arslan, 1160 - 1175
    • Toghril III, 1175 - 1194
• Ghurid EmpireShansabani Dynasty (Afghanistan)
  • Izz Al-Din Husayn I, 1117 - 1146
  • Sayf al_Din Suri, 1146 - 1149
  • Baha al-Din Sam I, 1149
  • Ala al-Din Husayn II, 1149 - 1161
  • Say al-Din Muhammad I, 1161 - 1163
  • Ghiyath al_Din Muhammad II, 1163 - 1203
  • Mu'izz al-Din Muhammad III, 1203 - 1206
  • Ghiyath al-Din Mahmud, 1206 - 1210
  • Baha al-Din Sam II, 1210
  • Ala al-Din Atsiz, 1210 - 1214
  • Ala al-Din Muhammad IV, 1215 - 1215
• Atabeg and Khwarazmshah interlude
  • Dynasty of Anushtigin(Khwarazmian Empire)
    • Qutb al-Din Muhammad I (Khwarazm-Shah), 1098 - 1128
    • Ala al-Din Atsiz, 1128 - 1156
    • Taj al-Dunya Il Arslan, 1156 - 1172
    • Jalal al-Dunya Sultanshah, 1172 - 1193
    • Ala al-Din Tekish, 1172 - 1200
    • Ala al-Din Muhammad II, 1200 - 1220
    • Jalal al-Din Mingburnu, 1220 - 1231
• Il-Khans (Mongol)
  • Hülagü Khan, 1256 - 1265
  • Abagha, 1265 - 1282
  • Tegüder, 1282 - 1284
  • Arghun, 1284 - 1291
  • Gaykhatu, 1291 - 1295
  • Baydu, 1295
  • Mahmud Ghazan, 1295 - 1304
  • Uljaytü, 1304 - 1316
  • Abu Said, 1317 - 1335
  • Arpa, 1335 - 1336
  • Musa, 1336 - 1337
  • Muhammad, 1336 - 1338
  • Sati Beg, 1338 - 1339
  • Jahan Temür, 1339 - 1340
  • Sulayman, 1339 - 1343
• Jalayirid (Azerbaidjan),Injuid (Fars), Mozaffarid (Yazd, Fars) interlude
• Timurids and Turkmen
  • Timurids
    • Timur, 1393 - 1405
    • Miranshah (Western Persia), 1405 - 1408
    • Khalil (Western Persia 1409 - 1411), 1405 - 1409
    • Shah Rokh Shah, 1409 - 1447
    • Ulugh Beg, 1447 - 1449
    • Soltan Abu Said, 1451 - 1469
  • Transoxiana
    • Abd al-Latif, 1449 - 1450
    • Abd Allah, 1450 - 1451
    • Abu Said, 1451 - 1469
    • Ahmad, 1469 - 1494
    • Mahmud, 1494 - 1495
    • Baysunqur, 1495 - 1497
    • Babur, 1497 - 1498
    • Ali, 1498 - 1500
    • Babur (restored), 1500 - 1501
  • Khurasan
    • Babur, 1449 - 1457
    • Mahmud, 1457 - 1459
    • Abu Said, 1451 - 1469
    • Husayn Bayqara, 1469 - 1506
    • Badi al-Zaman, 1506 - 1507
  • Qara Qoyunlu (Western Iran)
    • Qara Yusef, 1389 - 1420
    • Eskandar, 1420 - 1438
    • Jahan Shah, 1438 - 1467
    • Hasan Ali, 1467 - 1469
  • Aq Qoyunlu (Eastern Iran)
    • Qara Osman, 1403 - 1435
    • Uzun Hasan, 1453 - 1478
    • Soltan Khalil, 1478
    • Yaqub, 1478 - 1490
    • Rostam, 1492 - 1494
    • Ahmad, 1497
• Safavid
  • Esmail, 1501 - 1524
  • Tahmasb, 1524 - 1576
  • Esmail II, 1576 - 1577
  • Sultan Mohammad, 1577 - 1587
  • Shah Abbas I, 1587 - 1629
  • Safi I, 1629 - 1642
  • Abbas II, 1642 - 1666
  • Safi II, 1666 - 1694
  • Shah Soltan Hosseyn, 1694 - 1722
• Ghalzay
  • Mahmud, 1722 - 1725
  • Ashraf, 1725 - 1729
• Safavid
  • Tahmasb II, 1722 - 1732
  • Abbas III, 1732 - 1736
• Afshari
  • Nader Shah, 1737 - 1747
  • Ali-Qoli (Adil), 1747 - 1748
  • Ebrahim, 1748 - 1749
  • Shahrokh, 1748 - 1749
• Safavid
  • Shah Soleyman II (Mir Sayyed Mohammad), 1749 - 1750
  • Esmail III, 1750 - 1773
• Afshari
  • Shahrokh, 1748 - 1795
• Zand (Western Iran)
  • Mohammad Karim Khan Zand, 1751 - 1794
• Qajar
  • Aqa Mohammad Shah, 1796 - 1797
  • Fath Ali Shah, 1797 - 1834
  • Mohammad Shah, 1834 - 1848
  • Naser ed-Din Shah, 1848 - 1896
  • Mozaffar ed-Din Shah, 1896 - 1907
  • Mohammad Ali Shah, 1907 - 1909
  • Ahmad Shah, 1909 - 1925
• Pahlavi
  • Reza Shah, 1925 - 1941
  • Mohammad Reza Shah, 1941 - 1979
• Islamic Republic
  • Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, 1979 - June 1989
  • Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, 1989 -
  • President Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, 1989 - 1997
  • President Mohammad Khatami, 1997 - 2005