This is a list of monarchs of Persia (or monarchs of the

Iranic peoples The Iranian peoples or Iranic peoples are a diverse grouping of Indo-European peoples who are identified by their usage of the Iranian languages and other cultural similarities. The Proto-Iranians are believed to have emerged as a separate ...

, in present-day

Iran Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called Persia, is a country located in Western Asia. It is bordered by Iraq and Turkey to the west, by Azerbaijan and Armenia to the northwest, by the Caspian Sea and Turkmeni ...

), which are known by the royal title

Shah Shah (; fa, شاه, , ) is a royal title that was historically used by the leading figures of Iranian monarchies.Yarshater, EhsaPersia or Iran, Persian or Farsi, ''Iranian Studies'', vol. XXII no. 1 (1989) It was also used by a variety of ...

Shahanshah Shah (; fa, شاه, , ) is a royal title that was historically used by the leading figures of Iranian monarchies.Yarshater, EhsaPersia or Iran, Persian or Farsi, ''Iranian Studies'', vol. XXII no. 1 (1989) It was also used by a variety of ...

. This list starts from the establishment of the

Medes The Medes ( Old Persian: ; Akkadian: , ; Ancient Greek: ; Latin: ) were an ancient Iranian people who spoke the Median language and who inhabited an area known as Media between western and northern Iran. Around the 11th century BC, ...

around 671 BCE until the deposition of the

Pahlavi dynasty The Pahlavi dynasty ( fa, دودمان پهلوی) was the last Iranian royal dynasty, ruling for almost 54 years between 1925 and 1979. The dynasty was founded by Reza Shah Pahlavi, a non-aristocratic Mazanderani soldier in modern times, who ...

in 1979 CE.

Median Dynasty (671–549 BC)

Teispid kingdom (705–559 BC)

Achaemenid Empire (559–334/327 BC)

''Note: Ancient Persia is generally agreed to have ended with the collapse of the Achaemenid dynasty as a result of the

Wars of Alexander the Great The wars of Alexander the Great were a series of Conquest, conquests that were carried out by Alexander the Great, Alexander III of Macedonia (ancient kingdom), Macedon from 336 BC to 323 BC. They began with battles against the Achaemenid Em ...

.''

Macedonian Empire (336–306 BC)

Macedonia (ancient kingdom, greatest extent)

Seleucid Empire (311–129 BC)

Fratarakas

The

Frataraka Frataraka (Aramaic: ''Prtkr’'', "governor", or more specifically "sub-satrapal governor") is an ancient Persian title, interpreted variously as “leader, governor, forerunner”. It is an epithet or title of a series of rulers in Persis fr ...

s appear to have been Governors of the

Seleucid Empire The Seleucid Empire (; grc, Βασιλεία τῶν Σελευκιδῶν, ''Basileía tōn Seleukidōn'') was a Greek state in West Asia that existed during the Hellenistic period from 312 BC to 63 BC. The Seleucid Empire was founded by the ...

Kings of Persis

Parthian Empire (247 BC – 228 AD)

The Seleucid dynasty gradually lost control of Persia. In 253, the Arsacid dynasty established itself in

Parthia Parthia ( peo, 𐎱𐎼𐎰𐎺 ''Parθava''; xpr, 𐭐𐭓𐭕𐭅 ''Parθaw''; pal, 𐭯𐭫𐭮𐭥𐭡𐭥 ''Pahlaw'') is a historical region located in northeastern Greater Iran. It was conquered and subjugated by the empire of the Med ...

. The Parthians gradually expanded their control, until by the mid-2nd century BC, the Seleucids had completely lost control of Persia. Control of eastern territories was permanently lost by Antiochus VII in 129 BC. For more comprehensive lists of kings, queens, sub-kings and sub-queens of this Era see: *

List of rulers of Parthian sub-kingdoms The Parthian Empire ruled over an area roughly corresponding to present-day Iran from the third century BC to the third century AD. It contained a varying number of subordinate semi-autonomous kingdoms each with its own ruler. Arsacids of Arme ...

Sasanian Empire (224–651)

''Note: Classical Persia is generally agreed to have ended with the collapse of the Sasanian Empire as a result of the

Muslim conquest of Persia The Muslim conquest of Persia, also known as the Arab conquest of Iran, was carried out by the Rashidun Caliphate from 633 to 654 AD and led to the fall of the Sasanian Empire as well as the eventual decline of the Zoroastrian religion. The ...

.''

Dabuyid Kingdom (642–760)

A Zoroastrian Persian dynasty that held power in the north for over a century before finally falling to the Abbasid Caliphate.

Rashidun Caliphate (642–661)

For more comprehensive lists of kings and sub-kings of this Era see: *

Muslim dynasties of Iran This is a list of kings of Iran of the medieval Islamic period, AD 820 to 1432, arranged genealogically. For the early Islamic period before 820, see: * Rashidun Caliphate: Umar (634–644), Usman (644–656), Ali (656–661) * Umayyad Caliphate ...

Umayyad Caliphate (661–750)

For more comprehensive lists of kings and sub-kings of this Era see: *

Islamic dynasties of Iran This is a list of kings of Iran of the medieval Islamic period, AD 820 to 1432, arranged genealogically. For the early Islamic period before 820, see: * Rashidun Caliphate: Umar (634–644), Usman (644–656), Ali (656–661) * Umayyad Calipha ...

Notable Governors

Abbasid Caliphate (750–946)

For more comprehensive lists of kings and sub-kings of this Era see: *

Notable Governors

Samanid Empire (819–999)

For more comprehensive lists of kings and sub-kings of this Era see: *

Saffarid Kingdom (861–1003)

For more comprehensive lists of kings and sub-kings of this Era see: *

Ghurid Kingdom (879–1215)

For more comprehensive lists of kings and sub-kings of this Era see: *

Ziyarid Kingdom (928–1043)

Buyid Kingdom (934–1062)

The Buyid Kingdom was divided into a number of separate emirates, of which the most important were Fars,

Ray Ray may refer to: Fish * Ray (fish), any cartilaginous fish of the superorder Batoidea * Ray (fish fin anatomy), a bony or horny spine on a fin Science and mathematics * Ray (geometry), half of a line proceeding from an initial point * Ray (gr ...

, and

Iraq Iraq,; ku, عێراق, translit=Êraq officially the Republic of Iraq, '; ku, کۆماری عێراق, translit=Komarî Êraq is a country in Western Asia. It is bordered by Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq ...

. Generally, one of the emirs held a sort of

primus inter pares ''Primus inter pares'' is a Latin phrase meaning first among equals. It is typically used as an honorary title for someone who is formally equal to other members of their group but is accorded unofficial respect, traditionally owing to their se ...

supremacy over the rest, which would be marked by titles like Amir al-umara and

. For more comprehensive lists of kings and sub-kings of this Era see: *

Ghaznavids Empire (977–1186)

For more comprehensive lists of kings and sub-kings of this Era see: *

Seljuk Empire (1029–1194)

For more comprehensive lists of kings and sub-kings of this Era see: *

Khwarazmian Empire (1153–1220)

An empire built from

Khwarezm Khwarazm (; Old Persian: ''Hwârazmiya''; fa, خوارزم, ''Xwârazm'' or ''Xârazm'') or Chorasmia () is a large oasis region on the Amu Darya river delta in western Central Asia, bordered on the north by the (former) Aral Sea, on the ...

, covering part of Iran and neighbouring Central Asia. For more comprehensive lists of kings and sub-kings of this Era see: *

Mongol Empire (1220–1256)

For more comprehensive lists of kings and sub-kings of this Era see: *

Ilkhanate (1256–1357)

Ilkhanate The Ilkhanate, also spelled Il-khanate ( fa, ایل خانان, ''Ilxānān''), known to the Mongols as ''Hülegü Ulus'' (, ''Qulug-un Ulus''), was a khanate established from the southwestern sector of the Mongol Empire. The Ilkhanid realm ...
(1256–1335)

Sarbadars The Sarbadars (from fa, سربدار ''sarbadār'', "head on gallows"; also known as Sarbedaran ) were a mixture of religious dervishes and secular rulers that came to rule over part of western Khurasan in the midst of the disintegration of ...
(1332–1386)

Chobanids The Chobanids or the Chupanids ( fa, سلسله امرای چوپانی) were descendants of a Mongol family of the Suldus clan that came to prominence in 14th century Persia. At first serving under the Ilkhans, they took ''de facto'' contr ...
(1335–1357)

Jalayirids The Jalayirid Sultanate was a culturally Persianate, Mongol Jalayir dynasty which ruled over Iraq and western Persia after the breakup of the Mongol khanate of Persia in the 1330s.Bayne Fisher, William. ''The Cambridge History of Iran'', p.3 ...
(1335–1432)

Injuids The House of Inju (Injuids, Injus, or Inju'ids) was an Iranian dynasty of Persian origin that came to rule over the cities of Shiraz and Isfahan during the 14th century. Its members became de facto independent rulers following the breakup of the ...
(1335–1357)

Muzaffarids (1314–1393)

Timurid Empire (1370–1467)

Qara Qoyunlu and Aq Quyunlu (1375–1497)

Qara Qoyunlu

Aq Quyunlu

Sources:H.R. Roemer, "The Safavid Period", in ''Cambridge History of Iran'', Vol. VI, Cambridge University Press 1986, p. 339: "Further evidence of a desire to follow in the line of Turkmen rulers is Ismail's assumption of the title 'Padishah-i-Iran', previously held by Uzun Hasan." ''Note: Medieval Persia is generally agreed to have ended with the rise of the Safavid Empire''

Safavid Empire (1501–1736)

Afsharid Empire (1736–1796)

Zand Kingdom (1751–1794)

Qajar Empire (1794–1925)

Pahlavi Empire (1925–1979)

Notes and references

Bibliography

* Assar, G.R.F., "Genealogy & Coinage of the Early Parthian Rulers. I", Parthica, 6, 2004, pp. 69–93.
Assar, G.R.F., "Genealogy & Coinage of the Early Parthian Rulers, II a revised stemma", Parthica, 7, 2005, pp. 29–63.

Assar, G.R.F., "Moses of Choren & the Early Parthian Chronology", Electrum, vol. 11, 2006, pp. 61–86.

Assar, G.R.F., "A Revised Parthian Chronology of the Period 165–91 B.C.", Electrum, vol. 11, 2006, pp. 87–158.
* Assar, G.R.F., "A Revised Parthian Chronology of the Period 91–55 B.C.", Parthica, 8, 2006, pp. 55–104. * Briant, Pierre, "From Cyrus to Alexander: A History of the Persian Empire", 2002. * Cameron, George, "History of Early Iran", Chicago, 1936 (repr., Chicago, 1969; tr. E.-J. Levin, L’histoire de l’Iran antique, Paris, 1937; tr. H. Anusheh, ایران در سپیده دم تاریخ, Tehran, 1993) * D’yakonov, I. M., "Istoriya Midii ot drevenĭshikh vremen do kontsa IV beka de e.E" (The history of Media from ancient times to the end of the 4th century BC), Moscow and Leningrad, 1956; tr. Karim Kešāvarz as Tāriḵ-e Mād, Tehran, 1966. * Dandamaev, Muhammad A., "Persien unter den ersten Achämeniden (6. Jahrhundert v. Chr.)", tr. Heinz-Dieter Pohl, Wiesbaden, 1976.
Qashqai, H., "The successors of Mithridates II", Bulletin of Ancient Iranian History (UCLA), vol. 5, March 2009.(in Persian)

Henkelman, wouter. Defining Neo-Elamite History. ARTA, 2003.
* Hinz, W., "The Lost World of Elam", London, 1972 (tr. F. Firuznia, دنیای گمشده ایلام, Tehran, 1992)
Josephus Flavius, Antiquities of the Jews.
* Justi, Ferdinand, "Iranisches Namenbuch", Tehran, Asatir, 2003.
Legrain, Leon, "Historical Fragments", Philadelphia, The University of Pennsylvania Museum Publications of the Babylonian Section, vol. XIII, 1922.
* Majidzadeh, Yusef, "History and civilization of Elam", Tehran, Iran University Press, 1991. * Majidzadeh, Yusef, "History and civilization of Mesopotamia", Tehran, Iran University Press, 1997, vol.1. * Miroschedji, P. de, 'La fin du royaume de l’Ansˇan et de Suse et la naissance de l’empire perse', 1985, ZA 75, pp. 265–306. * Nöldeke, Theodor, "Geschichte der Perser und Araber zur Zeit der Sasaniden. Aus der arabischen Chronik des Tabari übersetzt" (1879) * Olmstead, A. T., "History of the Persian Empire", Chicago, 1948 * Plutarch, Lives. * Polybius, The Histories. * Potts, D. T., The Archaeology of Elam, Cambridge University Press, 1999.
Reade, Julian E. Elam after the Assyrian Sack of Susa in 647 B.C. NABU, 2000.

Tavernier, Jan. Some Thoughts on Neo-Elamite Chronology. ARTA, 2004.
* * * * * * * * *
Vallat, Francois. Elam: The History of Elam. ''Encyclopædia Iranica'', vol. VIII pp. 301–313. London/New York, 1998.

Vallat, Francois. Shutruk-Nahunte, Shutur-Nahunte et l'imbroglio neo-elamite. NABU, 1995.

Vallat, Francois. Le royaume elamite de SAMATI. NABU, 1996.

Vallat, Francois. Les pretendus fonctionnaires Unsak des texts neo-elamites et achemenides. ARTA, 2002.
* Vallat, Francois. Le royaume elamite de Zamin et les 'Letters de Nineveh'. Iranica Antique, 33, 1998. pp. 95–106. {{DEFAULTSORT:List of Kings of Persia Iran history-related lists

Persia Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called Persia, is a country located in Western Asia. It is bordered by Iraq and Turkey to the west, by Azerbaijan and Armenia to the northwest, by the Caspian Sea and Turkmeni ...

Median Dynasty (671–549 BC)

Teispid kingdom (705–559 BC)

Achaemenid Empire (559–334/327 BC)

Macedonian Empire (336–306 BC)

Seleucid Empire (311–129 BC)

Fratarakas

Kings of Persis

Parthian Empire (247 BC – 228 AD)

Sasanian Empire (224–651)

Dabuyid Kingdom (642–760)

Rashidun Caliphate (642–661)

Umayyad Caliphate (661–750)

Notable Governors

Abbasid Caliphate (750–946)

Notable Governors

Samanid Empire (819–999)

Saffarid Kingdom (861–1003)

Ghurid Kingdom (879–1215)

Ziyarid Kingdom (928–1043)

Buyid Kingdom (934–1062)

Ghaznavids Empire (977–1186)

Seljuk Empire (1029–1194)

Khwarazmian Empire (1153–1220)

Mongol Empire (1220–1256)

Ilkhanate (1256–1357)

Ilkhanate The Ilkhanate, also spelled Il-khanate ( fa, ایل خانان, ''Ilxānān''), known to the Mongols as ''Hülegü Ulus'' (, ''Qulug-un Ulus''), was a khanate established from the southwestern sector of the Mongol Empire. The Ilkhanid realm ... (1256–1335)

Sarbadars The Sarbadars (from fa, سربدار ''sarbadār'', "head on gallows"; also known as Sarbedaran ) were a mixture of religious dervishes and secular rulers that came to rule over part of western Khurasan in the midst of the disintegration of ... (1332–1386)

Chobanids The Chobanids or the Chupanids ( fa, سلسله امرای چوپانی) were descendants of a Mongol family of the Suldus clan that came to prominence in 14th century Persia. At first serving under the Ilkhans, they took ''de facto'' contr ... (1335–1357)

Jalayirids The Jalayirid Sultanate was a culturally Persianate, Mongol Jalayir dynasty which ruled over Iraq and western Persia after the breakup of the Mongol khanate of Persia in the 1330s.Bayne Fisher, William. ''The Cambridge History of Iran'', p.3 ... (1335–1432)

Injuids The House of Inju (Injuids, Injus, or Inju'ids) was an Iranian dynasty of Persian origin that came to rule over the cities of Shiraz and Isfahan during the 14th century. Its members became de facto independent rulers following the breakup of the ... (1335–1357)

Muzaffarids (1314–1393)

Timurid Empire (1370–1467)

Qara Qoyunlu and Aq Quyunlu (1375–1497)

Qara Qoyunlu

Aq Quyunlu

Safavid Empire (1501–1736)

Afsharid Empire (1736–1796)

Zand Kingdom (1751–1794)

Qajar Empire (1794–1925)

Pahlavi Empire (1925–1979)

See also

Notes and references

Bibliography

Ilkhanate The Ilkhanate, also spelled Il-khanate ( fa, ایل خانان, ''Ilxānān''), known to the Mongols as ''Hülegü Ulus'' (, ''Qulug-un Ulus''), was a khanate established from the southwestern sector of the Mongol Empire. The Ilkhanid realm ...
(1256–1335)

Sarbadars The Sarbadars (from fa, سربدار ''sarbadār'', "head on gallows"; also known as Sarbedaran ) were a mixture of religious dervishes and secular rulers that came to rule over part of western Khurasan in the midst of the disintegration of ...
(1332–1386)

Chobanids The Chobanids or the Chupanids ( fa, سلسله امرای چوپانی) were descendants of a Mongol family of the Suldus clan that came to prominence in 14th century Persia. At first serving under the Ilkhans, they took ''de facto'' contr ...
(1335–1357)

Jalayirids The Jalayirid Sultanate was a culturally Persianate, Mongol Jalayir dynasty which ruled over Iraq and western Persia after the breakup of the Mongol khanate of Persia in the 1330s.Bayne Fisher, William. ''The Cambridge History of Iran'', p.3 ...
(1335–1432)

Injuids The House of Inju (Injuids, Injus, or Inju'ids) was an Iranian dynasty of Persian origin that came to rule over the cities of Shiraz and Isfahan during the 14th century. Its members became de facto independent rulers following the breakup of the ...
(1335–1357)