Pre-Achaemenian Iran (Before 7,000 BC )

c 4000 - 5000

First villages in Susa

c 3300 -3000

First civilization in Susa

c 3000 - 2800

Invention of Proto-Ilami handwriting

c 2000 - 1900

Destroction of Ur city by Elamite

c 1200

Zenith of Elamite Kingdom, Iron Age, Settlement of Chogha Zanbil in Khuzestan.

000

Immigration and settlement of Aryan (Arian) to Iran

TOP

Medes

844

First mention of Iranians in Assyrian texts

c 770 - 550

Median Empire and Founding of Ecbatan or Hagmatana (modern Hamadan) as its capital

728

Deioces founds Median Empire

640 - 639

Assyrians destroy Elamite Susa

612 - 606

Medes and Babylonians overthrow Assyrian Empire. Destruction of Nineveh

585 - 550

Astyage

TOP

Achaemenian (559-330 B.C.) the first Iranian Empire Capitals: Susa, Persepolis & Ecbatan

550

Cyrus defeats the Medes at Pasargad and founds Achaemenian Empire

546

Cyrus defeats Croesus and takes Lydia.

539

Cyrus the Great conquers Babylonia and Syria.

530 - 522

Cambyses II conquers Egypt and becomes the king

522 - 486

Darius I, the Great. Rock relief at Mount Bisotun. Revival of Susa, Persepolis. Darius broadens the Empire from the Indus to the Nile and Danube. Tomb of Darius at Naqsh-e Rostam.

490

Battle of Marathon, won by the Greeks.

486 - 465

Xerxes I

465 - 424

Artaxerxes I

423 - 404

Darius II

404 - 358

Artaxerxes II & reconstruction of Darius palace in Susa

358 - 338

Artaxerxes III

336 - 330

Darius III, the last Achaemenian Empire

334 - 323

Alexander the Great invades Iran, destroys the uncompleted Persepolis, and takes the Iranian Empire

323

Death of Alexander

TOP

Seleucid and Parthian Iran (312 BC-224 AD)

312 - 250 B.C.

Seleucid

312 - 281

Seleucid I Nicator, founder of the Seleucid Greek Dynasty

281 - 261

Antiochus I (Soter)

261- 246

Antiochus II (Theos)

250

The Arsacid Dynasty of Parthians capture Khorasan from the Seleucids

250 B.C. - 224 A.D.

Parthian

171 - 138 B.C.

Mithridates I founds Parthian Empire.

123 - 88 B.C.

Mithridates II. Zenith of Parthian Empire

87 B.C. - 244 A.D.

Decline of the Parthian Empire and the rise of Rome

TOP

Sassanian Iran (224 - 651 A.D.)

224 - 241 A.D.

Artaxerxes I over throws the Parthians and founds the Sassanian Empire, his Capital Ctesiphon

241 - 272

Shapoor I invades Roman Empire ( 252 - 261), capturing the Emperor Valerian in 260

260

Imprisoning of Emperor Valerian in Edess

216 - 277

Preaching of Mani (executed in 273). 250-300 The conversion of Armenia to Christianity

272 - 273

Hormuzd I

273 - 276

Bahram I

276 - 293

Bahram II

302 - 309

Hormuzd II

309 - 379

Shapoor II

379 - 383

Artaxerxes II

383 - 388

Shapoor III

388 - 399

Bahram IV

399 - 420

Yazdegerd I

420 - 438

Bahram V

438 - 457

Yazdegerd II

457 - 459

Hormuzd III

459 - 484

Firooz

488 - 496

Kavadh (Kavoos)

531 - 579

Khosrow I (Chosroes)

579 - 590

Hormuzd IV

632

Death of the Prophet Mohammad

632 - 651

Yazdegerd III. The last Sassanian Monareh

636

The Arabs defeat the Iranians at Qadisia

641

The Arabs defeat the Iranians in Nahavand. Iran is formally annexed to the Arab Empire

651

Death of Yazdegerd III whose family and followers flee to China, Early Islam (661-1039)

TOP

Persian After Arabs devastation (651 - 1038)

661 - 750

Ummayad Caliphate ruling from Damascus

749 -1258

Abbasid Caliphate ruling from Baghdad

821 - 873

Taherian in Khorasan

867- 911

Saffarid Dynasty in Khorasan

819 - 1005

Samanid Dynasty in Khorasan

932 - 1062

Rise of the Buvayhids near Shiraz, ruling Kerman, Khuzestan, Fars, Isfahan, Ray, Hamadan. and Baghdad (in several branches)

977 - 1186

Ghaznavi Dynasty rises in the east, challenging the Samanids

TOP

Seljuk (1038-1194)

1037 - 1063

Seljuk Turks invade Iran under Toghrol beg

1055

Toghrol ends Buvayid rule

1063 - 1072

Alp Arsalan

1072 - 1092

Malik Shah. Zenith of Seljuk power

1040 - 1157

Khwarizmiens

1117 - 1157

Sanjar. End of Seljuk rule in Iran

TOP

Mongols & Timurid (1219 - 1500)

c 1219

Chengiz Khan devastates Iran

1256 - 1336

lkhanid Dynasty

1295 - 1304

Ghazan, greatest of the Ilkhans, a Muslim convert

1304 - 1316

Oljaitu

1317 - 1335

Abu Sa'id

1370 - 1500

Timurid Dynasty

1380 - 1393

Timur conquers Iran. Suspension of the Nestorian Church

1405

Death of Timur Lang

1405 - 1447

Accession of Shahrokh Shah

TOP

Safavid Iran (1502-1736)

1502 - 1524

Ismaeel I, Conversion of Iran to Shi'ite Islam.

1514

Chaldoran War with Ottomans (Turkey)

1524 - 1576

Tahmasp I

1576 - 1577

Ismaeel II

1587 - 1629

Abbas I Capital transferred to Isfahan. Zenith of Safavid power

1629 - 1642

Safi I

1642 - 1666

Abbas II

1666 - 1694

Suleiman I

1694 - 1722

Hossein

1722 - 1729

Afghans capture Isfahan

TOP

Afsharid & Zand (1729 - 1779)

1729

Nader Quli expels Afghans

1736 - 1750

Afsharid Dynasty founded by Nader Quli

1750

Karim Khan founds Zand Dynasty

TOP

Qajar (1779 - 1925)

1779 - 1797

Agha Mohammad Khan Qajar

1797 - 1834

Fath Ali Shah

1834 - 1848

Mohammad Shah

1848 - 1896

Nasser Od-Din Shah

1896 - 1907

Mozaffardin Shah

1906

The Constitutional Revolution & Promulgation of the Constitution.

1907 - 1909

Mohammad Ali Shah

1909 - 1923

Ahmad Shah. Reza Khan appointed as prime minister (1923)

TOP

Pahlavid (1925 - 1979)

1925

Qajar Dynasty over thrown and plans prepared to establish a republic with Reza Khan as its president by parliament. Proclamation of Reza Khan as Reza Shah the King. Founder of the Pahlavid Dynasty

1925 - 1941

Reza Shah

1941

Invasion of the Allied Forces. Reza Shah abdicates in favor of his son Mohammad Reza

1941 - 1979

Mohammad Reza Shah

1951

Dr. Musaddeq becomes prime minister and presses for the nationalization of oil industry

1953

CIA coup d’etat against Musaddeq (19 August). Dr. Musaddeq arrested

1955

Iran joins the Baghdad pact

1963

Religious nation-wide uprising led by Ayatollah Khomeini, in protest to the so-called white revolution

1971

2500th anniversary of the Iranian Monarchy celebrated

TOP

Islamic Republic of Iran (1979 - Present)

1979

The nation votes for the establishment of the Islamic Republic of Iran Government under the leadership of the late Ayatollah Khomeini who has come back from Paris.

1980 - 1988

Iraq attacks Iran in the west and south-west which leads to Iran - Iraq war

1989

Ayatollah Khomeini the founder of the Islamic Republic of Iran passes away on 03 June. Ayatollah Khamenei elected as the new Leader of the country.

1995

The USA embargoes Iran

1997 - present

Hojjat Ol-Islam Seyed Mohammad Khatami has been elected as the president.