The Political Status of Iran During the Parthian Empire (247BC-224AD)

Abstract

The Parthians are one of the peoples and forces that lived in Iran and were able to form a state in the ancient East between the years (247 BC - 224 AD). Studies differed about their ethnic origin. However, some research indicated that they are Indo-European peoples. Though the Parthian-Roman relations were normal at the beginning, the Romans began stretching to the East. The interior and exterior tensions of the Parthian Empire, especially with the Romans, lead to the gradual destruction of the Parthians. Therefore, these tensions are counted as the main causes of the state’s collapse. The Parthian kings were chosen from the Aristocracy. Economically, the Parthians were powerful. Their coins witness the Parthians’ five-century sovereignty and cultural impact over the entire land of Iran. In this research, their political role in Iran and the ancient East was discussed. The research has been divided into two sections. The first section is devoted to the naming and ethnicity of the Parthians, and defining the borders of their state. As for the second section, the political developments in Iran during the Parthian era were discussed.