List of states of Greater Iran

Greater Iran, refers to a sociocultural region in which Iranian traditions and Iranian languages have had a significant impact. It spans parts of Western Asia, the Caucasus, Central Asia, South Asia, and Xinjiang. The region is defined by having been long-ruled by the dynasties of various Iranian empires, under whom the local populaces gradually incorporated some degree of Iranian influence into their cultural and/or linguistic traditions; or alternatively as where a considerable number of Iranian peoples settled to still maintain communities who patronize their respective cultures, geographically corresponding to the areas surrounding the Iranian plateau. present-day states:

• Islamic Republic of Iran (1979–)
• Republic of Tajikistan (1991–)
• Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (2021–)

Historical

pre-Islamic

Timeline of Medes and Persia, also Elam and Mannaea

• Kingdom of Media (727–549 BC)
• Kingdom of Persia (675–530 BC) later evolved into Achaemenid Empire

Inscription of Ardashir I (r. 224–242) in Naqsh-e Rostam: "This is the figure of Mazdaworshipper, the lord Ardashir, Shahanshah of Iran."

Sasanian Empire at its greatest extent

Achaemenid Empire at its greatest extent

• Achaemenid Empire (550 BC–330 BC)
• Atropatene* (323 BC–226 AD)
• Parthian Empire (247 BC–224 AD)
• Kings of Persis (after 132 BCE–224 CE) later evolved into Sasanian Empire
• Sasanian Empire (offc. Land/Empire of the Iranians; 224–651)

After Islam

Iranian Intermezzo

Buyids at its greatest extent

Saffarids at its greatest extent

• Dabuyids (642–760)
• Masmughans of Damavand (651–760)
• Bavand dynasty (651–1349)
• Bukhar Khudahs (before 681–890s)
• Principality of Khuttal (before 676–750/1)
• Principality of Farghana (before 712–819)
• Justanids (791–11th-century)
• Tahirids (821–873)
• Samanids (819–999)
• Saffarids (861–1003)
• Sajids (889–929)
• Ghurids (before 879–1219)
• Sallarids (919–1062)
• Shaddadids (951–1199)
• Buyid dynasty (934–1062)
• Marwanids (983/990–1085)
• Rawwadids* (955–1070/1116)
• Kakuyids (1008–1141)
• Ziyarid dynasty (931–1090)
• Annazids (990/991–1117)
• Hasanwayhids (959–1015)

Turkic and Mongol conquests to Safavids

Ghaznavids at its greatest extent

Seljuk Empire at its greatest extent

Ilkhanate at its greatest extent

• Ghaznavids (977–1186)
• Seljuk Empire (1037–1194; "Seljuk dynasty of Greater Seljuks")
  • Seljuk Sultanate of Kerman (1041–1187)
  • Seljuk Sultanate of Rûm (1077–1308)
  • Seljuk Sultanate of Syria (1085–1123)
  • Seljuk Sultanate of Hamadan (1118–1194)
• Khwarazmian Empire (1077–1231)
• Eldiguzids (1136–1225)
• Atabegs of Yazd (1141–1319)
• Salghurids (1148–1282)
• Principality of Bitlis (1187–1847)
• Ilkhanate (offc. Land of Iran; 1260–1335)
• Emirate of Çemişgezek* (13th century–1663)
• Emirate of Bingöl (1231–1864)
• Emirate of Hasankeyf (1232–1524)
• Kartids (1244–1381)
• Jalayirids (1335–1432)
• Principality of Ardalan (14th century–1865)
• Emirate of Mukri (14th century–19th century)
• Muzaffarids (1314–1393)
• Injuids (1335–1357)
• Chobanids (1338–1357)
• Emirate of Bahdinan (1339–1843)
• Afrasiyab dynasty (1349–1504)

Timurid Empire at its greatest extent

Aq Qoyunlu at its greatest extent

Qara Qoyunlu at its greatest extent

• Timurid Empire (1370–1507)
  • Timurid Sultanate of Transoxiana (1454–1458)
  • Timurid Sultanate of Khorasan (1454–1508)
  • Timurid Sultanate of Samarkand and Bukhara (1469–1500)
  • Timurid Sultanate of Fergana (1469–1504)
  • Timurid Sultanate of Hissar (1469–1498)
  • Timurid Sultanate of Samarkand (1495–1498)
  • Timurid Sultanate of Bukhara (1495–1498)
  • Timurid Sultanate of Kabulistan (1469–1526) later evolved into Mughal Empire
• Qara Qoyunlu (1374–1468)
• Aq Qoyunlu (1378–1503)
• Principality of Mahmudi (1406–1839)
• Emirate of Soran (before 1514–1836)
• Principality of Suleyman (15th century–1838)
• Emirate of Pazooka (1499–1587)

An Ashrafi Coin of Nader Shah (r. 1736–1747), reverse: "Coined on gold the word of kingdom in the world, Nader of Greater Iran and the world-conqueror king."

Safavid Iran at its greatest extent

Afsharid Iran at its greatest extent

Safavids and after

• Safavid Iran (offc. The Expansive Realm of Iran or The State of Iran; 1501–1736)
• Principality of Pinyaşi (1548–1823)
• Hotak dynasty (1709–1738)
• Afsharid Iran (offc. The Guarded Domains of Iran; 1736–1796)
• Zand dynasty (1751–1794)
• Durrani Empire (1747–1842)
• Qajar Iran (offc. Sublime State of Iran; 1789–1925)
• Emirate of Afghanistan (1823–1926)
• Pahlavi Iran (offc. Imperial State of Iran; 1925–1979)
• Kingdom of Afghanistan (1926–1973)

Short-lived governments

• Socialist Soviet Republic of Iran (1920–1921)
• Azadistan (1920–1920)
• Kingdom of Kurdistan (1921–1924/1925)
• Republic of Ararat (1927–1931)
• Tajik Soviet Socialist Republic (1929–1991)
• Republic of Kurdistan (1946–1946)
• Republic of Afghanistan (1973–1978)
• Democratic Republic of Afghanistan (1978–1992)
• Interim Government of Iran (1979–1979)
• Islamic State of Afghanistan (1992–2002)
• Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (1996–2001)
• Transitional Islamic State of Afghanistan (2002–2004)
• Islamic Republic of Afghanistan (2004–2021)

Sources

• Vacca, Alison (2017). Non-Muslim Provinces under Early Islam: Islamic Rule and Iranian Legitimacy in Armenia and Caucasian Albania. Cambridge University Press. p. 7. ISBN 978-1107188518. The Iranian intermezzo in fact includes a number of other Iranian, mostly Kurdish, minor dynasties in the former caliphal provinces of Armenia, Albania, and Azerbaijan before the arrival of the Seljuks, such as the Kurdicized Arab Rawwādids in Azerbaijan and the Kurdish Marwānid family in eastern Anatolia from the tenth to the eleventh centuries. Finally, the most famous Kurdish dynasty, the Shaddādids, came to power in Dabīl/Duin in the tenth century, ruling until the twelfth. The Shaddādids named their children after Sasanian shāhanshāhs and even claimed descent from the Sasanian line. It is the other branch of the Shaddādid family, which controlled Ani, that Minorsky offers as the "prehistory" of Salāḥ al-Dīn.