History timeline
Iran
22 periods and events, 2701 BCE – 1988.
Periods and events
| When | Period or event | Kind | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2701–540 BCE | Elam埃兰 Ancient civilization in the southwest; absorbed by the Achaemenids in 539 BCE. | Dynasty or era | Source |
| 1201 BCE | Zoroastrianism琐罗亚斯德教（拜火教） Founded by Zarathustra; date disputed (scholarly estimates c. 1500–1000 BCE). Became the state religion under the Sasanians. | Religion | Source |
| 679–550 BCE | Median Empire米底王国 First Iranian empire; overthrown by Cyrus the Great in 550 BCE. | Dynasty or era | Source |
| 551–331 BCE | Achaemenid Empire阿契美尼德王朝 Founded by Cyrus the Great; the largest empire of antiquity to that point. | Dynasty or era | Source |
| 335–331 BCE | Alexander's conquest of Persia亚历山大征服波斯 Alexander the Great defeated Darius III, ending the Achaemenid Empire. | War | Source |
| 313–64 BCE | Seleucid Empire塞琉古帝国 Hellenistic successor state to Alexander ruling Persia; lost the Iranian plateau to the Parthians. | Dynasty or era | Source |
| 248 BCE – 224 | Parthian Empire (Arsacid)帕提亚帝国（安息） Arsacid dynasty; long-standing rival of Rome in the east. | Dynasty or era | Source |
| 224 – 651 | Sasanian Empire萨珊王朝 Last pre-Islamic Persian empire; made Zoroastrianism the state religion. Fell to the Arab conquest. | Dynasty or era | Source |
| 633 – 654 | Muslim conquest of Persia阿拉伯征服波斯 Arab armies ended the Sasanian Empire and began the Islamization of Iran. | War | Source |
| 1037 – 1194 | Seljuk Empire塞尔柱帝国 Turkic dynasty ruling Iran; a high point of Persianate culture and administration. | Dynasty or era | Source |
| 1219 – 1335 | Mongol invasion and Ilkhanate蒙古入侵与伊儿汗国 Mongol conquest from 1219; the Ilkhanate ruled Iran until its fragmentation in 1335. | Dynasty or era | Source |
| 1370 – 1507 | Timurid Empire帖木儿帝国 Founded by Timur (Tamerlane); a flourishing of Persian art, science, and architecture. | Dynasty or era | Source |
| 1501 – 1736 | Safavid dynasty萨法维王朝 Established Twelver Shia Islam as the state religion, shaping modern Iranian identity. | Dynasty or era | Source |
| 1736 – 1796 | Afsharid dynasty (Nader Shah)阿夫沙尔王朝（纳迪尔沙） Founded by the conqueror Nader Shah, who briefly restored Iranian military dominance. | Dynasty or era | Source |
| 1751 – 1794 | Zand dynasty赞德王朝 Ruled much of Iran from Shiraz; remembered for the relatively benign rule of Karim Khan. | Dynasty or era | Source |
| 1789 – 1925 | Qajar dynasty恺加王朝 Ruled Iran into the modern era; lost territory to Russia and Britain amid growing foreign influence. | Dynasty or era | Source |
| 1905 – 1911 | Persian Constitutional Revolution立宪革命 Led to Iran's first constitution and a parliament (Majlis). | Movement | Source |
| 1925 – 1979 | Pahlavi dynasty巴列维王朝 Reza Shah and his son Mohammad Reza Shah pursued rapid modernization and Westernization. | Dynasty or era | Source |
| 1935 | Persia renamed Iran波斯更名为伊朗 Reza Shah asked the international community to call the country Iran rather than Persia. | Politics | Source |
| 1953 | 1953 coup d'état1953年政变 US- and UK-backed coup overthrew Prime Minister Mohammad Mossadegh and strengthened the Shah. | Politics | Source |
| 1979 | Iranian Revolution伊朗伊斯兰革命 Overthrew the Pahlavi monarchy and established the Islamic Republic under Ayatollah Khomeini. | Movement | Source |
| 1980 – 1988 | Iran–Iraq War两伊战争 Prolonged war after Iraq's invasion; ended in a UN-brokered ceasefire with no territorial change. | War | Source |