List of monarchs of Iran

## Ancient Iran 
**Kingdom of Media**

The Median dynasty is traditionally considered to have ruled the earliest Iranian state. Whether the Medes ruled an imperial state or merely a loose tribal confederation is disputed among historians. Median history is reconstructed almost solely through ancient Greek sources (particularly Herodotus) and disregards Near Eastern sources, which are fragmentary and do not support the existence of a unified Median Empire. 

**Achaemenid Empire**

The earliest securely Achaemenid ruler is Cyrus I in the second half of the seventh century BC. The Achaemenids united all Persian tribes under Cyrus I's son Cambyses I. Under Cambyses I's son, Cyrus II, the Achaemenids defeated the Medes and established the Achaemenid Empire, the largest ever Iranian state.

**Hellenistic period**

Seleucus seized Babylonia, in the Wars of the Diadochi and was firmly in control of the region from 312 BC, after Alexander IV's death became public knowledge in 305 BC, Seleucus proclaimed himself king, the main royal Title was basileus.

**Parthian Empire**

The Arsacids of Parthia, initially Seleucid vassals, originated as leaders of the Iranian Parni tribe in the northeastern steppes. The Parthians gradually challenged Seleucid rule over Iran. Parthian control of Iran was secured through the c. 142 BC conquest of Babylonia. The Parthians presented themselves as heirs of the Achaemenids, early Parthian rulers used the name of their dynastic founder (Arsaces) as a title.  

**Sasanian Empire**

The Sasanian dynasty originated as kings of Persis, a Parthian vassal kingdom, and claimed Achaemenid descent. In 224–226, the Sasanian dynast Ardashir I led a revolt against the Parthians, weakened in a recent civil war, and took control of the empire. Ardashir presented himself as a restorer of both regional unity and Achaemenid glory. 

**Rashidun Caliphate**

The Rashidun Caliphate attacked parts of Sasanian Asoristan in 633. In 638, the Sasanians lost Mesopotamia, by the time of Yazdegerd III's death in 651, the Sasanians only retained Bactria. Following the Muslim victory, the Sasanian Empire was dissolved and Persia became part of the Rashidun Caliphate.

## Medieval Iran 
**Umayyad caliphate**

The Umayyad Caliphate was established by Mu'awiya I, governor of Syria. Mu'awiya opposed the acclamations of Ali as caliph, leading to the civil war known as the First Fitna.

**Borjigin Khanate**

After the death of Möngke Khan, the Mongol Empire was fractured by civil war, over succession of the next Great Khan and between nomadic traditionalists and the new settled princes of China and the Middle East. Kublai Khan was eventually recognized, but the empire was irreversibly fragmented, the south-west fell to Hulegu Khan, who had been made a deputy there under Möngke Khan.

**Muzaffarid Empire**

Sharaf al-Din Muzaffar was governor of Maibud, his son, Mubariz al-Din Muhammad was brought up at court, but returned to Maibud upon the death of Öljeitü, in around 1319 he overthrew the atabeg of Yazd and was recognized as governor of the city, in 1324 he was crowned Shah of Muzaffarid. 

**Jalayirid Sultanate**

**Bey of Qara Qoyunlu**

**Aq Qoyunlu sultanate**

The Aq Qoyunlu were a semi-nomadic Turkoman confederation that rose to power after the Ilkhanate's collapse, the Aq Qoyunlu was a more long-lived and better recorded group. In the 1450s and 1460s, the Aq Qoyunlu under Uzun Hasan defeated both the Qara Qoyunlu and Timurid forces. 

## Modern Iran 
**Safavid Persia**

In 1499, the Safavid *sheikh* Ismail defeated the Shirvans and began control of Iran from Aq Qoyunlu. In 1502, Ismail crowned himself Shah at Tabriz, the rise of the Safavids is often considered the beginning of modern Persian history, the Safavids restored Persia as a single Persian political unit and retransformed the tribal nomadic order of the land, established during its period under Turko-Mongol rule, shia Islam was established as the state religion. 

**Hotak Empire**

In 1701, unrest among the Ghilji Pashtun tribe of Afghanistan led to a rebellion against the Safavids. This uprising was suppressed by the local commander, George XI of Kartli, but the Afghan anti-Safavid movement continued under Mirwais Hotak and his son, Mahmud Hotak. Mahmud initially feigned loyalty and was officially appointed as governor of Kandahar. In 1720, he began raiding the Kerman area and in March 1722, a larger hastily assembled and more powerful Safavid army was defeated at the Battle of Gulnabad.

**Afsharid Empire**

**Zand Empire**
**Qajar Empire**

**Pahlavi Empire** 

**Islamic Empire** 

## Notes