What is Sassanid Empire?
[[File:Sassanid Empire 620.png|thumb|right|250px|The Sassanid Empire at its greatest extent, under Khosrau II]] The '''Sassanid Empire''' or '''Sassanian Dynasty'''<ref>{{lang-fa|ساسانیان}} [{{IPA|sɒsɒnijɒn}}]</ref> is the name used for the [[Persian people|Persian]] dynasty that lasted from 224 to 651 AD.<ref name=wiesehofer>Wiesehofer, Joseph 1996. ''Ancient Persia''. New York: I.B. Taurus</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=A brief history |url=http://www.cultureofiran.com/b_history.php |work=Culture of Iran |publisher= |accessdate=11 September 2009 |archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20071011165840/http://cultureofiran.com/b_history.php |archivedate = October 11, 2007}}</ref> The Sassanid Empire, which succeeded the [[Parthia|Parthian]] Empire, was recognized as one of the two [[great power|great powers]] in [[Western Asia]], alongside the [[Roman Empire]] and later the [[Byzantine Empire]], for more than 400 years. == King of kings == The Sassanid dynasty was founded by [[Ardashir I]] when he defeated the last Parthian (Arsacid) king, [[Artabanus IV]], and ended when the last Sassanid Shahanshah (King of Kings), Yazdegerd III (632–651), lost a fourteen-year struggle to drive out the early [[Arab people|Arab]] [[Caliphate]], the first of the [[Islam|Islamic]] empires. The Sassanid Empire's traditional territory included what is now [[Iran]], [[Iraq]], [[Armenia]], [[Afghanistan]], [[Egypt]] and eastern [[Turkey]] and parts of [[Syria]], [[Pakistan]], [[Caucasia]], [[Central Asia]] and [[Arabia]]. The Sassanid era is considered to be one of the most important and influential historical periods in Iran. In many ways; the Sassanid period saw the highest achievement of Persian [[civilization]], and was the last great Persian Empire before the [[Muslim conquests|Muslim conquest]] and the adoption of [[Islam]]. Persia influenced [[Roman Empire|Roman]] civilization considerably during the Sassanids,<ref name=Bury>Bury J.B. 1923. ''History of the later Roman Empire''. Macmillan, London.</ref><sup>p109</sup> and the