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.

Name		Portrait	Reign
1	Deioces		727-675 BC
2	Phraortes		675-653 BC
3	Cyaxares		653-625 BC
4	Astyages		625-585 BC

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.

Name		Portrait	Reign
1	Teispes		675-640 BC
2	Cyrus I		640-580 BC
3	Cambyses I		580-559 BC
4	Cyrus the Great		559–530 BC
5	Cambyses II		530-522 BC
6	Bardiya		522 BC
7	Darius the Great		522–486 BC
8	Xerxes I		485–465 BC
9	Artaxerxes I		465–424 BC
10	Xerxes II		424 BC
11	Darius II		424-404 BC
12	Artaxerxes II		404-358 BC
13	Arterxes III		358–338 BC
14	Artaxerxes IV		338-336 BC
15	Darius III		336-330 BC
16	Bessus		330-329 BC

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.

Name	Portrait	Facts	Reign	Lifespan
Alexander the Great		King of Macedon from 336-323	330-10 June 323 BC	July 356-10 June 323 BC
Philip		Pharaoh of Egypt	10 June 323-317 BC	357-317 BC
Alexander II		King of Macedonia and Egypt	317-Summer 309 BC	August 323-309 BC
Seleucus I the Victorious		Former general under Alexander the Great.	305–September 281 BC	c.358-281 BC
Antiochus I the Savior		Son of Seleucus I	September 281– 2 June 261 BC	324-261 BC
Antiochus II the God		Son of Antiochus I	2 June 261–July 246 BC	286-246 BC
Seleucus II Beautifully triumphant		Son of Antiochus II	July 246–December 225 BC	265-December 225 BC
Seleucus III Ceraunus		Son of Seleucus II	224–223 BC	244-Summer 223 BC
Antiochus III the Great		Son of Seleucus II	223–3 July 187 BC	241-3 July 187 BC
Seleucus IV the Father-loving		Son of Antiochus III	3 July 187–3 September 175 BC	218-3 September 175 BC
Antiochus IV Epiphanes		Son of Antiochus III	3 September 175–164 BC	215-164 BC
Antiochus V		Son of Antiochus IV	Late 164–162 BC	172-162 BC
Demetrius I the Savior		Overthrew Antiochus IV.	162–150 BC	185-150 BC
Alexander Balas		Rival king against Demetrius I, supported by the Roman Empire.	152–August 145 BC	?-August 145 BC
Antiochus VI		Son of Alexander Balas	145–142 BC	148-142 BC
Diodotus the Magnificent			142-138 BC	?-138
Antiochus VII the Pious		Son of Demetrius I	138–129 BC	164-129 BC
Demetrius II Victor		Revolted against Alexander Balas support from the Ptolemaic Kingdom.	129-125 BC	160-125 BC

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.

Name		Coin	Reign
1	Arsaces I		247–217 BC
4	Arsaces II		217–191 BC
5	Priapatius		191–176 BC
6	Phraates I		170/168–165/64 BC
7	Mithridates I the Great		165–132 BC
8	Phraates II		132–127 BC
9	Artabanus I		127–124/3 BC
10	Mithridates II		124–91 BC
11	Gotarzes I		91–87/80 BC
12	Orodes I		80–75 BC
13	Sinactruces I		75–69 BC
14	Phraates III		69–57 BC
15	Mithridates IV		57–54 BC
16	Orodes II		57–37 BC
17	Phraates IV		37–2 BC
18	Phraates V		2 BC–4 AD
19	Musa		2 BC–4 AD
20	Orodes III		4–6
21	Vonones I		8–12
21	Artabanus II		12–38/41
22	Vardanes I		40–46
23	Gotarzes II		40–51
24	Vonones II		51–51
25	Vologases I		51–78
26	Pacorus II		78–110
27	Vologases III		110–147
28	Vologases IV		147–191
29	Vologases V		191–208
30	Vologases VI		208–228

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.

Name		Portrait	Reign years
1	Ardashir I		224–242
2	Shapur I		240–270
3	Hormizd I		270–271
4	Bahram I		271–274
5	Bahram II		274–293
6	Bahram III	—N/a	293–293
7	Narseh		293–303
8	Hormizd II		303–309
9	Adur Narseh	—N/a	309–309
10	Shapur II		309–379
11	Ardashir II		379–383
12	Shapur III		383–388
13	Bahram IV		388–399
14	Yazdegerd I		399–420
15	Shapur IV	—N/a	420
16	Khosrow	—N/a	420–421
17	Bahram V		421–438
18	Yazdegerd II		438–457
19	Hormizd III	—N/a	457–459
20	Peroz I		459–484
21	Balash		484–488
22	Kavad I		488–496
23	Jamasp		496–498/9
24	Kavad I		498/9–531
25	Khosrow I		531–579
26	Hormizd IV		579–590
27	Khosrow II		590–590
28	Bahram Chobin		590–591
29	Khosrow II		591–628
30	Kavad II		628
31	Ardashir III		628–630
32	Shahrbaraz		630
33	Khosrow III		630
35	Shapur V	—N/a	630
36	Peroz II	—N/a	630
37	Azarmidokht	—N/a	630
38	Hormizd V		630–631
41	Farrukhzad Khosrow V		631
39	Hormizd VI		631–632
40	Khosrow IV		632–636
43	Yazdegerd III		636–651

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.

Name	Image	Facts	Reign	Lifespan
Abu Bakr		Companion of Prophet Muhammad	8 June 632-23 August 634	c.573-23 August 634
Umar		Senior companion of Prophet Muhammad	23 August 634-6 November 644	c.584-6 November 644
Uthman		First Caliph to be assassinated	6 November 644-17 June 656	576-17 June 656
Ali		son-in-law of Prophet Muhammad	17 June 656-28 January 661	c.600-28 January 661

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.

Name	Image	Facts	Reign	Lifespan
Mu'awiya I		Seized power in the First Fitna	January 661–April 680	601-April 680
Yazid I		Known for the Battle of Karbala	April 680–11 November 683	c.646-11 November 683
Mu'awiya II		Son of Yazid I	11 November 683–June 684	664-684
Marwan I		Governor of Medina	June 684 –12 April 685	624/5-April 684
Abd al-Malik		Know for the Battle of Khazir and Maskin	12 April 685–9 October 705	644/7-9 October 705
Al-Walid I		Known for conquest of Sindh	9 October 705–23 February 715	c.674-23 February 715
Sulayman		Siege of Constantinople	23 February 715– 24 September 717	675-24 September 717
Umar		Governor of Medina from 706-712	24 September 717 –4 February 720	680-4 February 720
Yazid II		Son of Abd al-Malik	5 February 720– 26 January 724	690-26 January 724
Hisham		Son of Abd al-Malik	26 January 724– 6 February 743	691-6 February 743
Al-Walid II		Son of Yazid II	6 February 743 – 17 April 744	709-17 April 744
Yazid III		Son of al-Walid I	16 April–20 September 744
Ibrahim		Son of al-Walid I	20 September – 25 November 744
Marwan II		Grandson of Marwan I	25 November 744 –750

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.

Name	Image	Facts	Reign	Lifespan
Hulegu		Known for the Siege of Baghdad, Battle of Ain Jalut and Conquest of Syria	1256-8 February 1265	c.1217-8 February 1265
Abaqa		Campaigns during a Crusade	8 February 1265-4 April 1282	27 February 1234-4 April 1282
Arghun			4 April 1282-10 March 1291	8 March 1258-10 March 1291
Rinchendorje		Viceory of Anatolia	10 March 1291-21 March 1295	c.1259-21 March 1295
Baydu		First Ilkhan to be executed	24 March-4 October 1295	1261-1295
Ghazan		Son of Arghun and conversion to Islam	4 October 1295-11 May 1304	5 November 1271-11 May 1304
Öljaitü		Viceory of Khorasan from 1296-1304	11 May 1304-16 December 1316	24 March 1282-16 December 1316
Abu Said		Governor of Mazandaran	16 December 1316-1 December 1335	2 June 1305-1 December 1335
Arpa Ke'un		Captured and killed in the battle of Zarrineh	1 December 1335-15 May 1336	?-15 May 1336
Musa Khan		Killed in the battle of Karaj	15 May 1335-24 July 1336	?-24 July 1336
Muhammad Khan		Executed	24 July 1336-16 July 1338	?-16 July 1338
Jahan Temür		Puppet king	16 July 1338-21 June 1340
Ilyas Khan			21 June 1340-1345
Togha Temü			1345-December 1353

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.

Name	Portrait	Facts	Reign	Lifespan
Mubariz			1324-1358	1301-1363
Shoja Mozaffari		Son of Mubariz	1358-1384	1333-1384
Mansur		Nephew of Shoja	1384-1393	?-1393

Jalayirid Sultanate

Name	Portrait	Facts	Reign	Lifespan
Hassan Buzurg		Founder	1337-July 1356	?-July 1356
Malek Ashraf			1356-1357	1321-1357
Uways I		Nephew of Malek and son of Hassan	1357-10 October 1374	?-10 October 1374
Hussain		Son of Uways I	10 October 1374-April 1382	?-1382
Bayazid		Brother of Hussain	April 1382-1384	?-1384
Ahmad		Brother of Hussain and Bayezid	1384-1410	?-1410
Mahmud		Great nephew of Ahmad	1410-1415	?-1419
Uways II		Brother of Mahmud	1415-1421	?-1421

Bey of Qara Qoyunlu

Name	Portrait	Facts	Reign
Bayram		Founder	1351-1380
Muhammad I			1380-April 1389
Yusuf I			April 1389-17 November 1420
Pirbudag		Co-ruler	1411-October 1418
Iskandar			17 November 1420-1430 and 5 August 1433-1436
Abu said			1430
Muhammad II		Wāli of Baghdad	1430-5 August 1433
Yusuf II			1436-8 March 1445
Jahan Shah			8 March 1445-November 1467
Pir Budaq		Co-sultan	1460-1466
Hassan			1466-1468
Mirza Yusuf			1468-22 October 1469
Alvand			22 October 1469-1470

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.

Name	Portrait	Facts	Reign	Lifespan
Uthman Beg			1378-1435	c.1356-1435
Ali beg			1435-1444	?-1444
Jahangir			1444-autumn 1454	c.1420-1469
Uzun Hasan			Autumn 1454-6 January 1478	1425-6 January 1478
Khalil			6 January-15 June 1478	?-15 June 1478
Yaqub			15 June 1478-24 December 1490	?-24 December 1490
Baysunghur			24 December 1490-1493	?-1493
Rustam			1493-May 1497	?-May 1497
Ahmad			May-14 December 1497	1476-14 December 1497
Qasim

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.

Name	Portrait	Facts	Reign	Lifespan
Ismail I		Forced the entire country to covert to Shia	1501–1524	17 July 1487-23 May 1524
Tahmasp I		Campaigns against Kakheti and Kartli	1524–1576	22 February 1514-14 May 1576
Haidar		Shortest reign	14-15 May 1576	18 September 1554-15 May 1576
Ismail II		Imprisoned for 19 years	15 May 1576–1577	31 May 1537-24 November 1577
Mohammad I		Ottoman-Safavid war	24 November 1577–1595	1532-1595
Abbas the Great			1595–19 January 1629	27 January 1571-19 January 1629
Safi			19 January 1629–12 May 1642	1611-12 May 1642
Abbas II			12 May 1642–26 October 1666	30 August 1632-26 October 1666
Suleiman I		Known as Safi II until 1668	26 October 1666-29 July 1694	February/March 1648-29 July 1694
Hussain			29 July 1694–9 September 1727	1668-9 September 1727
Tahmasp II		Strangled and suficated to death	9 September 1727-16 April 1736	1704-11 February 1740
Abbas III		Youngest monarch	16 April 1736-February 1740	January 1732-11 February 1740
Suleiman II			July 1749-14 January 1750	June 1714-May 1763
Ismail III		Puppet ruler	14 January 1750-1773	1733-1773

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.

Name	Image	Facts	Reign	Lifespan
Mahmud		Emir of Afghanistan	23 October 1722-22 April 1725	1697-1725
Ashraf Hotak		Known for the Battle of Murche-Khort and Khwar Pass	22 April 1725-5 October 1729	c.1700-1729

Afsharid Empire

Name	Image	Facts	Reign	Lifespan
Nader Shah		Persian victory in the Battle of Karnal	February 1740-20 June 1747	1693-1747
Adel Shah		Nephew of Nader	20 June 1747-1 October 1748	1722-1749
Ebrahim Shah		Deposed Adel Shah	1 October 1748-July 1749	1725-July 1749
Shahrokh			14 January 1750-1796	March 1734-1796

Zand Empire

Name		Portrait	Facts	Reign	Lifespan
1	Karim Khan			1751–1 March 1779	c.1705-1779
2	Mohammad II			1 March-19 June 1779	c.1760-19 June 1779
3	Abol-Fath Khan			19 June 1779-1787	c.1755-1787
4	Jafar Khan			1787–23 January 1789	?-23 January 1789
5	Sayed Morad Khan			23 January-10 May 1789	?-10 May 1789
6	Anwar Shirazi			10 May 1789-20 March 1794	1768-1801

Qajar Empire

Name		Portrait	Tughra	Reign years
1	Agha Mohammad Khan			17 June 1789–1797
2	Fath-Ali Shah			17 June 1797–24 October 1834
3	Mohammad III			24 October 1834–5 September 1848
4	Naser al-Din Shah			5 September 1848–1 May 1896
5	Mozaffar ad-Din Shah			1 May 1896–3 January 1907
6	Mohammad IV			3 January 1907–5 April 1925
7	Ahmad			5 April–15 December 1925

Pahlavi Empire

Name		Portrait	Title	Reign years
1	Reza Shah			15 December 1925–1941
2	Mohammad V			1941– 1979

Notes