Atropatene
Encyclopedia
Atropatene was an ancient kingdom established and ruled under local ethnic Iranian
Iranian peoples
The Iranian peoples are an Indo-European ethnic-linguistic group, consisting of the speakers of Iranian languages, a major branch of the Indo-European language family, as such forming a branch of Indo-European-speaking peoples...

 dynasts first with "Darius" of Persia and later "Alexander" of Macedonia, starting in the 4th century BC and includes the territory of modern-day Iranian Azarbaijan  and Iranian Kurdistan
Iranian Kurdistan
Iranian Kurdistan is an unofficial name for the parts of Iran inhabited by Kurds and has borders with Iraq and Turkey. It includes Kurdistan Province, Kermanshah Province, Ilam Province and parts of West Azerbaijan province....

. Its capital was Gazaca. Atropatene also was the nominal ancestor of the name Azarbaijan
Azerbaijan (disambiguation)
Today, Azerbaijan or Azarbaijan is defined as north-west provinces of Iran, south of Aras River, and former Soviet republic of Azerbaijan, north of Aras.The term may refer to:- Geography :...

.

History

Following the death of Alexander the Great in 323 BCE, the Macedonian's conquests were divided amongst the diadochi
Diadochi
The Diadochi were the rival generals, family and friends of Alexander the Great who fought for the control of Alexander's empire after his death in 323 BC...

 at the Partition of Babylon
Partition of Babylon
The Partition of Babylon designates the attribution of the territories of Alexander the Great between his generals after his death in 323 BC.-Background:...

. The former Achaemenid satrapy of Media
Medes
The MedesThe Medes...

 was divided into two states: The greater (southern) part - Media Magna was assigned to Peithon
Peithon
Peithon or Pithon was the son of Crateuas, a nobleman from Eordaia in western Macedonia. One of the bodyguards of Alexander the Great, later satrap of Media and one of the diadochi....

, one of Alexander's bodyguards. The smaller (northern) region, which had been the sub-satrapy of Matiene
Matiene
Matiene was the name of a kingdom in northwestern Iran which overran the kingdom of the Mannae. The Mannaeans were non-Indo-European, probably speaking either an Hurro-Urartian language like the Nairi or a Northeast Caucasian language like the Albanians to the north...

, became Media Atropatene under Atropates
Atropates
Atropates was a Persian nobleman who served Darius III, then Alexander III of Macedon, and eventually founded an independent kingdom and dynasty that was named after him...

, the former Achaemenid governor of all Media, who had by then become father-in-law of Perdiccas
Perdiccas
Perdiccas was one of Alexander the Great's generals. After Alexander's death in 323 BC he became regent of all Alexander's empire.Arrian tells us he was son of Orontes, a descendant of the independent princes of the Macedonian province of Orestis...

, regent of Alexander's designated successor.

Shortly thereafter, Atropates refused to pay allegiance to Seleucus
Seleucus I Nicator
Seleucus I was a Macedonian officer of Alexander the Great and one of the Diadochi. In the Wars of the Diadochi that took place after Alexander's death, Seleucus established the Seleucid dynasty and the Seleucid Empire...

, and made Media Atropatene an independent kingdom. It subsequently lost the Media prefix in the name and came to be known simply as Atropatene.
The dynasty Atropates founded would rule the kingdom for several centuries, first independently, then as vassals of the Arsacids (who called it 'Aturpatakan'). It was eventually annexed by the Arsacids, who then lost it to the Sassanids, who again called it 'Aturpatakan'. At some time between 639 and 643 the Arabs under the Rashidun
Rashidun
The Rightly Guided Caliphs or The Righteous Caliphs is a term used in Sunni Islam to refer to the first four Caliphs who established the Rashidun Caliphate. The concept of "Rightly Guided Caliphs" originated with the Abbasid Dynasty...

 took control of the area during the reign of Umar
Umar
`Umar ibn al-Khattāb c. 2 November , was a leading companion and adviser to the Islamic prophet Muhammad who later became the second Muslim Caliph after Muhammad's death....

. Atropatene formed a separate province of the early Islamic caliphate and was considered to have had strategic importance. It was during the Arab period that Middle Iranian
Middle Iranian languages
Middle Iranian may refer to any of a group of the Indo-European Iranian languages spoken between the 4th century BC and the 9th century AD:Western:*Parthian *Middle Persian Eastern:*Bactrian*Aryan*Sogdian*Khwarezmian...

 (i.e. Parthian and Middle Persian) Aturpatakan became Adarbaygan, Adarbayjan, Azarbaijan,.

List of rulers

  1. Artabazanes
    Artabazanes
    Artabazanes of Media Atropatene was a ruler of the Persian Atropatene kingdom of Armenia. He ruled 221 BCE or 220 BCE, and was contemporary of Antiochus III the Great....

    , ruled 221 BCE or 220 BCE, a contemporary of Antiochus III the Great
    Antiochus III the Great
    Antiochus III the Great Seleucid Greek king who became the 6th ruler of the Seleucid Empire as a youth of about eighteen in 223 BC. Antiochus was an ambitious ruler who ruled over Greater Syria and western Asia towards the end of the 3rd century BC...

    .
  2. Mithridates I
    Mithridates I of Media Atropatene
    Mithridates I was a ruler of the Achaemenid Atropatene kingdom of Armenia. He ruled from 67 BCE to 66 BCE. He was a son-in-law of Tigranes the Great....

    , (b. 100 BCE - d. ca. 66 BCE), ruled from 67 BCE to ca. 66 BCE, a son-in-law of Tigranes the Great
    Tigranes the Great
    Tigranes the Great was emperor of Armenia under whom the country became, for a short time, the strongest state east of the Roman Republic. He was a member of the Artaxiad Royal House...

    .
  3. Aristobanes I, (b. 85 BCE-d. 56 BCE), ruled from 65 BCE to 56 BCE.
  4. Darius, (b. ca.85 BCE-d. ca.65 BCE), ruled ca. 65 BCE.
  5. Artavasdes I
    Artavasdes I of Armenia
    Artavasdes I of Armenia was the son of Artaxias I and Queen Satenik....

    , (b. 65 BCE-d. 20 BCE), ruled from 56 BCE to 31 BCE, a son-in-law of Antiochus I Theos of Commagene
    Antiochus I Theos of Commagene
    Antiochus I Theos Dikaios Epiphanes Philorhomaios Philhellenos Antiochus I Theos Dikaios Epiphanes Philorhomaios Philhellenos Antiochus I Theos Dikaios Epiphanes Philorhomaios Philhellenos (Greek: о Αντίοχος Θεός Δίκαιος Επιφανής Φιλορωμαίος Φιλέλλην, meaning Antiochos, a just, eminent god, friend...

    .
  6. Aristobanes II, (b. 40 BCE-d. AD 2
    Ad 2
    Ad 2 is a division of the American Advertising Federation , the country's largest advertising advocacy group. Ad 2 provides young advertising, marketing and communication professionals the contacts, education and leadership opportunities they need to become tomorrow's industry leaders.Ad 2 has...

    ), ruled from 28 BCE to 8 BCE, also as Aristobanes, king of Armenia from 2 BCE to AD 2
    Ad 2
    Ad 2 is a division of the American Advertising Federation , the country's largest advertising advocacy group. Ad 2 provides young advertising, marketing and communication professionals the contacts, education and leadership opportunities they need to become tomorrow's industry leaders.Ad 2 has...

    .
  7. Artavasdes III
    Artavasdes III of Armenia
    Artavazd III an educated prince who would rule over twenty years and his reign witnessed a worsening of relations between Rome and Armenia. During those twenty years Rome lost the opportunity of making Armenia its permanent ally in the battle against the Persians...

    , (b. 20 BCE-d. AD 4), as Artavasdes IV, king of Armenia from AD 2
    Ad 2
    Ad 2 is a division of the American Advertising Federation , the country's largest advertising advocacy group. Ad 2 provides young advertising, marketing and communication professionals the contacts, education and leadership opportunities they need to become tomorrow's industry leaders.Ad 2 has...

     to AD 4.
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