Who founded the Sasanian Empire of Persia in 224 CE?

Ardashir I founded the Sasanian Empire of Persia in 224 CE. He was a ruler from Persis, the region around modern Fars, and defeated the last Parthian king, Artabanus IV, at the Battle of Hormozdgan.

After his victory, Ardashir established a new Iranian dynasty that replaced the Arsacid Parthian Empire. His reign is conventionally dated from 224 to 242 CE, although the transition from Parthian to Sasanian power developed over several years. The new state promoted a more centralized monarchy and closely associated royal authority with Iranian religious traditions.

Ardashir’s son, Shapur I, succeeded him and expanded the empire further, including through major wars against Rome. The dynasty founded by Ardashir ruled Iran and neighboring territories for more than four centuries, until the Arab-Muslim conquests of the seventh century.