AZERBAIJAN AS A PART OF SASANI EMPIRE

One of the important phases in our native history can be considered the
Middle Ages, which continued approximately sixteen centuries. It covers a period
from the 3rd to 19th centuries.
In the Middle Ages plenty of foreign tribes attacked our territory. A
considerable part of Azerbaijan – such as Atropatena and Albania were included in
the Sasani (Iran) realm from the Early Middle Ages - in the second half of the 3 rd
century.
During the Sasani phase Atropatena became one of the most important
provinces of Iran and the residence of the governor was situated in Tabriz.
However, Albania could preserve its independence.
In the early Middle Ages Albanian kings had to stick to the Roman or
Iranian (Sasani) orientation, nevertheless they managed to save their independence
and territorial integrity. In particular, the regular coinage of Albanian money was
evidence of that. All that in its turn beneficially influenced the development of the
culture and the process of uniting of Albanian tribes into a unified ethnos. At that
period of time Hunns, Sabirs, Hazars and other Turkish tribes began to appear and
settle in the South Caucasus, particularly in the fifth to seventh centuries A.D. The
union of eight Turkish tribes known under the common name of “Pechenegi”
played a particularly noticeable role among Turks who settled in Garabagh during
that period of time. The most powerful among the Pechenegs who settled in
Garabagh was the tribe – Karabag or Karabay, translated as “mighty master”.
At the beginning of the 7th century Mikhranids dynasty came to power in
Albania. The founder of this dynasty, Mikhran was the relative of the Sassanid
Shah, Khosrov II. During the rule of this dynasty Barda (Partaw) was the capital
city of Albania.
During this period of time Albania became an arena of wars between Sasani
Persia, Byzantium, and the Khazar Khanate, the latter two very often acting as
allies against Sassanid Persia. In 628, during the Iranian-Byzantian War, the
Khazars invaded Albania. The territory was under Khazar rule before the arrival of
the Arabs. However, some other sources state that the Khazars later left the region
because of political instability.

Glossary:

- phase = a stage or period that is part of a longer period

- tribe = a group of people who live together, and who share the same
culture and language
- realm = a country that has a king or queen
- province = one of the large areas that some countries are divided into because
of the type of government they have
- residence = a building where someone lives
- governor = someone who is officially responsible for controlling a region or
city
- stick to sth. = to continue doing or using something and not change to
anything else
- regular =happening or doing something often, especially at the same time
every week, year, etc
- coinage = a set of coins of different values used in a country's money system
- ethnos = relating to a particular race of people
- mighty = very powerful or successful
- dynasty = a series of rulers who are all from the same family
- invade = to enter a country by force in order to take control of it