Atropatene
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[[Image:Diadochi.png|300px|thumb|right|Western Asia and the Eastern Mediterranean following the Fourth War of the [[Diadochi]] in 301 BCE.<ul><li>Media Atropatene, off to the immediate south-west of the [[Caspian Sea]], had declared independence by then.</li><li>The rest, and greater part, of Media lies to the immediate south and remained a [[Seleucid Empire|Seleucid]] governate.</li></ul>]]
'''Atropatene''' was the [[Seleucid]]-era [[Koine Greek]] name given to a kingdom established in the [[4th century BC]]E, and the nominal ancestor of the name '[[Azerbaijan (disambiguation)|Azerbaijan]]'.
Following the death of [[Alexander the Great]] in 323 BCE, the Macedonian's conquests were divided amongst the [[diadochi]] at the [[Partition of Babylon]]. The former [[Achaemenid]] satrapy of [[Medes|Media]] was divided into two states: The greater (southern) part -- 'Media Magna' -- was assigned to [[Peithon]], one of Alexander's bodyguards. The smaller (northern) region -- which had been the sub-satrapy of [[Matiene]] under the Achaemenids -- became 'Media Atropatene', after [[Atropates]], the former Achaemenid governor of all Media but who had by then become father-in-law of [[Perdiccas]], regent of Alexander's designated successor.
Shortly thereafter, Atropates refused to pay allegiance to [[Seleucus I Nicator|Seleucus]], and made Media Atropatene an independent kingdom. It subsequently lost the 'Media' prefix in the name and came to be simply 'Atropatene', Greek ''᾿Ατροπατήνη''.
The dynasty Atropates founded would rule the kingdom for several centuries, first independently, then as vassals of the [[Arsacid]]s (who called it 'Aturpatakan'), then briefly as vassals of the [[Kingdom of Armenia]] (who called it 'Atrpatakan'). It was eventually annexed by the Arsacids, who then lost it to the [[Sassanid]]s, who again called it 'Aturpatakan'.
On Easter day 628, the [[Byzantine Empire|Byzantine]] Emperor [[Heraclius]] captured [[Gazaca]], the capital. The Arabs under the [[Rashidun]] took control of the area during the reign of [[Umar]], at some time between 639 and 643. Atropatene formed a separate province of the early Islamic caliphate and was considered to have had strategic importance. [[Middle Iranian languages|Middle Iranian]] (i.e. Parthian and Middle Persian) 'Aturpatakan' became Adarbaygan, Adarbayjan, Azarbaijan, Azerbaijan.
== References ==
{{reflist}}
{{refbegin}}
* {{citation|last=Chaumont|first=M. L.|chapter=Atropates|title=Encyclopaedia Iranica|volume=3.1|year=1989|location=London|publisher=Routledge & Kegan Paul|chapter-url=http://www.iranica.com/newsite/articles/v3f1/v3f1a020.html}}
* {{citation|last=de Planhol|first=X.|chapter=Azerbaijan I: Geography|title=Encyclopaedia Iranica|volume=3.1|year=1989|location=London|publisher=Routledge & Kegan Paul|chapter-url=http://www.iranica.com/newsite/articles/v3f2/v3f2a088a.html}}
* {{citation|last=Schippmann|first=K.|chapter=Azerbaijan III: Pre-Islamic History|title=Encyclopaedia Iranica|volume=3.1|year=1989|location=London|publisher=Routledge & Kegan Paul|chapter-url=http://www.iranica.com/newsite/articles/v3f2/v3f2a088a.html}}
* {{citation|last=Bosworth|first=C.E.|chapter=Azerbaijan IV: Islamic History to 1941|title=Encyclopaedia Iranica|volume=3.1|year=1989|location=London|publisher=Routledge & Kegan Paul|chapter-url=http://www.iranica.com/newsite/articles/v3f2/v3f2a088a.html}}
{{refend}}
{{Sassanid Provinces}}
[[Category:History of Iran]]
[[Category:History of Azerbaijan]]
[[Category:Provinces of the Sassanid Empire]]
{{Qazvin-geo-stub}}
{{Zanjan-geo-stub}}
{{EastAzarbaijan-geo-stub}}
{{MEast-hist-stub}}
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