Editing History of Bahrain (section)

==Iranian Empires==
{{See also|Achaemenid Empire|Parthian Empire|Sasanian Empire}}
From the 6th century BC to the 3rd century BC Bahrain was a pivotal part of the [[Achaemenid Empire|Persian Empire]] of the [[Achaemenid Empire|Achaemenids]], an [[Iranian peoples|Iranian dynasty]].<ref name="Mojtahed-Zadeh" /> The Achaemenid navy set up bases along the [[Karun|Karun River]] as well as in Bahrain, [[Oman]], and [[Yemen]]. Beyond maintaining peace along the Karun, the Persian fleet facilitated trade with India through the Persian Gulf.<ref name="navy">{{cite book |author=Kaveh Farrokh |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=wywlvgAACAAJ |title=Shadows in the desert: ancient Persia at war |publisher=Bloomsbury USA |year=2007 |isbn=978-1-84603-108-3 |page=68}}</ref>

From the 3rd century BC to the arrival of [[Islam]] in the 7th century AD, Bahrain was controlled by two other Iranian dynasties, the [[Parthian Empire|Parthians]] and the [[Sassanids]]. By about 130 BC, the Parthian dynasty brought the Arabian 
Gulf under their control and extended their influence as far as Oman; since they needed to control the Persian Gulf trade route, the Parthians established garrisons along the southern coast of the Persian Gulf.<ref name="Federal Research Division page 7">''Bahrain'' by Federal Research Division, page 7</ref> Objects related to the Parthian period have been uncovered in [[Shakhura|Shahkhoura]].<ref name=":02">{{Cite web |title=Historical objects (artefacts) found in Shakhoura |url=https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/term/x32961 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240929201252/https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/term/x32961 |archive-date=2024-09-29 |website=British Museum |postscript=: Objects related to the [[Parthian Empire|Parthian]] period have been found in Shahkhoura, in addition to the [[Greece|Greek]] (Tylos) period.}}</ref>

[[File:The Sasanian Empire at its apex under Khosrow II.svg|thumb|The Sasanian Empire at its greatest extent c. 620, under [[Khosrow II]]]]

In the 3rd century AD, the Sassanids succeeded the Parthians and held the area until the arrival of Islam four centuries later.<ref name="Federal Research Division page 7"/> [[Ardashir I|Ardashir]], the first ruler of the Iranian Sassanid dynasty marched to Oman and Bahrain and defeated Sanatruq<ref>Robert G. Hoyland, ''Arabia and the Arabs: From the Bronze Age to the Coming of Islam'', Routledge 2001p28</ref> (or Satiran<ref name="Mojtahed-Zadeh"/>), probably the Parthian governor of Bahrain.<ref name = "Jamsheed"/> He appointed his son [[Shapur I]] as governor of Bahrain. Shapur constructed a new city there and named it Batan Ardashir after his father.<ref name="Mojtahed-Zadeh"/> At this time, Bahrain incorporated the southern Sassanid province covering the Persian Gulf's southern shore plus the archipelago of Bahrain.<ref name="Jamsheed">Conflict and Cooperation: Zoroastrian Subalterns and Muslim Elites in ... By Jamsheed K. Choksy, 1997, page 75</ref> The southern province of the Sassanids was subdivided into three districts; Haggar (now al-Hafuf province, Saudi Arabia), Batan Ardashir (now [[al-Qatif]] province, Saudi Arabia), and [[Mishmahig]] (now Bahrain Island).<ref name="Mojtahed-Zadeh"/>