Realm · approximate borders · 141 BCE – 222 CE

Characene

Kingdom at the head of the Persian Gulf founded by Hyspaosines after the Seleucid collapse; capital Charax Spasinou. Frequently a Parthian vassal but with its own kings and coinage until Ardashir I annexed it c.

222. Sources: Wikipedia 'Characene'.

See Characene on the map in 141 BCE

On the map: 141 BCE – 222 CE
Capital: Charax Spasinou

Rulers named in the sources

Hyspaosines c. 141–124 BCE
Attambelos I c. 47–25 BCE
Meredates c. 131–150 CE
Abinergaos III c. 210s CE

States of the Middle East, 2400 BCE–1886

Among the smaller states of Anatolia, the Levant, Mesopotamia, Arabia, Iran and the South Caucasus were Bronze and Iron Age kingdoms (Ebla, Mari, Yamhad, Kizzuwatna, Arzawa, Ugarit, Aram-Damascus, Ammon, Moab, Edom, Mannaea), the city-kingdoms of Cyprus, Characene, Elymais, Hatra, Kinda and Muhammad's state at Medina; the Caucasian kingdoms and emirates of the 9th–12th centuries (Tbilisi, Lori, Kakheti-Hereti, Syunik, Kars) and the dynasties of the 'Iranian intermezzo' (Sallarids, Rawwadids, Hasanwayhids, Kakuyids, Marwanids, Uqaylids, Mirdasids, Mazyadids, Ikhshidids); the Burids of Damascus, the Nizari Ismaili castles, the atabegs of Azerbaijan, Fars, Luristan and Kerman; the eastern Anatolian beyliks (Saltukids, Mengujekids, Shah-Armens, Artuqids, Eretnids, Kadi Burhan al-Din, Erzincan, Tacettin, Lâdik, Alaiye); the Mamluk pashas of Baghdad; Arabian states from the Sulayhids to the Jabrids, Bani Khalid, Kathiri, Mahra and Lahej; and the South Caucasus khanates of 1747–1828. Few pre-modern sources describe frontiers.