Timeline

c. 950 BC Suleiman first practices his Art in the Middle East.

650 Birth of Zoroaster.

• 550–330 The Achaemenid Empire, founded by Cyrus The Great and ended by Alexander the Great; at its height, it encompasses Anatolia, Mythic Persia, the Levant, as well as Transoxiana and Egypt, and also engages in significant territorial disputes with the Greek city-states. Zoroastrianism established by Cyrus as the official state religion. Fire temples are built across the empire under Antaxerxes II. Zoroastrian calendar is formalized. Zurvan heresy emerges.

• 539 Destruction of Babylon by Persians under Cyrus the Great.

• 334–326 Conquest of Persia by Alexander the Great. Slaughter of Mazdean priests, destruction of literature. Fire temples are destroyed.

• 323 Death of Alexander the Great.

• 312–61 BC The Seleucid Empire of Persia, one of the successor states of the empire established by Alexander the Great.

• 141 BC–224 AD Empire of the Parthians in Persia. Revival of Mazdean faith, rediscovery of many lost traditions and scriptures.

• 224 AD Ardeshir I defeats the Parthian king and becomes the first ruler of the Sasanid dynasty of Persia. High priest Tansar fixes the Mazdean canon. His successor Kirder reorganizes the priesthood. Many fire temples refounded. Oral tradition is recorded.

• 412 Cult of Mercury disbanded.

• c. 570 Birth of Muhammad.

• 610 Muhammad receives first revelation.

• 622 Muhammad emigrates from Mecca to Medina. Date of start of Muslim calendar.

• 630 Muhammad takes Mecca.

• 632 Death of Muhammad. Abu Bakr caliph. 632–644 Muslims take Syria, the Holy Land and Egypt.

• 634 Death of Abu Bakr. 'Umar caliph.

• 637–651 The Islamic Conquest of Persia, leading to the end of both Sasanid rule and Zoroastrian dominance. Much slaughter of Mazdean priests and forced conversions.

• 644 Death of 'Umar. 'Uthman caliph.

• 644–671 Muslims take Khurasan.

• 656 Death of 'Uthman. 'Ali caliph.

• 661 Death of 'Ali. Mu'awiya first caliph of Umayyad dynasty. Jizya imposed on non-Muslims. Conversion of Mazdeans is sporadic. Most Persians still Mazdean.

• 680 Battle of Karbala', death of al-Husayn.

• c. 700 The first Solomonic summoners swear service to the Umayyad caliphs.

• 707 Muslims take North Africa.

• 712 Muslims invade Spain.

• 717 Muslims cross Pyrenees into France.

• c. 720 Umayyad summoners and jinn at war

• 732 Muslims defeated by Franks under Charles Martel at Poitiers.

• 746 Jinn lay siege to Damascus.

• 750 Fall of Umayyad caliphate. Al-Saffah first 'Abbasid caliph.

• 762 Foundation of Baghdad.

• 767 Order of Hermes founded.

• 786–809 Reign of Harun al-Rashid.

• 786 Harun al-Rashid becomes caliph, invites scholars to serve as viziers on his "Solomonic" council.

• 787 First Council of Harun al-Rashid established.

• 789 Grand vizier Al-Khayzuran dies. Yahya ibn Khalid retires, Ja'far ibn Yahya becomes grand vizier.

• 803 Grand Vizier Ja'far beheaded, Yahya imprisoned.

• 848 Sundering of House Tremere.

• 805 The Suhhar Sulayman established in

• Baghdad with the first meeting of the Majlis al-Sulayman.

• 869 917 Persian Muslim dynasties gain power under 'Abbasid caliphate. Persecution of Mazdeans intensifies to 917. Leaders of Persian Mazdeans sail from Persian Gulf to a fabled Eastern land.

• 925 Iberian sahirs split from the Suhhar Sulayman.

• 945 Persian Buyids take control of Baghdad and the caliphate.

• 961 Execution of Tasgillia.

• 1003–1012 Schism War.

• 1009 Ferdowsi finishes the Shahnameh, the Persian "Book of Kings."

• 1037 The Seljuk Togril Beg unites the Turkomen tribes of the Great Steppe and invades Persia. In 1055 he takes Baghdad, and assumes control over the caliph and the armies of the 'Abbasid caliphate. His successor Alp Arslan extends the sultanate to Anatolia, Armenia, and Georgia. Increased persecution of Mazdeans.

• 1090 Hasan-i Sabbah takes Alamut.

• 1092 Death of Malik Shah and partial fragmentation of the Seljuk Sultanate between his sons.

• 1095–1109 First Crusade. Soldiers from Europe take much of Levantine coast and establish states at Antioch, Edessa, Tripoli, and Jerusalem.

• 1131 Ahmed Sanjar, son of Malik Shah, consolidates control over the western Seljuk Empire.

• 1144 Zangi takes Edessa.

• 1147–1148 Second Crusade fails to take Damascus.

• 1149 Shansabani coup in Khurasan, lead by Ala'uddin Hussain, also called Jahansoz — "World Burner."

• 1151 Ghuzz invade southeastern Persia, capture Sultan Ahmed Sanjar and hold him captive for three years.

• 1160. successfully defends Baghdad from Seljuks, securing independence of the caliphate.
• 1174–1187 Saladin unites Muslim Levant, takes Jerusalem and much of coast from crusaders.
• 1180–1225 Reign of the 'Abbasid caliph al-Nasir.
• 1189–1192 Third Crusade secures territory on coast but fails to take Jerusalem.
• 1194 Tekish, the ruler of Khwarazm, defeats Togril III, ending Seljuk rule of Persia.
• 1195 Most recent Grand Tribunal held.
• 1202–1204 Fourth Crusade takes Constantinople.
• 1205 Ala al-Din (son of Tekish) conquers Persia and proclaims himself shah (emperor).
• 1206 Shansabani Sultan Mohammed al-Ghuri assassinated on the banks of the River Sind by a Nizari; the Khwarazmshah forces the Shansabani to concede control of Khurasan.
• 1212 Ala al-Din adds Transoxanian territories to his empire and now rules all the land from the Jaxartes to the Tigris.
• 1218–1221 Crusaders temporarily hold territory in Egypt.
• 1219–1227 Mongols under Genghis Khan take eastern Persia.
• 1230–1240 Mongols take western Persia, Georgia, Armenia, and northern Iraq.
• 1243 Mongols overwhelm Seljuk sultan of Asia Minor.
• 1248–1250 Crusaders under St Louis temporarily hold territory in Egypt.
• 1256 Mongols destroy strongholds of Persian Assassins.
• 1258 Mongols take Baghdad, put caliph to death.
• 1260 Mamluks halt Mongol advance in Syria.

• 1261 Byzantines retake Constantinople. 'Abbasid caliphate re-established in Cairo.
• 1265 Mongols establish protectorate over Seljuk Asia Minor.
• 1268–1291 Mamluks gradually re-conquer coast from crusaders.
• 1273 Mamluks destroy last of Assassins' strongholds in Syria.
• 1281 Mamluks defeat renewed Mongol invasion in Syria.
• 1295 Mongol khan of Persia becomes Muslim.