Balasagan: Map & History
Balāsagān, also known as Bazgan, was a region located in the area of the Kura and Aras rivers, adjacent to the Caspian Sea.
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Balāsagān, also known as Bazgan, was a region located in the area of the Kura and Aras rivers, adjacent to the Caspian Sea. To the south, it bordered Atropatene/Adurbadagan and Gilan. It roughly corresponded to the Armenian province of Paytakaran, albeit extending farther into the north. It has been suggested that under the Sasanians the region extended as far as the stronghold of Derbent, albeit this remains disputed. The heartland of Balasagan was the Dasht i-Bałasakan which corresponds to the Mughan plain. During the late Sasanian era, Balasagan was included in the northern quadrant (kust) of Adurbadagan.
Modern Countries Once Part of Balasagan
At its mapped extent, Balasagan covered territory in 1 present-day country. The period shown is when the mapped borders include that country, and the note says how much of it.
Largest Present-Day Cities in Its Territory
Each opens on the live map inside Balasagan's borders of that time.
Derived by testing mapped cities against this polity's dated territorial polygons, so the list is indicative and follows the borders in the source dataset.
Balasagan in Depth
History
The region is first attested as a Sasanian province in the SKZ inscription of Shapur I (r. 240–270) separately from Caucasian Albania, which indicates that it was its own political entity even if it was virtually subject to Albania. In the inscription, Shapur I's considers Balasagan and the rest of the Caucasus as part of Iran, and only regards the Roman territories of Anatolia and Syria as part of Aneran. The powerful 3rd-century Zoroastrian high priest Kartir, however, considers Balasagan and the rest of the Caucasus as belonging to Aneran. What was precisely seen as Aneran is not certain.
Sections adapted from Wikipedia: Balasagan (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Balasagan: Key Facts
| Capital | Paytakaran |
|---|
Facts from Wikidata Q3633213 (CC0).
Balasagan Timeline
Key historical inflections from foundation to peak territorial expansion
Expansion to peak recorded area of 74,449 km² in 645 CE.
Balasagan: Frequently Asked Questions
When did Balasagan exist?
Balasagan is dated to 638 CE – 646 CE, in the Early Middle Ages era.
What was the capital of Balasagan?
The capital of Balasagan was Paytakaran.
How large was Balasagan at its peak?
At its peak in 645 AD Balasagan covered about 74,449 km².
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