Characene
Characene (Ancient Greek: Χαρακηνή), also known as Mesene (Μεσσήνη) or Meshan, was a kingdom founded by the Iranian Hyspaosines located at the head of the Persian Gulf mostly within modern day Iraq. Its capital, Charax Spasinou (Χάραξ Σπασινού), was an important port for trade between Mesopotamia and India, and also provided port facilities for the city of Susa further up the Karun River. The kingdom was frequently a vassal of the Parthian Empire. Characene was mainly populated by Arabs, who spoke Aramaic as their cultural language. All rulers of the principality had Iranian names. Members of the Arsacid dynasty also ruled the state.
Characene | |||||||||
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| 141 BC–222 AD | |||||||||
A map of Characene. | |||||||||
| Status | Autonomous state, frequently a vassal of the Parthian Empire | ||||||||
| Capital | Charax Spasinu | ||||||||
| Common languages | Aramaic (cultural language) | ||||||||
| Government | Monarchy | ||||||||
• 141–124 BC | Hyspaosines (first) | ||||||||
• 210–222 AD | Abinergaios III (last) | ||||||||
| Historical era | Classical antiquity | ||||||||
• Established | 141 BC | ||||||||
• Sasanian conquest | 222 AD | ||||||||
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