Atropatene
Atropatene (Greek: Ἀτροπατηνή; originally known as "Atropatkan" and "Atorpatkan" ) was an ancient kingdom established and ruled under local ethnic Iranian dynasties first with Darius III of Persia and later Alexander the Great of Macedonia starting in the 4th century BC and includes the territory of modern-day Iranian Azerbaijan,Iranian Kurdistan, and a small part of the contemporary Azerbaijan Republic. Its capital was Ganzak. Atropatene also was the nominal ancestor of the name Azerbaijan.
History
Following the death of Alexander the Great in 323 BC, the Macedonian's conquests were divided amongst the diadochi at the Partition of Babylon. The former Achaemenid satrapy of Media was divided into two states: The greater (southern) part — Media Magna was assigned to Peithon, one of Alexander's bodyguards. The smaller (northern) region, which had been the sub-satrapy of Matiene, became Media Atropatene under Atropates, the former Achaemenid governor of all Media, who had by then become father-in-law of Perdiccas, regent of Alexander's designated successor.
Adurbadagan
Adurbadagan, known as Āturpātakān in Middle Persian, Atropatene in Greek, and Atrpatakan in Armenian, was a Sasanian province in northern Iran which almost corresponded to the present day Iranian Azerbaijan. The capital of the province was Ganzak.
History
In 224, Adurbadagan submitted with little resistance to Ardashir I (r. 224–242) once he had defeated and killed Artabanus at the Battle of Hormizdegan. In 241/2, during the reign of his son and successor Shapur I (r. 240-270), the latter had to make a expedition to the province due to unrest. After that, the province became completely subdued. In the spring of 589, Adurbadagan was invaded by the Byzantine ally Guaram I of Iberia. However, when he discovered that the Sasanian army chief (spahbed) Bahram Chobin had defeated a massive Turkic army in Khorasan, and was now marching to Adurbadagan, he quickly withdrew. The following year, Bahram Chobin, after having been disgraced by king Hormizd IV, rebelled against him, and quickly managed to take control over the whole Sasanian Empire.
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