619–629 → Capital Alexandria | Today part of Egypt
Libya Historical era Ancient history | |
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Sasanian Egypt (known in Middle Persian sources as Agiptus) refers to the brief rule of Roman Egypt and parts of Libya by the Sasanian Empire.
It lasted from 619 to 629, until the Sasanian king Shahrbaraz made an alliance with the Byzantine emperor Heraclius to have control over Greco-Roman Egypt returned to him.
History
Egypt was conquered in 619 by the prominent Sasanian military leader Shahrbaraz, who governed the province briefly until he appointed Sahralanyozan as the new governor. Sahralanyozan held the title of karframan-idar ("steward of the court") and was the most powerful Iranian in Egypt. Besides being governor of Egypt, he was also the tax-collector of the province, and most likely resided in Faiyum. Although Egypt suffered much damage during its invasion by the Sasanians, after the conquest was complete, peace, toleration and rehabilitation followed. Furthermore, the Sasanians retained the same administrative structure as the Byzantine Empire.
In 626, Shahrbaraz quarrelled with the Sasanian king Khosrau II (r. 590-628) and mutinied against him. It is not known whom Sahralanzoyan supported, since he is not mentioned in any source thereafter and Shahrbaraz is described as the ruler of the province. Following the end of the Byzantine–Sassanid war in 628, by 630/1, Egypt had returned to Byzantine hands.