The Role and the Position of Ctesiphon in the Political and Economic Transactions of Sasanian Empire

By the Sassanid government, Ardeshir Babakan chose Ctesiphon as the capital. This city played a significant role in creation of the country’s political unity and turned it into a political, economic, and social center. Due to locating on important commercial and trade routes, such as the Silk Road and the Persian Gulf Sea to the Indian Ocean, Ctesiphon was politically and strategically of particular importance in Mesopotamia. At the end of the Sassanid government, given the turbulent political, economic, and social situation, Ctesiphon lost its initial prosperity. In terms of trade and commerce, the Sassanid capital played the key role in international relations since the Iranian cities were the trade and industry center during the Sassanid era. Given the kings’ frequent comings and goings in the last years of the Sassanid government, political and military instability in Ctesiphon led to turmoil in the capital and other subordinate states as well as revolts of the states’ governors and rulers in various parts of the country. Research method In the present paper, based on its theoretical nature, the historical, explanatory, and analytical research method is employed and library method is used for collecting data. The present paper is aimed at explaining the Ctesiphon’s role and position in the political and economic equations of the Sassanid era.