principality · Caucasus

Mihranid Principality of Albania

630 CE – 822 CE (approx.) · capital Partav

A dynasty of Persian origin that revived local rule in Caucasian Albania and steered it from Sasanian control through the Arab conquest.

Origins

The Mihranids, a branch of a great Parthian noble family, came to Caucasian Albania in the late 6th century and held the canton of Gardman. Around 630, with the Sasanian Empire in crisis, Varaz Grigor became ruler of all Albania, taking the title of prince and ruling from Partav, modern Barda.

Rule and society

Javanshir, the best-known prince, fought the Arabs, allied with Byzantium and then submitted to the caliphate in 667, while repelling Khazar raids. The Mihranids patronised the Albanian church and Christian scholarship; the History of the Albanians attributed to Movses Kaghankatvatsi praises Javanshir. Partav grew as a trading city on the Kura.

Decline and legacy

Javanshir was murdered in 680, and the princes became tributaries of the Umayyad Caliphate and Abbasid Caliphate. The line ended in 822 when the last prince, Varaz-Tiridates II, was killed, and his lands passed to Armenian princely houses such as Khachen.

Lineage

Caucasian Albania 100 BCE – 510 CEMihranid Principality of AlbaniaPrincipality of Hereti 850 CE – 1010 CE

Connections (3)

  • Mihranid Principality of Albania was a vassal of Sasanian Empire630 CE – 651 CE
  • Mihranid Principality of Albania paid tribute to Umayyad Caliphate667 CE – 750 CE
  • Mihranid Principality of Albania paid tribute to Abbasid Caliphate750 CE – 822 CE

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Cite this page
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Mihranid Principality of Albania. In The Epoch Institute States Register. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/mihranid-principality-of-albania
MLA
“Mihranid Principality of Albania.” The Epoch Institute States Register, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/mihranid-principality-of-albania. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Mihranid Principality of Albania.” The Epoch Institute States Register. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/mihranid-principality-of-albania.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Mihranid Principality of Albania’, The Epoch Institute States Register. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/mihranid-principality-of-albania (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random state ↻