ABSTRACT
This essay discusses the history of the Sasanian Empire in the context of the development of Christianity in the east. The situation and life of the Christians on the Iranian Plateau fluctuated, depending on the foreign relations with the Roman Empire and the internal pressures such as the inter-communal violence which forced the hand of the government. The relation between the king of kings and the Christian ruling elite was also an important factor in the locations and times of Christian prosperity and persecution. While there was an uncertain outlook towards Christianity in the third and the fourth centuries, by the fifth century CE, a native Christian tradition was recognised. In the sixth and the seventh centuries CE, Christianity grew and became an important factor in the life and history of the Sasanian Empire.
