KAIANIAN, ki-afni-an (from Pers. Kay, Av. Kari, King). Name of an ancient Iranian or Persian dynasty, partly legendary, but merging into an historical line. which ruled over Persia after the Peshadian. or great mythical dynasty of Iran. The last members of the Kaianians are certainly contemporaneous with the later monarchs, and are to be identified with them, although the Persian traditions con nected with their names and reigns are more fanciful and imaginative than are the annals of the Greeks. Regarding the earliest Kaianians there is much uncertainty, owing to the lack of authentic records, but Persian tradition aserihes: the founding of the Kaianian line to the stand taken by the great legendary hero Rustam, the leader against Afrasiah of Turan. when he placed Kai Kobad (Avestan, Mari Karats) nn the throne of Iran. and established the much honored house. The designation Kaianian is due to the title Kai prefixed to each name in the dynasty.
The successor of Kai Kob5d was Kai Kane (Av. iirtri and he in turn was followed by Kai Klinsrri or Khrisril (Ar. Kari Husra•ah). whom Persian tradition, apparently in vain seeks to identify with Cyrus the Great. This kinds reign. like that of the other Kaianians. but more in length. is described in the Shah Yaniah. or "Book of Kings." by Firdausi (q.v.). Next followed Luhrasp and then came his on Gushtasp. who has been identified. on insufficient
grminds it seems. with Darius Ilystaspes. (See DARIUS.) In Gushtasp's rein the prophet Zoroaster appeared. After Guslitasp came Bahman, or Wohuman. i.e. Ardashir Dirazdast, whose rule is to be identified with that of Arta xerxes Longimanus. (See ARTAXERXES.) Similar historical identifications are now to be made between the Kaianian Darah or Darab and Darius Not Ii us, and between Da•a and Darius Codoniatnu,i. (See DARIUS.) According to the artificial chronolog,Y of the Pahlavi. Bunda hishu (1Id. 30, 6-7). the accession of Kai Kobad, or the first. Kaianian, would be placed as early as 1003, and the reign of Kai Vishtasp would extend over 120 years. So we had it in Firdausi, Masudi, and Albiruni. A reign of such extrava gant length is apocryphal, or points rather to a dynasty. The fall of the Kaianian power came to pass through the invasion of Alexander the Great, and the consequent overthrow of the Persian Empire. Consult: Justi. Iranisches Na mcnbuch Al a rbu rg,. 1895 ) ; id., "Geschichte in Crundriss dcr iranischen Philologic (Strassburg. 1897) ; Dubeux, La Terse (Paris, Jackson, Zoroastcr, the Prophet of _In dent Iran (New York, 1889). See also PERSIA, paragraph History.