Razavi Khorasan Province (Persian: استان خراسان رضوی)^{[lower-alpha 1]} is one of the 31 provinces of Iran, located in northeastern Iran. Its capital is the city of Mashhad.^[5] Central Khorasan is one of the three provinces that were created after the division of Khorasan province in 2004. In 2014, it was placed in Region 5^[6] with Mashhad as the location of the region's secretariat.

At the time of the 2006 National Census, the province had a population of 5,515,980 in 1,426,187 households.^[7] The following census in 2011 counted 5,994,402 people in 1,716,314 households.^[8] At the latest census conducted in 2016, the population had risen to 6,434,501 in 1,938,703 households.^[2]

The Greater Khorasan has witnessed the rise and fall of many dynasties and governments in its territory throughout history. Various tribes of the Arabs, Turks, Kurds and Turkmens brought changes to the region time and time again.^[9]

Ancient geographers of Iran divided Iran ("Ērānshahr") into eight segments of which the most flourishing and largest was the territory of Greater Khorasan. Esfarayen, among other cities of the province, was one of the focal points for residence of the Aryan tribes after entering Iran.

The Parthian Empire was based near Merv in Khorasan for many years. During the Sassanid dynasty, the province was governed by a Spahbod (Lieutenant General) called "Padgošban" and four margraves, each commander of one of the four parts of the province.

Khorasan was divided into four parts during the Muslim conquest of Persia, each section being named after one of the four largest cities, Nishapur, Merv, Herat, and Balkh.

In the year 651, the army of the Rashidun Caliphate conquered Khorasan. The territory remained under the rule of the Abbasid Caliphate until 820, followed by the rule of the Iranian Tahirid dynasty until 873, and the Samanid dynasty in 900.

Mahmud of Ghazni conquered Khorasan in 994, and Tuğrul in the year 1037.

In 1507, Khorasan was occupied by the Uzbek tribes. After the death of Nader Shah in 1747, it was occupied by the Afghan Durrani Empire centered in Qandahar.

In 1824, Herat became independent for several years when the Afghan Empire was split between the Durranis and Barakzais. The Persians sieged the city in 1837, but the British assisted the Afghans in repelling them. In 1856, the Persians launched another invasion and briefly managed to recapture the city; it led directly to the Anglo-Persian War. In 1857 hostilities between the Persians and the British ended after the Treaty of Paris was signed, and the Persian troops withdrew from Herat.^[10] Afghanistan reconquered Herat in 1863 under Dost Muhammad Khan, two weeks before his death.^[11]

Khorasan was the largest province of Iran until it was divided into three provinces on 29 September 2004. The provinces approved by the parliament of Iran (on 18 May 2004) and the Council of Guardians (on 29 May 2004) were Khorasan-e Razavi, North Khorasan, and South Khorasan.

The main archeological sites discovered in this province include:

The major ethnic group in this region are Persians, there are other sizeable communities such as Khorasani Kurds, Khorasani Turks, Turkmens and Khorasani Baloch.^[12]

The population history and structural changes of Razavi Khorasan Province's administrative divisions over three consecutive censuses are shown in the following table.

• Mashhad
• Mashhad
• Mashhad
• Kashmar
• Kashmar
• Kashmar
• Nishapur
• Nishapur
• Nishapur
• Sabzevar
• Sabzevar
• Sabzevar
• Khalilabad
• Khalilabad
• Ferdows
• Torbat-e Heydarieh
• Sarakhs
• Bardaskan

• Greater Khorasan
• Khorasan Province
• South Khorasan Province
• North Khorasan Province

Media related to Razavi Khorasan Province at Wikimedia Commons

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