Magi & Kings: Iranians in World History
Modern Iran in the Western Imagination
Western Media & Iran
Iran / Persia in Hollywood
Iran / Persia in Hollywood
Burden of the Past
What is this past?
Always looking at the past and history
Iranian Languages and PeopleModern: Persian, Kurdish, Baluchi, Pashto, Luri, Yaghnubi,
OsseticAncient: Old Persian, Avestan, Sogdian, Parthian, Median,
Scythian
Indo-European MigrationMigration pattern: circa 5000-4000 BCEGreek, Celtic, Italic: westwardArmenian, Indic, Iranian: south and eastward
Iranian expansionBMAC= Bactria-Margiana Archeological ComplexIranian CentersFire-”temple” & Haoma “sacred plant” found
Pre-dynastic Cities and Population of the Iranian Plateau: Diversity and Regionalism
variety & diversity of cultures and languages on the Iranian Plateau from the beginning till today
-Marlik-Sialk-Luristan-Ziwiye & Bukan-Jiruft
Diversity
Marlik 1200-1000 BCE
Northern Irangoldceramicsbullvazra jang“bull fight”
Marlik: Bronze Age
Magi
Zoroastrian PriestMagos, Mage, Magi
Zoroaster & MagiGreek & European imaginationMagic, foretelling the future, seeing the stars
Medes & the Magi
Herodotus 1.101:Deiokes then united the Median race alone, and was ruler of this: and of the Medes there are the tribes which here follow, namely, Busai, Paretakenians, Struchates, Arizantians, Budians, Magians: the tribes of the Medes are so many in number.
Medes & the Bible
Bible (Jeremiah 25,25 ; 51,11; 51,28)
Sharpen the arrows! Lift up the shields! For the LORD has inspired the kings of the Medes to march against Babylon and destroy her. This is his vengeance against those who desecrated his Temple (51.11)
Destruction of the Assyrian Empire
612 BCENineveh is destroyed by:MedesBabyloniansElamites
Cyrus the Great & the Persian Empire
King Cyrus: Perso-Anshanite Ruler (6th BCE)
The BibleIsaiah (45.1) Thus says the Lord to His anointed
[i.e., MessiahMessiah], to Cyrus - whose right hand I have held- to subdue nations before him and loose the armor of kings, to open before him the double doors, so that the gates will not be shut:
• (45.2) 'I will go before you and make the crooked places straight; I will break in pieces the gates of bronze and cut the bars of iron.
Ezra(1.1) In the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, in order to
fulfill the word of the Lord spoken by Jeremiah, the Lord moved the heart of Cyrus king of Persia to make a proclamation throughout his realm and put it in writing:
• (1.2) 'This is what Cyrus king of Persia says: The Lord, the God of Heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth and has appointed me to build a temple for him at Jerusalem in Judah. (1.3) Anyone of his people among you - may his God be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem in Judah and build the temple of the Lord, the God of Israel, the God who is in Jerusalem.
Cyrus Conquers BabylonCyrus as successor to Mesopotamian rulersReleased exiled JewsSent back gods of people taken to BabylonRestored the ruined gates, templesNew Year Ceremony in BabylonBabylonian Priests Satisfied
Cyrus: Prince of PeaceEnd of the Neo-Babylonian Empire
When I entered Babylon as a friend and when I established the seat of the government in the palace of the ruler under jubilation and rejoicing, Marduk, the great lord, … My numerous troops walked around in Babylon in peace, I did not allow anybody to terrorize any place of the country of Sumer and Akkad. I strove for peace in Babylon and in all his other sacred cities. As to the inhabitants of Babylon who against the will of the gods were [enslaved?], I abolished … I brought relief to their dilapidated housing, putting thus an end to their main complaints…
A Very Different EmpireThe Syndrome of Empire!Economy: Resources (center & periphery)Culture: Cultural imperialismLanguage: Linguistic imperialism
Religious Policy
Freedom of religious practiceJewish testament: The BibleDarius: “One’s tradition is best”
Darius: The Organizer of the Persian Empire (6th BCE)
King of Kings: Shahan ShahKingship
Multi-ethnic Empire / SocietyOld Persian: Vispadana- “many tribe/people”
The Royal Road (Herodotus VIII.98)“Nothing mortal travels so fast as these Persian
messengers. The entire system is a Persian invention. Along the whole line of road there are men stationed with horses, in number equal to
Royal Road: 1600 milesthe number of days which the journey takes,
allowing a man an d a horse to each day…”
Postal System
111 stopsChapar
DariusImperial organizationStandardization: Monastery system-coinage, measure, weights
Darius’ Inscription: TradeOpening of the Suez Canal“Proclaims Darius the King: I am a Persian, from Persia I
seized Egypt, I gave order to dig this canal from a river by name Nile, which flows in Egypt, to the sea that goes from Persia. Thereupon this canal was dug exactly as I had ordered and ships went from Egypt through this canal to Persia, as I had desired.”
Xerxes / Arataxerxes & Queen Esther (Purim)
Iranian Habits
*Pajamag: pantsSatrap, Orange, Paradise, Pistachio, etc.
A Garden within a Garden
Persian CarpetsSitting in a garden!
What is the design of a carpet?
Practical use and symbolism
Persian Phrase
Etymologies: Farsh & FrashaPardis (Paradise), Paliz
Zoroastrian Theology: Frasha-Avesta: Frasha- / Frashokerti “act making
wonderful”Zoroaster (Gathas 30.9):“therefore may we be those who shall make
this world wonderful (frasha)” (ferashem kerenaon)
Darius: “a great wonder”Old Persian: frasha- “By the grace of Ahuramazda, a great wonder
(frasha-) was planned at Susa. A great wonder (frasha-) was made (built)
To make wonderful this “earth” (bumi-)
Achaemenid Garden: ParadaizaOld Persian: paridaiza- / paridaida “walled garden”-create a space of perfect comfort and beautyGreek sources: “with many animals and plants” /
“possessing all that the seasons bring forth” / “thick with every sort of tree” / “full of everything good and beautiful that the earth cares to grow” / “full of plants”
Paradaiza-: Paradise GardenPersian garden as Paradise on earthTransfer of the idea of ParadiseZoroastrian eschatology
Sasanian Empire (224-651CE)
Idea of IranIdentity Valueshistory
531-579 CE
Khusro I
Philosopher-KingJustice
5th Century: Persian Christian Church40 bishoprics in the Sasanian EmpireRoyal Family: Partly Christian
(Psalm CXXXVI.1 Middle Persian 5th CE):
abar rōdestān ī bābīl ānōh nišast hem u mān griyīd ka mān ayyād būd sehyūn“By the riverbanks of Babylon, there we sat and we
cried when we remembered Zion”
Christian Middle Persian Literature
Iranshahr’s Religious Community• Jews: Resh Galut کلیمییان • Christians: Katolikos مسیحیان • Kristaye and Nasraye نصرانییان • Zoroastrians زرتشتیان • Buddhists بوداییان
Ctesiphon 6th CELargest & most populated city in late antiquity
Citizens of the Empire
zan i shahr / mard i shahr “female/male citizen of the Empire”Eranshahr: Realm of the IraniansKing’s Law: DadCitizens: Jews, Christians,Zoroastrians, Buddhist
“hat & belt”
Who is an Iranian?Believing in certain norms and values?9th CE inscription on the coffin of a Christian name
Hormazd-Afarid from Constantinople:“From the dwelling of Eranshahr, from the district of
Chalagan, from the village of Khisht”
Iranian World View in Sasanian TimesArda : “truth” Peyman: “measure / moderation”Center of the World: Rome, Iran, China
Three Thrones Two Eyes
Commodities & Ideas: From Iran to Islam
Carpet: Sitting in a garden: East & WestMiddle Persian terminologyWazar: MarketKarwan: CaravanDrahm: Coinage
Traditional Learning
Husrow ud Redag: MP textFrahangestan:“scribal ability to be a good writer (calligraphist), swift-writer, eager for subtle knowledge, skilful in work, and versed in learned speech”
Mental PreparationChess & Backgammon: First manual on the
game of chess & backgammon in Middle Persian (6th CE)
Frahang: CultureThe Body
-Cholwegan: PoloPlay fastestbest
Frahang: CultureThe Body
-Neyzagwarih: Jousting (3rd CE)
LiteratureTranslation & World Literature“Persian kings enjoyed tales” Ibn al-Nadim
Arabian Nights / 1001 NightsSasanian: Hazar Afsan “1000 tales”
Music
Tar, Nay, Ud, Donbak,Tanbur, Chang
Iranians & Islamic CivilizationFrom Iran & Rome to IslamWhat came before matters
IslamFrom Iran to Islam
New Cultural Achievement
GuitarPersian: TAR “string”Persian: DO “two”Persian: Chahar “four”*Chahar-tar > Guitar
Dr. Michael Kasha, "A New Look at The History of the Classic Guitar", Guitar Review 30, August 1968.
Arabic: Lingua Franca
Grammerians
Islamic Civilization
Iranians: Persians, Kurds, …Their part
Iranians & Islamic Civilization
Abbasid Caliphate
Spread of Islam beyond Arabia
Persianate view of Islam
Iranian Contribution
Art, Music, Literature & Governance
Iranians & Philosophy
Iranians & History
From Tabari to Ferdowsi
Iranians & Medicine
Persian Poetry
HafezSa’diRumi
Prophet Muhammad & Ibn Batutah
Persian as a Vehicle of Culture
ArabiaChinaIndia
Turkic Invasion
Persian Culture
Turko-Iranian Achievement From Qarakhanids to the Ottomans
Mongols & Persianate Culture
Safavids
Idea of IranKing of Ian
European Travellers
Qajar Dynasty: Before Modernity
Agha Mohammad Khan: Kayani CrownAvesta: KayanidsAvesta: IranPersian as the language of state and culture
European Colonialism
From India to EgyptQajar Iran was not colonizedRussian and British Influence
European Colonialism
French & Germans as Saviros
Iranian View of Modern History
Uncle Napoleon