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