#ancientiran

When Ochus, the son of Artaxerxes I, ascended the throne in 424/423 BCE after defeating his brother, he adopted the name "Darius" (𐎭𐎠𐎼𐎹𐎺𐎢𐏁, Dārayavaʰuš). This provides the earliest evidence that Achaemenid kings assumed throne names, which might differ from their original names. These throne names served strong legitimizing purposes: Ochus, whose reign was contested, sought to convey his strength and right to rule by adopting the name of one of his most illustrious predecessors.

But were throne names assigned when a prince was designated as heir to the empire, as was the case in the Neo-Assyrian Empire? This remains uncertain. Additionally, did the practice of using throne names predate Darius II? This is possible, as several Greek sources—Herodotus and Strabo in particular—suggest that even the great Cyrus was not born with the name by which he is known.

The Archaeology of Iran from the Palaeolithic to the Achaemenid Empire

The latest title in the Routledge World Archaeology book series, The Archaeology of Iran from the Palaeolithic to the Achaemenid Empire, provides an analysis of the archaeology and early history of Iran from the Lower and Upper Palaeolithic periods, through the Neolithic, the Chalcolithic, Bronze Age, and Iron Age, to the end of the Achaemenid Empire.

The authors are distinguished academics in the field of Iranian archaeology. Roger Matthews is Professor of Near Eastern Archaeology at the University of Reading, and Hassan Fazeli Nashli is Professor of Archaeology at the University of Tehran. Emphasizing that Iran’s ancient landscapes, climates, and environments are significant in reconstructing past lifeways and their sociopolitical structures, the authors focus on human-environment interactions, climate change, and societal fragility, and the impact of such interactions on individual and social identity, gender roles, craft specialization, and writing and sealing practices within the context of evolving societal formations.

This weekend, I read “A Very Short Introduction to Iran” by Ali M Ansari, an excellent overview of Iran’s history from Ancient Persia to present day. Ali Ansari is a professor of modern Middle East history at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland. As a historian of the Middle East, (quite predictably) when I encounter a new culture, my first instinct is to learn as much as I can about its history.

Like many Middle Eastern histories, the history of Persia and modern Iran is rife with misunderstandings and a general lack of awareness of its history beyond a few months years. Even within the Middle East, misinformation about the Persianate world is widespread. Growing up in the Arab world, in my schooling, Iranian history was not given the focus it deserved among the world’s greatest civilizations. In fact, I didn’t learn much about Iranian history except the Islamic Revolution in 1979, as if Iranian history started and ended with 1979!

Some 50 km outside the city of Shiraz sits the majestic ruins of the grandiose ancient city of the Achaemenid Persian Empire (559-330 B.C), known to the world as Persepolis, “the city of the Persians,” named by the Greeks.[1] According to Ansari, for Iranians, the city is known as “Takht-e-Jamshid” the Throne of Jamshid, one of the great kings of Iranian mythology.

Persepolis

Source: Iran Chamber Society 

It might come as a surprise to many (non-Iranians) that Persia was actually a term the Greeks accorded to the Achaemenid dynasty in the sixth century BC because they had come from “Pars” in the southern Iranian plateau. It was under Pahlavi rule of Reza Shah in 1934 that the name was changed from Persia to Iran.[2] Most Persians are very proud of their ancient past, especially the influence of the Sasanian empire whose official religion was Zoroastrianism, the last empire before the Arab/Islamic conquest of Iran in the seventh century. 

The influence of pre-Islamic Persian history is pervasive in Iranian culture, for example Nowruz نوروز, the Persian New Year which is celebrated across the Persianate world has its roots in Zoroastrianism. Moreover, the notorious poet Ferdowsi’s شاهنامه Shahnameh, The Book of Kings, an epic 100,000-line poem outlining the story of pre-Islamic Iran as a mix of ancient history and mythology represents the national epic of the Iranian nation.[3] 

In the context of Islam, Iran is frequently associated with Shi’a Islam as the largest Shi’a majority country in the Islamic world. However, as Ansari reminds Shi’a Islam did not become the official state religion of Persia until after it was made so by the Safavid dynasty in the sixteenth century. [4] Although the Ottoman empire garners significant attention from historians, the Safavids, a humble Sufi order (tariqah) from Ardabil in Azerbaijan, built also their own vast competing empire, which at its height extended well into Iraq, Bahrain and Armenia.

Safavid Empire

Source: The Map Archive

Since I love history, this was a thoroughly enjoyable experience and I look forward to learning more about Iranian history and culture. These are only a few of the fascinating tidbits that I would encourage all to explore further. It is a historical injustice for us to have such a shortsighted view of the Persianate world!

[1]Ali Ansari, A Very Short Introduction to Iran (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2014), 7.   [2]Ansari, A Very Short Introduction, xix. [3]Ansari, A Very Short Introduction, 11. [4]Ansari, A Very Short Introduction, 72.