Tārīkh-i Īrān

Mesopotamian Pagan Communities and their interaction with the Christians on the verge of Islamic conquest

azadeh azadinezhad; Roozbeh Zarrinkoob; sina forouzesh

Volume 15, Issue 1 , April 2022, , Pages 25-48

https://doi.org/10.52547/irhj.15.1.25

Abstract

Since the distant past, Mesopotamia, as a crossroad of civilizations, has provided ample ground for the emergence of various belief systems. Due to geographical location, Mesopotamia ... Read More

Structural function and disruption of Cohesion in analyzing the role of Divergent Forces in Iranian society (from the Decline of the Sassanids to the Rise of the Khorasanian movement)

kurosh salehi

Volume 13, Issue 1 , May 2020, , Pages 143-170

https://doi.org/10.52547/irhj.13.1.143

Abstract

Analytical study of Arab-Islamic sources and mnemohistory historiography in the internal changes of Iranshahri society shows that the function of divergent forces in the decline of ... Read More Analytical study of Arab-Islamic sources and mnemohistory historiography in the internal changes of Iranshahri society shows that the function of divergent forces in the decline of the Sassanid government and weakening the reactions of the revivalist forces of the Iranian government until the emergence of the Khorasanian movement was not simple without historical and social change. This article seeks to document the changes in the main social institutions and lower strata of Iranian society in the process of diverging from the Sassanid rule and then joining these components to the caliphate and then changing their orientation from caliphate to an unsuccessful attempt to reorganize power and revive the thinking of Iranshahri government. Offer the era of the Umayyad caliphs and using the method of interdisciplinary studies, ie information in history and close theories in sociology, to answer the question of what was the role and function of divergent forces in Iranian society from the decline of the Sassanids to the rise of the Khorasanian movement? It is assumed that the function of divergent forces in Iranian society since the middle of the Sassanid period has been more to secede from the Sassanid system. As at the time of the fall of the Sassanids, most components of power became divergent factors, and with successive defeats in the war against the Muslim Arabs, a period began to absorb and compromise with the new center of power, the caliphate. The Sassanid regime joined the new caliphate system. The findings of the research show that the infrastructure of developments related to the fall of the Sassanids and the continuation of the rule of the Arab governors, in terms of the function of divergent forces from the government of Iranshahri (in this period), has acted differently in internal and external dimensions. Despite the narrative and motivational views about this period, it seems that several factors were involved in the fall of the Sassanids and the continuing lack of government in Iran, factors that were mainly formed during the Sassanid period and some of them were strongly encouraged by Arab governors and immigrants. Contrary to the general context of historical sources and research, the reasons for incoherence in this period have been multifaceted.

The Origin of Aurammazdā in Persian Religion and its Elevation in the Behistun inscriptions

Ehsan Afkande

Volume 11, Issue 1 , March 2018, , Pages 57-76

Abstract

In Darius’ royal inscription in the Behistun, Persian great god, Aurammazdā plays a proactive role. Accordingly, Aurammazdā’s name is one of the most occurred words in ... Read More In Darius’ royal inscription in the Behistun, Persian great god, Aurammazdā plays a proactive role. Accordingly, Aurammazdā’s name is one of the most occurred words in the inscription. In other words, we can presume him as patron god of Darius, royal dynasty, and most importantly legitimizing god of Achaemenid rule. Preeminence of Aurammazdā in the Behistun inscription contradicts with his relative insignificance in other contemporary sources. Generally, attributing such a role to Aurammazdā, has been justified by the assumption that Achaemenids were Zoroastrian or they borrowing such concept from Avestan texts. Nonetheless, comparing religious elements in the Achaemenid inscription and old Avestan texts demonstrates fundamental differences in their religious practices. Therefore, question of the origin of Aurammazdā in the Persian religion and the reason for assigning such an important role to Aurammazdā in the Behistun must be reviewed form a different perspective other than Achaemenids being Zoroastrians. Significance of such a question is that it can offer a reevaluation of the mechanism of Achaemenid political ideology. Present paper aims to investigate the origin of Persian Aurammazdā and the cause of its elevation in the Behistun inscription by reviewing Achaemenid contemporary sources containing information regarding Persian religion. In this study, evaluation and comparison of Achaemenid inscriptions, old Indo-Iranian texts and other sources suggest that Persian religion was probably a sort of pre-Zoroastrian Mazdaism, in which Aurammazdā was worshiped only as sky god. As a matter of fact, rise of Aurammazdā and its elevation as omnipotent god which occurs in the Behistun inscription for the first time, was established by Darius to solve the crisis of legitimacy for his reign, so that he, lacking any conclusive hereditary right to succession, could present his accession to kingship as an act of divine favor. Furthermore, it seems such an image of Aurammazdā is an adaptation of Mesopotamian political propaganda in which such an approach to divine has been practiced since time immemorial.

Islamic Conquests and Their Influence on the Peasants: the Impact of Time and Geographical Distance

Volume 2, Issue 4 , December 2010, , Pages 129-158

Abstract

With the entrance of the Arab Moslems into Iran and the first-degree Sasani wealthies extinction, the peasants as local governors and village rulers (kadag-xwadāy) undertake Iran’s ... Read More

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Keywords = Mesopotamia

Mesopotamian Pagan Communities and their interaction with the Christians on the verge of Islamic conquest

Abstract

Structural function and disruption of Cohesion in analyzing the role of Divergent Forces in Iranian society (from the Decline of the Sassanids to the Rise of the Khorasanian movement)

Abstract

The Origin of Aurammazdā in Persian Religion and its Elevation in the Behistun inscriptions

Abstract

Islamic Conquests and Their Influence on the Peasants: the Impact of Time and Geographical Distance

Abstract