iranian civilization

8/12/2019 Iranian Civilization

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Iraq to Indus-Caucus-

Greater Iran

Iranian influence : Paradise-Crossroads between East and West

Animation-Artificial eyeball-Brain Surgery-

Shahr e Shoukhteh (Burnt City)

Water purification complex, 1250 BC

Persia : Iran before Reza Shah 1935

633-761 AD Arab conquests of Iran (651)-Two important dates

Sassanid Empire

Iranian mandatory Islamic hijab.-

1979 Iranian Revolution

Shared cultural memory : Shah Nameh

The Book of Kings-Popular in Turkey, Central Asia, India, Iran.-Saw coming of Islam as apocalyptic-

Shahnameh

History of iranAxworthy

FoltzReligions of iran prehist to present

HISTORY OF

IRAN

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Daeva - God

Daeva : bad gods

From Ahura Mazdah-Asura : Good god.

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Dynastic Name-They kept little records, but Greeks notedthem down.

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Achaemenid Empire

As they spread and unified, the othermsajor civilization were the Persians

-The Greeks were into writing

The Greeks and Persians had contact andtrade

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Mid-millienium BC-

Boundaries were permeable

They conquered Mesopotamia, Elamites-Nowhere as big as strong as the Achaemenid Empire-

Median Empire stayed, just changed named.

Greek more literate, we get most of greek history from the Persians-Biased.300 movie.

Both in Greek and Iranian lands, advanced civilization with increasing self-consciousness

Herodotus was fair.-Most of his information is good, and lots of admiration for Persian culture.Plato praised the Persians as a polticial entity for being able to ensurestability and strenght through its system of laws.

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Old Persian word for law : DATABorrowed in Semitic languages.Law as a legal system to run society was primary

Some of the Greek writers were balanced, some extremely biased

Persians, however, to create a uniformity.-Greeks were less centralized, city states, each it's own norms

By Achmd, 550BCE, They only migrated in area for a fewcenturies.

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Where they went was already inhabitedSettled as minority.

The transition to a Persian identity took many centuriesThe Persian Empire was a world with a Iranian miniorityPersians were the elite.

The Iranians were recent comers to the world

From the beginning of Achaemenid Empire, the founderCyrus the Great.

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More likely he was half Mede, but could have beenElamite.He controlled a region called Parsa (Persia)

Greek sources were compiled much later.

Nothing is more confusing than the beginning of theACHAEMENID EMPIRE

Darius Ist, Definitely PERSIAN and ARYAN, ACHAEMENID-At same time, he might make things up to tell his own tale.

Cyrus dies, succession struggle.

Darius was able to unite the Iranian tribes and overthrew the Medes in ~550

Kept the empire running, Persians and Medes closely related,-Intermarried together after conquest.Built ONE culture from TWO-

No big change

Median Empire was decentralized

More important than it was because of Hebrew bible-He abolished slavery, and established citizenship-

Cyrus the Great conquered Babylon in 539 Bc

Their redemption was Cyrus to free them.-Hebrew bible saw as great redemptive event, gave glory to Yahweh

Stayed in Babylonia for 1000 years. Babylonian Talmud.-Jewish culture was developed within Iranian\Persian culture-Only non-Jewish leader who was venerated-

When Cyrus gave citizenship, there were virtually no Judeans who wanted to go to Palestine

Beginning of the Jewish diaspora in Persian world.-Judeans got their freedom by moving to the East

Archaeologists found AKKADIAN cylinders in Baghdadhonoring Cyrus

-Cyrus was seen important in Iranian civ

1970s, Shah of Iran decided to make the cylinder anIranian symbol

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Part of this mythology as world's first document ofHuman rightsIranians use this as proof for the enlightened EmpireNot the case.2013, Iranian culture association set up tours for thecylinder.

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Moved into anatolia-Invaded greece-Conquered egypt-

Darius ruled for 36 years

Created uniformity for the empire

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Fiscal reform, tax reform-Systematized monetary system, instead of randombarter. One of the first

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Invested in agriculture, can't have wet agriculture-3000 years ago developed system of irrigationUnderground tunnels filled with snowmelt to theplains to have agriculture in dry areas.Very effective system since Iran is mountainous.Qanat (underground tunnels)

This increased the population significantly.

He built Persepolis-Iran's most famous archaeological site, heart of thePersian empire.Was one of the capitals, there were 4 (Susa,Ectabana, Babylon, Persepolis)Rotated the empire depending on the season, on theweather.

Most of the territory he conquered were from thePersians

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330 BCE, able to conquer Persepolis and burneddown.

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Persians destroyed Acropolis 200 years before,possible revenge.

After a few hundred years, Alexander of Macedon takesover his father's state and launches a major expansion ofthe empire.

Seleuces, Seleucid Empire-After his death, his generals tried to take the most territory

A Hellenistic state in Asia that persists for 300 years

The Greek presence in western-central asia was well-present, fostered the dynamics of cultural synthesis

-Huge introduction of Greek culture into Asia

Multi-faith temples.-Real mixing of cultures-

As the Greeks lived alongside the Persians, they associatedtheir gods with each other.

But modern scholars start to see it as a ceremonial city-Due to Persian event , Persian New Year (No Ruz)Persian version of ChristmasEvery house build a spread, Haft Sin, put down holybooks.No Ruz exact time of the Spring EquinoxCounted down to No Ruz, two week holiday.Plant sprouts, after 13 days (Sizdah be-dar) after 13 days you have to go outside, throw sprouts inrunning water.Kurds celebrate it

Celebrated in afghanistan, uzbekistan, Kazakhstan,Pakistan.

Persepolis was first seen as a capital city

Greek alphabet persisted in the province of Backtria persistedfor a long time.

Coins were Greek inscriptions

Ghadara-art (Greek-based Buddhist art)-Greek art was important, statues were unknown at this time.

One of the Hellenized provinces (Parthia) Northeastern Iran

247 BCE ~-Become important in history they controlled the SilkRoad in 1st century.

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Controlled all traffic between Rome and ChinaBlocked Rome to the east.

For more than a thousand years, the story of geopoliticsis Greeks vs Persians

Able to rebel against the Seleucids

Fravahr : principal symbol of Zoroastrianism.



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AnahitaArdershirShapur IMani 216-276\ ManichaismMazdak\ KavadKhosrow (531-579)Gondeshaper Academy.

This empire took place of a previous empire, Iranian Empire-More continuity than change.-

Merge to Sasanian empire is like the Mede - Achamenid Empiretransfer

They were largely decentralized-Different centres of power-Every region's local power was independent, and different.-

Parthian to Sassanian Empire

When Achaemenid took over Mede's land and expanded, theycentralized and made more systematic, made a stronger empire.

Very similar to this.-Centralized states could concentrate their power.

Greeks did this in Persia, India, ect.-Greek were foreign and different.

Old Town with New towns structured around it

When locals thought they had power, they would rebel against thecolonizer.

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This happened when they gained the confidence.THIS IS HOW SELEUCID EMPIRE BROKE DOWN

Iranian culture did not disappear

Parthians slowly took Seleucid land this way.

Sassanians were provincial rulers working for the Parthians

Ahura mazda, Anahita, Mithra-

Sassanians derived their authority due to their control of holy shrine Anahita(most important deity)

Mithra is the god of contract, in the culture of the spoken-word for vocalcontracts.

Big temple of Parsa province, which Sassanian families took power.-Anahita, typical goddess, fertility and healing.

More soldiers, more territory, more everything-

In 224, Sassanids take over Parthian land and empire forthemselves

Became #1 challenge to Rome.-Eventually knocking Romans.

Poor semitic peoples in the middle disputed territory.-Big divide of the superpowers : Greco-Roman vs Persians.

Fighting in Palestine, Amernia, Syria.-By 3rd century, they are really strong.

Ardeshir founded the empire, but Shapur I made it powerful.

Christianity especially.-By 3rd century couldnt agree on who Jesus is, was, ect.

No Christianity, really or JudaismOnce second temple is destroyed, end of Israelite religion.-But Hebrews were developing new philosophies outside IsraelModern Judiasm is based on the Talmud, in Sassanid territory.

By 3rd century, interesting religious developments.

Persecuted in Roman\Islamic Empire..-

Characteristic of 3rd century religion mix-

Might also be primary force of what shaped our religions now.

This is why Manichaeism is the most important religion

Saw them as Jews who wouldn't behave. Had no legal category.-In the 3rd century, Christianity was also illegal in the Roman Empire

Tons of christian chruches around the Empire, had no problem with them.-

In the Parthian Empire and Sassanians, it was not exactly like this- by the time of Pentecost after Jesus, spread the story into Iran

Christian groups became stronger, started to persecute other xian groups.-Jews and Christians, Parthian lands gave them freedom

Persecuted other interpretations.-Might have been a brain drain, lost many talented people, lost Philosophers inAthen, closed school.

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Brought Greek and Syriac books, translated and tought them-

Constantine 313, set a standard.

Didn't want to make the Zoroastrian priest too strong.-

Shapur knew that Mani was well able to speak to the Jews and Christians to getin order.-

Mani allied with Shapur, might have even converted some of his court.

Xians began to run councils-Jewish rabbis built Talmuds.-

Manicheism forced followers of other religion to set things down

Baptism religion.-Gnostics. Division of material (bad) and spiritual (good)-Sinful, disgusting, material body.-Jewish gnostics, christian gnostics. Ect.-

Mani lived in a cult by his father, all-male

All-male, no women, no female animals.Grew up with fanatical old men, read a lot on different religions.

He was receiving revelations from his divine twinNew holy book, wrote 7.

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Xians began to run councils-Jewish rabbis built Talmuds.-

In the Roman Empire, making different conclusions than bishops in Iran-This is how the Bible gets canonized.

Two distinct natures of Christ.-Person of Jesus, and God, but not mixing.

This is how Nestorian church came to be.

Head of Nestorian capital was in Iran.-As Christianity spread through Asia to China, the Nestorian church grew.

Avesta is Oral tradition-Zoroastrian priests wanted the authority to clamp down on hereticalZoroastrians.

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The Zoroastrian priests hate that Mani is popular

He was receiving revelations from his divine twinNew holy book, wrote 7.

Let it be known that all revelations are written by me, no discussionsnecessary.

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Encouraged translation, encouraged to train foreign languages.-Preached in language of their audience, and preached AS IF IT WASTHEIR OWN RELIGION. Mani preached from a Zoroastrianperspective.

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He realized that the xians and Jews were fighting with each other.

Surived in china until 17th century because they thought it wasBuddhist.

-By 24, converted Buddhist King in India using Buddhist language

Byzantines vs Sassanians across the middle east-Two power struggles in Sassanian times

The Magi are in constant struggle to persuade the gvt to givethem complete social authority.

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The local powers are much grabbing for themselves

Weak iran due to these struggles-Population that is increasingly exsasperated and imporverished.-

A leader that claims to be zoroastrian, priestly line of Mazdha.-His following are the people who aren't benifitingProto-communism : take property and women and give them towho don't have any.

By the end of 5th century

Promotes Mazdak and gives him support, distributing grain silos,takes women and spreads them around from the harems.

-Kavad I, end of 5th century, tried to lower power of zoroastrian priests

Argued that the notion of class is diluted, it is chaos.-The elites are completely outraged.

The conservative elite never gave outEventually, by 528, managed to get rid of Khavad a second time

Succession struggle between a leader of Mazdakian principles, and one whosupported the nobles.

A lot of his success as a ruler, was his father's tax and land reforms.-Used to be literally raiding thugs who took the produced.Regularized the tax system and CENTRALIZED them.\

Larger army, aqueducts, lots of investment in cities.-Seen as a golden age.

Khosrow takes over, very successful, expanded empire, but also did lots ofreforms

Under his rule that Goneshapur Academy flourished-Expanded the curriculum, became the model of the multi-curriculareducation system : religion, philosophy, ect.

Assassinations, ect.-Very destabilizing for the regime

The struggle of power within the court continues, and the resulting intrigues

618, inter-regnum to end all interregnums-Every month, a ruler gets killed, exiled, ect.Many behind the scenes are Parthians.-Just a continuation of assassinations.-10 emperors in 3 years.

By early 7th century

Mohammed gets the News in Iran, looks what happens when youput a woman on the throne

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Passes away in 632-

Off in Arabia, Mohammed from Mecca united the arabs under his

submission, receiving revelations, Qur'an

2 years later, his successors invade iran10 years, sassanian empire.

iranian civilization

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