Iran has one of the oldest histories in the world, extending more than 5000 years, and throughout history, Iran has been of geostrategic importance because of its central location in Eurasia and Western Asia. Also the capital of Iran is Tehran. Iran is a founding member of the UN, NAM, OIC, OPEC, and ECO. Iran as a major regional power occupies an important position in the world economy due to its substantial reserves of petroleum and natural gas, and has considerable regional influence in Western Asia. The name Iran is a cognate of Aryan and literally means "Land of the Aryans." (Full article...)
The engagement occurred simultaneously with the naval Battle of Artemisium: between July and September during 480 BC. The second Persian invasion under Xerxes was a delayed response to the failure of the first Persian invasion, which had been initiated by Darius I and ended in 490 BC by an Athenian-led Greek victory at the Battle of Marathon. By 480 BC, a decade after the Persian defeat at Marathon, Xerxes had amassed a massive land and naval force, and subsequently set out to conquer all of Greece. In response, the Athenian politician and general Themistocles proposed that the allied Greeks block the advance of the Persian army at the pass of Thermopylae while simultaneously blocking the Persian navy at the Straits of Artemisium. (Full article...)
Bahram I's reign marked the end of Sasanian tolerance towards Manichaeism, and in 274, at the urging of the influential Zoroastrian priest Kartir, he had Mani imprisoned and executed. Bahram I's reign was brief and largely uneventful. He was succeeded by his son Bahram II. (Full article...)
Basra, located in present-day Iraq, had already been under Safavid control from 1508 to 1524, when it was lost upon Shah Ismail I's death. In the ensuing period, the Ottoman Empire, rivals of the Safavids, managed to establish nominal rule over the city. De facto rule of Basra remained in the hands of the local Arab Al-Mughamis tribe, a branch of the Banu'l-Muntafiq. In 1596, the Ottoman governor of Basra, Ali Pasha, sold his office to a local named Afrasiyab. Over the next c.70 years, Basra was considered a hereditary eyalet under Afrasiyab and his descendants. (Full article...)
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A long list of supplies disbursed, dated the seventh year of Alexander the Great's reign, 324BC
The documents, written in Imperial Aramaic, likely originated from the historical city of Balkh and all are dated between 353BC to 324BC, mostly during the reign of Artaxerxes III. The most recent of the documents was written during the early part of Alexander the Great's reign in the region. These letters use in Aramaic the original Greek form Alexandros (spelled Lksndrs) instead of the Eastern variant Iskandar (spelled Lksndr). The collection also includes eighteen tally sticks recording transfers of goods during the reign of Darius III. The collection's letters, administrative records, and military documents are significant for the linguistic study of the Official Aramaic language and of daily life in the Achaemenid empire. (Full article...)
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Azarmidokht (Middle Persian: Āzarmīgdukht) was Sasanian queen (banbishn) of Iran from 630 to 631. She was the daughter of king (shah) Khosrow II (r.590–628). She was the second Sasanian queen; her sister Boran ruled before and after her. Azarmidokht came to power in Iran after her cousin Shapur-i Shahrvaraz was deposed by the Parsig faction, led by Piruz Khosrow, who helped Azarmidokht ascend the throne. Her rule was marked by an attempt of a nobleman and commander Farrukh Hormizd to marry her and come to power. After the queen's refusal, he declared himself an anti-king. Azarmidokht had him killed as a result of a successful plot. She was, however, killed herself shortly afterwards by Rostam Farrokhzad in retaliation for his father's death. She was succeeded by Boran. (Full article...)
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Coin of Vologases III, minted at Seleucia in 121/2
Vologases III's reign was marked by civil strife and warfare. At his ascension, he had to deal with the usurper Osroes I (r.109–129), who managed to seize the western part of the empire, which left Vologases III in control of its eastern parts. After Osroes I violated the Treaty of Rhandeia with the Romans by appointing Parthamasiris as the king of Armenia in 113, the Roman emperor Trajan (r.98–117) invaded the Parthian lands, briefly seizing the Parthian cities of Seleucia and Ctesiphon and reaching as far as the Persian Gulf. These gains were short-lived; all the Roman gains had been lost after Trajan's death in 117. Vologases III, whose eastern domains were untouched, took advantage of the weakened state of Osroes I to regain lost territory, and finally defeated him in 129. Another contender named Mithridates V shortly appeared afterwards, but was also defeated by Vologases III, in 140. (Full article...)
Hormizd-Ardashir, better known by his dynastic name of Hormizd I (also spelled Hormozd I or Ohrmazd I; Middle Persian: 𐭠𐭥𐭧𐭥𐭬𐭦𐭣), was the third SasanianKing of Kings (shahanshah) of Iran, who ruled from May 270 to June 271. He was the third-born son of Shapur I (r.240–270), under whom he was governor-king of Armenia, and also took part in his father's wars against the Roman Empire. Hormizd I's brief time as ruler of Iran was largely uneventful. He built the city of Hormizd-Ardashir (present-day Ahvaz), which remains a major city today in Iran. He promoted the Zoroastrian priest Kartir to the rank of chief priest (mowbed) and gave the Manichaean prophet Mani permission to continue his preaching.
It was under Hormizd I that the title of "King of Kings of Iran and non-Iran" became regularized in Sasanian coinage; previously, the royal titulary had generally been "King of Kings of Iran". Hormizd I was succeeded by his eldest brother Bahram I. (Full article...)
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Golden medallion of enthroned Sasanian style Adud al-Dawla Cast and chased in high relief, holding a goblet and surrounded by attendants, with lions beneath the throne.
Fannā Khusraw (Persian: پناه (فنا) خسرو), better known by his laqab of ʿAḍud al-Dawla (Arabic: عضد الدولة, lit.'pillar of the dynasty'; 24 September 936– 26 March 983) was an emir of the Buyid dynasty, ruling from 949 to 983. At the height of his power, he ruled an empire stretching from Makran to Yemen and the shores of the Mediterranean Sea. He is widely regarded as the greatest monarch of the Buyid dynasty, and by the end of his reign he was the most powerful ruler in the Middle East. (Full article...)
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Coin of Majd al-Dawla
Abu Talib Rustam (Persian: ابو طالب رستم; 997–1029), commonly known by his laqab (honorific title) of Majd al-Dawla (مجد الدوله), was the last amir (ruler) of the Buyid amirate of Ray from 997 to 1029. He was the eldest son of Fakhr al-Dawla (r.976–980,984–997). A weak ruler, he was a figurehead most of his reign, whilst his mother Sayyida Shirin was the real ruler of the kingdom.
Majd al-Dawla's reign saw the gradual shrinking of Buyid holdings in central Iran; Gurgan and Tabaristan had been lost to the Ziyarids in 997, while several of the western towns were seized by the Sallarids of Azerbaijan. There were also internal troubles, such as the revolt of the Daylamite military officer Ibn Fuladh in 1016. Following the death of Sayyida Shirin in 1028, Majd al-Dawla was faced with a revolt by his Daylamite soldiers, and thus requested the assistance of the Ghaznavid ruler Mahmud (r.998–1030) in dealing with them. Mahmud came to Ray in 1029, deposed Majd al-Dawla as ruler, and sacked the city, bringing an end to Buyid rule there. (Full article...)
It is unclear if there was a formally established constitution dictating the laws, organization, and divisions of power in ancient Macedonia's government, although some tangential evidence suggests this. The king (basileus) served as the head of state and was assisted by his noble companions and royal pages. Kings served as the chief judges of the kingdom, although little is known about Macedonia's judiciary. The kings were also expected to serve as high priests of the nation, using their wealth to sponsor various religious cults. The Macedonian kings had command over certain natural resources such as gold from mining and timber from logging. The right to mint gold, silver, and bronze coins was shared by the central and local governments. (Full article...)
...that the nearly completed Sivand Dam project in Fars Province, Iran will flood 130 archaeological sites and hasten the destruction of the ancient Persian city of Pasargadae?
The Persian expedition into Herat was contrary to an agreement with the United Kingdom signed by Naser al-Din Shah in January 1853. According to this agreement, the Persian Government would refrain from sending troops to or interfering in the internal affairs of Herat. The siege was a major point of contention in the breakdown of Anglo-Persian relations and eventually became the catalyst for the Anglo-Persian War. After successfully capturing Herat, British agents were either expelled from Persia or left on their own accord. Despite dispatching Farrokh Khan Ghaffari to negotiate a diplomatic solution, the British were already preparing military action against Persia by July 1856. The British would inevitably issue a declaration of war on Persia from Calcutta on 1 November 1856. The Persian army would continue to occupy Herat and would only leave in compliance with the Treaty of Paris that ended the Anglo-Persian War. However, the Persian government managed to install Sultan Ahmad Khan as the puppet ruler of Herat prior to the ratification of the peace treaty with Britain. (Full article...)
The president of the Islamic Republic of Iran is the head of government and the second-highest ranking official of Iran, after the supreme leader. The Iranian system of government provides that the president must perform his functions in conformity with the directives of the supreme leader, who is the highest political and religious authority in the country.
The office was established after the adoption of the new constitution following the Iranian Revolution of 1979. The first presidential election was held in 1980. The president is the second-in-command of the executive branch of government after the supreme leader, and chairperson of the cabinet, and is responsible for the day-to-day administration of the government. The president answers to the supreme leader and executes his decrees. The president appoints the vice presidents and ministers, subject to the approval of Parliament and the supreme leader, who can dismiss or reinstate any of the vice presidents and ministers at any time. The president issues decrees, sends and receives foreign ambassadors, signs referendum results and legislation approved by parliament and the judiciary, and signs treaties, protocols, contracts, after parliamentary approval. (Full article...)
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The Letter of Tansar (Persian: نامه تنسر) is a document from the Sasanian era, purportedly recording a letter sent by Tansar—a Zoroastrian high priest serving Ardashir I—to Gushnasp, king of Parishwar/Tabaristan. The letter seeks to persuade Gushnasp to submit to Ardashir's authority by addressing the concerns and objections he had raised in a previous letter.
There has been considerable disagreement regarding the Letter's dating and authenticity. Many scholars, such as Arthur Christensen and Mojtaba Minovi, have held that the Letter is a 6th-century forgery, produced during the reign of Khosrow I for political purposes. Others, such as James Darmesteter and Mary Boyce, believed the document to have been authentic in the main, containing only particular later additions. According to Boyce, a copy of the original letter may have been held at the diz-ī nibišt ("Fortress of Archives") in Pars, after which it was revised and recopied in the 6th century for contemporary political use. The letter appears to have been written soon after Ardashir's overthrow of Ardavan IV, in an attempt to secure the allegiance of Gushnasp, king of Tabaristan and former vassal to the Parthians, without bloodshed. The text appears to be a response to an earlier letter from Gushnasp, in which he had set out his objections to submitting to Ardashir's authority. One of these was the accusation that Ardashir "had taken away fires from the fire-temples, extinguished them and blotted them out." To this, Tansar replies that it was the "kings of the peoples [i.e. Parthians' vassal kings]" that began the practice of dynastic fires, an "innovation" unauthorized by the kings of old. A similar response appears in Book IV of the 9th century Denkard. (Full article...)
Simon I the Great (Georgian:სიმონ I დიდი, romanized:simon I didi), also known as Svimon (Georgian:სვიმონი, romanized:svimoni; 1537–1611), of the Bagrationi dynasty, was a king (mepe) of the Georgian Kingdom of Kartli from 1556 to 1569 and again from 1578 to 1600. His first tenure was marked by war against the Persian domination of Georgia. In 1569 he was captured by the Persians, and spent nine years in captivity. In 1578 he was released and reinstalled in Kartli. During this period (i.e. his second tenure), he fought as a Persian subject against the Ottoman domination of Georgia. In 1599 Simon I was captured by the Ottomans and died in captivity. (Full article...)
Some historians take the view that its role in the massive display of seemingly unlimited royal wealth contributed to the Iranian populace's growing frustration with the Pahlavi dynasty, while others argue that the extravagance of the proceedings was exaggerated during the Islamic Revolution to discredit the Shah's regime. As a result, some accounts have overstated the event's costs and luxuries. (Full article...)
The stele was rediscovered in 1901 at the site of Susa in present-day Iran, where it had been taken as plunder 600 years after its creation. The text itself was copied and studied by Mesopotamian scribes for over a millennium. The stele now resides in the Louvre Museum. (Full article...)
The Buyid dynasty was founded by Ali ibn Buya, who in 934 conquered Fars and made Shiraz his capital. He received the laqab or honorific title of Imad al-Dawla (lit.'Fortifier of the State'). His younger brother, Hasan ibn Buya (r.935–976) conquered parts of Jibal in the late 930s, and by 943 managed to capture Ray, which he made his capital. Hasan was given the laqab of Rukn al-Dawla (lit.'Pillar of the State'). In 945, the youngest brother, Ahmad ibn Buya, conquered Iraq and made Baghdad his capital. He was given the laqab, Mu'izz al-Dawla. (Full article...)
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The Sasanian Empire (/sə.ˈsɑː.ni.ən/), officially Eranshahr (Middle Persian: 𐭠𐭩𐭥𐭠𐭭𐭱𐭲𐭥𐭩, romanized:Ērānšahr, lit.'Empire of the Iranians'), was an Iranian empire that was founded and ruled by the House of Sasan from 224 to 651AD (the era of late antiquity). Lasting for over four centuries, the length of the Sasanian dynasty's reign over ancient Iran was second only to that of the Arsacid dynasty of Parthia which immediately preceded it.[pageneeded] Founded by Ardashir I, whose rise coincided with the decline of Arsacid influence in the face of both internal and external strife, the House of Sasan was highly determined to restore the legacy of the Achaemenid Empire by expanding and consolidating the dominions of the Iranian nation. Most notably, after defeating Artabanus IV of Parthia at the Battle of Hormozdgan in 224, it began competing far more zealously with the neighboring Roman Empire than the Arsacids had, thus sparking a new phase of the Roman–Iranian Wars. These efforts by Sasanian rulers ultimately led to the re-establishment of Iran as a major power of late antiquity. (Full article...)
... that Maryam Eslamdoust was the first Iranian-born woman to hold public office in Great Britain?
... that after Jamal Valizadeh was tortured in Iran, hid for six months, and escaped, he qualified to compete in the Olympics as a member of the Refugee Olympic Team?
... that shortly after the publication of Women Without Men in Iran, it was banned and its author imprisoned?
National consciousness or collective awareness among people arises when a shared pain or common aspiration emerges within a group. This shared pain is identified as stemming from oppression, aggression, and colonialism, while the shared aspiration is the pursuit of justice and freedom. The unifying factor in the struggles and ideals that have created nations worldwide is the rejection of tyranny and the demand for justice. Consequently, movements born from this collective pain and shared demand consistently advocate for truth, justice, liberty, and self-determination. These values are deeply rooted in a nation's religion and worldview.
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