Iranian national history
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Iranian National History | |
|---|---|
| Pishdadian dynasty – Sasanian dynasty | |
 | |
| Duration | 12,000 years |
| Location | Greater Iran |
The Iranian national history or national tradition is the collective historical memory of the pre-Islamic Iranians.[1] It combines legendary accounts about the Pishdadians and Kayanians with historical elements about the Arsacids and Sasanians into a coherent national myth of Greater Iran.[2]
Based on the references found in the Avesta, the core of the national history had already formed during the Young Avestan period (c. 900 – c. 400 BCE). It continued to develop during the Achaemenid (550–330 BC) and Parthian periods (247 BC–224 AD) and reached its full expression during the Sasanian Empire period (224 - 651 CE).[3] After the Islamization of Iran, it survived by forming the basis of the Shahnameh, Iran's national epic.
The Iranian national history must not be confused with the History of Iran as investigated by modern historians. Instead, it is a nationalist historiography in which historical elements are freely blended with myths and legends to create both an idealized narrative about the nation of Iran[4] as well as an entertaining story.[5] Overall, this narrative anachronistically combines the Iron age conditions of the heroic Avestan period, where most of the stories originated, with the feudal conditions of the Sasanian empire from late Antiquity.[6]
Sources
The historical tradition of pre-Islamic Iran was mostly oral and no contemporary history books have survived.[7] The oldest references are found in the Avesta, in particular the so called legendary Yashts.[8] The Zoroastrian perspective is also presented in 9th-10th century works like the Denkard, the Bundahishn and the Ayadgar-i Zariran.[9] The ultimate representation of Iran's national history is, however, often thought to be reflected in the Khwaday-Namag, a Sasanian era history book.[3] This work is now lost, but its content can be reconstructed from later references by Muslim historians.[10] Although not a history book, the Iranian national tradition is most prominently told in the Shahnameh (completed in 1010), the national epic of Greater Iran.[11]
Development
The stories, characters and tropes which are found in the national history grew out of older traditions. For instance, characters like Jamshid (av. Yima), Fereydun (av. Thraētaona) and Kay Kavus (av. Kavi Usan) are also found in the Old Indic tradition as Yama, Trita, and Kavya Ushanas. They are, therefore, considered, to go back to the shared Indo-Iranian myths. Likewise, a motive like Rostam being tragically forced to kill his own son Sohrab, is also found in the Old German Hildebrandslied, suggesting an origin in the even older Indo-European myths.[12] Specific stories, however, are first found in the oldest Iranian literary source, namely the Avesta.[13]
Avestan period
The Avesta already contains a large number of characters and stories known from the national tradition.[14] Although it does not present them in a single coherent narrative, the numerous allusion to the myths and legends of the early Iranians demonstrate that the core of the national tradition had already formed during the Young Avestan period.[15] This comprises in particular the reign of the mythical Pishdadians and Kayanians rulers[16] as well as the conflict between the Iranians and their archenemy, the Turanians.
Achaemenid period
Similar to the Medes, who do not appear in the historical tradition, the Achaemenids do only appear faintly, a fact which has puzzled many historians.[17] It is, therefore, not clear, what, if any, impact they had on its development. It has, however, been speculated that the mythical division of the world into 12,000 years was adopted by the Iranians from the Babylonians during the Achaemenid period.[18]
Parthian period
Following the conquest of Alexander the Great, Greater Iran came under the rule of the Hellenistic Seleucid dynasty. This changed with the rise of the Arsacids, a dynasty from Parthia, who conquered Iran and created the Parthian Empire. Like the Achaemenids, the Arsacids had a mostly oral epic tradition, performed by courtly minstrels called gusans.[19] It is, therefore, not known what impact this period had on the historical tradition. One possible example is the popular Iranian hero Rostam, a figure which does not appear in the Avesta,[20] but has been connected to the Parthian era.[21] Another such figure might be Goudarz, who also does not appear in the Avesta but has several connections to the Parthians.[22]
Sasanian period
The national tradition achieved its final form during the Sasanian period when it was written down in a courtly historiography.[23] As a result, it anachronistically fuses the heroic and legendary stories of the Avestan period with the political and courtly conditions of the much later Sasanian era. This includes Sasanian era place names or the role of the Zoroastrian clergy in Sasanian court affairs.[24]
In particular the geopolitical conditions of the Avestan period were adapted to the very different circumstances of the much later Sasanian era. One example is the enmity between Sasanian Iran and the Roman Empire. Since the Romans do not appear in the Avesta, they became identified with the Sairima, a people which, during the Avestan period, were living west of the Iranians. Furthermore, during Sasanian times, Turkic tribes had begun to settle in Transoxiania, the region inhabited by the Turanians in the Avesta. As a result, they became increasingly identified with them, an identification, which became common during Islamic times.[25]
.png)
.jpg)
.jpg)