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Iranian History IRANIAN HISTORY HIGHLIGHTS OF IRANIAN HISTORY The study of the history of Zoroastrian religion can be divided into eight stages, five of which are Mazdayasni/Zarthoshti dynasties which ruled over Iran . The first two are often erroneously considered legendary as no historical or archaeological records of those times survive. The five main dynasties which ruled over Iran are: • PESHDADIAN (c.10,000-7,500 BCE) • KAYANIAN (c. 7,500-6,500 BCE) • ACHAEMENIAN/HAKHAMANISH (556 - 330 BCE) • PARTHIAN/ARSHKANIAN (247 B. C.- 224 CE) • SASANIAN (224 CE- 651 CE) 1. Peshdadian dynasty (c.10,000-7,500 BCE): The Peshdadian dynasty belongs to pre-historic period. Origin of Mazdayasni belief system and beginnings of religious practices like that of wearing Sadra-Kasti, praying to one God-Ahura Mazda and carrying a mace with a cow’s head (Gurz) as an insignia of priestly authority. The following kings ruled during the PESHDADIAN DYNASTY: KING GAYOMARD: • • Founder of the dynasty. • First to wear a crown and sit on the throne • First to hear the message of Mazda • Started the Mazdayasni belief system KING HOSHANG: • Started the practice of revering fire as the symbol of Ahura Mazda • Started the performance of Jashane Sadeh • Started agricultural practices like irrigation and canal system. • First to teach people to wear woolen clothes. KING TEHMURASP ‘Divband’: • Learnt skills/trades from Daevayasnis • Defeated two-thirds of the demons of the province Mazana. • Helped people survive a terrible draught by asking them to eat one meal per day. • Taught people to domesticate animals and birds. KING JAMSHED: • Saved humans and certain species of plants and animals from the Great Deluge. • Established a Vara, an enclosure on the Mountain. • His reign is regarded as a Golden Age. • Celebrated the Jashan of Navruz • Started the practice of wearing Kasti. • Divided the society into four professional groups - Athornan. • Introduced use of metal – made armour for soldiers. • Introduced use of silk, perfume and wine. • Had an observatory built – Jām-e-Jamshed. • Pride and fall – ousted by Zohak. • Killed in exile by step brother Spityur. ZOHAK: • Thrice instigated by Ablis. • Murdered father Khrutasp. • 2 snakes on the shoulders • Killed able bodied men to feed the snakes. • Revolt of Kāveh – Kāvyāni Zundo. • Dreamt about Faridun’s birth • Orders to kill all children. • Saved by his mother Faranak and cow Purmae • Purmae killed by Zohak’s soldiers. Gurz made in her image. • Defeated by Zohak and chained on Mount Demāvand . KING FARIDUN: • Started the use of Gurz (bull-headed mace) as a weapon. • Ended the reign of the Evil Zohak. • Used Nirangs (short prayers) to fight evil. • Coronated on meher roz of Meher mah. This day is celebrated as Jashne Mihrangan. • Made Kāvyāni Zundo the Royal flag of Iran . • Divided kingdom amongst three sons – Irach ( Iran proper), Tur ( Eastern Iran - Turkmenestan) and Selam (Western Iran-Rome). • Groomed Minocheher - Irach’s grandson - to avenge the death of Irach. KING MINOCHEHER: • Tur and Selam killed by Minocheher. • Fought wars against Afrasiyab, King of Turan regarding boundary disputes. • Dispute settled by the shooting of arrow by Erekhsha (Arish) • Celebration of Jashane Tirangan. • Gave permission to Zal to marry Rodabeh.. KING NOTAR/NOZAR: • Given to merry-making • Subjects rebelled • Sam pacified the subjects • Turan took advantage and attacked • His sons Toos and Gastaham fled • Killed by Afrasiyab KING ZAV: • Zal institutes 81 year old Zav as the new king • Short but peaceful reign. KING KERSASP • Zav’s son • Died after a short reign END OF THE PESHDADIAN DYNASTY. 2. Kayanian dynasty (c. 7,500-6,000 BCE): Belongs to the prehistoric period. Prophet Zarathushtra was born during this dynasty. The Mazdayasni belief system which prospered during most part of the Peshdadian dynasty was threatened by the evil forces of the Daevasyasnis. Zarathushtra incorporated a few prayers, rituals and practices of the Mazdayasni belief system, and gave a completely new system of doctrines and ethics which came to be known as the Mazdayasni Zarthoshti religion. Important kings of the KAYANIAN DYNASTY KING KAE KOBAD: • A descendant of Minocheher. • Brought from the mountains by Zal • War with Afrasiyab KING KAE KAUS: • Son of Kae Kobad. Loved adventures. • Attempted to fly • War with Mazandaran – Rustom rescues the king – Haftekhan • Marries Sodabeh, princess of Hamavaran. • Imprisoned in Hamavaran • 5 Wars with Afrasiyab • Rustom & Sohrab’s duel • His son is prince Siyavakhsh KING KAE KHUSHRU: • Son of Siyavaksh born in Turan to Firangiz. • Brought from Turan by Giv • Contest with Fariburz son of Kae Kaus over Kingship. • Killed Afrasiyab near lake Chaechist • End unknown – Voluntarily left the palace and went to the forest. Never traced. • Believed to be still immortal. KING KAE LOHRASP: • Selected by Kae Khushru as his successor. • Known for his piety and prayers • His son Gustasp rebelled against him due to insecurity. • Made Gushtasp the king and retired to lead a life of prayers. KING KAE GUSHTASP / VISHTASP: • Patron of Prophet Zarathushtra. • Arjasp attacked. And abducted Princess. • Asfandyar frees the princess. Demands the throne • Asfandyar asked sent to chain and bring Rustom. • Duel of Rustom Asfandyar. Asfandyar gets killed. KING BAHMAN: • Son of Asfandyar • Avenges father’s death by devastating Zabulistan. • Wife Homai named the Queen. QUEEN HOMAI: • Abandons her child, which is found and brought up by a washer man. • The child Darab reunites with her mother • The repentant mother abdicates thrown in his favour. KING DARAB: • War with the Romans. • Marries the Roman princess Nahid as part of the truce. • A pregnant Nahid is sent back due to an illness, Eskandar (Alexander) is born. KING DARA: • Alexander becomes the Macedonian King • Attacks Iran • Defeats and kills King Dara END OF THE KAYANIAN DYNASTY. 3. Inter-regnal period the history of which is not very clear, but which was dominated by small Mazda worshipping kingdoms like Elamites(c.4000-742 BCE), Median(c.2458-550 BCE), Hittites (between rivers Tigris and Euphrates ) and Kushites(c.1700 BCE). 4. Achaemenian dynasty (556 - 330 BCE): The kings of this dynasty were Zoroastrians, but religion was not given importance at state level. Their concentration was more on political and administrative welfare of the people. Zoroastrian religion was well established and did not face threat from any other established religion. Important kings of the ACHAEMENIAN DYNASTY: KING CYRUS THE GREAT (558-529 BCE) : • Born to Cambyses II and Mandane (daughter of the last Median king Astygis). • Defeated Astygis and founded the Achaemenian dynasty. • Tolerant and humane King. Freed the Jews from their Babylonian captivity after 70 years and helped them rebuild their famous Temple of Solomon . • Hailed as ‘Messiah - the anointed one’ in the Old Testament of the Bible. • Last resting place and ruins of his palace at Pasargadae in the province of Fars , south of Iran . CAMBYSES (529-522 BCE) • Son of Cyrus • Conquered Egypt . Was the 27th PHAROAH • Gaumata a Magi usurped the throne while he was in Egypt . • Died by accident while trying to return to his capital in haste. KING DARAIUS THE GREAT (522-486 BCE): • Belonged to the royal family, was a noblemen in the court of Cambyses. • Regained the throne from the imposter Gaumata with the help of 7 noblemen. • Built a vast empire and divided it into 30 provinces which he called Satrapis, for proper administration • All Greek states except Athens and Sparta paid him tributes. • He started the system of post and coinage. • Made roads inter-connecting his empires. • Built the famous Royal Road , the highway connecting Susa with Sardis , was about 2550 kilometres (1,500 miles) long. • Lost the Battle of MARATHON, one of the fifteen important battles of the world. • Built royal palaces at Persepolis (administrative center), Susa , Ecbatana , (summer residence), and Babylon (winter residence). • Constructed a canal connecting the Red Sea with the Nile . • The ruins of his palace, popularly known as Takht-i-Jamshid are situated in Persepolis , south of Iran . • Left a number of inscriptions, in three languages - Old Persian, Elamite, and Babylonian. The main inscription is at Bisutun in Hamadan . In one of his inscriptions, Darius proudly records his Parsi ancestry in the following words: adam darayavaush khshayathiya vazraka khshayathiya khshayathiyanam........ parsa parsahya puthra ariya ariyachithra. "I, Darius, the great king, the king of kings.......a Parsi, the son of a Parsi, an Aryan, of Aryan family". XERXES I (486-465 BCE) • Son of Darius • Quelled the revolt in Egypt • Conquered and burnt Athens and its famous temple • Defeated in the battle of Salamis by the Greeks in 480 and Hellespont in 479 BCE After Xerxes I, intrigue and deceit prevailed in the royal family during which time the following kings ruled, of which the first three were murdered: ARTAXERXES I (465-424 BCE), XERXES II (424 BCE), SOGDIANUS (424 BCE) and DARIUS II (424- 404 BCE) ARTAXERXES II (404-359 BCE) • Brought out an edict which decreed that the Greek city states in Asia Minor and Cyprus belonged to the Parsi Empire. This edict is known as the “King's Peace”. He ruled for forty-six years, and passed away peacefully in 358 B. C. at the ripe old age of ninety-four years. ARTAXERXES III (359-338 BCE) • Poisoned by his courtier Bagaos. The King's youngest son Ariaspes occupied the throne in 338 BCE, but even he and his children were put to death by Bagaos. DARIUS III (336-330 BCE) • Alexander was recognised as the supreme ruler of the Hellenic States in place of his father, and became king in Macedonia at the age of 20 years. • Defeated by Alexander in the battles of Isus and Arabela (331 BCE) • Killed by Bessus, the Satrap of Bactria in 330 BCE • Alexander burnt the palace and Royal library at Persepolis SELEUCID ERA (330- 247 BCE) Seleucus Nicator, a trusted general of Alexander, founded the Seleucid dynasty, and the Seleucid era the countries of the former Achaemenian Empire were now ruled by the Seleucid generals for ABOUT 80 years.
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