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The Akkadian Empire
RESTRICTED https://courses.lumenlearning.com/suny-hccc-worldcivilization/chapter/the-akkadian-empire/ The Akkadian Empire LEARNING OBJECTIVE • Describe the key political characteristics of the Akkadian Empire KEY POINTS • The Akkadian Empire was an ancient Semitic empire centered in the city of Akkad and its surrounding region in ancient Mesopotamia, which united all the indigenous Akkadian speaking Semites and the Sumerian speakers under one rule within a multilingual empire. • King Sargon, the founder of the empire, conquered several regions in Mesopotamia and consolidated his power by instating Akaddian officials in new territories. He extended trade across Mesopotamia and strengthened the economy through rain-fed agriculture in northern Mesopotamia. • The Akkadian Empire experienced a period of successful conquest under Naram-Sin due to benign climatic conditions, huge agricultural surpluses, and the confiscation of wealth. • The empire collapsed after the invasion of the Gutians. Changing climatic conditions also contributed to internal rivalries and fragmentation, and the empire eventually split into the Assyrian Empire in the north and the Babylonian empire in the south. TERMS Gutians A group of barbarians from the Zagros Mountains who invaded the Akkadian Empire and contributed to its collapse. Sargon The first king of the Akkadians. He conquered many of the surrounding regions to establish the massive multilingual empire. Akkadian Empire An ancient Semitic empire centered in the city of Akkad and its surrounding region in ancient Mesopotamia. Cuneiform One of the earliest known systems of writing, distinguished by its wedge-shaped marks on clay tablets, and made by means of a blunt reed for a stylus. Semites RESTRICTED Today, the word “Semite” may be used to refer to any member of any of a number of peoples of ancient Southwest Asian descent, including the Akkadians, Phoenicians, Hebrews (Jews), Arabs, and their descendants. -
Fazlallah Astarabadi and the Hurufis
prelims.046 17/12/2004 4:58 PM Page i MAKERS of the MUSLIM WORLD Fazlallah Astarabadi and The Hurufis “Shahzad Bashir is to be commended for producing a remarkably accessible work on a complex subject; his explanations are models of lucidity and brevity.” PROFESSOR DEVIN DEWEESE, INDIANA UNIVERSITY prelims.046 14/12/2004 1:37 PM Page ii SELECTION OF TITLES IN THE MAKERS OF THE MUSLIM WORLD SERIES Series editor: Patricia Crone, Institute for Advanced Study,Princeton ‘Abd al-Malik, Chase F.Robinson Abd al-Rahman III, Maribel Fierro Abu Nuwas, Philip Kennedy Ahmad ibn Hanbal, Christopher Melchert Ahmad Riza Khan Barelwi, Usha Sanyal Al-Ma’mun, Michael Cooperson Al-Mutanabbi, Margaret Larkin Amir Khusraw, Sunil Sharma El Hajj Beshir Agha, Jane Hathaway Fazlallah Astarabadi and the Hurufis, Shazad Bashir Ibn ‘Arabi,William C. Chittick Ibn Fudi,Ahmad Dallal Ikhwan al-Safa, Godefroid de Callatay Shaykh Mufid,Tamima Bayhom-Daou For current information and details of other books in the series, please visit www.oneworld-publications.com/ subjects/makers-of-muslim-world.htm prelims.046 14/12/2004 1:37 PM Page iii MAKERS of the MUSLIM WORLD Fazlallah Astarabadi and The Hurufis SHAHZAD BASHIR prelims.046 14/12/2004 1:37 PM Page iv FAZLALLAH ASTARABADI AND THE HURUFIS Oneworld Publications (Sales and editorial) 185 Banbury Road Oxford OX2 7AR England www.oneworld-publications.com © Shahzad Bashir 2005 All rights reserved Copyright under Berne Convention A CIP record for this title is available from the British Library ISBN 1–85168–385–2 Typeset by Jayvee, -
Current Readings on the Iran-Iraq Conflict and Its Effects on U.S. Foreign Relations and Policy
Reference Services Review, v. 17, issue 2, 1989, p. 27-39. ISSN: 0090-7324 DOI: 10.1108/eb049054 http://www.emeraldinsight.com/journals.htm?issn=0090-7324 © 1989 MCB UP Ltd Current Readings on the Iran-Iraq Conflict and Its Effects on U.S. Foreign Relations and Policy Magda El-Sherbini The conflict between Iran and Iraq is not new; it dates from long before September 1980. In fact, the origins of the current war can be traced to the battle of Qadisiyah in Southern Iraq in 637 A.D., a battle in which the Arab armies of General Sa'd ibn Abi Waqqas decisively defeated the Persian army. In victory, the Arab armies extended Islam east of the Zagros Mountains to Iran. In defeat, the Persian Empire began a steady decline that lasted until the sixteenth century. However, since the beginning of that century, Persia has occupied Iraq three times: 1508-1514, 1529-1543, and 1623-1638. Boundary disputes, specifically over the Shatt al-Arab Waterway, and old enmities caused the wars. In 1735, belligerent Iranian naval forces entered the Shatt al-Arab but subsequently withdrew. Twenty years later, Iranians occupied the city of Sulimaniah and threatened to occupy the neighboring countries of Bahrain and Kuwait. In 1847, Iran dominated the eastern bank of the Shatt al-Arab and occupied Mohamarah in Iraq. The Ottoman rulers of Iraq concluded a number of treaties with Iran, including: the treaty of Amassin (1534-55); treaties signed in 1519, 1613, and 1618; and the treaty of Zuhab, signed in 1639. Yet another treaty, the treaty of Erzerum in 1823, failed once again to resolve the dispute. -
11 a Elections in Iran What Happened Why and Will It Matter
Elections in Iran: What Happened? Why? And Will It Matter? Event Summary On February 18, the Iranian people will cast ballots in the country’s sixth parliamentary election since the 1979 revolution. The polling itself has dominated public and private debate in Iran for months. This is the latest round in a protracted battle over the nature of the Islamic government that intensified with the election of Mohammad Khatami to the country's presidency in 1997. Event Information When Wednesday, February 23, 2000 3:00 PM to Where Falk Auditorium The Brookings Institution 1775 Massachusetts Ave, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20036 The elections are expected to change the makeup of the parliament, or Majlis, and to return the former president, Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, to a position of prominence. More importantly, they will serve as a bellwether for the future of reform within the Islamic Republic. Brookings invites you to hear three experts discuss the election results and analyze their significance for the future Iranian politics and the prospects of US-Iran relations. Transcript R. Haass: Good afternoon. Welcome to the Brookings Institution. I'm Richard Haas. I'm the Vice President and Director of Foreign Policy Studies. And as you know, this afternoon, the topic of the briefing is Iran: the recent elections. And the way we titled it: "What Happened? Why? To answer these questions as well your questions, we've assembled a group that is short in quantity but long in quality. The first person up is going to be for the home team--is going to be Suzanne Maloney, who is now a research associate here in the Foreign Policy Studies program at Brookings. -
The Persian Connection: Its Impact and Influences 2000 BCE to 637 CE
8/5/2019 The Persian Connection: Its Impact and Influences 2000 BCE to 637 CE Chapter 6 The Persian Empire • Was established by Cyrus the Great of Persia in the 6th Century BCE and would become one of the largest civilizations the world has ever seen. • Cyrus the Great of Persia • Ruled the Persian Empire from 559-530 BCE, born in Persia (modern day Iran) around 600 BCE. • King Cyrus was a king of kings, he was a fearsome warrior and his military conquests founded the Persian Empire. • The Persian Empire served as an efficient state, including a strong system of government, a model for fostering commerce and cooperation with diverse peoples, and even integrated the formation of a universal god (as oppose to many gods), a god that rewards those who live good lives and work for justice. • Persia, is in many histories seen as barbaric, as written by the Greeks; however, the Persian civilization was rich in its own right and was only defeated by the legendary Macedonian Alexander the Great. • The Legacy of the Persian Empire profoundly influenced future Islamic culture and the modern state of Iran. • The Persian Empire is located on the arid Iranian plateau in southwestern Asia, unlike the River Valley Empires of Mesopotamia, Egypt, India, & China. • At the height of the Persian Empire, Persian territory encompassed most of 2 southwestern Asia. 1 8/5/2019 Geographic Challenges Confront the First Persians The Iranian Plateau’s topography makes it easy to defend. 3 • The Iranian Plateau encompasses nearly one million square miles of inhospitable lands, including 2 large desserts, and small rivers that are difficult to navigate and offer little water for farming. -
New Evidence for One of the Oldest Political Frontiers in the Ancient World
Journal of Near Eastern Studies Longitude 457 East: New Evidence for one of the Oldest Political Frontiers in the Ancient World SAJJAD ALIBAIGI, Razi University, Kermanshah SHAHRAM ALIYARI, Office of Cultural Heritage, Handicraft, and Tourism, Kermanshah JOHN MACGINNIS, Cambridge University NASER AMINIKHAH, Razi University, Kermanshah* Introduction: Longitude 457 East, One of the made to commemorate a victory of Iddin-Sin, king of Oldest Political Frontiers in the Ancient World Simurrum.1 With these two rock reliefs, the number of ste- lae and rock reliefs around Bamu mountain reaches five. The Zagros mountains, which constitute the defining These are among the most ancient rock reliefs in the topographic divider between Iraq and Iran, have over world, and reveal the importance of the surrounding the course of history been witness to countless incur- region for eastern Mesopotamia. With the help of Ak- sions and invasions launched from Mesopotamia into kadian texts from the time of the kingdom of Simurrum, Iran and vice-versa. The rock reliefs, stelae, and kudur- specifically the stele of Bitwata and the inscription of rus discovered in the western foothills of this mountain Haladiny (Qarachatan), together with consideration of range indicate that throughout history the region wit- the location of the rock reliefs of the rulers of Simurrum, nessed many major events and conflicts, with numerous we are able to draw the state’s eastern frontier along a line monuments being erected to commemorate victories that connects the rock reliefs of Sar Pol-e Zahab, the (see Fig. 1). In this context, this study focuses on two Bamu mountains, and Darband-i Ramkan. -
Iran Location Geography
Iran Location The Islamic Republic of Iran is located in the Middle East, between Iraq and Pakistan. The country is slightly larger than Alaska, covering 1,648 million sq km, of which only 12,000 sq km is water, mostly in the form of lakes. The World Factbook gives the coordinates for the geographic center of Iran as 32 00 N, 53 00 E, but this point is out in the middle of nowhere, about 140 km SE of Esfahan. According to the map of the Middle East, Iran lies between 44°E and 63°E longitude and from 25°N to 40°N latitude. Iran is bordered to the west by Turkey and Iraq, to the east by Afghanistan and Pakistan. The northern border is shared with Armenia, Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan, and the Caspian Sea. The southern border consists of the Gulf of Oman and the Persian Gulf. Iran also claims to have rights to a significant portion (20%) of the Caspian Sea, which contains huge reserves of oil and natural gas. Other countries bordering the Caspian dispute the Iranian method of dividing the mineral and territorial rights, and propose to give Iran rights to only about 12% of the sea floor and surface of the Caspian. Iran also controls about a dozen islands in the Persian Gulf. Geography Iran has three distinct geographical areas: mountain ranges, interior basins, and lowland plains. The principal mountain ranges include the Zagros Mountains in the west and south, and the Alborz Mountains in the north. Many peaks in the Zagros exceed 3,000 meters above sea level, and in the south-central region of the country, there are at least five peaks of over 4,000 meters. -
Perspectives on the 2009 Iranian Election
The anatomy of a crisis Perspectives on the 2009 Iranian election Issue 1, 2009 1 Created in November 2007 by students from the UK universities of Oxford, Leicester and Aberystwyth, e-International Relations (e-IR) is a hub of information and analysis on some of the key is- sues in international politics. As well as editorials contributed by students, leading academics and policy-makers, the website contains essays, diverse perspectives on global news, lecture podcasts, blogs written by some of the world’s top professors and the very latest jobs from academia, politics and international development. The pieces in this collection were published on e-International Relations during June 2009. Front page image by Hamed Saber edited and compiled by Stephen McGlinchey and Adam Groves 2 Contents 4 Introductory Notes 5 Iran’s Contested Election 10 Losing the battle for global opinion 12 Reading into Iran’s Quantum of Solace 14 Decisions Iranians should make and others should support 16 Why Iranians have to find their own course 18 The Iranian women’s rights movement and the election crisis 20 Defending the Revolution: human rights in post-election Iran 23 The 2009 Iranian elections: a nuclear timebomb? 26 Contributors 3 Introductory notes Stephen McGlinchey With the contested re-election of Mahmoud intensify Israeli fears that some kind of interven- Ahmadinejad on June 12th 2009 and the wide- tion was necessary for its own national security. spread protests that followed, domestic Iranian politics once again came to the fore internation- If reports are correct that the popular tide is ally. Not since the final days of the Shah, the turning against the regime in Iran, there is a Islamic revolution of 1979 and the ensuing hos- real danger that it will respond by pandering to tage crisis, had it occupied such a prime posi- populist fears in the country and enhancing its tion across the international political landscape. -
The Rise of Sumerian City-States
Name and Date: _________________________ Text: HISTORY ALIVE! The Ancient World 4.1 Introduction In Chapter 3, you learned how people began farming and living in small villages during Neolithic times. In this chapter, you’ll discover how some small villages grew into large, complex cities. These villages were located in a land of rolling hills and low plains called Mesopotamia (modern-day Iraq). Mesopotamia is a Greek word that means “the land between the rivers.” The two rivers are the Tigris River and the Euphrates River. Cities first appeared in the southern part of this land, an area called Sumer. The earliest cities in Sumer date back to about 3500 B.C.E. These first cities were like small, independent countries. They each had their own ruler and their own farmland to provide food. For this reason, they are called city-states. These ruins in the Syrian Desert reveal an ancient Sumerian walled city. Imagine that you are visiting one of these early cities. You see a walled settlement surrounded by farmland that supplies food for the city. The strong city walls are built of sunbaked bricks. Moats, or ditches filled with water, surround the walls. The moats help to keep out enemies. During an attack, people living outside the city walls fled inside for protection. As you gaze on the city, you may wonder how it came to be built. Why didn’t people in Mesopotamia go on living in small villages, as their ancestors had done for thousands of years? Why did large city-states grow up here, in the “Land Between the Rivers”? In this chapter, you’ll find out. -
The Geography of the Neo-Assyrian Empire by Ariel M
The Geography of the Neo-Assyrian Empire By Ariel M. Bagg The Neo-Assyrian Empire was constructed over a period of about 300 years from the late 10th to the late 7th centuries BCE by powerful kings. It comprised a great part of the Middle East from the Taurus Mountains in the North to the fringes of the Arabian desert and the Persian Gulf in the South, from the Mediterranean in the West to the Zagros Mountains in the East. This wide region, administrated from a capital in the Assyrian heartland, subsequently Assur, Kalhu, Dur-Sharrukin and Nineveh, comprises nowadays Iraq, Syria, the Levant, South-Eastern Turkey, Western Iran, as well as the Northern and North- Eastern parts of the Arabian Peninsula. The number of Neo-Assyrian geographical names is enormous, approximately 3500! Can these places be localized? How can ancient places be localized in the first place? An Assyrian king, probably Sargon. Detail of an enamelled wall from Sargon’s palace in Dur- Sharrukin/Khorsabad. (Source: V. Place, Ninive et l’Assyrie III, Paris, 1867, pl. 27) The river-side of Kalhu/Nimrud, artist’s reconstruction. (Source: A. H. Layard, A Second Series of the Monuments of Nineveh, London, 1853, plate 1) The Assyrian kings campaigned almost every year in all directions and the accounts of their military achievements were recorded in long and detailed cuneiform inscriptions. These royal inscriptions, in some cases hidden under the foundation of palaces and temples, in other cases visible on the palace walls, mention a great number of cities, countries, rivers and mountains traversed or conquered by the Assyrian army. -
Flexural Bending of the Zagros Foreland Basin
Geophysical Journal International Geophys. J. Int. (2017) 210, 1659–1680 doi: 10.1093/gji/ggx252 Advance Access publication 2017 June 9 GJI Geodynamics and tectonics Flexural bending of the Zagros foreland basin Mortaza Pirouz,1,2 Jean-Philippe Avouac,1 Adriano Gualandi,1 Jamshid Hassanzadeh1 and Pietro Sternai3 1Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences, California Institute of Technology, Mc 100–23, 1200 E California Blvd., Pasadena, CA 91125, USA. E-mail: [email protected] 2Bullard Laboratories, Madingley Rise, Madingley Road, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB30EZ, United Kingdom 3Section of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Geneva, 13 Rue des Maraˆıchers, 1205 Geneva, Switzerland Accepted 2017 June 7. Received 2017 June 5; in original form 2017 February 24 SUMMARY We constrain and model the geometry of the Zagros foreland to assess the equivalent elastic thickness of the northern edge of the Arabian plate and the loads that have originated due to the Arabia–Eurasia collision. The Oligo-Miocene Asmari formation, and its equivalents in Iraq and Syria, is used to estimate the post-collisional subsidence as they separate passive margin sediments from the younger foreland deposits. The depth to these formations is obtained by synthesizing a large database of well logs, seismic profiles and structural sections from the Mesopotamian basin and the Persian Gulf. The foreland depth varies along strike of the Zagros wedge between 1 and 6 km. The foreland is deepest beneath the Dezful embayment, in southwest Iran, and becomes shallower towards both ends. We investigate how the geometry of the foreland relates to the range topography loading based on simple flexural models. -
The Politics of Iran's Nuclear Program Shahram Chubin Iran's Nuclear
The Politics of Iran’s Nuclear Program Shahram Chubin Iran’s nuclear program, initially cancelled after the 1979 revolution, was revived in the closing phases of the 1980-1988 war with Iraq. Tehran wanted to guard against a future surprise analogous to Iraq’s repeated use of chemical weapons. Iran has depicted international pressure to suspend its uranium enrichment as a politically motivated attempt to keep it scientifically backward and to deprive its rights under the Nuclear Non Proliferation Treaty. Through appeals to nationalism, Tehran has used the prolonged crisis to revive flagging support for the regime and keep the revolutionary faithful mobilized. In a profound sense, the nuclear dispute is now inextricably tied to the political nature of the regime itself. Overview One of the central ironies about Iran is that its controversial nuclear program has become a defining political issue, even though many of the program’s details remain shrouded in secrecy. Tehran is public about its quest to acquire peaceful nuclear energy to serve a population that has doubled since the 1979 revolution. But the theocracy vehemently denies any interest in developing a nuclear weapon—even as it boasts about its growing ability to enrich uranium, a capability that can be used to generate power or for a weapons program. Technically, Iran does not yet need to enrich, since Russia is providing the fuel for the new reactor it built in Bushehr. Tehran counters that it has the right to enrich uranium as a signatory to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). It also intends to build additional reactors and says it does not want to be dependent on foreign powers for fuel.