Introduction 1.1 Neo-Mandaic and Its Speakers Among the Rarest And

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

Introduction 1.1 Neo-Mandaic and Its Speakers Among the Rarest And CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION 1.1 Neo-Mandaic and Its Speakers Among the rarest and most seriously endangered languages of the world spoken at the present time is Neo-Mandaic. This unique Aramaic idiom, spoken by a few hundred adherents of Mandaeism, an indigenous gnostic religion of Lower Mesopotamia, was probably still the vernacular of most Mandaeans until late in the 19th century.1 Since then it has been com- pletely superseded by Arabic in Iraq, and more recently by Khuzestani Arabic and Persian among the vast majority of Iranian Mandaeans. At least as far back as the late 15th century the vicissitudes of the Man- daean inhabitants of Khuzestan, the southwestern Iranian province where Neo-Mandaic is still barely spoken today, were often tragic and fraught with hardship.2 Records of heavy oppression and persecution of the indig- enous Mandaean population at the hands of the Persian authorities and local rulers continue until the closing decades of the 19th century.3 In the more recent part of that period, persecution of the Mandaean priesthood in 1782 and 1818 by Persian rulers and, most tragically, the massacre of the Mandaeans of the northern Khuzestani town of Shushtar in 1870, were coupled with natural disasters, most notably epidemics that ravaged the inhabitants of the Shushtar in 1831 and 18324 and decimated the Man- daean priesthood of the province. The large Mandaean communities of Shushtar and Ḥoweyza (presently Hoveyzeh), which thrived as the cultural centres of the Persian Mandae- ans between the 15th and early 19th centuries,5 as well as those of Dezful 1 See Mutzafi and Morgenstern, forthcoming. 2 See Buckley 2002: 6 and Buckley 2005. 3 See Lupieri 2002: 70–71, 73, 77, 104, Layard 1887, vol. 2: 162, 357–360. 4 See de Bode 1845, vol. 2: 149 and Buckley 2002: 6. 5 As regards early evidence—a source dating to 1480 testifies to large Mandaean com- munities in these towns, which are also the source of some of the earliest Mandaean manuscripts (see Buckley 2005 and Buckley 2010: 233–234), and in 1625 the Portuguese missionary Basil of St. Francis reported that the chief priests of the Mandaeans resided in Ḥoweyza (Chick 1939, vol. 1: 326). 2 chapter one and Shah Vali (Shawali),6 had all been in numerical decline during—and quite possibly already before—the 19th century,7 and most of these had ceased to exist by the end of that century. Some other Mandaean com- munities of the area are mentioned by missionaries in lists dating back to the years 1625 and 1636,8 but there is no further record of their con- tinued existence. These lists attest to a much wider geographical distri- bution of Mandaeans, and by inference of the Neo-Mandaic language, in the 17th century in comparison with the 19th century, and include loca- tions as far flung and deep into Persian territory as Deh Dasht (188 km. south-east of Ahvaz), Behbehan (170 km. south-east of Ahvaz), Hendijan (155 km. south-east of Ahvaz), Jafarabad, which might be a village of this name near Lali (ca. 120 km. north-east of Ahvaz), Mansurabad, which seems to be a village of this name in the Khuzestani county of Masjed Soleyman (ca. 100 km. north-east of Ahvaz), Ramhormuz (ca. 90 km. east of Ahvaz), Khalafabad (near Ramshir, 80 km. south-east of Ahvaz), and some other places which could not be located on available modern maps.9 By the year 1877 fewer than 50 Mandaean families were reported to be living on Persian soil, including only 2 Mandaean families remain- ing in Shushtar, 7 families in Dezful, 10 in Ḥoweyza and 30 families in Moḥammara (presently Khorramshahr).10 In 1880 these 4 towns, as well as Shah Vali, Gibar (possibly Gobeyr, presently Gobeyr-e Zahir, a village 16 km. north of Ahvaz) and a few other locations in the area, were men- tioned by the French vice-consul in Mosul, Nicholas Siouffi, as places where Mandaeans were to be found in Persia.11 All these communities were probably small in the extreme by that year, and, as far as is known, by the end of the 19th century only Moḥammara and Ḥoweyza were still inhabited by Mandaeans, in addition to a new community in Ahvaz. Oral tradition has it that the persecuted and dwindling northern Khuzestani communities of Shushtar, Dezful and Shah Vali had to turn southward to Moḥammara (Khorramshahr) and later to Ahvaz for a safer residence. Khuzestani Mandaeans were also moving to Ottoman controlled 6 For a map with the location of these and other Khuzestani towns see Macuch 1993: 447. 7 See Curzon 1892, vol. 2: 305–306, Layard 1887, vol. 2: 359. 8 See Chick 1939, vol. 1: 325–326, 331. 9 Although some of these towns are not near a river, which is crucial for Mandaean baptismal rituals, perhaps local water canals, such as the one that runs through Behbehan, and brooks or streams in the rural vicinity, were used for this purpose. 10 See Houtum-Schindler 1892: 665. 11 See Siouffi 1880: 159. .
Recommended publications
  • Sand Dune Systems in Iran - Distribution and Activity
    Sand Dune Systems in Iran - Distribution and Activity. Wind Regimes, Spatial and Temporal Variations of the Aeolian Sediment Transport in Sistan Plain (East Iran) Dissertation Thesis Submitted for obtaining the degree of Doctor of Natural Science (Dr. rer. nat.) i to the Fachbereich Geographie Philipps-Universität Marburg by M.Sc. Hamidreza Abbasi Marburg, December 2019 Supervisor: Prof. Dr. Christian Opp Physical Geography Faculty of Geography Phillipps-Universität Marburg ii To my wife and my son (Hamoun) iii A picture of the rock painting in the Golpayegan Mountains, my city in Isfahan province of Iran, it is written in the Sassanid Pahlavi line about 2000 years ago: “Preserve three things; water, fire, and soil” Translated by: Prof. Dr. Rasoul Bashash, Photo: Mohammad Naserifard, winter 2004. Declaration by the Author I declared that this thesis is composed of my original work, and contains no material previously published or written by another person except where due reference has been made in the text. I have clearly stated the contribution by others to jointly-authored works that I have included in my thesis. Hamidreza Abbasi iv List of Contents Abstract ................................................................................................................................................. 1 1. General Introduction ........................................................................................................................ 7 1.1 Introduction and justification ........................................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • The Prevalence of Cutaneous Leishmaniasis in East of Ahvaz County
    IAJPS 2017, 4 (11), 4252-4262 Hamid Kassiri et al ISSN 2349-7750 CODEN [USA]: IAJPBB ISSN: 2349-7750 INDO AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHARMACEUTICAL SCIENCES http://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.1056982 Available online at: http://www.iajps.com Research Article THE PREVALENCE OF CUTANEOUS LEISHMANIASIS IN EAST OF AHVAZ COUNTY, SOUTH-WESTERN IRAN Hamid Kassiri 1*, Atefe Ebrahimi 2, Masoud Lotfi 3 1 School of Health, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran. 2 Student Research Committee, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran. 3 Abdanan Health Center, Ilam University of Medical Sciences, Ilam, Iran. School of Health, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran. Abstract: Objectives: Cutaneous Leishmaniasis (CL) is a zoonotic parasitological disease. This disease cause always important health challenges for the human communities. It is common in many parts of the globe. This research was designed to determine the epidemiology of CL in East of Ahvaz County during 2003- 2013. Methods: This was a descriptive cross-sectional study. The disease was diagnosed based on clinical examination and microscopic observation of the parasite in the ulcer site. The patient's Information such as age, gender, number and sites of ulcer (s) on the body, month and residence area were recorded. Data analysis was performed using SPSS software. Results: Totally, 2287 cases were detected during 2003 – 2013. About 53.4% patients were male and 46.4% female. The highest frequency infected age groups were observed in 10-19 years old (n=550 ,24%). Nearly 37 % of the patients had one and 38.1% had three ulcers.
    [Show full text]
  • Future Strategies for Promoting Tourism and Petroleum Heritage in Khuzestan Province, Iran
    Future strategies for promoting tourism and petroleum heritage in Khuzestan Province, Iran Sahar Amirkhani, Neda Torabi Farsani and Homa Moazzen Jamshidi Abstract Sahar Amirkhani and Purpose – Industrial tourism not only strives to preserve industrial heritage, but can also be a strategy for being Neda Torabi Farsani are both familiar with the history of industry and attracting tourists to new destinations. This paper examines the issue of based at the Department of promoting petroleum industrial tourism in the case of Khuzestan, Iran. The research aims at determining Museum and Tourism, Art appropriate strategies for promoting petroleum industrial tourism. University of Isfahan, – Design/methodology/approach The data were analysed through a strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, Isfahan, Iran. and threats (SWOT) model. Homa Moazzen Jamshidi is Findings – The results revealed the competitive strategy as the best. Lastly, strategies such as: concentric based at the Department of diversification, joint venture strategy, conglomerate diversification and horizontal diversification were proposed Economics and Arts as key solutions. The results support the view that establishing an exploratory ecomuseum in the territory of Entrepreneurship, Art Khuzestan Province can be a suitable concentric diversification strategy towards petroleum industrial sustainable tourism in the future. University of Isfahan, Originality/value – The main originality of this paper includes linking tourism with the petroleum (oil and natural Isfahan, Iran. gas) industry
    [Show full text]
  • How Farmers Perceive the Impact of Dust Phenomenon on Agricultural Production Activities: a Q-Methodology Study T
    View metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk brought to you by CORE provided by Ghent University Academic Bibliography Journal of Arid Environments 173 (2020) 104028 Contents lists available at ScienceDirect Journal of Arid Environments journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/jaridenv How farmers perceive the impact of dust phenomenon on agricultural production activities: A Q-methodology study T ∗ ∗∗ Fatemeh Taheria, , Masoumeh Forouzanib, , Masoud Yazdanpanahb, Abdolazim Ajilib a Department of Agricultural Economics, Ghent University, Ghent, B-9000, Belgium b Department of Agricultural Extension and Education, Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources University of Khuzestan, Mollasani, 6341773637, Iran ARTICLE INFO ABSTRACT Keywords: Dust as one of the environmental concerns during the past decade has attracted the attention of the international Dust storms community around the world, particularly among West Asian countries. Recently, Iran has been extremely af- Farmers' perceptions fected by the serious impacts of this destructive phenomenon, especially in its agricultural sector. Management Economic and ecological impacts of dust phenomenon increasingly calls for initiatives to understand the perceptions of farmers regarding this Environmental policies phenomenon. Farmers’ views about dust phenomenon can affect their attitude and their mitigating behavior. Q method This can also make a valuable frame for decision and policy-makers to develop appropriate strategies for mi- Iran tigating dust phenomenon impacts on the agricultural sector. In line with this, a Q methodology study was undertaken to identify the perception of farmers toward dust phenomenon, in Khuzestan province, Iran. Sixty participants completed the Q sort procedure. Data analysis revealed three types of perceptions toward dust phenomenon: health adherents who seek support, government blamers who seek support, and planning ad- herents who seek information.
    [Show full text]
  • The Foreign Service Journal, February 1960
    40$.(&I872 100 86 PROOF PROOF its always a pleasure In the lighter, milder 86 Proof or in IOO Proof Bottled in Bond Every drop of the milder 86 Proof is original and genuine I. W. Harper bourbon — distilled and bottled at the same dist KENTUCKY KENTUCKY ST 1 as the famous IOO Proof Bottled in Bond. &AIGHT BOURBC* SI&AIGHT BOUSBOH WHISKEY WHISKEY H*»PtR DISTUUNG' F0UNDER”MEM8ER BOTH KENTUCKY STRAIGHT BOURBON WHISKEY HARPER DISTILLING COMPANY, LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY STRICTLY frivolous but so vital that you order NOW! MEN’S Summer Jackets $22.90 Hand woven Indian Madras—no favorite of ours, guaranteed to “bleed” which means color runs, stains etc. Domestic Dacron-Cotton Madras which are utterly perfect. WASH’N’WEAR. TRAVIS, Linen-Dacron eggshell color “goes”-with-any color SLAX, wash’n’wear (woven for us exclusively and the world’s most demanded jacket-iron-wear. Immediate ordering VITAL). MEN’S TROPICAL-wash’n’wear One man . one product . one company stands pre-eminent in every field. Since the inception of this unique field there’s no doubt of whom it IS. Price $22.90 & $32.90 Eggshell, Vycron-E. Cotton Strictly frivolous; womens’ VICUNA, anybody? $149. Made solely for Manila, All colors, hand-made—excellent etc. Weightless. $32.90 device for inducing feminine euphoria. (Wash’n’wear in Ifi minutes—woven for you solely) MONGOLIAN CASHMERE $72.90 Chuang-Tzu quality, rare and precious Wash’N’Wear Men’s Slacks and never varying in quality. Another Please specify color wanted as swatching is nearly excellent feminine euphoria booster.
    [Show full text]
  • Analysis of Geographical Accessibility to Rural Health Houses Using the Geospatial Information System, a Case Study: Khuzestan Province, South-West Iran
    Acta Medica Mediterranea, 2015, 31: 1447 ANALYSIS OF GEOGRAPHICAL ACCESSIBILITY TO RURAL HEALTH HOUSES USING THE GEOSPATIAL INFORMATION SYSTEM, A CASE STUDY: KHUZESTAN PROVINCE, SOUTH-WEST IRAN FARAHNAZ SADOUGHI1, 2, JAVAD ZAREI1, ALI MOHAMMADI3, HOJAT HATAMINEJAD 4, SARA SAKIPOUR5 1Department of Health Information Management, School of Health Management and Information Science, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, I.R. Iran - 2Health Management and Economics Research Center, School of Health Management and Information Sciences, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, I.R. Iran - 3Assistant professor of Health Information Management, Department of Health Information Technology, Paramedical School, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah I.R. Iran - 4PhD candidate, Geography and Urban Planning, University of Tehran, Tehran - 5Office of Medical Record and Statistics, Vice-Chancellor for Treatment, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, I.R. Iran ABSTRACT Background: The use of rural health houses is one of the important approaches for delivering health services but, inappro- priate infrastructures and limited resources make it difficult to design and implement plans to enhance and improve health services in rural areas. The aim of this study was to analyze the accessibility to rural health care services in the province of Khuzestan Materials and methods: This applied research was conducted in Khuzestan Province, south-west Iran with a cross-sectional approach in 2014. The population of the study was the villages and rural health houses. All the villages and rural health houses were included in the study without sampling. Descriptive data collected with a checklist from the Statistical Centre of Iran, IT Department of the Management Deputy of the Governor’s Office and Ahvaz Jundishapur and Dezful University of Medical Sciences and spatial data obtained from the national Cartographic Center.
    [Show full text]
  • UNIVERSITY of KWAZULU-NATAL the Provision of Efficient Transport
    UNIVERSITY OF KWAZULU-NATAL The Provision of Efficient Transport Services in the Iranian Maritime and Land Transport Interface By Farhad Razkhaneh 206525761 A dissertation submitted in fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Economics School of Accounting, Economics and Finance College of Law & Management Studies Supervisor: Professor Trevor Jones 2014 ii Acknowledgements I extend my sincere gratitude to all those who helped me through the process and preparation of this Doctoral Thesis. My sincere gratitude goes to my supervisor, Professor Trevor Jones, who meticulously read through the drafts and provided me with valuable editorial suggestions and guided me with technical comments, criticisms, guidance and support through the various stages of the writing and completion of this thesis. His efforts, knowledge and experience in international trade and transportation, ports and maritime, and merchant shipping transport related issues, have contributed towards the success of this thesis. The research and writing of this thesis, whilst at times difficult and challenging, has contributed towards my academic knowledge development, with which I hope to humbly contribute, through further writing, teaching and research, back to society. Special thanks to Professor Geoff Harris for reading earlier chapters of this thesis and providing the valuable suggestions and guidance to me. I extend my thanks to friends in the School of Accounting, Economics and Finance at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, Professor Dev Tewari and Post Doc Mr. O.B. Saiedo for their help. In addition, I am grateful for support and interest shown by colleagues in the Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping lines and individuals in the freight industry, in particular Mr.
    [Show full text]
  • The Iranian Missile Challenge
    The Iranian Missile Challenge By Anthony H. Cordesman Working Draft: June 4, 2019 Please provide comments to [email protected] SHAIGAN/AFP/Getty Images The Iranian Missile Challenge Anthony H. Cordesman There is no doubt that Iran and North Korea present serious security challenges to the U.S. and its strategic partners, and that their missile forces already present a major threat within their respective regions. It is, however, important to put this challenge in context. Both nations have reason to see the U.S. and America's strategic partners as threats, and reasons that go far beyond any strategic ambitions. Iran is only half this story, but its missile developments show all too clearly why both countries lack the ability to modernize their air forces, which has made them extremely dependent on missiles for both deterrence and war fighting. They also show that the missile threat goes far beyond the delivery of nuclear weapons, and is already becoming far more lethal and effective at a regional level. This analysis examines Iran's view of the threat, the problems in military modernization that have led to its focus on missile forces, the limits to its air capabilities, the developments in its missile forces, and the war fighting capabilities provided by its current missile forces, its ability to develop conventionally armed precision-strike forces, and its options for deploying nuclear-armed missiles. IRAN'S PERCEPTIONS OF THE THREAT ...................................................................................................... 2 IRAN'S INFERIORITY IN ARMS IMPORTS ................................................................................................... 3 THE AIR BALANCE OVERWHELMINGLY FAVORS THE OTHER SIDES ........................................................... 4 IRAN (AND NORTH KOREA'S) DEPENDENCE ON MISSILES ........................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • See the Document
    IN THE NAME OF GOD IRAN NAMA RAILWAY TOURISM GUIDE OF IRAN List of Content Preamble ....................................................................... 6 History ............................................................................. 7 Tehran Station ................................................................ 8 Tehran - Mashhad Route .............................................. 12 IRAN NRAILWAYAMA TOURISM GUIDE OF IRAN Tehran - Jolfa Route ..................................................... 32 Collection and Edition: Public Relations (RAI) Tourism Content Collection: Abdollah Abbaszadeh Design and Graphics: Reza Hozzar Moghaddam Photos: Siamak Iman Pour, Benyamin Tehran - Bandarabbas Route 48 Khodadadi, Hatef Homaei, Saeed Mahmoodi Aznaveh, javad Najaf ...................................... Alizadeh, Caspian Makak, Ocean Zakarian, Davood Vakilzadeh, Arash Simaei, Abbas Jafari, Mohammadreza Baharnaz, Homayoun Amir yeganeh, Kianush Jafari Producer: Public Relations (RAI) Tehran - Goragn Route 64 Translation: Seyed Ebrahim Fazli Zenooz - ................................................ International Affairs Bureau (RAI) Address: Public Relations, Central Building of Railways, Africa Blvd., Argentina Sq., Tehran- Iran. www.rai.ir Tehran - Shiraz Route................................................... 80 First Edition January 2016 All rights reserved. Tehran - Khorramshahr Route .................................... 96 Tehran - Kerman Route .............................................114 Islamic Republic of Iran The Railways
    [Show full text]
  • 1590-1601 Issn 2322-5149 ©2014 Jnas
    Journal of Novel Applied Sciences Available online at www.jnasci.org ©2014 JNAS Journal-2014-3-S2/1590-1601 ISSN 2322-5149 ©2014 JNAS Trend analysis of the changes in urban hierarchy of Khuzestan: a sustainable development perspective Mohammad Ajza Shokouhi1* and Jawad Bawi2 1- Associate Professor of Geography and Urban Planning at Ferdowsi University of Mashhad 2- PhD student in Geography and Urban Planning, International Branch of Ferdowsi University of Mashhad Corresponding author: Mohammad Ajza Shokouhi ABSTRACT: This paper deals with the changes in the urban hierarchy of Khuzestan during a period of 50 years (1956-2006) determining the extent of changes in urbanization and the potential spatial differences between the cities in this province from the perspective of sustainable development. Adopting a descriptive-analytic approach and employing various models such as tensile modulus, primate city indicators, urban concentration index (three-city and four-city), the rank-size rule, the present paper analyzes the factors influencing the urban networks in Khuzestan. It follows from the results of the study that the urban networks of the province, have been heavily affected by developments so that Abadan which used to have the first rank in Khuzestan has lost its rank to Ahwaz due to the administrative, political, and commercial centrality of Ahwaz. The imposed war (of Iraq against Iran) has also caused abrupt changes in the population and urban hierarchy. Therefore, urban networks of Khuzestan influenced by factors such as immigration do not have a spatial balance (and hence stability) currently. Interestingly, the results suggest that the spatial distance between the first city Ahwaz with other cities is growing exponentially.
    [Show full text]
  • 118-127 AENSI Journals Advances in Natural and Applied Sciences
    Advances in Natural and Applied Sciences, 8(9) August 2014, Pages: 118-127 AENSI Journals Advances in Natural and Applied Sciences ISSN:1995-0772 EISSN: 1998-1090 Journal home page: www.aensiweb.com/ANAS Ranking of the cities in Khoozestan province based on development indexes using Shannon Entropy model and VIKOR technique Mehdi Momeni and Zeinab Mousavi Faculty of Literature and Humanities, Najafabad Branch, Islamic Azad University, Najafabad, Isfahan, Iran ARTICLE INFO ABSTRACT Article history: One of the effects of underdevelopment and barriers of development is regional Received 25 June 2014 disparity or inequality in economic and social fields. Nowadays, disparity reduction in Received in revised form using resources and facilities is considered as one of the most important criteria of 1 July 2014 sustainable development in all of the country’s regions. The present study aimed at Accepted 31 August 2014 determining the priority of the cities in Khoozestan province, Iran, according to the Available online 15 September development indexes based on the statistics in 2011. In order to obtain the rate of 2014 regional disparities in the cities of the province, a combined approach of multi-criteria decision-making models was used. In this way, the weight of indexes was calculated Keywords: using the Shannon entropy technique and after prioritizing the criteria by the weight of Development indexes, Shannon major criteria, each of the cities was prioritized by VIKOR technique. The statistical entropy model, VIKOR model, population of this study includes 23 cities in Khoozestan province. They have been Khoozestan province investigated based on 6 main indexes and 26 sub-indexes.
    [Show full text]
  • Natural Geographic Features in Dezful and Susa in the Development of Sustainable Tourism
    NATURAL GEOGRAPHIC FEATURES IN DEZFUL AND SUSA IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF SUSTAINABLE TOURISM 1HEYDAR LOTFI, 2MARYAM NAHAVANDIAN, 3NEDA GHASEMNIA 1Assistant professor of Garmsar Azad University, Iran 2Master of geography and tourism planning Islamic Azad University of Garmsar ,Iran 3Master of tourism management, Qeshm institute of higher education, Iran E-mail: [email protected], [email protected], [email protected] Abstract-Based on these results, Sasa and Dezful for wheat, barley and rice on irrigated land, respectively, in grades 22, 27 and 21 and on dry land (wheat and barley) has been ranked 28 Which indicates the low efficiency of this activity in the province is compared to other provinces. Some of the causes of this problem, as follows: Salinity and poor soil, more than 60 percent of land in the province (mountainous desert lands) for agricultural activities.Low rate of rainfall. High temperature, resulting in a high rate of evaporation of soil moisture. Poor vegetation cover. Low percentage of literate farmers (based on the results of the General Census of Agriculture., 6/55 percent From illiterate farmers in Khuzestan province and education 9/28 percent of them, the elementary school has been) and as a result of insufficient acquaintance with scientific methods activities of agriculture, horticulture and animal husbandry. Key words- Natural geographic, sustainable tourism,Susa,Dezful I. PROBLEM STATEMENT hand and the loss of productivity at the workplace on the other hand, Weather conditions is one of the main Khuzestan province with an area of 63633 square causes of brain drain (expert and capitalists) from the kilometers between 29 degrees and 57 minutes north province to the provinces that are more favorable latitude and 33 degrees of the equator and 47 degrees weather conditions, respectively.
    [Show full text]