Iranian Studies
Year:2013 | Volume:2 | Issue:2|Papers Count:7

As both epic and history express some stories of the past, their existing similarities and dissimilarities and their relation have attracted the attention of scholars. These two kinds of stories have been so similar that previous experts could not distinguish the historical events from epics. In Shahname, as an excellent sample which Iranians consider as their pre-Islamic history until the last Qajar, the line between historical events and epic cannot be drawn. Finding the roots of many of Iranian national epic stories in Avesta and observing their contradictions to the works of foreign authors, inscriptions and archaeological findings, aroused many serious questions about the existing relation between epic and history in the field of Iranian studies. This essay is generally studying the relationship between epic-history and its ratio to Iranian national epic specifically.

Expression of similarities and dissimilarities between historical and mythical characters can show the continuous bilateral impressions and effects of History and Myth and their results. Gayumarth, being absolutely different in appearance with modern man, has always been considered as the first Man in Persian Mythology. However, in Shahname, Ferdowsi never considers him as the first Man. It is somehow because of Ferdowsi’s Quranic and Islamic view point about the creation of the first Man that he calls Gayumarth the first King. In the present paper, the aim is to try to express all similarities and dissimilarities which exist between these two characters in Quran and Shahname. Subjects such as choosing mountain as the first place of life, being killed by their children, having the title of First, and being introduced as a single character in some historical books are being analyzed in this present essay.

The Kalantaran Dynasty of Behbahan and Kohgiluye, known as “Mirzayan-e Tabatabaie” was one of Fars'' local governments which ruled for seven centuries and had great roles in outstanding historical events of the region, although our information about this dynasty includes the period of the late Safavids up to the late Qajars. However, researchers have not yet researched effectively on this historical matter and the chronology of the dynasty is not clear. Some historical events which occurred in the period of one ruler have repeatedly related to another one from different family. Even the famous historian such as Mirza Hassan Fasaie cannot be considered as an exception. In the present essay, the author tries to propound a brief report of the dynasty’s rulers and important events on this period. He is going to arrange the pieces of this historical puzzle chronologically.

Hellenism is a part of Iran’s historical period. This era starts with the devastating onslaught of Alexander, the Macedonian warlord. Our historical sources introduce Alexander with a collection of mythic-historical features which make us visualize the real Alexander with an ambiguous image. The conflicting viewpoints of eastern and western historical works in pre-Islamic periods can be the reason for this scrutiny. Specially, the eastern works which show the formation of an intellectual movement and the religious resistance of Iranian society and their clergies in Hellenist, Parthian and Sassanid periods against Hellenistic traditions. The quality of Iranian and Muslim historians’ deviation from depending on western sources and historical works would be clear through studying alexandropedias and Islamic sources.

During archaeological survey in 2003, a unique pedestal has been found in a farm in Owjtapeh (Bukan) which, upon its artistic features, seemed to belong to Iron Age III and to the site of Qalaychi. This pedestal has been transferred to its present place after illegal excavations. There cannot be found a similar pedestal in Iran, but there are some comparable samples in Assyrian sites and inscriptions which show artistic relations between northwest of Iran to Assyrian Empire. The aim of this article is to study the origin and date of this object and to support its relation to Qalaychi site.

Afghanistan is a land-locked country that depends on its neighboring countries to transit essential commodities. Iran, for its proximity and access to the high seas, seems to have the most economical route to meet Afghanistan’s needs. However, this country did not pursue such an economical route due to its western tendencies and its foreign policies which were completely different with Iran’s. The international relations of the countries in the region were extremely affected by the Cold War during the 2nd Pahlavi era from 1941 up to 1978. After World War II and the emergence of Pashtoonistan subject, and due to remoteness of Russian routes and their high costs, Iranian routes were the best for Afghani goods to be transited. This research, depending on documents relating to this time, is going to clarify how the improvement of transit routes of two countries led to the development of their economic relations and coming to bilateral treaties in this field.

Persian-Hebrew texts are written in Hebrew orthography. Their records go back to the period before The Essential Books about Drugs’ Nature, the first Persian text in Arabic orthography by Abu Mansour Mowaffaq Herawi which was inscribed by Assadi Tousi in 447 A.H. Therefore, it seems very important to scrutinize such texts for the study of Persian language. One of the most important samples of Persian-Hebrew texts is the translations of Torah, especially the translations of Pentateuch in to Persian written in Hebrew orthography. The oldest dated Persian-Hebrew translation of the Pentateuch is a version known as PL in British Museum. This version had been inscribed on 15 March 1319 A.H. The main translator of this text was Abi Saeed and its scribe, Yousef Bin Musa. This text has many unique lexical and orthographic features. The author of present essay propounds a brief introduction about its general features such as the manner of its diacritics, its colophon, the place of its inscription, the name of its scriber and translator and adjourns more careful analysis about its lexical and linguistic features for other essays.