JOURNAL OF THE FACULTY OF LETTERS AND HUMANITIES (UNIVERSITY OF ISFAHAN)
Year:2007 | Volume:2 | Issue:48|Papers Count:8

The Industrial revolution and its aftermath, with regional and international developments in the early 20th century (contemporary with Qajar dynasty) drew Iran into the orbit of international politics. The main feature of Iran foreign policy in more than one century was based on competition of Russia and Great Britain. Negative results of such a rivalry persuaded some Iranian politicians to involve a third party in the scene. Pioneers of this policy (involvement of a third party) in the early stage of this policy had political aims, but with time passing, they tried to use the foreign expertise to handle administration and seek help to solve economic problems. One of the governments that attracted attention was the United States. Attempts of the Iranian policy makers to involve the United States into the political events in Iran did not succeed. However, Second World War (1945) and some internal and external elements paved the way for US involvement in Iran. But this time, some factors such as the oil, Iranian market, etc. encouraged US to enter the Iranian political scene. The Russian provocative strategies and Britain's passive strategy towards it paved the way for the US involvement. The result was redirecting Iran as a neutral state into a pro-west, anti - communist state after 1953 cop-data with its satellite regime. However, the victory of the Islamic Revolution brought an end to it.

Most archaeological studies in Zayandeh Rud basin concentrate on the Islamic periods and despite the significant geographical situation, it has not received sufficient consideration during its early stages. In this article, the authors attempt to draw a general plan of the settlement periods concerning the northern Chenar Rud area (next to Chadegan city in the west of Zayandeh Rud) based on the archaeological remains analysis and a comparative survey of other regions such as Khuzistan, Fars and Kashan in Chalcolithic period to the end of Iron age III (550-500 B.C).

The Sassanian dynasty, which established a strong government in the ancient Iran with the dream of the glory of the Achaemenian dynasty, saw the realization of such an idea in the light of integrating the formal religion with the policy. Although Ardeshir Babakan, the founder of the Sassanian dynasty, integrated Iran after conquering the Arscaian dynasty and the feudality of Iranshahr, stabilizing the new regime was possible only in the light of centralized political and administrative systems and the formalization of the national religion. So, the religion had an important stand in the Sassanian discipline in different aspects of life in the Iranian society. However, at the beginning of the Sassanian period, the Zoroastrianism did not have the necessary capacities as a formal and national religion. The most important factors against the formalization of the Zoroastrianism consisted of lack of a unique religious text, dispersed bases for the Zoroastrianism resulting from the attacks of Alexander the great and the feudality. Therefore, the first kings of the Sassanian dynasty, supported by the Zoroastrian clerics, began some important challenges in this regard and formalized this religion in a fluctuating way. This paper deals with the situation of Zoroastrianism at the beginning of the Sassanide dynasty, challenges of the first kings of the Sassanide dynasty and the Zoroastrian clerics as well as the fluctuation of this religion in the process of formalizing it.

After Nadir Shah's death in 1160 (H.G), local rulers appeared all over Iran specially in the south coast of Persian Gulf in such a way that some of these could act beyond the local and regional powers with reliance on commercial revenues and establishing business relations with some European trade companies as well as benefiting from the power of their vessels. They gradually made preparation for disengagement of dependence on the central government of Iran by which some tribes such as Jwasim in Jolfar, Albusa'eed in Omman and others could establish governments through declaring their disengagement from Iran.With the collapse of Iran's central government after Nadir's death, the local rulers’ interest in power manifestation, caused by ruling out the Nadiri's government interfering and urging foreign companies which were planning to keep or gain the best position in order to earn their profits, strengthened the power of local rulers in the Persian Gulf. Bushir’s powerful governor-Sheikh Nasr, the first-played an important role in this regard in such a way that shortly this port could do the best for reinforcing relations between the new government of Karim Khan Zand and European trade companies especially the East India company.This paper investigates the role of political and economic local rulers of Bushir with regard to the changes in the Persian Gulf in the time of Karim Khan.  

The Made period is one of the periods of Iran's history that has been ignored for different reasons. The first reason is the shortage of resources related to this government and the inattention of the governments that put the base of their legality on Hachemenian period. But there is a third reason related to the view of classic historians who consider history as an event and try to study it with common methods in experimental sciences and limit their study to the available data. However, the logical interpretation or explanation of history makes it possible to look at the Median period with regard to available data. The present paper sets out to discuss the issue with such an approach. 

Lorestan bronzes date back from 2600B.C. to 700-800 B.C. During this time, they could be considered as the most fabulous  products produced in Iran. There still remain some questions about these bronzes and this is because of their special features such as the skillful technique used in their production, their special forms and specific motives behind making them. Almost years after finding them, archeologists still can not find an answer to the big question “WHO HAS MADE THESE BRONZES?”. Although there have been different theories, the answer is not yet known. This paper attempts to have a review over the main theories about the bronzes.