Persian people

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Persians
Cyrus the Great • Darius the Great • Saadi • Anousheh Ansari
Total population
Approximately 50-70 million Persians 150 million to 250 million total Iranian population
Regions with significant populations
Iran 40,810,716 or 34,689,910 [1]  United States 2,377,000 [2] [3] [4] [5]  Turkey 800,000 [5]  UAE 400,000 [6]  Iraq 227,000 [7]  United Kingdom 130,000  Germany 110,000 [8]  Canada 88,200 [5]  Israel 80,000 [5]  Qatar 73,000 [9]  France 62,000 [5]  India 60,000 (Parsi and Irani people) [5]  Kuwait 60,000  Sweden 60,000  Bahrain 48,000 [10]  Tajikistan 7 million (Central Asian Persians) [11]  Netherlands [5]  Australia 25,000  Oman 25,000 [12]  Azerbaijan 22,000 (Speak a Medieval Persian Dialect called Tat-Persian)[13] [4]  Greece 20,000 [5]  Denmark 10,000 [5]  Belgium 6,000 [5]  Norway 6,000 [5]  South Africa 5,000 [5]  Finland 2,000 [5]
Language(s)
Persian (Western dialect, in addition to regional varieties)
Religion(s)
Predominately Shi'a Muslim.[14][15] There are also some adherents of Sunni Muslim, Bahá'í Faith, Christianity, Judaism, and Zoroastrianism and some Atheists and Agnostics

The Persians (or the Persian Speakers) are Iranian ethnic group who speak the Persian language and share a common culture and history.

Terminology

The term Persia was adopted by all western languages through the Greeks and was used as an official name for Iran by the West until 1935. Due to that label, all Iranians were considered Persian. Therefore, many Western sources, when regarding Iran's history, will label many non-Persian Iranians as Persians, which distinguishes nationality, not necessarily the Persian ethnic group. Also, many others who embraced the Persian language and culture are also often referred to as Persian, not necessarily meaning ethnic group, but rather as a part of Persian civilization (culturally and linguistically). The first known written record about them is from an Assyrian inscription of the 834 BC, which mentions both Parsua (Persians) and Muddai (Medes).^[16][17] The term used by Assyrians 'Parsua' was a general designation to refer to southwestern Iranian tribes (who referred to themselves as Aryans). Greeks rendered this word as 'Persis' which is where the word Persian in English comes from. In Arabic as there is no letter "P", they referred to Persia and Persians as 'Fars' ('Faras') and 'Farsis'. In its modern definition, the term “Persians” refers to the people speaking the Western dialect of Persian language and living in the modern country of Iran, as well as the descendants of the people who emigrated from the territory of modern-day Iran to neighboring countries, such as the UAE, Bahrain, Iraq, Kuwait, Oman, and more recently, to the West (notably USA, Turkey, United Kingdom, Germany, Canada…).

Related groups & sub-groups

Main articles: Tajiks, Farsiwan, Tats, Kizilbash, and Hazara people

Ethnic Persians can also be found outside Iran and include the Tajiks and Farsiwan of Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and the Xinjiang province of China. Closely related to the Farsiwan are the Qizilbash of Afghanistan and Pakistan. Another group called the Tats lives mainly in the Caucasus region concentrated in Azerbaijan, Armenia, and Russian Dagestan and traces its origin to Sassanid merchants who once settled in the region. Parsis, a Zoroastrian sect of western India, centred around Gujarat and Bombay, are also largely descended from Persians Zoroastrians. The Iranis, another small community in western India, are descended from more recent Persian Zoroastrian immigrants to the subcontinent. In addition, the Hazara and Aimaq are ethnic groups of Persianized Mongol and Turkic origin.

Esfahani carpet trader.

History

See also: Persian Empire and History of Iran

The Persians are descendents of the Aryan (=Iranian) tribes that began migrating from Central Asia into what is now Iran in the second millennium BC.^[18][19][20] The Persian language and other Iranian tongues emerged as these Aryan tribes split up into two major groups, the Persians and the Medes, and intermarried with peoples indigenous to the Iranian plateau such as the Elamites.^[21][22]

Achaemenid Empire at greatest extent.

The ancient Persians from the province of Pars became the rulers of a large empire under the Achaemenid dynasty (Hakhamaneshiyan) in the sixth century BC, reuniting with the tribes and other provinces of the ancient Iranian plateau and forming the Persian Empire. Over the centuries Persia was ruled by various dynasties; some of them were ethnic Iranians including the Achaemenids, Parthians (Ashkanian), Sassanids (Sassanian), Buwayhids and Samanids, and some of them were not, such as the Seleucids, Ummayyads, Abbasids, and Seljuk Turks. The founding dynasty of the empire, the Achaemenids, and later the Sassanids, were from the southern region of Iran, Pars. The latter Parthian dynasty arose from the north. However, according to archaeological evidence found in modern day Iran in the form of cuneiforms that go back to the Achaemenid era, it is evident that the native name of Parsa (Persia) had been applied to Iran from its birth.^[23][24]

Persian language

Main article: Persian language

The Persian language is one of the world's oldest languages still in use today, and is known to have one of the most powerful literary traditions, with formidable Persian poets like Ferdowsi, Hafez, Khayyam, Attar, Saadi, Nezami, Roudaki, and, of course, the legendary Rumi. By native speakers as well as in Urdu, Arabic and other neighboring languages, it is called Fārsī, and additionally Dari or Tajiki in the eastern parts of Greater Iran. It is part of the Iranian sub-section of the Indo-Iranian branch of the Indo-European family of languages. Persian-speakers are today in the majority in Iran, where they speak the western dialect, Tajikistan, and Afghanistan,^[25] and form a large minority in Uzbekistan as well, where they speak the eastern dialect (Dari or Tajiki). Smaller groups of Persian-speakers are found in Pakistan, western China (Xinjiang), as well as in the UAE, Bahrain, Iraq, Kuwait, Oman and Azerbaijan.

Religion

The entrance to Shah Mosque (aka Imam Mosque or Shah Jame' Mosque) in Isfahan. This mosque is a fantastic example of Persian architecture during the Safavid dynasty.

History

The Persian civilization spawned three major religions: Zoroastrianism, Manichaeanism, and the Bahá'í Faith. Other religions such as Mazdakism and Manichaenism also arose from ancient Iran, with the former having been dubbed the first communistic ideology, and the latter heavily influencing Saint Augustine, hence, indirectly influencing Christianity: Both religions were sub-branches of Zoroastrianism. The religion of Zoroastrianism originates from ancient Persia. Zoroastrianism is said to be the first monotheistic religion. Most Persians in Iran are Shia Muslims, while some communities of Shia Sufis also exist. There is also a sizeable number of Sunni Muslims. Historically, some of the greatest Sunni Muslim scholars in history were Persian or had Persian descent, including Abu Dawood, Al Muslim, Hakim al-Nishaburi,Tabari,Ghazali,Bukhari,Termazi,Nesaee and Abu Hanifa, amongst many others. There are also smaller communities of Zoroastrians, Christians, Jews, and Bahá'ís. There are also Persians who are Atheist and Agnostic. Also see religious minorities in Iran.

Arts

Main article: Persian art

Miniature painting by Mohammad Tajvidi on the cover of the Divan of Hafez ("Hafez's Anthology"), published 1969.

The artistic heritage of Persia is eclectic and includes major contributions from both east and west. Persian art borrowed heavily from the indigenous Elamite civilization and Mesopotamia and later from Hellenism (as can be seen with statues from the Greek period). In addition, due to Persia's somewhat central location, it has served as a fusion point between eastern and western arts and architecture as Greco-Roman influence was often fused with ideas and techniques from India and China. When talking of the creative Persian arts one has to include a geographic area that actually extends into Central Asia, the Caucasus, Asia Minor, and Iraq as well as modern Iran. This vast geographic region has been pivotal in the development of the Persian arts as a whole.

Statues

Main article: Persian miniature

Persians artistic expression can be seen as far back as the Achaemenid period as numerous statues depicting various important figures, usually of political significance as well as religious, such as the Immortals (elite troops of the emperor) are indicative of the influence of Mesopotamia and ancient Babylon. What is perhaps most representative of a more indigenous artistic expression are Persian miniatures. Although the influence of Chinese art is apparent, local Persian artists used the art form in various ways including portraits that could be seen from the Ottoman Empire to the courts of the Safavids and Mughals.

Music

Main article: Persian Music

The music of Persia goes back to the days of Barbod in the royal Sassanid courts, and even earlier. As it evolved, a distinct eastern Mediterranean style emerged as Persian folk music is often quite similar to the music of modern Iran's neighbors. In modern times, musical tradition has seen setbacks due to the religious government's policies in Iran, but has survived in the form of Iranian exiles and dissidents who have turned to Western rock music with a distinctive Iranian style as well as Persian rap.

Architecture

Main article: Iranian architecture

The ruins of Persepolis known as the Takht-e Jamshid or throne of Jamshid is part of the ancient architectural tradition of Persia.

Architecture is one of the areas where Persians have made outstanding contributions. Ancient examples can be seen in the ruins at Persepolis, while in modern times monuments such as the Tomb of Omar Khayyam are displays of the varied tradition in Persia. Various cities in Iran are historical displays of a distinctive Persian style that can be seen in the Kharaghan twin towers of Qazvin province and the Shah Mosque found in Isfahan. Persian architecture streams over the borders of Iran and is clearly seen throughout Central Asia as with the Bibi Khanum Mosque in Samarkand and the Minaret of Jam in western Afghanistan. Islamic architecture was founded on the base established by the Persians. Persian techniques can also be clearly seen in the structures of the Taj Mahal at Agra and the Blue Mosque in Istanbul.

Rugs

Main article: Persian rug

Gottfried Semper called rugs "the original means of separating space". Rug weaving was thus developed by ancient civilizations as a basis of architecture. Persian rugs are said to be the most detailed hand-made works of art.

Gardens

Main article: Persian Gardens

The Persian gardens were designed to reflect paradise on earth; The English word "Paradise" is thought to come from the Persian word Pardis which refers to these gardens. Although having existed since ancient times, the Persian garden gained greater prominence during the Islamic period as Arab rulers cultivated Persian techniques to create gardens of Persian design from Al-Andalus to Kashgar. Persian gardens are immortalized in the One Thousand and one nights and the works of Omar Khayyam.

Women

Main article: Iranian women

Persian women have played an important role throughout history. Scheherazade, though fictional, is an important figure of female wit and intelligence, while the beauty of Mumtaz Mahal inspired the building of the Taj Mahal itself. While in ancient times, aristocratic females possessed numerous rights sometimes on par with men, generally Persian women did not attain greater parity until the 20th century. However, Táhirih, the poet, had a great influence on modern women's movements throughout the Middle East. The Táhirih Justice Center is named after her. Females were given such status in ancient Persia that they were the first to ever serve in a national military. Persian women today serve an active role in society. Persian women today tend to take a more active role in social, religious and family affairs than their Arab or Turkish counterparts. Iranian women can be seen working in a variety of areas such as politics, law enforcement, transportation industries, etc. Universities still tend to be dominated by women in Iran and one may find a large number of female legislators in the Iranian Majlis (parliament), even by western standards. Former Vice President Masoumeh Ebtekar, noted for her eloquence in dealing with western media, set a new standard for aspiring Iranian female politicians while serving under President Khatami. Outstanding Iranian female academics, such as Laleh Bakhtiar have forever left a mark in the fields they contribute to.

Culture

Main article: Culture of Iran

See also

• Iranians (citizens of Iran)
• Persianization
• Demographics of Iran
• History of Iran
• Iranian-American
• Iranian Australian
• Iranian Kuwaitis
• List of Iranians
• Tajiks
• Farsiwan
• Turko-Iranian
• Iranian Peoples
• Persian People
• Iranis of India
• Parsis of India

References

External links

• Persians Are Not Arabs
• http://music.tirip.com Persian Singers, Poets and Musicians
• Ethnologue information for Western Persians
• Statistics on geographic distribution of Persians worldwide
• Persian Diaspora

•  • e Ethnic groups in Iran
Major:  Persians (53%-72%)[Lors - 2%) • Azeris (24%) • Guilaki and Mazandarani (8%) • Kurds (7%) • Arabs (3%) • Baloch (2%) • Turkmens (2%) Minor (1%):  Qashqai • Armenians • Persian Jews • Georgians • Assyrians • Circassians • Talysh • Tats • Pashtuns