Persian People
| Persians
|
 |
|
| Total population |
approx. 50-60 million
(including all sub-groups)
|
| Regions with significant populations |
 Iran | 40,810,716 or 34,689,910 | [1]
[https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/ir.html#People]
|  Tajikistan | 7,008,521 | [2]
[https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/ti.html#People]
|  United States | 2.2 million | [3] [4]
[5] [6]
|  Turkey | 800,000 |
|  UAE | 400,000 |
|  Germany | 110,000 | [1]
|  Canada | 88,200 | 1
|  United Kingdom | 80,000 |
|  France | 62,000 |
| | Israel | 80,000 |
|  Lebanon | 50,000 |
| | India | 60,000 (Parsi and Irani people) |
|  Australia | 25,000 |
|  Azerbaijan | 22,000 (Speak a Medieval Persian Dialect called Tat-Persian)[2] | [7]
| | Kuwait | 20,000 |
|  Greece | 20,000 |
|  Sweden | 15,000 |
|  China | 10,000 |
| | Denmark | 10,000 |
| | Belgium | 6,000 |
| | Netherlands | 28,000 |
|  Norway | 6,000 |
|  South Africa | 5,000 |
|  Finland | 2,000 |
| |
|
| Languages |
Persian (Western dialect, in addition to regional varieties) | Religions |
Predominately Shi'a Muslim.[3][4] There are also some adherents of Sunni Muslim, Bahá'í Faith, Christianity, Judaism, and Zoroastrianism and some Atheistand agnostic |
The Persians are an Iranic 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).[5][6] 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'.
Sub-groups
Ethnic Persians can also be found outside of Iran and include the Tajiks and Farsiwan who can be found in Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Pakistan 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. Parsis, a Zoroastrian sect of Pakistan and western India, are also largely descended from Persian Zoroastrian trading colonies on the coasts of Pakistan and western India. The Iranis, another small community in Pakistan and western India, are descended from more recent Persian Zoroastrian immigrants to the subcontinent. In addition, the Hazara are an ethnic group of Persianized Mongol origin.
History
The Persians are descendents of the Aryan (Indo-Iranian) tribes that began migrating from Central Asia into what is now Iran in the second millennium BC.[7][8][9] 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.[10][11]
Achaemenid Empire at greatest extent.
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.[12][13]
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, Tajikistan, and Afghanistan,[14] and form a large minority in Uzbekistan as well. Smaller groups of Persian-speakers are found in Pakistan, western China, as well as in Bahrain, Iraq, and Azerbaijan.
Religion
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, 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
Miniature painting by Mohammad Tajvidi on the cover of the
Divan of
Hafez ("Hafez's Anthology"), published 1969.
Statues
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
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
The ruins of
Persepolis known as the
Takht-e Jamshid or
throne of Jamshid is part of the ancient architectural tradition of Persia.
Rugs
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
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
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, Tahirih, the poet, had a great influence on modern women's movements throughout the Middle East. The Tahirih 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. Peace activists such as Shirin Ebadi have pushed for greater rights for women, while many Iranian women exiles have set examples of excellence that have no doubt inspired many Persian women to strive for change in the conservative society prevalent in today's Iran. Even with the current climate of religious conservativism, Persian women still tend to take a more active role in social, religious and family affairs than their Arab or Turkish counterparts. Despite the barriers imposed by the Revolution, 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
Persian culture can be defined through its through the medium of films as Persian cinema has attained a substantial amount of international and critical acclaim through such films as Children of Heaven and Taste of Cherry, which give both insights into the current state of Persian culture and profound depictions of the general human condition.
See also
References
1.
^ Persian World Outreach - Persian-speaking people outside of Iran
2.
^ Gernot L. Windfuhr, Persian Grammar: History and State of Its Study, Walter de Gruyter, 1979, pp4
3.
^ https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/ir.html
4.
^ [8]
5.
^ Abdolhossein Zarinkoob "
Ruzgaran : tarikh-i Iran az aghz ta saqut saltnat Pahlvi" pp. 37
6.
^ Bahman Firuzmandi "
Mad, Hakhamanishi, Ashkani, Sasani" pp. 155
7.
^ [9]
8.
^ The Medes and the Persians, c.1500-559 from
The Encyclopedia of World History Sixth Edition, Peter N. Stearns (general editor), 2001 The Houghton Mifflin Company, at
Bartleby.com.
9.
^ Bahman Firuzmandi "
Mad, Hakhamanishi, Ashkani, Sasani" pp. 20
10.
^ Iran. The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition. 2001-05
11.
^ Bahman Firuzmandi "
Mad, Hakhamanishi, Ashkani, Sasani" pp. 12-19
12.
^ Persia - Britannica Concise Encyclopedia
13.
^ The Splendor of Persia: The Land and the People - by Robert Payne
14.
^ BBC News - Afghan poll's ethnic battleground
External links
ethnic group or ethnicity is a population of human beings whose members identify with each other, usually on the basis of a presumed common genealogy or ancestry.[1] Ethnicity is also defined from the recognition by others as a distinct group[2]
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AnthemSorūd-e Mellī-e Īrān ²
Capital(and largest city) Tehran
..... Click the link for more information. Iran's population was declared 70,049,262 in the 2006 census.[1][2], with nearly one quarter of its people being 15 years of age or younger.[3]
..... Click the link for more information.
Tājīk (Persian: تاجيک; UniPers: Tâjik; Tajik: Тоҷик
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The Persian-speaking peoples constitute one of the largest Indo-European linguistic groups in the world. Populations are principally concentrated in Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Republic of Azerbaijan, and western Chinese province of Xinjiang.
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BCE Zayandeh River Civilization Sialk civilization 7500–1000 Jiroft civilization (Aratta) Proto-Elamite civilization Bactria-Margiana Complex Elamite dynasties 2800–550 Kingdom of Mannai Median Empire 728–550 Achaemenid Empire Seleucid Empire Greco-Bactrian
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Cyrus II of Persia, The Great
King of Persia, King of Media
An old Iranian portrait of Cyrus the Great (artist's conception).
Reign 550 BC to 529 BC
Born 590 BC or 576 BC
Anshan
Died August 530 BC
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Darius I of Persia, the Great
Great King (Shah) of Persia, Pharaoh of Egypt
Reign 522 BC to 485/486 BC
Born 549 BC
Died 485 BC or 486 BC
Predecessor Smerdis
Successor Xerxes I
Darius the Great (c.
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Sa'di of Shiraz
Birth: 1184 CE
Death: 1283/1291 CE
School/tradition: Islam, Sunni
Main interests: Poetry, Mysticism, Irfan, Metaphysics, logic, ethics
Notable ideas: Saadi's work has been translated by a number of major Western poets
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Anousheh Ansari
انوشه انصار?
Spaceflight Participant
Nationality Iranian / American
Born September 12, 1966
Mashhad, Iran
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AnthemSorūd-e Mellī-e Īrān ²
Capital(and largest city) Tehran
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Jumhūrī-yi Tojīkiston
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Motto
"In God We Trust" (since 1956)
"E Pluribus Unum" ("From Many, One"; Latin, traditional)
Anthem
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Motto
Yurtta Sulh, Cihanda Sulh
Peace at Home, Peace in the World
Anthem
İstiklâl Marşı
The Anthem of Independence
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Motto"God, Nation, President"
AnthemIshy BiladyCapital(and largest city) Abu Dhabi
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"Das Lied der Deutschen" (third stanza)
also called "Einigkeit und Recht und Freiheit"
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This page is currently protected from editing until disputes have been resolved.
Protection is not an endorsement of the current [ version] ([ protection log]).
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Motto
"Dieu et mon droit" [2] (French)
"God and my right"
Anthem
"God Save the Queen" [3]
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MottoLiberté, Égalité, Fraternité"Liberty, Equality, Fraternity"
Anthem"
La Marseillaise"
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The HopeCapital(and largest city) Jerusalem
Official languages Hebrew, Arabic
Demonym Israeli
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Kūllūnā li-l-waṭan, li-l-'ula wa-l-'alam (Arabic)
"Nous sommes tous pour le pays, la sublimation et le drapeau!"
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This page is currently protected from editing until disputes have been resolved.
Protection is not an endorsement of the current [ version] ([ protection log]).
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AnthemAdvance Australia Fair [1]Capital Canberra
Largest city Sydney
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none
Anthem
Azərbaycan Respublikasının Dövlət Himni
(March of Azerbaijan)
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AnthemAl-Nasheed Al-WataniCapital(and largest city) Kuwait City
Official languages Arabic
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Ελευθερία ή θάνατος
Eleftheria i thanatos
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Motto
(Royal) "För Sverige - I tiden" 1
"For Sweden – With the Times" ²
Anthem
Du gamla, Du fria
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Anthem
March of the Volunteers (义勇军进行曲)
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Motto
none
(Royal motto: Guds hjælp, Folkets kærlighed, Danmarks styrke
"The Help of God, the Love of the People, the Strength of Denmark" )
Anthem
Der er et yndigt land (national)
Kong Christian
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Motto
Eendracht maakt macht (Dutch)
L'union fait la force" (French)
Einigkeit macht stark
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Iran){kind=small}
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Germany){kind=small}
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United Kingdom){kind=small}
France){kind=small}
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Australia){kind=small}
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Greece){kind=small}
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