ZORASTRIANS OF IRAN
Iran Freedom
What are we all about?
We at Iran Freedom are a group of mostly Iranian Nationalist Students
who are sick and tired of our beloved nation being turned in to a hell hole by
those dirty Arab loving Muslim traitors. Iran is a country with a proud and
glorious past and this fact has never been forgotten by the Iranian people,
despite the 1400 years of mass murder, rape, torture and humiliation at the
hands of Muslim tyrants. Islam came to Iran in the 7th century and was forced
upon us, we never chose this so-called religion, we never wanted to be
associated with this evil blood thirsty Arab imperialist ideology. We were proud
Aryan Zoroastrians with a great and magnificent culture and empire which
stretched from Southern Europe to Northern India (Punjab).
It
was only by sheer misfortune that our Army was defeated by chance during the
reign of Yazdgerd III, otherwise had things gone our way, with a little luck, we
would have defeated the Arabs and world history would have definitely taken a
very different course! However as the saying goes "God works in mysterious
ways", so we never know, we Iranians may win our freedom soon. Our ancient
religion of Zoroastrianism is still 'alive and kicking' and flourishing in
India. Our aim is to enlighten our fellow Iranians and make them realize that
Islam is not ours, it never was and never will be. It is the Arabs way of
keeping us in chains of oppression and keeping us backward. Its very sad to see
that once our beloved Iran was a world superpower and a vast empire which has
been totally destroyed by Islam. Now it is nothing more than a third world hell
hole. Even our Aryan cousins in India (Punjab) and Zoroastrian Parsi brothers in
Bombay are richer and more prosperous than us. India will be the worlds third
largest economy (After USA and China) by 2030! It is already the No.1 world
leader in IT and Computer Software development!
Whereas
we in Iran are only getting poorer and poorer everyday because of those blood
thirsty Muslims who suck our blood. Friends it is clear that Islam is a major
FAILURE, it doesn't work! Every Muslim country in the world is a filthy, poverty
stricken and useless country. Only the oil rich Arab states are doing reasonably
well, but that's nothing to boast about as any idiot with half a brain can dig a
hole in the ground and get oil out. Wait till they run out of oil within the
next 25 years, the whole world will laugh at them when their economies collapse
and they have no more power over the west! Then watch the people even in those
countries rebel and overthrow their useless governments and useless Islam. They
will dump Islam by the millions and it will be a major awakening, like the one
millions of communists had after the fall of the Soviet Union! One evil ideology
and Empire is dead (Communism), now its time for one more, and that's Islam! God
Bless Iran and Iranians! Thank you.
Zoroastrian
soldiers during Iran's glory days, around 500 BC
It
was around 1500 BC that a number of Aryan or Indo-European tribes started a mass
migration from southern Russia to a new land, which later on became known as
Iran or Aryana "the land of Aryans". The Iranians and Medes were the
last group of these immigrants. Another group of Aryans continued south until
they reached Punjab in Northern India, which they named Arya Varta, also meaning
"land of the Aryans" in their Sanskrit language. Some Aryans tribes
ventured off west and ended up in what is now known as western Europe.
The
actual name "Persia" was derived from the word "parsayan"
(the virtuous) which were one of the first habitants of the Iranian plateau. It
could be that the Greeks pronounced it "parssan" rather then
"Persian". However, regardless of the reason, Persia is not a
representative name for Iran, as this country consists of many provinces and
regions with their own particular customs and dialects, but one common language,
which is Farsi (an Aryan language).
According
to historic documents Iranians first occupied the west of lake Urmia in Armenia
and started leading a tribal life. It seems that in this period they were more
dedicated to cultivation of land rather than hunting. There are indications that
clay, ceramic, metal work and art of decoration were quite advanced before they
actually settled in their new territory. This gave way to steady evolution in
clay and metal works industry; very characteristic of their own without any
outside influences.
Around
this period Mitraiism was born which fire had a predominant influence in
religious ceremonies. Fire and light was considered to be the symbol of the
essence of the life. It is believed that Christianity was influenced by it many
centuries later.
According
to historic documents Iranians first occupied the west of lake Urmia in Armenia
and started leading a tribal life. It seems that in this period they were more
dedicated to cultivation of land rather than hunting. There are indications that
clay, ceramic, metal work and art of decoration were quite advanced before they
actually settled in their new territory. This gave way to steady evolution in
clay and metal works industry; very characteristic of their own without any
outside influences.
Around
this period Mitraiism was born which fire had a predominant influence in
religious ceremonies. Fire and light was considered to be the symbol of the
essence of the life. It is believed that Christianity was influenced by it many
centuries later.
Around
1000 BC. Zarathustra introduced a new religion, the Zarathustrianism.
Zarathustra was a hermitage that by his philosophical concepts tried to give a
meaning to life, at the same time establishing a code of behaviour.
It
is believed that the moment he was born instead of crying, which is normal in
new-borns, he smiled; that was known to be the mark of Ahura Mazda (the wise
sprit or the God), contrary to mourning and unhappiness which is the character
of the Ahriman (the Satan).
At
the age of twenty Zarathustra decided to lead a simple life of a hermitage,
therefore he led a lonely life for ten years, then came back to his people to
preach the new religion. The Avesta, which consists of prayers and ethics, is
the holy book of the Zarathustrians. This book has been modified many times
through different periods in Iranian history.
Zarathushtra
believed that the life of the individuals are influences basically by two
forces, THE GOOD, and THE BAD. Distinguishing between this two, that is to know
what is "good" and what is "bad" determines one's happiness.
He also believed that a society can only be sustained on three columns, or three
commandments: GOOD THOUGHTS, GOOD WORDS and GOOD DEEDS. When all the individuals
follow this three "rules" the well being of the mankind is guaranteed.
Lying
was believed to be the most dangerous enemy of the mankind therefore the truth
should always be sought after. Many fire temples were built as the places of
worship, and the fire became, as Mitraiism, the symbol of mental cleanliness.
The relaxing effect of the fire on the mind when one gaze into it seemed to be
the main object of this practice. At later dates Zarathustrians were
"accused" of being fire worshippers but by studying the way
Zarathushtra thought and taught proves that the mentioned accusation had and has
no foundation.
Around
550 BC. Cyrus (Achaemenids dynasty), king of a small kingdom, Anzan, rebelled
against his grandfather (Astiak), king of the Meds. This date is the origin of
the Iranian (Persian) Empire.
It
is believed that before Cyrus was born Astiak dreamt that his daughter Mandan
was pregnant and at the same time an enormous quantity of water was coming out
her. The amount was so much that covered the whole of the area that we know as
Asia today. His advisers interpreted the dream: as a child will be born that
will over throw him. Because of this he decided not to allow his daughter to
marry any man from the Meds royalty, but in the end a marriage was arranged
between her and Aman, who belonged to a noble family. Few months later Mandan
became pregnant. Astiak dreamt again that this time a plant was growing out of
her daughter that eventually covered the whole of Asia. This dream worried
Astiak. After the child was born he ordered one of his soldiers to murder him,
but the soldier could not bear killing the child; but instead he paid a poor
shepherd to do the job. The shepherd took the newborn to his house, but his wife
took a liking to the child and as she has lost her baby on the same day they
decided to bring him up as their own child, hence Cyrus grew up as the shepherds
son.
Years
later one day Cyrus was playing with few other children from noble families.
Part of the play consisted that they should choose a king among themselves. The
draw fell on Cyrus and as the play progressed he ordered to punish one of the
children for being disobedient. After the child was punished upon returning home
he told his father what had happened. His father got angry and begged Astiak to
punish Cyrus. Astiak called for the shepherd, asking for an explanation. It did
not take long before the shepherd confessed the whole story regarding how he
brought up the child as his son. Astiak forgave him but decided that Cyrus
should return to the palace to be educated with other nobles.
As
the years went by Cyrus grew up to become a young ambitious man, at the same
time realizing that his grandfather could change his mind again. In his early
youth with the help of few noble families and part of the army he rebelled
against Astiak. It did not take long before his grandfather was overthrown;
hence Cyrus claimed the throne (550 BC.) and soon started his expansion
campaign.
In
547 BC. Iranians conquered most of the territories situated in Asia Minor, which
included most of the Greek cities. In 539 BC. the new Empire opened its way
through Mesopotamia, Syria, Palestine and Mediterranean coasts. At that time
only 50.000.000skm of the total earth's 150.000.000skm dry land had been
discovered, but only 11.000.000skm approximately was known to be the civilized
world. The Iranian Empire covered almost 8.000.000 skm.
Under
the Iranian occupation and Cyrus' rule all the conquered countries were allowed
or even encouraged to maintain their respective social and religion orders. The
same thing applied to native languages, customs and up to a certain degree their
political institutions. The Pasargard was build as the Emperor's court; this was
the beginning of a turning point and more ambitious projects in Iranian culture.
The art of architecture. Cyrus in 529 BC. took Babylon followed by freeing the
Jews. This period was very fruitful for the Jewish culture and a close tie was
established between them and the Iranians, a friendly relationship that lasted
for centuries. Cyrus became known as the "liberator" (his name was
mentioned in quite a few ancient and modern Jewish religious and history books).
Few
years later Cyrus decided to put an end to aggressive behaviour of the northern
neighbours, the Saccas (Toranians). After few battles he was wounded and shortly
died. His soldiers took his body back to Iran to be buried in Pasargard, the
permanent tomb of Cyrus. After his death he was succeeded by his son, Cambis,
who shortly conquered Egypt. Some years later, during the new Emperor's absence
form the capital, Wamata, a Zarathustiran Magh (priest) started a rebellion. The
empire felt into a period of unrest and the situation became too grave for
Cambis to handle, therefore he committed suicide. The Emperor's death followed
by more disorder until Dariu I, backed by few noble families defeated Watama and
proclaimed himself the new Emperor. Soon he re-established the unity of the
government and started a new era in the history of Iran. The empire was divided
into thirty provinces. A new coin (Dario) was introduced followed by an official
tax system. Fari (Persian language) was adapted as the official language of the
Empire. An efficient postal system was established as way of communication
between the provinces. In 465 BC. the palace of "Persepolis" was build
as the Emperor's court that made Susa the political and economical centre of the
Empire. Persepolis served more than just the Emperor's court; it was an
impressive architectural monument symbolizing the power and the strength of the
Empire. The "Nowrooz" (new day), the Iranian New Year festivities were
celebrated every year on the first of day Spring, followed by visits by the
representatives of the provinces, hence declaring their loyalty to the Emperor.
Altogether Dariu's reign was a period of true formation and manifestation of
Iranian culture and art.
Dr.Stanley
Insler (Yale University) says:
Herodotus,
the Greek historian who was contemporary of Dariu, wrote that Persians
[Iranians] esteemed the truth above all things. He went on to say, speaking with
great respect. The Persians hold it unlawful to speak of anything that is
unlawful to do, and according to their thinking, the most disgraceful thing in
the world is to tell a lie. This veneration of the truth among the ancient
Iranians was indeed their most noteworthy feature, and throughout the history of
the land, there was not a single foreigner who came to visit or to live among
them who was not strikingly impressed by the love and respect of truth in that
country. Through the passage of centuries, in the works of Greeks, Chinese,
Indians and Arabs, the love and respect for the truth is mentioned endless time
as perhaps the remarkable trait of all Iranians.
What
these foreign visitors wrote was no myth, no embroidery upon hearsay or rumour,
no pipe dream of their own arising from the lack of ethics or moral principles
in their own countries. Recent evidence shows us that truth was indeed
associated with the sprit and life of the ancient Persians [Iranians] in such an
intimate fashion that we ourselves today must take serious note of the honoured
and important role it played in their world.
(The
above passage is extracted from www.zarathushtra.com)
By
the time Dariu died Iran had reached its vastest territorial expansion in its
history. Shortly after the Emperor's death the imperial army was defeated by the
Greeks, followed by unrest within the borders. This situation continued for
decades that followed until in 336 BC, Dariu III got the situation under
control. Iran enjoyed a short period of peace but decades of internal wars and
conflicts made the empire too weak to stop the Alexander' s campaign of
expansion. In 330 BC. Dariu III was assassinated by one of his own soldiers,
then Iran was incorporated into Macedonian. In 250 BC, north of Iran was
occupied by Nomads. Arsaces, one of the officials proclaimed himself king (247
BC.) and founded the Part dynasty.
For
almost four centuries different kings and dynasties ruled Iran but all failed to
submit the whole of Iranian Empire in its totality.
________________________________
In
approximately 200 AD, Sassan, a Zarathustrian Magh encouraged his son Ardeshir I
to start a rebellion and announced him as the ruler of a small city. Under
Ardeshir's rule the rebellion expanded fast until in 224 AD, after twenty-four
years of civil wars the Parts were defeated definitely. He re-established part
of the old borders and organised a centralize and authoritative government,
influenced almost totally by Maghs. This was the beginning of the Sassanids
dynasty. After Ardeshir' s death his son Shapoor I took over. He organised the
last battle against Romans (who were still holding part of the Iranian
territory) and managed to recuperate part of Asia. But the new victory over
Romans did not make the Sassanids more popular.
During
over four hundred years of Sassanids Dynasty Iran was ruled (partly or totally)
by thirty-five Kings along with Maghs who had a strong hold over the life of the
society. The religion rulers established an inquisitive system, which soon lost
the support of people. That gave way to unrest in different parts of the empire
and the "doors" were opened to the new invaders in order to end the
religious rule. May be the masses were thinking that anything is better that
existing order, but it did not take long before they experienced a new order, a
new way of life...
In
637AD. by order of Caliph Omar, the Arab-Muslim invasion of Iran and death of
Yazdgerd III opened a new chapter in the history of Iran and the life of
Iranians. The Muslims, which came from the heart of the burning desert of Arabia
with the intention of looting and taking slaves past the Iranian borders.
Tysfoon, one of the most important cities, with all its glory was destroyed.
Most of what was looted, items such as gold and jewellery was sent to Madina.
Omar by seeing all these riches, especially a very large and impressive carpet
could not control his emotions, declaring to his soldiers: " ...the Arab's
days of hunger and poverty is over. You, the children of Arabia, there is no
need for you to be farmers, merchants or learn any trades. All the world's
wealth is at your disposal. In order to keep the power and wealth and to
continue conquering you must remain soldiers."
Very
soon the news of looting was spread and many merchants from all over the world
find their way to Madina to gain a share of the treasures.
Back
in Iran the looting and murdering of the innocent people continued, women and
children, after being raped, were sent to Mecca and Medina to be sold as slaves.
It is believed that in a short time one million Iranian soldiers and civil were
killed.
The
Muslim invasion followed by intention of Islamization of Iran. The ones that
accepted the Arab laws (Islam) were spared, the rest were taken as slaves or
tortured to death.
Iranians
were forced to lower themselves like salves and bend down in direction of Mecca,
in the name of praying, in order to confirm their submission, or in another word
accepting Islam. Iranians by accepting Islam by force began to lead a double
life; that is being Iranians indoors and Muslims outdoors. But many accepted
Islam to avoid paying the taxes imposed to non-Muslims.
Soon
in Iran the nationalist movements started to take form, not only within the
borders but outside too. Meanwhile Piroos, son of Yazdgerd, started his
Anti-Islamic campaign from China. He managed to retain his hold on part of
Iranian territory, but in the end he was driven out and died in exile.
Anti
Arab-Islamic movements continued for a further seventy-five years until the last
of Sassinids dynasty, Khosro, had died. In 700 AD. a massive immigration to
India took place and the fire of Zarathustra was ignited there as the symbol of
a struggle of a nation who was, and is still trying to keep their identity.
_________________________
The
following is a timetable of rulers and dynasties that ruled over Iran. It is
tried to name all rulers of Iran from the period of the Medes to the present.
The dates mentioned are the period that the person in question ruled over (some
part of ) Iran. Therefore you will also find different persons during the same
time period. They probably ruled over different parts or were rival pretenders
to the throne.
Sources:
1. Encyclopaedia Brittanica
2. The Wordsworth Handbook of Kings and Queens, John E. Morby
See Thomas Trochford glossary of Iran's history. and some pages from the Encyclopedia Britannica
Rulers and Dynasties:
· Medes
· Deioces, 728BC - 675BC
· Phraortes (Kashtariti?), 675BC - 653BC
· Scythian interregnum
· Cyaxares, 625BC - 585BC
· Astyages, 585BC - 550BC
· Achaemenids
· Achaemenes
· Teispes
· Cyrus I
· Cambyses I (Kambiz)
· Cyrus the Great, Start of Achaemenid Empire, 559BC - 530BC
· Kambiz II, 530BC - 522BC
· Darius I the Great, 522BC - 486BC
· Xerxes I (Khashyar), 486BC - 465BC
· Artaxerxes I , 465BC - 425BC
· Xerxes II, 425BC - 424BC (45 days)
· Darius II, 423BC - 404BC
· Artaxerxes II, 404BC - 359BC
· Artaxerxes III, 359BC - 339BC
· Arses, 338BC - 336BC
· Darius III, 336BC - 330BC
· Hellenistic period
· Alexander (III) the Great, 330BC - 323BC
· Philip III (Arrhidaeus), 323BC - 317BC
· Alexander IV, 317BC - 312BC
· Seleucids
· Seleucus I, 312BC - 281BC
· Antiochus I Soter, 281BC - 261BC (coregent)
· Seleucus, 280BC - 267BC (coregent)
· Antiochus II Theos, 261BC - 246BC
· Sleucus II Callinicus, 246BC - 238BC
· Arsacids, Parthian Empire
· Arsaces, 238BC - 217BC (or 211BC?)
· Artabanus (Ardawan) or Arsaces II, 211BC - 191BC
· Priapatius I, 191BC - 176BC
· Phraates I, 176BC - 171BC
· Phil-Hellenistic period
· Mithradates I, 171BC - 138BC
· Phraates II, 138BC - 128BC
· Artabanus I, 128BC - 123BC
· Mithradates II (the Great), 123BC - 87BC
· Gotarzes, 90BC - 80BC
· Orodes I, 80BC - 77BC
· Sanatruces, 77BC - 70BC
· Phraates III, 70BC - 57BC
· Mithradtes III, 57BC - 55BC
· Orodes II, 57BC - 37BC
· Phraates IV, 37BC - 2BC
· Phraates V, 2BC - AD 4
· Orodes III, AD 4 - AD 7
· Vonones, AD 7 - AD 11
· Anti-Hellenistic Period
· Artabanus II, 12 - 38
· Gotarzes II, 38 - 51
· Vardanes I, 39 - 45
· Vonones II, 51
· Vologases I, 51 - 78
· Vardanes II, 55 - 58
· Vologases II, 77 - 80
· Artabanus III, 80 - 81
· Pacorus, 78 - 105
· End of Parthian Empire
· Vologases III, 105 - 147
· Osroes, 109 - 129
· Mithridates IV, 129 - 147
· Vologases IV, 147 - 191
· Vologases V, 191 - 208
· Vologases VI, 208 - 222
· Artabanus IV, 213 - 224
· Sassanians
· Ardashir I, 224 - 241
· Shapur I, 241 - 272
· Hormizd I, 272 - 273
· Bahram I, 273 - 276
· Bahram II, 276 - 293
· Bahram III, 293
· Narses, 293 - 302
· Hormizd II, 302 - 309
· Shapur II, 309 - 379
· Ardashir II, 379 - 383
· Shapur III, 383 - 388
· Bahram IV, 388 - 399
· Yazdegerd I, 399 - 420
· Bahram V Gur, 420 - 438
· Yazdegerd II, 438 - 457
· Hormizd III, 457 - 459
· Piruz, 457 - 484
· Balash, 484 - 488
· Kavadh (Qobad) I, 488 - 496
· Tamasb, 496 - 499
· Kavadh I, 499 - 531
· Khosrow I (Anushirvan), 531 - 579
· Hormizd IV, 579 - 590
· Khosrow II Parviz, 590
· Bahram VI, 590 - 591
· Khosrow II Parviz, 591 - 628
· Bestam (in Media), 591 - 596
· Kavadh (Qobad) II Shiruye (Siroes), 628 - 630
· Ardashir III, 628 - 630
· Shahrbaraz, 630
· Purandokht, 629 - 631
· Azarmedukht, 631 - 632
· Hormizd V, 631 - 632
· Khosrow III, 632 - 633
· Yazdegird III, 632 - 651
· Arabs - Orthodox Caliphate (650 -661)
· Uthman (Osman), 650 - 656
· Ali, 656 - 661
· Arabs - Umayyad Caliphate(661 - 750)
· Mu'awiya I, 661 - 680
· Yazid I, 680 - 683
· Mu'awiya II, 683 - 684
· Marwan I, 684 - 685
· Abd-al-Malik, 685 - 705
· Al-Walid I, 705 - 715
· Suleyman, 715 - 717
· Umar II, 717 - 720
· Yazid II, 720 - 724
· Hisham, 724 - 743
· Al-Walid II, 743 - 744
· Yazid III, 744
· Ibrahim, 744
· Marwan II, 744 - 750
· Arabs - Abbasid Caliphate(750 - 821)
· Abu al-Abbas al-Saffah, 750 - 754
· Al-Mansur, 754 - 775
· Al-Mahdi, 775 - 785
· Al-Hadi, 785 - 786
· Harun al-Rashid, 786 - 809
· Al-Amin, 809 - 813
· Al-Mamun, 813 - 833
· "Iranian intermezzo" (821 - 1055), Saffarids, Samanids, Ghaznavids,
Buyids
· Samanid (Turkestan)
· Nasr I, 864 - 892
· Ismail, 892 - 907
· Ahmad, 907 - 914
· Nasr II, 914 - 942
· Nuh I, 942 - 954
· Abd al-Malik I, 954 - 961
· Mansur I, 961 - 976
· Nuh II, 976 - 997
· Mansur II, 997 - 999
· Abd al-Malik, 999
· Ghaznavid (Khurasan)
· Sebüktigin, 977 - 997
· Ismail I, 997 - 998
· Mahmud, 998 - 1030
· Muhammad, 1030
· Masoud I, 1030 - 1040
· Muhammad (restored), 1040 - 1041
· Maudud, 1041 - 1048
· Masoud II, 1048
· Ali, 1048 - 1049
· Abd al-Rashid, 1049 - 1051
· Toghril, 1051 - 1052
· Farokhzad, 1052 - 1059
· Ibrahim, 1059 - 1099
· Masoud III, 1099 - 1115
· Shirzad, 1115 - 1116
· Arslanshah, 1116 - 1117
· Bahramshah, 1117 - 1157
· Khusrowshah, 1157 - 1160
· Khosrow Malik, 1160 - 1186
· Seljuq
· Great Seljuqid Sultanate
· Toghril Beg, 1038 - 1063
· Alp-Arslan, 1063 - 1072
· Malik Shah, 1072 - 1092
· Berk Yaruq, 1092 - 1105
· Malik Shah II, 1105
· Muhammad I, 1105 - 1118
· Sanjar, 1118 - 1157
· Iraq and Western Persia
· Mahmud II, 1118 - 1131
· Toghril II, 1131 - 1134
· Mas'ud, 1134 - 1152
· Malikshah III, 1152 - 1153
· Muhammad II, 1153 - 1159
· Sulayman, 1160
· Arslan, 1160 - 1175
· Toghril III, 1175 - 1194
· Ghurid Empire Shansabani Dynasty (Afghanistan)
· Izz Al-Din Husayn I, 1117 - 1146
· Sayf al_Din Suri, 1146 - 1149
· Baha al-Din Sam I, 1149
· Ala al-Din Husayn II, 1149 - 1161
· Say al-Din Muhammad I, 1161 - 1163
· Ghiyath al_Din Muhammad II, 1163 - 1203
· Mu'izz al-Din Muhammad III, 1203 - 1206
· Ghiyath al-Din Mahmud, 1206 - 1210
· Baha al-Din Sam II, 1210
· Ala al-Din Atsiz, 1210 - 1214
· Ala al-Din Muhammad IV, 1215 - 1215
· Atabeg and Khwarazmshah interlude
· Dynasty of Anushtigin (Khwarazmian Empire)
· Qutb al-Din Muhammad I (Khwarazm-Shah), 1098 - 1128
· Ala al-Din Atsiz, 1128 - 1156
· Taj al-Dunya Il Arslan, 1156 - 1172
· Jalal al-Dunya Sultanshah, 1172 - 1193
· Ala al-Din Tekish, 1172 - 1200
· Ala al-Din Muhammad II, 1200 - 1220
· Jalal al-Din Mingburnu, 1220 - 1231
· Il-Khans (Mongol)
· Hülagü Khan, 1256 - 1265
· Abagha, 1265 - 1282
· Tegüder, 1282 - 1284
· Arghun, 1284 - 1291
· Gaykhatu, 1291 - 1295
· Baydu, 1295
· Mahmud Ghazan, 1295 - 1304
· Uljaytü, 1304 - 1316
· Abu Said, 1317 - 1335
· Arpa, 1335 - 1336
· Musa, 1336 - 1337
· Muhammad, 1336 - 1338
· Sati Beg, 1338 - 1339
· Jahan Temür, 1339 - 1340
· Sulayman, 1339 - 1343
· Jalayirid (Azerbaidjan), Injuid (Fars), Mozaffarid (Yazd, Fars)
interlude
· Timurids and Turkmen
· Timurids
· Timur, 1393 - 1405
· Miranshah (Western Persia), 1405 - 1408
· Khalil (Western Persia 1409 - 1411), 1405 - 1409
· Shah Rokh Shah, 1409 - 1447
· Ulugh Beg, 1447 - 1449
· Soltan Abu Said, 1451 - 1469
· Transoxiana
· Abd al-Latif, 1449 - 1450
· Abd Allah, 1450 - 1451
· Abu Said, 1451 - 1469
· Ahmad, 1469 - 1494
· Mahmud, 1494 - 1495
· Baysunqur, 1495 - 1497
· Babur, 1497 - 1498
· Ali, 1498 - 1500
· Babur (restored), 1500 - 1501
· Khurasan
· Babur, 1449 - 1457
· Mahmud, 1457 - 1459
· Abu Said, 1451 - 1469
· Husayn Bayqara, 1469 - 1506
· Badi al-Zaman, 1506 - 1507
· Qara Qoyunlu (Western Iran)
· Qara Yusef, 1389 - 1420
· Eskandar, 1420 - 1438
· Jahan Shah, 1438 - 1467
· Hasan Ali, 1467 - 1469
· Aq Qoyunlu (Eastern Iran)
· Qara Osman, 1403 - 1435
· Uzun Hasan, 1453 - 1478
· Soltan Khalil, 1478
· Yaqub, 1478 - 1490
· Rostam, 1492 - 1494
· Ahmad, 1497
· Safavid
· Esmail, 1501 - 1524
· Tahmasb, 1524 - 1576
· Esmail II, 1576 - 1577
· Sultan Mohammad, 1577 - 1587
· Shah Abbas I, 1587 - 1629
· Safi I, 1629 - 1642
· Abbas II, 1642 - 1666
· Safi II, 1666 - 1694
· Shah Soltan Hosseyn, 1694 - 1722
· Ghalzay
· Mahmud, 1722 - 1725
· Ashraf, 1725 - 1729
· Safavid
· Tahmasb II, 1722 - 1732
· Abbas III, 1732 - 1736
· Afshari
· Nader Shah, 1737 - 1747
· Ali-Qoli (Adil), 1747 - 1748
· Ebrahim, 1748 - 1749
· Shahrokh, 1748 - 1749
· Safavid
· Shah Soleyman II (Mir Sayyed Mohammad), 1749 - 1750
· Esmail III, 1750 - 1773
· Afshari
· Shahrokh, 1748 - 1795
· Zand (Western Iran)
· Mohammad Karim Khan Zand, 1751 - 1794
· Qajar
· Aqa Mohammad Shah, 1796 - 1797
· Fath Ali Shah, 1797 - 1834
· Mohammad Shah, 1834 - 1848
· Naser ed-Din Shah, 1848 - 1896
· Mozaffar ed-Din Shah, 1896 - 1907
· Mohammad Ali Shah, 1907 - 1909
· Ahmad Shah, 1909 - 1925
· Pahlavi
· Reza Shah, 1925 - 1941
· Mohammad Reza Shah, 1941 - 1979
· Islamic Republic
Zoroastrianism
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THE founder of Zoroastrianism, Zarathushtra, or Zoroaster as the Greeks rendered the name, cannot be ascribed any precise date and dating is a hotly contested issue. Academic opinion, which bases its case on linguistic analysis of the oldest texts, suggests a date roughly around 1500 BCE. Other suggestions, based on Greek sources, arrive at dates as far apart as 6000 BCE and the sixth century BCE.
Furthermore,
his exact place of origin cannot be pinpointed, although it is thought that he
lived either in the part of Iran which is known as Azerbaijan today or possibly
in what has been called Greater Iran, namely around Balkh, or possibly as far
east as the Pamir mountains in today's Tajikistan. All these areas are connected
by a common Iranian culture and once upon a time practised Zoroastrianism.
Yet
today the Zoroastrian world population is no more than 150,000, with maybe
40,000 in Iran and about 75,000 in India. The rest are in diaspora around the
world, with the bulk in the USA and Canada.
The
corpus of Zoroastrian prayer texts, known collectively as the Avesta, provides
both the ideas resulting from the divine revelation, which came to Zoroaster and
also historical background through which scholars try to contextualise his life.
It
contains layers of prayers in different languages, indicating additions at
different times and suggesting a tradition which underwent linguistic and
occasionally philosophical transformation.
The
oldest of these languages is found in the Gathas, which lies at the heart of the
prayers and is thought to contain Zoroaster's own words. It is therefore this
particular text above all other Zoroastrian literature, which should be studied
to appreciate the radical philosophy that Zoroaster propounded.
Persecution
and oral transmission
WHEN
we speak of Zoroastrian texts, it should be borne in mind that there was
apparently, according to later writings, a rich library of texts and associated
literary material kept in the palaces and temples of Iran, all of which were
torched during the invasion of Alexander of Macedon in the third century BCE. In
the centuries following this, the texts, which had survived in more remote
depositories, were brought together and recompiled, undoubtedly aided by what
had been memorised by priests. This led to the increasing importance, which was
given to priesthood training during which priests learned prayers and commentary
by heart.
Yet
the texts were burnt a second time alongside much else, this time by the Arabs
during their invasion in the first half of the seventh century CE, which brought
about the end of Iranian culture for about 200 years and established the decline
of Zoroastrianism among Iranian peoples.
During
the ensuing years many monarchs ordered surviving Zoroastrian books to be
brought in, whereupon they were burnt or trampled underfoot in the presence of
Zoroastrian priests. Thus oral recitation and faithful transmission by word of
mouth assumed an even greater relevance.
Owing
to this, the oldest manuscript of Zoroastrian literature is relatively recent,
dating from the 13th century CE in spite of the religion's ancient origin. It
should be noted that it was two European scholars, one a British polyglot,
William Jones, and the other a Frenchman, Anquetil du Perron, who managed to
trace a relationship between the language of the older prayers and Sanskrit and
therefore to establish them as Indo-European.
Zoroaster's
message
WHAT
made Zoroaster's ideas radical was firstly his revelation that there was one
creator, Ahura Mazda, the Wise Lord, at a time when it was commonplace to
worship the numerous natural elements as gods in their own right.
His
understanding of life was based on his realisation that all the manifestations
of creation had to come ultimately from one all-powerful energy - God or the
Self-Creator. His originality is further seen in his injunction found in the
Gathas, that those who are listening should use their free will to choose their
own path, that of good or that of evil.
In
this injunction are two fundamental ideas: free will and individual
responsibility for one's own actions; and the concepts of good and evil. Good
and evil are understood as realities encountered in the inner mind - the
conscience - that appear to operate as twin energies, equally present and both
exerting a pull over us.
Zoroaster's
message is basically that we should be aware of the struggle these two forces
engage us in and know the consequences of following one rather than the other.
We
are told that to follow the path of righteousness ("Asha") or purity
in thought, word and deed will lead to happiness ("ushta") for both
ourselves and others. The alternative choice of deceit, lies and unkindness,
namely impurity of thought, word and deed, will lead to unhappiness, enmity and
war. Thus Zoroastrians are engaged in an ethical dualism.
Zoroaster
specifically exhorts men and women to use their own unclouded judgement to
decide if what he, Zoroaster, advocates has a relevant message for them. It is
particularly noteworthy that throughout the Gathas he addresses both men and
women, indicating that they are partners in trying to increase the amount of
goodness and trying to defeat the forces of darkness. This equality of address
implies respect towards both sexes and a belief in the competence of both.
Indeed, lack of gender prejudice is one of the fundamental tenets of
Zoroastrianism and is seen in societal organisation, in later non-prayer texts
and even in the wedding liturgy.
Eschatology
ZOROASTRIANISM
has had an impact that is rarely realised in the Christian world through its
contribution to the concepts of heaven and hell deriving from this ethical
dualism.
This
later developed into a more elaborate form in which ideas were misunderstood and
Ohrmazd (Ahura Mazda), God, was conflated with Good Thinking, Spenta Mainyo, and
wrongly counterpoised with Bad Thinking, Ahriman (Angra Mainyo). In other words,
God was counterpoised with the Devil.
Associated
with this was the concept of the Day of Judgement, at which point, on the third
day/fourth night after death, the soul crossed a bridge, Pol e Chinvat, on which
its good deeds were weighed against its bad deeds. The outcome of this balance
determined whether one would pass through to the abode of eternal light and
happiness or be plunged off the bridge into an eternal abyss.
The
symbol of fire
THE
energy of the creator is represented in Zoroastrianism by fire or the sun, both
of which embody many of the characteristics of the creative force. As the
creator, they are enduring, radiant, pure and life sustaining.
For
this reason Zoroastrians pray in front of some form of light, preferably fire or
the sun (or, at night, the moon which reflects the sun), a candle or sometimes
an electric light. All symbolise the creator and focus attention totally, so
that thanksgiving, praise and contemplation of the wonders of creation can take
place in serenity
In
Zoroastrian places of worship, therefore, an urn containing fire, which is kept
alive by donations of fragrant sandalwood or myrrh, is the most important
feature.
This
practice of respecting fire has given rise to disrespectful accusations of
idolatry and fireworship, levelled at Zoroastrians by those whose interests were
served in misrepresenting this approach to fire. Zoroastrians, however, see this
practice in the same category as the Christians' attitude towards the cross,
which is worn around the neck and hangs or stands centre-stage in most churches.
Nature
and the environment
IN
the Gathas there are several references to Mother Earth and the wonders of
natural phenomena such as the moon, the stars, the wind and so on.
Nature,
in fact, is central to the practice of Zoroastrianism and understanding the
interdependence of human life, the seasons and the elements lies at its core.
Many important Zoroastrian annual festivals are in celebration of nature: new
year on the first day of spring (March 21); the water festival in summer; the
autumn festival at the end of the season; and the mid-winter fire festival
It
should be said that there are many days for feasting and celebrations to break
up an otherwise laborious lifestyle and Zoroastrians traditionally sing, dance,
play music and drink wine together during the celebrations, in marked contrast
to those around them.
In
Zoroastrianism people are expected to act, for ultimately it is deeds which
speak louder than thoughts and words. It is felt that to be able to make sound
judgements a healthy environment is needed, so purity or asha is to be observed
with reference to the earth, the water and the air.
The
non-pollution of these elements explains how the misunderstood funeral rite of
exposure on mountain tops developed as a precursor to recycling through organ
donation. It also explains why Zoroastrians chose not to wash in rivers or
streams but to draw water off in vessels to be used elsewhere so that the
flowing water, which could be used downstream, would not be sullied by personal
washing.
Much
importance is attached to the meritorious act of making infertile land abundant
by bringing water to it and making swampy waterlogged land fertile by draining
it and planting crops.
The
environmental consciousness, which pervades the religion, accounts for the
reputation Zoroastrians built up as excellent gardeners who knew how to irrigate
in difficult conditions and how to produce abundance where others failed.
Exhortations to a marrying couple include several about the desirability of
cultivating land and at the birth of each child it is normal to plant a tree.
Within
a healthy and well-nurtured society, deeds above all else have to reflect the
choice individuals make in following the path of asha. Bodily cleanliness is
therefore one manifestation of this and the wearing of the white muslin
undergarment, the "sedreh", donned at the initiation ceremony of
"sedreh pushi", represents this, as it reflects purity and has to be
worn spotless.
Hard
work and charity
ZOROASTRIANS
are told in the Gathas that laziness and sloth are frowned on. It is our duty to
toil, so that life may be enjoyed when relaxing after toil and when the bounty
of our hard work produces fruit.
Zoroastrians,
furthermore, are exhorted to do good deeds and among these is the charitable
disposition which inclines them to part with a little of what would otherwise be
their own.
In
societies where agriculture is the principal source of income, memorial feasts,
"gahambar", in remembrance of the person who endowed the feast, are
held annually and bread and dried fruits are distributed to the whole community,
who are expected to participate, funded by the income from the sale of the land
produce.
In
more industrial communities and among more affluent families, it is more
commonplace to find a person endowing a hospital, a home for the aged or a
school. Nowadays, endowments are also made for communities to meet at the local
centre for a meal together after prayers of thanksgiving and remembrance.
In
the rural communities that characterised Zoroastrian society, it was also a very
frequent event to find charity stews being cooked on the street corner or sweet,
fried and spiced bread being handed out to passers-by from groups of people
cooking over fires outside their homes or at the crossroads.
Candles
would also sometimes appear in niches at street corners, all of these being acts
of charity in differing measure according to the means of the person in question
and offered as an act of thanksgiving for a piece of good fortune or an earlier
imprecation being fulfilled.
It
should also be mentioned that it was often menfolk in the community who were the
chief cooks, fire-stokers and handlers of the vast cauldrons which had to be
used to prepare community charity stews, while the women and children did the
preparatory work.
Gender
equality
EQUALITY
of gender remains a feature, which has singled out Zoroastrians from their
Iranian compatriots throughout history.
A
woman's willingness to speak her views in the presence of her partner and for
those views to be accepted as valid was characteristic and still is. In every
sense the Zoroastrian woman has maintained her equality of position in society
and, where necessary, has been head of the household in the absence of her
husband or, in the case of widowhood, made decisions affecting land sales
inheritances, harvesting times, educational choices, marriage partners for
off-spring etc.
Since
the early 20th century when girls' schools were opened for
Zoroastrians, women have shown their competence in every sphere by achieving
high qualifications and careers in all domains where men have succeeded.
There
is, however, one issue which outsiders may raise in trying to make a case for
the unequal treatment of women in Zoroastrianism and this concerns concepts of
purity and pollution, which resulted from the entrenched dualism which had
evolved by the last phase of Zoroastrianism under the Sassanians between the
third and seventh centuries CE. At this time the religion was already almost
2,000 years old, the age of Christianity today.
It
was almost inevitable that by that time the original ideas should have undergone
some permutations. In fact, some aspects of the original philosophy had been so
elaborated as to arrange dualistic categories for the classification of all
material things. As a result of this, dirt, darkness, noxious creatures (e.g.
scorpions, snakes etc), death, blood and so on were arranged in the negative or
impure category and, because women undergo monthly cycles, they were classified
as impure during this time.
This
meant that members of the community were careful not to come into contact with
them during this period and women withdrew on monthly "sabbaticals"
with their friends and family members to a special part of the household where
they used special utensils and had no contact with those in the "pure"
category until they had finished their cycle and undergone ritual purification.
It
must be stressed that they were not treated in an inferior way nor despised, but
merely treated as different during this time of the month. This practice has all
but died out, although residual aspects may be detected in the unwillingness of
some women to go to the temple at this time of the month out of respect for the
sanctity and purity of the fire.
Different
traditions
IT
may be of interest to note that Parsees (as Zoroastrians from the Indian
sub-continent are known), especially those raised in East Africa, tend to be
more orthodox, inasmuch as they are more tenacious than their co-religionists
from Bombay in maintaining traditions that they learnt in their family homes and
in their religious centres.
It
was because of this same spirit of fidelity that Parsees who left Iran in the
face of fierce persecution in the 10th century CE and were given
permission to settle around Sanjan in Gujerat, India, decided to try and
maintain what they remembered of their faith and practices.
However,
as they left Iran at a time of turmoil when much knowledge had been lost or
distorted, just before the Arab conquest and certainly afterwards, what they
preserved was not necessarily "correct" or authentic. Meanwhile, the
Iranians who did not convert to Islam, mainly humble people and priests,
struggled in the face of intense persecution to maintain their traditions and
the spirit of their religious faith, which did not need texts but had permeated
their lifestyles and outlook.
Thus,
with Zoroastrians located in two centres from the 10th century and with little
contact between them until the last century, it is not surprising that certain
beliefs and rituals evolved differently.
Now,
in diaspora, the Indian culture has re-met with its Iranian counterpart and
attempts are being made to bring the differing interpretations into line with
each other.
Islam
Iran's
biggest Disaster
Kabba
- Arab Islam's holiest site
Modern
day soldier of Allah, it was his ancestors that mass murdered Iranians
The
word ISLAM derives from the Arabic word Eslam which means
"submission"; the submission of soul and body to the "great
creator" ALLAH. Allah (article "al" and the noun "Lah")
is the God of Muslims. It is in reality the name of the most important stone
Idol belonging to the Ghoraysh tribe. Apart from Ghoraysh every other tribe had
their own Idols, all kept in the same place, Kaabe (square building) in the city
of Mecca. It is believed that nearly three hundred stone and mud Idols were kept
there.
The
Arab tribes were in continuous battles with each other, robing caravans, killing
and taking slaves. Because of their hostile environment they had no notion
agriculture; their main source of food was camel milk, camel meat and a dish
made from camel skin accompanied with curdle blood and desert insects.
They
thought that the women are not good worriers therefore it was not unusual for
them to kill new-born female babies.
Islam
believes in Zarathustrianism, Judaism and Christianity, in fact all the
pre-Islamic religions which have "wholly" books; the only argument is
(so the Muslims say) that Mohammed, is the last prophet. As far as the
Christianity is concerned Jesus is not the Son of God, but a prophet, and that
Islam is the last "celestial" religion.
The
religion (Islam) was founded in the one of the most inhospitable places on
earth, the desert of Arabia (actual Arabia Saudi) by Mohammed (born 570 AD), son
of Abdullah (the name means slave of the Lah).
Abdullah
passed away before Mohammed was born, so his mother (Ameneh) with a help of a
nanny (Halime) took care of his upbringing. It was custom that Goraysh tribes
used to give their new-borns to a nanny to be brought up in nearby villages,
outside polluted city of Mecca. His nanny looked after him for few years, but
Mohammed at the age of four showed signs of epilepsy. His nanny took it as a
sign of "evil sprits" and decided to return him to his mother. Two
years later Amene died and his grandfather, Abdolmotaleb took care of his
education. Two years later after his grand father's death his uncle (Abutaleb)
became his guardian. Abutaleb belonged to the noble families of Ghoraysh tribe,
but did not have much wealth. He often went to Syria for trade and work, and
almost always was accompanied by Mohammed. It was this frequent journey that
gave Mohammed an opportunity to learn about other religions such as
Christianity.
In
his early twenties Mohammed hears of a wealthy women merchant by name of
Khadidje (fifteen years his senior) who was looking for someone to take her
caravan to Syria. Mohammed got in touch with her and Khadidje thought that he
could be the right man for the job. He worked for Khadidje for few years and
showed a great degree of competence and honesty, until Khadidje trusted him
fully. As time went by Khadidje fell in love with him and got one of her slaves
to discuss the matter with Mohammed, whether he was willing to marry her. He
proposed for Khadidje's hand. Although her family were against this marriage but
Khadidje accepted and she was overjoyed by Mohammed's "proposal",
finding it a blessing that a young man had fallen in love with her.
In
the year 610 at the age of forty, probably after one of his epileptic attacks in
mount Hiran, Mohammed walked into the city of Mecca claiming to have seen the
Angel Gabriel, making it known to him that he has been chosen as an apostle, and
that "Lah" is one of the most important gods amongst all the gods
(Idols). Of course not many believed him but the new "religion"
started with few followers: Salmon (an Iranian under presecution by Iranian
athoreties for murder of his mother), Khadidje, Ali (his cousin, son of
Abi-Taleb), the local mob, bandits and the poor who had nothing to loose. But
this was not enough as oppositions who belonged to the most important families
among the Ghoraysh tribe confronted him. Therefore he came out with the idea to
publicly declaring that he himself also doubted what he had said a few weeks
ago. That the first time the "Satan" appeared on him in the form of an
angel, but the last time the "real" Gabriel had appeared confirming
that he (Mohammed) had been chosen as the prophet of the God, not a apostle;
adding that the "Lah" is not one of the most important Idols (or gods)
but THE MOST IMPORTANT ONE. The years went by until in 616 when he started
preaching that: "Allah is universal and the destiny of every individual is
decided by Him" He also promised a life after death: "...after death
true Muslims will go to a place known as heaven, where they will enjoy good wine
and beautiful young girls and boys..." It is not very clear whether the
"young boys" in heaven are for the men to enjoy, or for the women, or
both. He also preached that: "where you find the unbelievers (non-Muslim)
cut their heads, you may kill enough of them to run the rivers of blood; once
you killed enough you may take the rest as salves..." All these were
"heavenly" songs in the ear of Muhammad's followers, the bandits,
mobs, and murderers. They got the licence and a good excuse to practice the most
outrageous crimes. His words spread fast. More people joined him and the promise
of a heaven (on earth) full of young girls and boys and salves took effect. At
the same time the heads of the tribe considered Mohammed a danger to their
authority, and worst, to well being the society.
Lomel
says: "...Mohammed came from a civilized and progressive tribe of Ghoraysh,
but choose to lead a life of a bandit and did not refrain from robing and
murder. His art was his convincing power to make allies with other bandits and
murderers of his own kind. Allah was his alley to rob and murder. He found the
way to take whatever he wanted without any scrupulous..."
The
people of Ghoraysh led by authorities rose against him until in 622 (the start
of Islamic era) he was driven out of Mecca. He took refuge in Yatrib which at
later date was renamed Medina (city of the envoy). Mohammed manage to reorganise
his "army" until in 630 Mecca was taken by Muslims, followed by
destruction of all the Idols, including Lah. The destruction of the Idol Lah was
a great loss to Mohammed but he had to do it for two reasons: to avoid being
stolen by other tribes, which could had given way to other new
"prophets". The other reason was to give an air of spirituality to the
Lah. That made ALLAH spiritual and became the main column of Islam. However
Kaabe remained the home of Allah and ironically the dream of the Ghoraysh tribe
to convert the Idol Lah into the greatest and unique god became a reality. It
was decided that all Muslims (including the newly converted) in time of praying,
no matter where they were, should situate themselves in the direction of kaabe.
This converted Muslims without being conscious of it into Idol worshipers.
The
years that followed in order for the Islamic laws to take effect Mohammed had to
combine the religion with "politics". He gave the women half the
rights of a man in every aspect of the everyday life. As before Islam, Arab
females had no rights at all, this law was a breakthrough in the Arab social
life, but women still remained the "slaves" of their husbands.
Mohammed
died in 623. During his lifetime as a "prophet", usually by his almost
endless marriages, he managed to unify much-separated Arab tribes. He left few
notes and instruction behind - claimed to had been revealed to him by god
(Allah) - which two decades later took the form of the Koran (the readable
book), Muslims' wholly book. The Koran consists of laws that make the desert
life possible, therefore for the seven century Arab-Muslims was (and for some
still is) more than a religious book; it is a way of life. A combination of
religion, politics, economy and justice system combined into one that moulds the
fabric of an Islamic society.
The
Koran consists of one hundred and fourteen paragraphs or "sureh", and
each sureh is made up of several verses or "ayes". The interesting
thing is that the Koran originally started as a selection of poems and a
storybook with a very "infantile" language, but cruel at the same
time. In some "Surehs" it mentions the torturing and burning of the
unbelievers in hell, and the way it describes the methods leaves no doubt that
it is the work of a sick mind. The root of Islamic ideology came from Mazdaiism,
that is "equality" and "brotherhood", but it seems that
Mohammed got the message wrong, because in Islam a women is half of a man
(contrary to equality), also slavery is permitted (contrary to brotherhood).
After
Mohammed's death in 632 endless battles for his succession took place. Mohammed
did not believe in a hierarchical system - may be because he did not have a son
- but thought the clergies should choosee a Caliph (religion and political head).
The first successor was Caliph Abu-Bark, father of Ayeshe, one of Mohammed's
many wives which happened to be his favourite (when they married he was in his
fifties while Ayeshe was just 6 years old). Abu-baker started defeating the
degenerate Arab tribes and unifying the believers. After his death Omar I, who
was one of Mohammed's intimate collaborators took over. Under his rule Muslims
territories extended to Palestine, Syria, Egypt and great part of Iran.
Under
the Islamic law the conquered countries had to submit themselves to Islam, that
is the laws of Koran. In 653 Omar was assassinated by his Christian slave and
succeeded by Otman (the third Caliph), one of Mohammed' s son-in-laws. After
Otman's death, Ali, Mohammed's cousin and son-in-law (he married Fatima,
Mohammed's oldest daughter) became the fourth Caliph, whom was chosen by
clergies. It is believed that Mohammed was sterile, his "daughters"
were in fact the daughters of Mohammed's sister-in-law (Khadidje's sister).
Moavie,
the governor of Damasco, rejected this decision. In 661, Ali was assassinated by
one his ex-followers. His Followers became known as the "Shiites" (the
followers), and gave the title of the Imam (leader) to Ali. Shortly they decided
to separate themselves from the traditional Muslims the "Sunnites"
(traditionalist). Shiites obeyed (and still do) the laws as stated in the Koran;
only argument remains the succession of the prophet. This led to many conflicts,
which later on spread to other territories and countries.
After
Imam Ali eleven more Imams appeared on the scene and struggle for the leadership
of the Islamic world continued. Apart from Ali, his second son, Hussein is the
most important Imam; it was he who fought the famous battle of Karbela against
Sunnis. After he was defeated and killed he become a martyr. The twelfth and the
last Imam is the last hope for Shiites dignitary to rule the Islamic world, as
they believe that he will reappear again to establish "the order" in a
chaotic world . He is still absent!
There
is another sect in Shiitesm called Ismaiilis. Apparently the sixth Imam, Sadegh,
had two sons by names of Ismaiil and Musa. The Ismaiilis believe that after the
Sadegh's death, his elder son Ismaiil succeeded him as the seventh Imam, but
traditional Shiites (who believe in twelve Imams) think that Ismaiil died before
his father, therefore Musa is the seventh Imam. Ismaiilis for the obvious reason
did not follow the line of succession.
Today
the majority of Shiites live in Iran.
The
Islam's pillars are five commandments: Faith, Praying, Fasting, Charity and
Pilgrimage to Mecca (Hadj) at least once in the life time (if possible).
FAITH:
"testifying" or as some prefer to say "declaring" that there
is no god but the only god (Allah), and that Mohammed is His last prophet. When
an individual really believes and "testifies" to this he is
automatically converted, although he may not practice the other four
commandments. It is this condition that makes one fifth of the world's
population think they are Muslims.
PRAYING:
submission of the soul and body to Allah. A Muslim should pray everyday; usually
before the sunrise, mid-day and just before sundown. The ritual consists of
bending down, and in prostration position in direction of Mecca, at the same
time whispering a selection of verses from the Koran, The whole object of this
exercise is to make the individual humble, at the same time confirming his/hers
submission to the Islam. In non-Arab countries the "Muslims" were
"taught" how to pray by memorising (in Arabic) few verses from Koran
without really knowing what they mean.
FASTING.
This exercise consists of, the whole month of Ramadan (ninth month of Muslim
year) refraining from eating or drinking, from sunrise to sundown. The main
object is to mak a Muslim be aware of the feeling of hunger, and to make one
think of the hungry people. Ironically after sundown when the fast is broken,
enough food is consumed to compensate for the period of fasting!
CHARITY:
This commandment demands a Muslim to give to the poor.
HADJ:
This is the trip to Mecca, visiting the home of the god Allah. Although Allah is
not there physically anymore but His sprit is still there. It is not obligatory,
but those who can financially afford it and physically able "should"
make the effort. Parts of the ceremony consist that each individual has to
sacrifice a domestic animal.
FIND
OUT MORE ABOUT EVIL ISLAM! Go to the best site by an ex-Muslim and fellow
Iranian patriot...
Aryan
Heritage
The
Swastika is the holy ancient symbol of the Aryan race
Iran
is the ancient name of Persia, and it is derived from the root "Arya"
or Aryan, the Indo-European branch of peoples who settled in that land. The
Aryans of ancient Iran were Mazdayasni
Zarathushtris, ie. Worshippers of Ahura
Mazda (the name of God in Avestan) as revealed by the ancient prophet
Zarathushtra, thousands of years before Christ.
However,
all the ancient Zoroastrian scriptures speak of an earlier homeland from where
our people came, the lost "Airyane
Vaejahi" or seedland of the Aryans. From this homeland, the Indo-
Europeans or Aryans moved to upper India, Iran, Russia and the nations of Europe
such as Greece, Italy, Germany, France, Scandinavia, England, Scotland and
Ireland.
Sanskrit,
Latin, Avestan are all sister languages, and the present day upper Indian,
Persian and European languages are related eg. Baradar in persian = Brata in
sanskrit = Brother in english. "Persia" is actually a late European
term for the land of "Farsi" language ie. Iran. The Arabic phase in
Iran only began 1300 years ago, and we had to escape to India to preserve our
Zoroastrian religion.
The
"Vendidad" is one of the ancient scriptures of the
Zoroastrians, actually called the "Vi-daevo-dat"
or the law to fight against evil. In the first "Fargad" or chapter, the Golden Age of the ancient Aryans
is outlined with their greatest king, "Yima
Kshaeta" (Yam Raj in the Indian Vedas) who banished old age and death.
Then, the ice age broke on the ancient home and the Aryans were forced to
migrate southwards, to the southeast and the southwest.
Mr.
Bal Gangadhar Tilak, a great Brahmin (Indian Aryan) scholar of India in the last
century studied the Vedas and the Vendidad to find an ancient homeland of the
Aryans. The Vedas are scriptures written by the Indo-Europeans or Aryans after
they migrated to India. From the descriptions of the weather patterns mentioned
in the Vedas, Tilak concluded that the ancient home must be in the Artic regions
ie. above present Russia.
The
Aryans migrated from the ancient home to Iran and from there to India and Greece
and Europe. Tilak also said that the most ancient historical scripture was the
Iranian Vendidad, which actually describes the ancient homeland of the Aryans,
the Aryan King Yima Kshaeta who ruled over it (Yama Raja, lord of the underworld
in latter day Indian Hinduism) and the onrush of winter, sent by ahriman (the
devil) which caused the great migration. This is the famous first "Fargad"
of the Vendidad which fascinated a lot of European scholars in the last century.
The
ancient Aryans believed that the world as created by Ahura Mazda was perfect,
with no evil. The first man Gayo Maretan had no disease, no illness, no hunger
and thirst. Only the good creation of God existed eg., the Dog, Cow and Bull,
Horse, Cock, Birds etc. Then ahriman the evil one attacked the world and caused
evil to appear, disease and illness and old age, and the animals and the first
man started to die. Night began to fall (before the sun was at the noon position
- fixed, so there was no time). The evill brood of animals appeared eg. snakes,
insects, and the cat breed. So evil in the ancient faith is an external
introduction, which one day will be purged when the world will be bathed with
the purification of fire - the latter also found in old German mythology.
Paradise itself will be established on the earth, in the form of the Kingdom of
Ahura Mazda. The English word "paradise" itself stems from the Avestan
"PairiDaize", meaning the
same. Also, the word "garden" probably stems from the Avestan "Garod-man"
meaning the House of songs - the ancient name of heaven for the Aryans.
The
Kings of ancient Iran were very proud to call themselves Aryans, their rock
edicts indeed say so. "I am an Aryan, the son (Puthra) of an Aryan."
This was righteous pride, because the word Aryan occurs time and again in the
ancient scriptures of the Aryans - such as the Yashts
(prayers to the divine elements) and the Vendidad
(the law against evil).
About
a time frame - today, many scholars tend to place Zarathushtra very late in time
(around 1500 BC). The Greek historians at the time of Cyrus placed the first
prophet at around 8000 years bc, that seems a more possible time to the former.
However, the ancient Aryans were much sooner than that. Note that as per the
Vendidad, Yima Kshaeta (King Yima) is the ancient king of the Aryans in the
ancient homeland Airyanam Vaejahi (the seedland of the Aryans), and his memory
is retained by even the Indian Vedas as Yama Raja (Yama King) because the Indian
Aryans still remembered their ancient king after their split up in the
migration, but they made him "Lord of the netherworld" later on.
Unlike
the Indians, the Iranian Aryans still retained a perfect memory of days gone by
-the perfect time in the ancient homelannd, when Yiam banished disease, death and
hunger from the homeland. This was indeed the true "Golden
age" of humankind.
So,
what about the time? The migration actually started before the ice age struck.
When the ice and winter set in (sent by the evil one), the ancient homeland was
destroyed. If the home was in the North Pole, look for a time when the North
Pole was not covered by ice - that would be thousands and thousands of years
before. I have estimated that time when the ice age struck as 20,000 years ago
in my book, but the time could be much earlier. There were kings before Yima
too, ruling over the Aryans.
Note
too that the civilizations of Mohenjo-Daro and Harappa in old India were
actually Aryan, and they were starting to decay around 4000 bc. which means they
had been in existance for thosands of years before (scholars admit this). They
would have been built by the Indo-Aryans much after their initial separation
from the Aryans of Iran.
An
American friend said:
"Observation:
There's an incredible thread here between something I've seen mentioned about a
"Golden Age" of humankind..when humans were so close to their Creator
they didn't need writing or speech or tools to sustain themselves..and the
Zoroastrian story."
Thats
right. Zarathushtra was sent by Ahura Mazda to reaffirm the ancient faith (that
was taught to Yima Kshaeta and before him, the first man Gayo-Maretan). He was
also given the "AGUSTO-VACHO"
ie revelations unheard before. He was thus the first prophet, to be followed by
three Saviours. When the final Saviour comes, the world will be purged by fire
and evil destroyed in a final great battle. Then Ahura Mazda will rule. The
mightiest words in the religion are in the Ahunavar,
a great prayer. The ending words of this prayer in Avestan are, Kshrethamchai
(Kingdom) Ahurai (God) Ayim (will come).
"Does
the Vendidad have one set of general principles in one place, like the Old
Testament Bible, or is it necessary to read the whole..."
The
Vendidad is itself the ancient Law against evil. Throughout the book, there are Fargads (chapters) which explain the various evils in the eyes of
Ahura Mazda. For instance, prostitution and homosexuality are abhorred, so is
ill-treatment to dogs. Ahura Mazda praises the Dog as His Glorious Creation, who
He created as the guardian of the Aryan household and farm. One Fargad details
the ancient history of Yima Kshaeta, and the ancient homeland.
-
Migration of the Aryans from the Ancient homeland -
As
translated from the Vi-Daevo-Dat, ancient Avestan scripture
of
the Aryans of Iran (Avestan is a sister to Vedic Sanskrit)
According
to Lokmanya Tilak, one of the great fathers of Indian Independance and a Vedic
scholar who had also made a detailed study of other Aryan cultures, the Vi-Daevo-Dat
contained the most ancient history of mankind, since it properly explained the
origins and the migrations of the Aryans.
In
a translation from "The Saga of the
Aryans", the history of the migration is explained in the form of a
talk between the ancient Aryan prophet Zarathushtra, and Ahura Mazda (Avestan
name of God in the Vi-Daevo-Dat.) :
Zarathushtra
asked Ahura Mazda:
"O
Ahura Mazda, righteous Creator of the corporeal world, who was the first person
to whom You taught these teachings?
Then
spoke Ahura Mazda:
"YIMA
the splendid who watched over his subjects, O righteous Zarathushtra. I first
did teach the Aryan religion to him, prior to you.
"Yima
spoke to me, and said he would like to spread the religion among mankind by
teaching others. It was then that I replied:
"O
Yima you are not created for this task by Me. You are not learned enough to
increase the religion among mankind - you are not the Messenger of the religion.
"Yima
the righteous told me then:
"O
Ahura, if I am not created for the task of increasing the good religion, then I
would like to advance the world, to increase it and be a righteous king and
protector. I ask You this, that in my kingdom there be neither cold wind nor hot
wind (neither extreme winter or summer), there be no sickness nor death. That my
subjects be undying and unwanting, and gloriously happy under my reign.
"I
Who am Ahura Mazda, was pleased with this. I brought Yima a weapon - a Golden
plough which was dagger shaped with golden forks, to signify that his authority
was divine, sanctioned by Me. He became the mightiest King (KSHAETA) the Aryans
had ever known, the most righteous and most splendid Aryan man.
"When
Yima's rule extended to 300 years, then the Aryan land had prospered so much
that the land became full of cattle, men, dogs, birds and red flaming fire (the
fires kept burning in the house of every Aryan). Place could no longer be found
for cattle or men.
"I
made this known to Yima, and he proceeded towards the south, towards the path of
the high sun (west), increasing the land with his golden plough (conquering and
cultivating the lands). The boundaries of the Aryan kingdom were thus extended
in breadth, one third greater than before. The king stood as an Aryan on the
mother earth, praising the country with words fit for prayer.
"When
Yima's rule extended to 600 years, the state of abundance reoccurred. This led
to Yima proceeding again towards the south and the west, extending the
boundaries of the Aryan kingdom two thirds greater than before. Thus happened
the second great migration of the Aryans.
"When
Yima's rule extended to 900 years, abundance again led to Yima increasing the
land with his golden plough, towards the south and west. This third great
migration made the Aryan kingdom three times larger than before.
"In
the first 1000 years of his rule, Yima the splendid enjoined righteous order on
his Aryan subjects. He controlled invisible time itself, making it so much large
in size so as to praise and spread the righteous law.
"That
glorious age of the Aryans did not last for ever, O Zarathushtra! It was time
for the evil one's attack. I Who am Ahura Mazda spoke then to Yima Kshaeta:
"O
splendid Yima, towards the sacred Aryan land will rush evil as a severe fatal
winter; evil will rush as thick snow flakes falling in increased depth. From the
three directions will wild and ferocious animals attack, arriving from the most
dreadful sites.
"Before
this winter, any snow that fell would melt and convey the water away. Now the
snow will not melt (but will form the Polar ice cap). In this place, O Yima the
corporeal world will be DAMAGED. Before in this seedland the grass was so soft
the footprint of even a small animal could be observed. Now, there will be no
footprints discernible at all on the packed sheets of hard ice that will form.
"So,
Yima; make a mighty VARA, an enclosure as long as a riding ground, with equal
four sides. Here bring the families of Aryan men and women, cattle, dogs, birds
and the red flaming fire.
"Inside
the Vara, make water flow in a canal, one Hathra long. Keep earth inside the
Vara, to grow green vegetables as food. Make cattle pens, to house the cattle of
the Aryan people.
"Let
love blossom unfailing in the enclosure, among the young couples therein - make
for them a residence, with rooms, pillars, long extended walls and an enclosing
wall."
And
so the ancient scripture continues. From the above, it is quite clear that the
migration took place to the South and the West ie. from the ancient homeland
(which Tilak said was in the Artic) to the South ie. Iran, India and to the
South-West ie. to Greece and all the countries of Europe.
The cities of Mohenjo-Daro and Harappa were built by the Aryans who migrated to India, when the Vedas were written. They flourished for thousands of years, before succumbing to some other catastrophe of nature, or perhaps invasion by other Aryan or non-Aryan tribes.
PERSEPOLIS AND ANCIENT IRAN
The Prehistoric Mound Of Tall-i-Bakun
Three
kilometers south of Persepolis, in the plain of Marv Dasht, lies the prehistoric
site of Tall-i-Bakun, consisting of two flat hillocks. Here in 1928, Ernst
Herzfeld, of the University of Berlin, decided to undertake a trial excavation
of the western mound, where he had previously discovered many prehistoric sherds
Iying about on the ground. Later, in 1932, he conducted more extensive
excavations, subsequently continued by Erich F. Schmidt (1935-37).
The main deposits of the western hill produced a large quantity of ceramics with unusually beautiful painted patterns dating mostly to the fourth millennium B .C. Unexpectedly, many rooms of the settlement contained a substantial number of unbroken vessels, many of them standing on the floors of the houses, sometimes nested one in another. A great wealth of designs and variations are seen in this cream-colored ware. Many show different geometrical patterns, some simple, some intricate. Fewer have beautifully stylized animal designs depicting either ibexes or mouflons. These vessels manifest a remarkable artistic balance between geometric ornament and animal design. Large jars, usually made in two parts, show distinct markings characteristic of a vessel turned by hand.
Besides
these pottery vessels, numerous painted clay figurines of humans and animals
were discovered. Other ceramic objects consisted of scrapers, in the form of
stirrups, which were used for smoothing and decorating vessel surfaces before
the vessels were fired. These scrapers-although made of clay-were so strong, and
their scraping edges so sharp, that they were also used for scraping hides. In
addition to this vast amount of pottery, there were large quantities of knives,
blades, and copper daggers. There were also many button seals, mostly made of
green stone, showing beautifully incised designs. Finally, some well-preserved
clay labels and seal impressions were excavated.
·
Map Showing the
Location of the Prehistoric Site of Tall-i-Bakun, PS 342
·
Air Map of
Prehistoric Tall-i-Bakun A, Partly Excavated (Top) and Tall-i-Bakun B (Bottom),
AE 260
·
Contour Map, Showing
the Prehistoric Mound and the Extent of the Excavations, P 29122
·
Plan and Sections of
the Main Excavation of the Prehistoric Mound, P 29123
·
Excavated Muslim
Graves, P 33163
·
Tops of House Walls
of Level II Showing in the Floors of Rooms IV 1 and V 2, P 33164
·
Doorways in House
VIII, P 29100
·
View from the West
with a Kiln in the Foreground, P 58139
·
A Kiln from L 28,
Consisting of a Large Compartment that Comprised Both Furnace and Firing Chamber,
P 24721
·
Pottery in situ in
Room XI, P 20516
·
Pottery in situ in
Room XI, P 33166
·
Jar with Wavy Lines
and Broad Bands, from Level III, P 25080
·
Large Painted
Storage Jar, from Level III, P 25074
·
Jar with Apotropaic
Design, Found in Room III 4, Floor Level III, P 29117
·
Detail of Jar
Showing an Apotropaic Design, P 25070
·
Painted Jar with
Brown Design on Light Gray-Brown Surface, P 58146
·
Pottery from Trench
I, Level IV, P 25071
·
Vessel with an Ibex
Design, from Room XV 1, Upper Floor, Level IV, P 25203
·
Vessel with a Feline
Design, from Level III, P 25047
·
Light Gray-Green
Pottery Jar Found on the Bottom of the Kiln in L 28, Level III, P 25055
·
Painted Design on
the Inside of a Bowl, from Level III, P 25085
·
Painted Design on
the Inside of a Bowl, from Level III, P 25084
·
Inside of a Bowl
with Trisected Design, Found on Level III, P 25084
·
Inside of a Painted
Bowl, a Geometric Design, P 25208
·
Vessel with Rare
Design, Found Only in Level III, P 25088
·
Ceramic Bowl with
Abstract Decoration, from Level III, P 25092
·
Vessel with an
Anthropomorphic Pattern, Found in Level III, Room III 4, P 25090
·
Bowl with a
Geometric Design, from Level III, P 25210
·
Bowl with an
Anthropomorphic Design, Found in Level III, P 21705
·
Vessel with a
Geometric Design, from Level III, P 25210
·
Tan Ware Vessel with
Brown Design, Circular Panels Filled with Triangles, From Level IV, P 25067
·
Vessel with an
Ibex, from Room VI 4, Level III, P 25068
·
Side View of Vessel
with a Design of Mouflon Horns, from Level III, P 29189
·
Bottom View of
Vessel with a Design of Mouflon Horns, from Level III, P 25189
·
Pottery Decorated
with Spiraling Horns, Side View, from Level III, P 25188
·
Pottery Decorated
with Spiraling Horns, Bottom View, from Level III, P 25188
·
Painted Bowl with
Brown Ibex Pattern on Yellowish-Brown Surface, P 58144
·
Tan Ware Bowl with
Loops and Geometric Design, from Level III, P 25192
·
Painted Bowl with a
Geometric Design, P 25208
·
Cone-Shaped Vessel
with a Crescent Design, Found Only in Level III, P 25193
·
Painted Conical Bowl
with an Ibex or Mouflon Horn Design, P 25191 (right)
·
Painted Conical Bowl
with Rows of Dots and Triangle-Rhomboid Units, from Level III, P 25191
(left)
·
Vessel of Cream-Tan
Ware with an Animal Design, P 25045
·
Potsherd with an
Animal Design and Scraping Ridges, from Level IV, Surface, P 33174
·
A Theriomorphic
Vessel, Painted, in the Shape of a Bull, Side View, from Level III, P 25186
·
A Theriomorphic
Vessel, Painted, in the Shape of a Bull, Top View, from Level III, P 25186
·
Fragments of Female
Pottery Figurines, Decorated Mostly in Black and Brown, P 25116
·
Fragments of Female
Pottery Figurines with Black and Brown Paint, from Levels III and IV, P
25059
·
Assorted Painted
Pottery Animal Figurines, from Levels III and IV, P 25115
·
Assorted Painted
Pottery Animal Figurines, from Levels III and IV, P 25113
·
Painted Pottery
Animal Figurines, P 25114
·
Labels Made of Brown
Clay with Geometric Designs, from Level III, P 29214
·
Labels Made of Brown
Clay, Some with Mat Impressions, Some with a Geometric Design, P29217
·
Assorted Stamp Seals
of Stone with Geometric Designs, From Level IV, P 25111
 |
|||
 |
|||
Revised: April 19, 1999
Copyright © 1998 Oriental Institute, University of Chicago
http://www-oi.uchicago.edu/OI/MUS/PA/IRAN/PAAI/PAAI_Bakun.html
This section deals with any and every thing to do with Iran or Iranians. It is where people can send us their own information or articles, which we will post here if it is interesting or of interest to the general public. Some people have already sent us some very interesting articles and information, these are presented below.
Various
Articles and Information
'Prophet'
Mohammed's prophecies in the Zoroastrian scriptures!
There
are now many Islamic websites which say this, but after our own research we have
seen the proof that these are all FAKE and LIES, in order to fool people into
thinking Mohammed was a man of God, which we know he wasn't! In fact to our
pleasant surprise, we DID find prophecies about him which actually WARN us of
him and his evil demonic cult of Islam!
'Prophet'
Mohammed in the Hindu scriptures!
Same
Muslim lies but this time aimed at Hinduism, again surprise, surprise, we found
them to be totally FAKE and LIES. We studied the real scriptures and found out
that even Hinduism WARNS us of Islam and the evil demon called Mohammed!
This
site is constantly updated so please visit regularly!
Alternatives
to Islam
This
is real Islam and we want it OUT!
Although
we strongly support the Zoroastrian religion (and totally hate evil Arab
imperialist Islam), which is the native Aryan religion of Iran and the Iranian
people, we are aware that some may not agree with this wonderful religion, in
which case we have provided some links to other good, kind, and humane religions
and ideologies. We have deliberately left out the Semitic religions as they are
the ones which got us into this mess in the first place! Christianity although
better than Islam is still a religion which condemns unbelievers to hell and
causes divisions amongst normal human beings, as well as historically being an
intolerant faith which has also mass murdered and forced converted millions of
unbelievers! As for Baha'i we agree that many of them are wonderful people, but
they unfortunately believe that Mohammed was a holy prophet which we know is
false, as all the evidence from the Quran and Hadiths doesn't support this, in
fact it actually tells us about the real hideous and evil fiend that Mohammed
really was. Baha'i also believe in many of the absurdities of Islam and
Christianity and are more or a less a Semitic religion which damns the
unbelievers to hell. We are sorry but we don't want any religion or ideology in
the new free Iran which will promote such illogical nonsense and hatred of
others or will again divide our people. Otherwise we may find ourselves back
here fighting a new kind of ridiculous religious fundamentalism. Thanks for
understanding our point of view!
Religions : We have taken the most popular beliefs in the
world today!
Ancient
religion more than 5000 years old. Writers of the holy Vedas and many great
epics. Very interesting religion.
Religion
of Buddha, founded more then 2500 years ago. Preaches peace, love and humanity.
One
of the youngest, fastest growing, most logical and scientific monotheistic
religions we have ever come across, emphasizes peace and love of all Humanity.
One
of the oldest religions of world. It believes in a cyclical nature of the
universe, without a beginning, without an end, and without a creator.
Other
Ideologies Most popular.
Ideology
which doesn't believe in God, interesting but un-inspiring, didn't make much
sense to us
These people are not sure whether or not God exists but are quite interesting, not very inspiring though