Showing papers in "Iran and the Caucasus in 2008"

On the Construction Date of the Derbend Fortification Complex

Abstract: The paper discusses several aspects of the history of one of the great architectural and fortifying undertakings of the Sasanian period, namely the Derbend defensive wall. Comparing all the available data on the time of this construction, the author draws a picture of the key historical events of the 6th century A.D., the complicated relations of the Sasanians with their neighbours, and the phenomenon of the so-called Northern tribes, against whom, strictly speaking, the Derbend fortification complex was erected. The article gives a convincing answer to the problem of the construction date of the Derbend fortification complex, rightfully called the Great Caucasian Wall.

TABARICA II Some Mazandarani Verbs

Abstract: This paper studies the Tabari verbs bāuten 'to say', baiten 'to seize', hākerden 'to do', and daptunien 'to throw'. It proposes that the past stem of 'say' is derived from the Old Iranian *gaub- rather than the commonly assumed root *wac-. It postulates also that the nasal element in the present stem ken- 'do' is not exclusively due to the integration of the old participial formant *-ant-, but also because the stem is an offspring of a nasalised Old Iranian present stem, as is the case with Persian kun-. The verb 'throw', largely extinct but appearing in various forms in the 19th-century documentations, is subjected to a comparative analysis against some other Iranian languages.

A New Locative Case in Turkmenistan Balochi

Abstract: The Balochi dialect spoken in Turkmenistan possesses a case which is not seen in most other Balochi dialects. It has local/directive function, and its marker is a suffix that shows the oblique case marker suffixed to the genitive ending. The “locative” is also found in the Balochi dialect of Afghanistan, but here, the local deixis appears to always refer to a person. I argue that the locative may be interpreted within a typological framework implying that local deixis referring to persons is blocked in some languages. Instead, these languages use periphrastic constructions of the type “at a person's [place]”, as do English (e.g. at the baker's) and Old Georgian, among others. In Turkmenistan Balochi, areal influence from Russian and Turkmen, which have a separate locative case, may have played a role in the generalisation of the locative to include inanimates as well.

The Lost Sanjaq

Abstract: The seven sanjaqs , or sacred images of Malak Tawus, are the most concrete expression of Yezidism and considered the holiest of the holy ritual objects of that religion. Only a handful of non-Yezidis have ever seen one, and very little is known about them. The latter holds, in particular, true with regard to the so-called Moskovi-sanjaq . Before World War I it was sent to the Russian Empire (East Anatolia and the Transcaucasus) every year, but was reported lost in 1914. Based on numerous interviews with Yezidis in Armenia, as well as on official correspondence between British, Iraqi, and Soviet authorities, the first part of the article reconstructs the odyssey of the Moskovi-sanjaq and the seven priests ( qewwals ) carrying it. It confirms that after 16 years of wandering through the Transcaucasus, five of the seven qewwals were eventually able to return via Odessa and London to the Yezidi heartland in Northern Iraq, but concludes that the Moskovi-sanjaq was ultimately lost in Georgia—confiscated by the Soviet authorities. The second part of the paper describes the history of a second sanjaq , which the author discovered in a village near Yerevan, secretly kept and protected from the prying eyes of non-Yezidis by a sheikhly family. Although all tales and myths, explaining how this second sanjaq arrived in Armenia, are examined and analysed, the origin of that sacred image remains mysterious. The article further paints a detailed picture of the cult, which evolved around the sacred image in Armenia as well as of the—sometimes savage—fights over its possession and the struggle of the keepers of the sanjaq with the Soviet authorities. In addition to interviews with eyewitnesses, the author bases his findings on court decisions and minutes of the councils of Yezidi elders, as well as information found at Yezidi graveyards.

Iranian *L, and Some Persian and Zaza Etymologies

Abstract: This paper aims to establish Proto-Iranian *l by focusing on a variety of words in (I) Persian and (II) Zaza, many of which are of intrinsic etymological interest. In addition, (III) other etymologically noteworthy Zaza words are discussed.

Iran's Contributions to Human Rights, the Rights of Women and Democracy

Abstract: Most scholars generally pre-suppose that the concept of democracy is the exclusive creation of classical Greece and a token of the West to the rest of the world This concept has originated mainly due to the fact that much of the ancient Iranian history was only known through classical Greek writings before the ever-increasing archaeological finds and decipherments of ancient Near Eastern primary sources, which have shed a very different light on the subject This paper attempts to alleviate and restore a few of the more vital recurring misunderstandings, misinterpretations and misconceptions in this field, and endeavours to present them in a more realistic historic and historiographic perspective in the light of the latest available scholarship Beginning in 2200 BC Old Elamite Kingdom, was the first manifestation in the world of a structured and, at times, democratically elected heads of state based on matriarchal right of descent Beginning in Elam and continuing at least to the beginning of the Islamic period, no ancient peoples, including the Greeks and the Egyptians, have surpassed the practice of the rights of women, and the equality of men and women as in Iran In early 7th century BC Iran, the pronouncement by Zoroaster, through Avestan literature, was the first manifestation of the rights of women and unequivocal equality of gender in all aspects and positions of society In the second part of the 7th century BC Media, we encounter the ratification by popular vote of the first constitution for a democratically elected confederated empire, headed by Dioces, who was the first recorded popularly elected emperor In 539 BC, we come upon the declaration of the first generally accepted Charter of Rights of Nations by Cyrus the Great In 522-486 BC, in the reign of Darius the Great, appeared the first confirmation of a written entrenched democratic constitution In the 4th century AD (or earlier) Sasanian Iran, the first appearance of an advanced system of Common Law based on well-documented jurisprudence was materialised And finally, the confederated system of government in Iran, which survived the vicissitudes of history and changes of several dynasties, remained in force one way or the other to become the most enduring system of government in world history spanning a period of two-and-half millennia

Christian Armenia, Islamic Iran: Two (Not So) Strange Companions Geopolitical Stakes and Significance of a Special Relation ship

Abstract: This articles aims to present and analyse the healthy relationship between the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Republic of Armenia. Although focusing on the current geopolitical stakes and realities of the relationship, this article will also use history and the perceptions it has built to understand today's situation. Based on a long common history, this relationship inscribes itself in a complex geopolitical regional situation where international and local actors interact. These ties between both countries, although poorly explored, are particularly significant in the fields of politics, economy, energy, and culture. The study of this relationship offers a new outlook of the geopolitical complexity of this part of Eurasia, and presents both actors, Armenia and Iran, in a new light.

Armenia in Chinese Sources

Abstract: This paper discusses several toponyms in Chinese sources, which may possibly be identified with Armenia. First, Aman country, which can be found in the "History of the Later Han" (compiled 3rd–5th centuries) and in the "Account of the Wei Dynasty" (compiled between 239 and 265), is discussed, and it is suggested that there are reasons for an identification, though doubts remain. Armenia was well known by the Mongols and the "Korean Worldmap", which originates in Chinese geographical scholarship during the Mongol period and depicts possibly even Greater and Lesser Armenia. Another source of that period that mentions Armenia is "Muslim Prescriptions" (Huihui yaofang), which names Armenian materia medica known in China. Finally, two other Chinese geographical texts of the 16th and early 18th century that deal with Armenia and the Caucasus region are discussed. This paper shows that Armenia was described in Chinese texts since at least the Mongol period, and that China had a profound knowledge of the geographical situation in Western Asia.

Culture, Policy, and Scholarship in the Subcaucasian Region: (Some Critical Remarks and a Methodological Survey)

Abstract: The mutual interaction of culture and policy, and its influence on scholarship is at tested in history. Even today this influence is often remarkable in the various fields of humanities, especially in extra-European contexts. The topics, which most frequently became the object of analogous polemics in Caucasian and Subcaucasian studies, can be summed up as follows: a) the question of identities, that is how to define the ethnic, cultural, political, and religious be longing of persons, regions, and objects; b) the question of cultural influences and interactions, that is the question, who and which side influenced the other in those cases in which similar historical phenomena or artistic expressions are discernible in different ethnic or religious groups, or state structures. Obviously, in all these questions strong predicaments of various natures, which can be combined under the common denominator of extra-scholarly factors, play a big role: namely they do not allow or make very difficult a passionless approach and a balanced discussion of the subject. Since the field of discussion is extremely large, the present inquiry takes into con sideration only some specific cases in which the role of extra-scholarly factors seems to have major relevance. Moreover, these cases put in a clearer light the gaps of the conceptual frame and of the methodological procedures used in approaching the subject.

Gleanings on Jews of Greater Iran under the Sasanians: (According to the Oldest Armenian and Georgian Texts)

Abstract: This paper is an unbiased investigation of two Jewish tomb inscriptions from Mc'xeta, Georgia, claimed to support the legends about the mission of St. Nino, into the broader context of the oldest Armenian and Georgian texts that mention Jews, with the emphasis on Armenian-Georgian ecclesiastical relations. The conclusion of the author is that it is impossible to use the two mentioned inscriptions as an evidence for a Georgian Jewish community in Mc'xeta in the 4th or 5th centuries.

'Ideal Scheme' or 'Passing over the Rainbow': Transmission of the Georgian Cultural Identity among the Fereydani Gorjīs

Abstract: Conceptualising Fereydani Georgians, who have lived in Iran for almost 400 years, I have always found myself asking how such groups manage to survive as groups at all and why these kinds of people strive to maintain their sense of identity or retain their cultural memory? I place the concept of identity at the heart of the analysis. Therefore, this article explores the main aspects of identity maintenance and transmission through the presentation of a number of ethnographic materials based on my own research among Fereydani repatriates now living in Tbilisi. I try to show how certain traditions, rituals, customs, etc. are transmitted from generation to generation in the place where the environment is not native, and how such cultural artefacts express the elements of identity.

The Sogdian "Ancient Letters" (I, III)

Abstract: The "Ancient Letters" is a conventional term applied to a group of Sogdian paper documents (five letters and a number of fragments) found by Aurel Stein in 1907, in the remains of a watch-tower on the Chinese frontier wall. The letters were written, most likely, in the first decades of the 4th century A.D. The "Ancient Letters" are the earliest Sogdian handwritten texts and the oldest available paper documents. The author presents the translations of the first and third letters dictated by a woman named Mēwnāi (lit. "tiger cub"), whose husband Nanaidāt (lit. "Created by goddess Nanai") had left her in Tun-huang.

Turkish Views on Christians: Implications for Armenian-Turkish Relations

Abstract: Samuel Huntington argues in The Clash of Civilizations that a principal cultural fault line is to be found between the Muslim world and the Western non-Muslim world. In this context it is not surprising that the Christian West often assumes Muslims to be suspicious or even hostile towards Christians. Periodic cases of anti-Christian public statements and actions support this impression and are indicative of profound inter-religious tensions. This notion also influences the relations between peoples and nations. In the South-Caucasian case, the Armenian-Turkish relations are affected most by this phenomenon. When conflicts arise, religion plays a role in the perception of the Other. What is needed, therefore, is more inter-religious understanding on all societal levels. Although politics play a key role in establishing friendly ties between nations, it is the grassroots of the population upon which fruitful relations stand and which secure a more consistent quality to the results of political efforts. When considering Turkish views on Christians, field research indicates that the average Turk harbours an overall benevolent view of Christians and, therefore, that there exists considerable potential for successful inter-religious dialogue. Christians are generally regarded with respect, and most Turkish participants showed little to no negative attitudes towards them. The Christians of Turkey, notably Armenians and Greeks, were, furthermore, perceived as part of Turkey's society. The reason for these predominantly positive attitudes may be sought in the institutional incorporation of Christians and Jews into the broader context of Islamic society or, more inherent to Turkish history, in the positive remembrance of the multi-religious and multi-ethnic face of the Ottoman Empire—and thus in the appreciation of religious diversity as an asset and historical obligation.

Rituals of Birth among the Adyghes

Abstract: Rituals of childbirth make up an important part of life in traditional Adyghe society. The author provides a detailed description of these rituals, paying special attention not only to the birth itself, but also to the rituals and ceremonies practiced during the entire period of pregnancy, the behaviour of the mother-to-be, and her social status before and after the birth in the house of her husband. In a number of cases original ritual songs with translation are also included. The research is predomi nantly based on field-records of the author and archive materials. Of all the rituals associated with childhood in this survey, only some of them are practiced now, though sporadically. Others have been consigned to oblivion.

Eprem Khan and the Constitutional Failure in Iran: (Some Random Notes)

Abstract: This article includes some thoughts on reappraising the role of Eprem Khan in the constitutional failure in Iran during the early 20th century. Eprem Khan's crucial role in this event has always been the centre of scholarly discussions. While often criticised for having capitulated to the Russian threat and for not standing steadfast with the parliamentarians, an unbiased look at some primary accounts helps create a more adequate picture of the Armenian-Iranian military man. It is through an objective, though very brief, review of the historical facts that scholars are suggested to re-evaluate the role of Eprem Khan and form an opinion based on the options he faced, rather than judge him by the outcome of the momentous events of 1911.

Encyclopaedia Iranica — 35: A New Agenda for Persian Studies?

Abstract: This paper is a revised version of a Lecture delivered at the Celebrations of 35 Years of the "Encyclopaedia Iranica" project, delivered on 3 May 2008, at the University of Sydney, and on 7 June 2008, at the Arya International University, Yerevan, during the International Conference "Iran and the Caucasus: Unity and Diversity".

Conditional and Other Functions of Forms in /-(zα(.))r/ in Abkhaz

Abstract: Protases ('if-clauses) in the North West Caucasian language Abkhaz are mostly marked by either /-r/ or /-za.r/, depending on the tense and/or type of verb (Stative or Dynamic) concerned. The article presents examples of this conditional usage and the role of protasis-type forms in both temporal and interrogative ex pressions as well as in complementiser-function. The complementisers in question share the semantic feature of irrealis with conditionals. A rhotic element is also found in the non-finite form of the Future I tense, in the Masdar (verbal noun), and in such converbs as the Purposives, the Resultative and the Future Absolute. The ar ticle attempts to link the semantic notions of futurity, potentiality, indefiniteness or general irrealis to the rhotic element and asks what might have been the historical development resulting in the forms attested today and thus their original morpho logical segmentation.

Parthisch uzbar(i) und georgisch zvari

Abstract: This paper shows that Georgian zvari, Old Georgian zwari "large vineyard, wine-growing estate" is a direct loan, without Armenian transmission, from Sasanian Parthian *(i)zsar going back to Arsacid Parthian uzbar(i) with the meaning "subject to taxation, profitable" and denoting a certain category of vineyard of an estate in the Parthian Economic Documents from Nisa of the 1st century B.C. Its Old Persian correspondence was also current as a loan in Late Babylonian with the meaning "crown land". The Georgian form is documented twice in the Old Testament: 1 Samuel 22,7 showing that a zwari consisted of several venaq'i "vineyard"; and in 1 Samuel 8,12 mezware "guard or keeper of a zwari", misread in the Mc'xet'a Bible but correct in the Oski Bible. A further mistake in the Mc'xet'a Bible shows that its Georgian translator misinterpreted the Armenian model. Again, the differring text in the Oski Bible is correct. The word is mentioned by Sulxan-Saba Orbeliani in the 17th century and was explained by Niko C'ubinasvili and his nephew Davit' C'ubinasvili by a folk etymology connecting it with mzvare "sunny place", an erroneous explanation, which has also crept into modern publications.