What is a Persian? In answer to this question, we can say that the Persian is a resident of the country of Persia or its native. But it will be too simple. The meaning of the word "Persian" is not limited to this. It turns out that they are the heroes of ancient Greek mythology, and cats. Detailed information that this is a Persian will be indicated in the article.
What do dictionaries say?
In dictionaries, as a rule, two meanings of "Persian" are given:
- The first is the one who lived in Persia or was born in it. (Example: During the reign of the Umayyad dynasty, the Persians converted to Islam, usually by obtaining the status of "clients" of various tribes of Arabs who invaded Iran).
- The second is regarded as a colloquial term used when talking about Persian cats. (Example: Entering the living room, Sergey immediately drew attention to the magnificent red Persian, imposingly spread out on a sofa cushion).
Clarification of the term
For a better understanding of what “Persian” means, it will be advisable to clarify what the first of the above dictionary interpretations implies.
- The term "Persians" (or Parsi) was previously applied to residents of all territories, as well as historical entities under the name "Persia." Including when it came to the ancient Persians.
- In Russian, this term is also used as an analogue of the English word iranic, meaning "Iranian, Iranian". He defines all the Iranian peoples.
- The ethnonym "Persians," if used in a more strict sense, refers to speakers of the Persian language when they want to distinguish them from other Iranians. After all, some of them speak other languages of the Iranian group, such as, for example, Balochi or Kurds. And they can, with no less right than the Persians, be called ethnic Iranians.
- And also this ethnonym applies to those who speak the Persian language and live outside the borders of modern Iran, on the territory of the so-called Greater Iran - a historical region that is or was previously under great influence of Iranian culture.
What is meant by Persia?
If we are talking about understanding what a Persian is, you need to say about Persia. Its interpretation has the following options:
- The name of the historical region, which has acquired a Latinized look. Other varieties of its name are: Pars, Fars, ancient Persian - Parsuash, ancient Greek - Persis. Its location is on the shores of the Persian Gulf, in southern Iran. This area is the historical homeland of the Persians and their language. It can be called the cradle of Iranian statehood. Subsequently, using this name were called the state created by the Persians.
- Both in historical literature and in the Persian language is a short name used to designate the Iranian states, the former Persian empires that existed before the Arab conquest. These include: Powers - Achaemenids and Sassanids that existed during the VI-IV centuries. BC e. and III-VII centuries. n e., respectively.
- The name of the country is Iran, which was in constant use in Western countries until 1935.
Today
We can say that today the Persians are the Iranian people, which make up the main population of Iran. According to various estimates, its number varies from 56 to 60 percent.
And also it is an ethnolinguistic community, consisting of many regional groups inhabiting Iran, Afghanistan and Tajikistan. For them, the native language is Persian, which has a variety of dialects.
Even the Persians can be called the largest and most important component of the Iranian nation, which is united by a common sedentary agricultural and urban culture.
Resettlement
Persians in Iran are more than 35 million people. They are settled throughout the state, but most of them live in the central regions, in the south and in the east.
The traditional areas of Persian residence are artificially irrigated agricultural oases located along rivers or in the foothills where kyariz (traditional underground hydraulic systems) come to the surface.
However, with the beginning of the process of active urbanization, Persian-speaking cities are growing rapidly. Many of them have grown into industrial cities with a million people. This applies to Tehran, Mashhad, Keredzh, Isfahan, Shiraz, Qom.
The unified cultural area of Persian-speaking ethnic groups and sub-ethnic groups with a settled agricultural culture to the north and east of Iran continues:
- The Farsivans are Shiites living in the western provinces of Afghanistan.
- Tajiks - living in Tajikistan, other Central Asian republics, in the northeastern provinces of Afghanistan are Sunnis.
- Tats called Transcaucasian Persians.
Interesting Facts
In conclusion of the consideration of what the Persians are, we give a few interesting facts. Persians created:
- In the VI-V centuries. BC e. Persepolis - the capital of the Achaemenid Empire, captured in the VI century BC. e. Alexander the Great and destroyed by fire.
- In the V century BC e., under King Darius I, the cobbled royal road, which is known from the writings of Herodotus.
- The first state mail.
- An early record of climate control in the most unfavorable phase.
However, these are not all the answers to the question of what the Persian is.
In ancient Greek mythology
In the myths of the ancient Greeks, there are a number of characters under the name Persian, among which are the following:
- One of the younger titans, symbolizing destruction. His relatives are: father - titanium Kriy; mother - Euribia, the embodiment of sea power; spouse - Asteria, star deity; daughter - Hecate, the goddess of moonlight, witchcraft, magic, hell.
- The son of the sun god Helios and the oceanis of Perseid (identified with Hekate). Deprived his brother Eet of power. He was killed by his daughter Medea, who returned power to her father.
- The eldest son of Andromeda and Perseus. He was the last to be left with the father of Andromeda, king of Ethiopia Kefey. Persian kings, the Achaemenids, were descended from him.