The name Persia, in modern usage, is a reference to the Islamic Republic of Iran. Banner image credit: Persian art. Generally, Persia today refers to Iran because the country formed over the center of the ancient Persian empire and the majority of its original citizens inhabited that land. 
The British and Russian engineering of Iran's borders followed in the footsteps of the earlier Arab invasion and then Ottoman expansion both of which effectively removed the Tigris-Euphrates basin (Eastern Iraq today) from the Greater Iranian domain. These words would evolve to Iran-shahr. A general of Alexander's established the Seleucid Empire which ruled over the previous Persian Empire until the Seleucids were overthrown by the Aryan Parthians in 248 BCE. We find the first use of the modern derivative of Aryana, Eran or Airan, in the rock inscriptions of the Persian Sassanian kings (who ruled from 226 to 651 ACE). Persia, historic region of southwestern Asia associated with the area that is now modern Iran. [*Note: According to the Middle Persian (Pahlavi) Krnmak-i Ardeshir-i Ppakn / Krnmag- Ardashr- Babagn, Book of the Deeds of Ardashir son of Babak / Babag, the Book of Deeds, "there were in the territory of Iran two hundred and forty princes" at the beginning of Parthian rule of Iran/Airan. 
The terms Iranian and Persian are often used interchangeably to describe people from Iran, and some people think they mean the same thing, but is one term correct? From Airyana Vaeja the original Aryan homeland (possibly quite small in size and extent), the Aryans migrated to surrounding lands. Aryan and non-Aryan kingdoms, the latter being nations such as Syria and Cilicia. Ukraine Russia War Crisis: Everything You Wanted to Know. Put your history smarts to the test to see if you qualify for the title of History Buff. As we had mentioned earlier, this region at one time included 240 kingdoms. 
Today, some consider Persian to be an old term that hearkens back to the former days of monarchy, but the term still has cultural value and relevance. Corrections?
That Western tradition continued into the last century until the reign of Iranian king, Reza Shah, founder of the Pahlavi dynasty. In 1935, the name Iran came into existence internationally and The Islamic Republic of Iran, with the boundaries in existence today, was founded in 1979 following the revolution which ousted the government of the Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi (19191980). We therefore call these kingdoms the Vendidad Nations. It started with the Achaemenid Empire formed by Cyrus the Great in 550 BC and was followed by Sassanid, Safavid, Afsharid and finally, Qajar rulers. However, Persian people within their country have long called it Iran (often spelled Eran).
In the inscriptions, King Ardeshir I (226-241 ACE) is referred to as king of kings of Eran. These (the Medes & Persians) were called anciently by all people Aryans." In 2015, the CIA World Factbook provided the following percentage breakdown of languages in Iran: Note: In 2018, The CIA World Factbook stated that Iran's languages are Persian Farsi, Azeriand otherTurkic dialects, Kurdish, Gilaki and Mazandarani, Luri, Balochi, and Arabic. It continues to live, however, in many hearts. She is a senior fellow specializing in terrorism analysis at the Haym Salomon Center. The 7th Century BCE Assyrian inscriptions of Sennacherib's grandson, King Ashurbanipal (668 - c. 627 BCE) also mentions the nation of Parsamash or Parsumash which by then was apparently located along the western slopes of the Zagros and Bakhtiyari mountains bordering on Elam and perhaps extending as far south as the region around present-day Masjed-e Soleyman. The name 'Persia' comes from 'Pers' which is in turn the European version of 'Pars' - an area that is today a province of Iran (see the map at the bottom of this page). Ferdowsi appears to locate Feridoon's capital as being in the southern Caspian coastal region, in or near Sari (in present-day Mazandaran, west of Gorgan, Golestan). The Arabs pronounced the name Pars as Fars (because Arabic does not have the 'p' sound) and this version of the name has persisted even after the departure of the Arabs. The use of the name was gradually extended by the ancient Greeks and other peoples to apply to the whole Iranian plateau. The CIA World Factbook no longer provides percentage breakdowns of Iran's languages. But as time went on and Iran made headlines, particularly after Prime Minister Dr. Mohammad Mosaddeq nationalized the oil industry, it became more familiar. For a more detailed discussion on the possible location of Airyana Vaeja, please see our page on the The initial wave of Zoroastrian refugees who fled to India after the Arab invasion of Iran, now use of the authentic name 'Parsi' as their ethnic group name. Despite its lateral size, Feridoon's ancient Iranian Empire does not appear to have extended its western borders in width to include the later southwest land where Parsa would eventually be located, for we do not find mention in the Shahnameh of lands south of what is today Kurdistan and perhaps Lorestan (Narwan?). "The Difference Between 'Iranian' and 'Persian'." Aryana eventually extended from Central Turkey in the west to the Taklamakan Desert in the east, from the mid-Caspian region in the north (the northern borders of the various countries with names ending in -stan) to the Persian Gulf and the western Indus delta in the south. Persians live in Iran to the Indus River of Pakistan and to. Please try again. During the reign of the subsequent Kayanian dynasty (Zarathushtra lived during the reign of Kayanian King Vishtasp) which assumed dominance over the Aryan nations, the Shahnameh no longer has the capital of Greater Iran located near Sari, but rather in Balkh (Bactria), in the north of Afghanistan today. Dominance amongst the Aryans groups passed from the Medes to the Parsa (Persians) when the Achaemenian king Cyrus the Great (Cyrus II) established the Persian Empire in the sixth century BCE by bringing the nations within the Aryan Empire ruled by the Medes under overall Persian rule. Chishpish / Teispes (675-640 BCE) an early king of the We've updated our Privacy Policy, which will go in to effect on September 1, 2022. The people of that region have traditionally called their country Iran, Land of the Aryans. That name was officially adopted in 1935. We are inclined to draw some connections between to two Parsis rather than ascribing this homonym to coincidence. https://www.thoughtco.com/is-it-iranian-or-persian-3555178 (accessed July 22, 2022). In the map of modern Iran at the right, the province of Fars (old Pars or Parsa) can be seen in the bottom-centre or southern Iran. The term Persia when used in a historic context may refer to the land ruled by any of the dynasties that built their empire around modern-day Iran. For a discussion of visual arts from the prehistoric period through the Ssnian period, see art and architecture, Iranian. For a detailed account of Mesopotamian history through the Ssnian period, see Mesopotamia, history of. Dominance of the Iranian (Aryan) nations now passed on the the Many people these days know these two terms refer to the same place geographically and often use them interchangeably. These inscription can still be seen at The king of the dominant kingdom was called king-of-kings (shah-en-shah in modern terms) - an emperor.]. This article was most recently revised and updated by, World History Encyclopedia - Ancient Persia, Persia - Children's Encyclopedia (Ages 8-11), Persia - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up). Location of the Aryan Homeland, Airyana Vaeja. Arabs trace their ancestry to the original inhabitants of tribes of Arabia from the Syrian Desert and Arabian Peninsula; Persians are a part of the Iranian inhabitants. Achaemenid dynasty of Persian kings - the first recorded Persian dynasty - as well as subsequent Achaemenian kings including Cyrus, referred to themselves as kings of Anshan. Mada (Media), Parsa (Persia), Parthava (Parthia) and then Persia again. In the early Iranian history phase, the Shahnameh makes first mention of a greater Iranian nation, an empire, during the reign of King Feridoon. By clicking Accept All Cookies, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. At this time, Pars (Arabized as Fars - see below), the ancient seat of the Persian Empire, was now a province like any other province within Iran. A ninth century (844) BCE inscription that recorded a successful military expedition by Assyrian King Shalmaneser III (859-824 BCE) in the north-central Zagros ranges south of Lake Urmia (in the northwest corner of today's Iran), states that Shalmaneser exacted tribute from twenty-seven 'kings' or chieftains of Parsua. (2021, June 3). This reference is incorrect since it ignores the presence of important ethnic groups such as the Kurds and the Turks in Iran. Greek historian Herodotus (c. 485-420 BCE ) in his Histories notes 7.62: "The Medes had exactly the same equipment as the Persians; and indeed the dress common to both is not so much Persian as Median. Today, in the north-western Afghan province of Herat, anciently called Aria (Arya), we find a people called the Parsiban (Parsi-ban could be a The Achaemenid Persian Empire came to a close at the hands of Alexander of Macedonia in 330 BCE. When the Persian Empire is referenced today, its the rule of the Achaemenid Empire that comes to mind. Several authors feel that the name Iran is a relatively modern contraction of the name Airyana Vaeja (the ancient homeland of the Airya or Aryans). Thus, to be able to determine which continent Persia belongs to, we will need to know the context in which the name is used. About 2,500 years ago, the Parsa (Persians) rose to power to became the dominant Aryan kingdom. Modern Iran is comprised of a large number of different ethnic and tribal groups. The use of the name Persia to refer to Iran may have originated from the Greco-Roman usage of Persian for Pars or Fars, one of the 31 provinces of modern Iran. While the Shahnameh does not mention Persia during the reign of King Feridoon, his sons married the daughters of the King of Yemen (we presume this is the same Yemen as the one in the south of the Arabian peninsula) thereby forming an alliance between ancient Iran and Yemen. At its height, it ranged from the Balkans and Eastern Europe to the Indus Valley. Top, Author: K. E. Eduljee, Zoroastrian Heritage, 2005-17 (researched from 1979 onwards) Contact Page validated by W3C.org, Jashan / Jashne - Thanksgiving Ceremonies, Location of the Aryan Homeland, Airyana Vaeja, Click here for a map of the sixteen Aryan nations, Map showing Iran and Central Asia and the possible movement of the Persian-Aryans culminating in the formation of Persia. In contemporary usage, however, we may take it to mean the west Asian country of Iran. Elam is some hundred kilometres south of Kermanshah and is, together with Lorestan, in the mid-western border region of Iran today. For the history of the region prior to the 7th century ad, see Iran, ancient. You know basic history facts inside and out. Some Euro-centric map-makers and authors ignored this formal request and continued to use Persia as the name instead of Iran. Instead, Pars/Persia is mentioned in Shahnameh later in history in connection with the invasion by Alexander. In recent years, on the other hand, some Iranians have started to refer to themselves as Persian or from Persia in an effort to disassociate from the government during a heightened political climate and throw off their audience who may not connect Persia with Iran. Iran is the name that was used by the various rulers of the soil since the 1st century. [The city-state of Susa (today called Shush) was a part of Elam.]
"By clicking OK or by using this Website, you consent to the use of cookies. Iranian-American comedian Maz Jobrani has even referenced this in his comedy routine in a bit that is arguably one of his most beloved because it speaks to Iranians all around the world. Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. To signal the changes that had come to Persia under the rule of Reza Shah, namely that Persia had freed itself from the grip of the British and Russians, it would be known as Iran. Tomb of Cyrus the Great of the Persian Empire. The old noble and great Iran thus died, perhaps forever. Your personal data will be governed by Mapsofworld. At that time, Germany had good relations with countries of Aryan descent. Persia, was an ancient kingdom within Iran. The Persian Empire refers to the series of imperial dynasties that spanned from the 6th century BC to the 20th century AD. Similarly as with Pars, the word 'Parsi' meaning 'of Pars' or 'Persian' was mispronounced by the Arabs as 'Farsi' [As with the names 'English' or 'German', Parsi can mean the language of Pars, or a person from Pars (it is used as a last name), or for that matter, anything from Pars]. The Parsua, Parsumash / Parsamash or Parsuash will also need to be re-identified. In this context, Persia stretched into Eastern Europe as well. But what about the details in between? Johnson, Bridget. Keep reading to discover the story of how Iran got its name. Cyrus then added surrounding non-Aryan countries to his Persian Empire - especially countries to the west of Persia and Media. Since the Vendidad's list of nations does not include two Aryan kingdoms, Parsa (Pars/Pers/Persia) or Mada (Media), we are left to conclude that these nations had not been formed - at least as autonomous kingdoms or nations in the fashion of the other sixteen lands - at the time the list was assembled. The dominance of the Aryan federation of nations had passed from Feridoon's dynasty (in Gorgan-Mazandaran, i.e.
Its thought that it was the Iranian ambassador to Germany who suggested this change. In 2015, the CIA World Factbook provided the following percentage breakdown of ethnicity in Iran: Note: In 2018, The CIA World Factbook stated that Iran's ethnic groups are Persian, Azeri, Kurd, Lur, Baloch, Arab, Turkmen and Turkic tribes. As history and politics have changed, though, its quite interesting to note how the use of the terms Iran and Persia and Iranian and Persian have changed with it. Persians allied with the Elamites, attacked the Assyrian city of Halule. Thus, a person could be one without being the other. People who identify as Persian account for the majority, but there are also large numbers of Azeri, Gilaki and Kurdish people, too. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/is-it-iranian-or-persian-3555178. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). The borders of present-day Iran are a greatly contracted version of Aryana engineered mainly by the British and the Russians who successively carved of portions in their expansions of the British and Russian Empires. Parthia was a kingdom located in the northeast of present day Iran (around today's Khorasan province). Another Assyrian inscription states that Shalmaneser's successor, King Shamsi-Adad (823-810 BCE) destroyed 1,200 towns or settlements in Parsua in the region of present day Kermanshah some three hundred and fifty kilometres south of Lake Urmia. derivative of the older Parsa-van, meaning 'people of the Parsa/Parsi'. The Persians thus resumed dominance of Iran until they were yet again overthrown - this time by the Arabs. As a cognate of the word Aryan, this name change to Iran was also a nod to the populations Aryan race and encompassed all ethnicities in the country, not just the Persians. Outside the country, Iran used to be referred to as Persia, but theres a curious reason why it changed.