Figure 1.--Iran is a highly diverse country. The various groups with some exceptions have coexisted fairly amnicably. The fundamentalist Iranian Revolution (1979) has been less willing to tolerate diversity. This is especially the case ethnically. The dominant Persian ethnic group constitute more than half the population and inhabit most of the Iranian Plateau of central Iran. The various ethnic minorities are related on the perifery of the country. This is a 1930s photographed identified only as 'tribal children'.

Iran is a rugged country dominated by plateaus and mountains. Thgere are two important mountain ranges, the Elburz Mountains in the north and the Zagros Mountains in the west. The dominant populated areas is the Iranian Plateau which covers much of central and eastern area of Iran. This is the country's hearland and where most of the country's fertile agricultural land is located. We do have a page on Zoriastrianism. It is one of the world's great relgious traditions and was the religion of the Persian Empire. We have very little information about Iranian schoolwear at this time. We have on image of schoolboys in Yzed about 1908. We believe that smocks have commonly been worn, primarily by girls. We have a biography on Vartan Gregorian, an Arminian Christian. What became Persia was on the perifery of Tigris-Euphrates River which was the one of the great cradles of civilization--Mesopotamia. As agricultural technology advanced, civilization arose in Persia. The Achaemenid Empire (550-330 BC) was one of the great empires of all time. A ci\vilization of cultural brilliance. Part of its greatestness was its tolerance of ideas and religions. It was Cyrus the Great who freed the Jews from their Babylonian Captivity. The Persian Empire was smashed by Alexander the Great ushering n the Helinisic Era. Various empires rose and fell in Persia. Persian sucessorswar with the Roman Empire. The native Zoriatrian Religion and Christisanity was overwealmed by Islam (7th century AD) ending with the Mongol Conquest (13th centtury). After the Monol Conquest susequent Persian regimes were backwaters of world history. In the modern era Persia found itself caught between Russian and British Imperialism. The Iranian toyed with the NAZIs in the lead up to Wold War II. This prompted British and Soviet intervention and Iran became the major conduit for vital American Lend Lease aid to the resurgent Red Army. The development of Iran's oil resources provided the financing needed to modernizxe the country. The United saes supported the Shah during the Cold War. A reaction to the strains of modernization was the Islamic Revolution led by the Ayatola Kommenni. Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein saw the brealk with America as the opportunity to seize areas of western Iran leading to the debilitating Iran-Iraq War (1980-88). Kimmenni and his followers constructed an Islamic theocracy which use force to suppress democratic critics. The Iranian mullahs seem intent in establishing Iran as the dominant power in the Middle East often looking back to the past glories of the Persian Empire. In sharp coinrast there is no cultural brilliance and even wih enormous oil resources the country is an economic failure.

Geography

Iran is a rugged country dominated by plateaus and mountains. Thgere are two important mountain ranges, the Elburz Mountains in the north and the Zagros Mountains in the west. The dominant populated areas is the Iranian Plateau which covers much of central and eastern area of Iran. This is the country's hearland and where most of the country's fertile agricultural land is located. A prominent feature is Dasht-e Kavir, in he north south of the Elburz Mountains is the most desalate area of Iran. It is a sandstone and salty desert plateau. During the summer it is one of the hottest places on the planet. The most important river is the Karun, found in he southwestern corner. Lake Urmia in the extreme northwest is the country's largest body of water. The north borders on the Caspian Sea, one of the most endangered bodies of water in the world. Iranian sewage is not of its major problem. Iran's highest point is Mt. Damavand in the Elburz has an elevation of 18,934 ft (5,771m). The southern coast borders on the Persian Gulf and Guld of Onan (Arabian Sea). The Strait of Hormiz dominate the entrance to the oil rich Persian Gulf.

History

What became Persia was on the perifery of Tigris-Euphrates River which was the one of the great cradles of civilization--Mesopotamia. As agricultural technology advanced, civilization arose in Persia. The Achaemenid Empire (550-330 BC) was one of the great empires of all time. A ci\vilization of cultural brilliance. Part of its greatestness was its tolerance of ideas and religions. It was Cyrus the Great who freed the Jews from their Babylonian Captivity. The Persian Empire was smashed by Alexander the Great ushering n the Helinisic Era. Various empires rose and fell in Persia. Persian sucessorswar with the Roman Empire. The native Zoriatrian Religion and Christisanity was overwealmed by Islam (7th century AD) ending with the Mongol Conquest (13th centtury). After the Monol Conquest susequent Persian regimes were backwaters of world history. In the modern era Persia found itself caught between Russian and British Imperialism. The Iranian toyed with the NAZIs in the lead up to Wold War II. This prompted British and Soviet intervention and Iran became the major conduit for vital American Lend Lease aid to the resurgent Red Army. The development of Iran's oil resources provided the financing needed to modernizxe the country. The United saes supported the Shah during the Cold War. A reaction to the strains of modernization was the Islamic Revolution led by the Ayatola Kommenni. Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein saw the brealk with America as the opportunity to seize areas od western Iran leading to the debilitating Iran-Iraq War (1980-88). Kimmenni and his followers constructed an Islamic theocracy which use force to suppress democratic critics. The Iranian mullahs seem intent in establishing Iran as the dominant power in the Middle East often looking back to the past glories of the Persian Empire. In sharp coinrast there is no cultural brilliance and even wih enormous oil resources the country is an economic failure.

Economy

Pastoral tribes from the central Asia Steppe north of the Caspian moved south into the area between the Fertile Cressent and India. Evebtually these pastoral people dominated the area between the the Zagros and the Hindu Kush. Some tribes adopted a settled life style. Other tribes retained their semi-nomadic lifestyle. This was the Iranian peoples as they appeared in history. They were strongly nfkluenced by the MNedes. They foirned the Achaemenid or Persian Empire. They were not noted for their economy, but rather their military prowess. There were several dynasties who proved tio be both capable military commabders abd effective administratiors. Their great patron was Cyris the Great who not only was a poweful military ruler, but an important law giver. The Persians prospered by creatung a stable state and the rule of law under which the more economically advanced conquered people could prosper and pay bountiful tribute to the Persian state. Rather than destroy local economies as many ancient conquerors did, the Persian economic policy from an early point was to increase trade and commerce throughout the Empire. They standardized weights, minted official (meabing depebdable metal content) coinage, built rioads, and enforced universal (meaning Empire-wide laws. The Empire required obedience and imposed a 20 percent tax on all agriculture and manufacturing. They began taxing religious institutions, which despite acquiring great wealth had previously been untaxed. The Persians themselves paid no taxes. The whole system came crashing down as a result of Alexander conquests. Persia and the Persian economy never recovered. Feudalism is often associated with medieval Europe. In fact is a virtually world-wide phenomenon. We see a feudal-like system emerging in Persia centuries before it appeared in Europe. The population needed protection from the same central Asia peoples from thecAsian Steppe that at times swept oiver China abd even Eyrope. Persia was conquered by Arabs fired with the faith of Islam (651 AD). This led to a golden age of Islamic culture. Both Persian and the Arab Caliphate was destroyed by the Monguls (13th century). This began with Khwarezmia (1221). Neither the Persians or Arabs ever recovered. This was because after the demise of the Monguls, both the Arabs and Persians persued a narrow focus on Islam and, unlike the Golden Age, no longer pursued the arts, math, medicine, and science. All of this had economic consequences. Duruing the Golden Age of the Uslnmuc Middle East they had led backward Europe. Beginning with the European Renaissance this relationship flipped (14th century) . Europe began its economic accent and the Middle declined into poverty relying on technologies little changed since ancient times. This was the sutuation when Persia entered modern times. And it would not begin tio chsnge significantly yntil oil was duscovered (1911).

Chronology

HBC has very limited information about Iran at this time. Iran was formerly called Persia. We have some information on Ancient Persia. Persia was of course conquered by Alexander the Great. Other empires such as the Parthians controlled Persia in anvcient times. In modern times, the Iranian Islamic Revolution has had a substantial impact on clothing, especially girls and women's clothing. The new Revolutionary Government began to dictate how women dressed in punlic: head scarves, long loose-fitting robes, pants, and closed-toe shoes, a kind of Islamic uniform. Various rationale were offered, among them was that it was inconvenient for men to be sexually stimulated by women. One Iranian girl recalls that before hervfamily was forced to emmigrate she calls the clothing divisions between the fundamentalists in power and average Iranians. She writes, "They had long beards or stubby faces. We shaved. They donned collarless shirts. We put on ties. They wore their black veils as naturally as a second skin, held the two corners by their teath, leaving their hands free to frisk us. We were the ones forced under veils, mummified. They were the superfluous salt-and-peper turbans in every landsscape. We were the bitter, watching. They, poorly educated mostaz'afeen were suspicious of anyone wearing perscription glasses. We were the ones with weak eyes. They began their speeches in the name of Allah. We began ours with good old God. They called themselves 'the faithful'. We called ourselves Iranians." [Hakakian]

Religion

Persia has a long religious history. The Persian empire was noted for its religious toleration. It was Cyrus the Great who freed the Jews from their Babylonian captivity. Iran today has departed from this tradition of toleration. The country is an Islamic republic, a theorcracy dominated by the country's Shi'a clergy. Other religions are subjected to various degrees of persecution. We do have a page on Zoriastrianism. It is one of the world's great rlgious traditions and was the religion of the Persian Empire. The Arabs conquered Persia in the 7th century and from that time has been an Islamic country. The Iranian Revolution created a fundamentalist state which despite claims of democracy is a theocracy ruled by mullahs. Iran had a substantial Jewish community of ancient origins. Many young Jews supported the Iranian Revolution. Soon after taking power. the Iranian Government decalred Israel "Iran's greatest enemy." Soon Jews had to leave Iran, a country in which they had lived centuries before the advent of Islam. The most percecuted relifious community in Iran, perhps, because most Jews have been forced to flee the country, is the Baha'i Faith

Minorities

Iran is a highly diverse country. The various groups with some exceptions have coexisted fairly amnicably. The fundamentalist Iranian Revolution (1979) has been less willing to tolerate diversity. This is especially the case ethnically. The dominant Persian ethnic group constitute more than half the population and inhabit most of the Iranian Plateau of central Iran. The various ethnic minorities are related on the perifery of the country. This has created problems with neigboring states, especially modern Iraq--a continuation of the historic conflict between Arabs and Persians. Interethnic relations have caused some problems for modern Iran because several of the other ethnic groups have demanded autonomy or independence, something the dominant Perians have effectively resisted. The principal ethno-linguistic minority groups in Iran are: Arabs, Armenians, Assyrians, Azeris, Baluchis, Georgians, Jews, Kurds, and Turkmen, There are also tribal minority groups, including the Bakhtiaris, Khamseh, Lurs, Qashqai, and others. There are religuous minorities which tend to overlap with the ethnic minority groups. Most Iranians are Muslim, but there are different Islamic traditions. The Persians are primarily Shi'ia while Aerabs and some of the other ethnic groups are Sunni. Almost all of tge small Jewish minority has fled Iran. The Iranian fundamentalist regime has targete the ciuntry's Baha'i community.

Education

We have very little information about Iranian education at this time. Iran of course is the modern name for Persia. This is an ancient civilization dating back to Biblical times. We know little about schools or the training of children in ancient Persia (the Achaemenid period). There are only a few tantalizing clues. One source during the reign of Darius I (yhe Great) describes Persian boys copying texts. Education unlike in Greece was limited to a narrow strata of scoiety. It is believd Most of nobles and highly placed civil servants were literate. This meas there had to be schools. e know next to nothing about those schools, nut they likely would have been attached to the royal court. THe Persin Empire was, however, a large ivrse state. Thus there may have been schools in the courts od satraps and the royal courts of conquered people. The Ionian Greeks comtrolled by the Persians would have had schools. This means education in different languages. The Persians also used foreign scribes (writing chiefly in Aramaic) in the state chancery. We have been able to find very little information on education in medieval Persia. Aran armies conquered Persial ending the Sasanian Empire (651). Arab Islamization led to the eventual decline of the Zoroastrianism. Court schools continued to be important for the nobility. Here there are some indications that girls might be educated. We believe, however, that the number of such schools were very limited. Other than these schools, education fell into the habds of the mullahs teaching in schools atached to mosques. Literacy rates continued at very low levels. The education ptovidd by the imans in the mosques focused largely on Kranic studies. Thus the Persians like the Arabs did not participare in the revivl od learning and the development of science that occurred in he West, especially with the Rnaisace (14th century). This basic system continud virtually unchanged for centuries. We have on image of schoolboys in Yzed about 1908. We believe that smocks have commonly been worn, primarily by girls. Under the Palavis, especially after the oil industry was developd, substantial resources were devoted to building a modern education system. For the first time modern studies in the sciences and other subjects became an important part of Persian education. It was during the Palavi period that the country's name was changed to Iran. Since the Islamic Revolution (1979), girls have been subjct to strict Islamic dress codes.

Environment

The population of Iran when the Mullahs seized power and launched the Islamic Revolution had a population of 37 million people. The population is now approching 80 million people. This means that the oil income which could once bring prosperity to the nation, as the population grows, has less and less of an impact. The country increasingly needs a prosperous economy, an economy that can not be created wih the isolation that the Mulhas have caused, if not sought. But this is not the only problem tht the Mulhas and Iranian people face. The steadily rising population has caused great stresses on Iran's fragil enviroment, especially on the Iranin plateau, the heartland of the country. A former Iranian Minister of Agriculture writes, "Our main problem that threatens us, that is more dangerous than Israel, America or political figting, is the issue of living in Iran. It is that the Iranian plateau is becoming uninhabitable. .... Ground water has decreased and a negative waterbalance i widespread, and no one is thinking about this. I am deeply worried about the future generations. If this situation is not reformed, in 30 years Iran will be a ghost town. Even if there is precipitation in the desert , there will be no yield, because the area for groundwater will be dried and water will rejain at ground water nd evaporate. .... ... the deserts of Iran are spreading, and I am warning you that people will have ti evaporate. But where? Easily I can say hat of the 75 million people in Iran, 45 million will have uncertain circumstances." [Kalantari] And despite this clear danger, the Mulhas pursue the quest for nuclear weapons, the destruction of Israel, and the historic struggle with the Sunnis--efforts which have no real benefit for the Iranian people. Another serious environmental issue is the Caspian Sea, the world' largest land-locked body of water. It is also among he most endangered. All of the costal coyuntries (Azerbaihan, IIran, Turkmenistan, Kakistan, and Russia). All have contribute to the envirinental crisis. Iran's contribution islarge quantities of ubtreated sewage being dumped in Caspian. The five countries signed a Caspian treaty (August 2018). It id unclear if they will take the needed steps to save the Caspian.

Photographer

Armenian-Georgian photographer Antoin Sevruguin has left us images of 19th century Persia, althoigh sadly much of his body of work has best lost, both by ccident and an effort to hide the country's past.

Individual Accounts

We note a biography on Vartan Gregorian, an Arminian Christian.

Sources

Hakakian, Roya. Journey from the Land of No: A Girlhood Caught in Revolutionary Iran (Crown, 2004).

Kalantari, Issa. Ganoon Nespaper (July 9, 2013).

Created: 8:45 PM 9/6/2004
Last updated: 7:18 PM 8/17/2018