Iranian Studies

Research Paper

A Comparative Study of the Form and Content of Composite Creatures in the Lithographic Edition of Qazvini’s Ajāib al-Makhlūqāt and the Images of Mesopotamian Cylinder Seals

Ahang Mirmongereh; shohreh javadi

Volume 16, Issue 1 , May 2026, Pages 1-1

https://doi.org/10.22059/jis.2026.411990.1409

Abstract

The techniques employed in the engraving of images on Mesopotamian cylinder seals possess novel and unprecedented characteristics. These seals contain valuable information about the ... Read More

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Research Paper

The Role of Wages and Religious Offerings in the Consolidation of Political Power: A Documentary Analysis of the Persepolis Fortification Tablets

Mahshid Khoddami; Hossein Badamchi

Volume 16, Issue 1 , May 2026, Pages 1-1

https://doi.org/10.22059/jis.2026.408992.1392

Abstract

The present study examines the multifaceted role of wages and religious offerings in consolidating and reinforcing political authority within the Achaemenid Empire,with particular emphasis ... Read More The present study examines the multifaceted role of wages and religious offerings in consolidating and reinforcing political authority within the Achaemenid Empire,with particular emphasis on the ancient documentary evidence preserved in the Persepolis Fortification Tablets.The primary objective of this research is to provide a comprehensive analysis of the mechanisms through which ritual and economic resources were distributed among social,administrative, and religious groups,and to evaluate the impact of these practices on the legitimacy, stability,and durability of the imperial power structure.The research data consist of the extensive corpus of Persepolis Fortification Tablets، which have been meticulously examined and systematically coded using a rigorous documentary analysis methodology. The findings reveal that the system of payments,rations,and ritual allocations functioned not merely as an economic mechanism but also as a strategic instrument for strengthening the loyalty,cooperation, and compliance of court officials,priests, and local elites throughout the empire.Furthermore, a detailed geographical and structural analysis of these documents demonstrates a deliberate and clear correlation between the central authority in Persepolis and the distribution of wages in subordinate regions, reflecting a sophisticated approach to administrative control and political governance.The results highlight the critical role of religious offerings and state-administered wages as essential tools employed by the Achaemenids to legitimize their rule,stabilize social hierarchies, and maintain imperial cohesion.By providing new insights into the interplay between economic, ritual, and political dimensions,this study contributes to a deeper understanding of the organizational and ideological foundations of Achaemenid imperial power and offers a valuable perspective for reevaluating the empire’s economic and religious–political structures.

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Research Paper

Manichaeism and Its Zurvanian Roots: From Conceptual Interaction to Cosmological Opposition

ّFarshad Farshbaf Abrishami; Majidreza Rajabi

Volume 16, Issue 1 , May 2026, Pages 1-1

https://doi.org/10.22059/jis.2026.411642.1405

Abstract

As one of the most significant Gnostic movements of late antiquity, Manichaeism emerged from the cultural and religious context of Iran. One of the most debated issues in Manichaean ... Read More

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Research Paper

Iconographic Analysis and Iconographers' Interpretation of the Snake and Eagle Motif in the Jiroft Civilization (3rd Millennium BC)

Esmaeil Sangari; Shaghayegh Taheri Bakhtiarvand

Volume 16, Issue 1 , May 2026, Pages 1-1

https://doi.org/10.22059/jis.2025.393018.1341

Abstract

In January 2001, a common surge within the southeastern area of Kerman, Iran, uncovered an obscure culture in Jiroft. The surge revealed artifacts that each uncover a covered up corner ... Read More

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Research Paper

A proposal to determine the function and dating of Qal-e Dokhtar Save

Ismail Sharahi

Volume 16, Issue 1 , May 2026, Pages 1-1

https://doi.org/10.22059/jis.2024.365574.1231

Abstract

The building of Qale Dokhtar (Qiz Qala, Qazqaleh) is a mountain fortress located 25 kilometers southwest of Saveh on top of a single mountain in the Hendes mountain range. Different ... Read More The building of Qale Dokhtar (Qiz Qala, Qazqaleh) is a mountain fortress located 25 kilometers southwest of Saveh on top of a single mountain in the Hendes mountain range. Different opinions have been presented in the researches about the formation of this building and its function. Some researchers have considered the construction of Qale Dokhtar to be related to the Sassanid period and its function as Anahita Temple, and others have identified it as a fortress related to the middle centuries of the Islamic period and related to the Ismailid sect. The lack of reliable documents and evidence from the researchers in presenting the two mentioned functions has raised the question of what was the function of Qale Dokhtar as a huge and magnificent building that was formed in the geographical and historical background of Saveh and when was it formed? Certainly, addressing this issue apart from providing suggestions for the dating and function of Qala Dokhtar in particular, in the field of architectural or archeological researches of the Islamic period, especially castles, raises challenges that will be necessary to be comprehensively addressed by researchers in the future. In this article, it is assumed that QaLE Dokhtar is an Ismailid castle and its function was based on the use of the followers of that sect. The method of conducting this research is historical-analytical which is based on field investigations and architectural evidence, archeological field excavations and the use of library resources. The conducted studies and researches have considered the Qale Dokhtar in connection with other Ismailid castles in Iran and suggested the 5th to 7th centuries AH as the period of formation and use of that castle in the service of the Ismailid sect.Qale Dokhtar, as one of the important castles, played a role in the creation of the network of castles and fortifications of the Ismailid sect in Central Iran and is considered one of the main castles.

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Research Paper

From Syncretism to Rationalism: Examining the Threefold Approaches to Iranian Mythology in the Historiography of the Seljuk Period (Based on Tarikh-e Sistan, Farsnameh, and Mujmal al-Tawarikh wa’l-Qisas)

hasan shahryari

Volume 16, Issue 1 , May 2026, Pages 1-1

https://doi.org/10.22059/jis.2026.405097.1380

Abstract

Iranian myths are among the most fundamental components of national identity, which have undergone continuous reinterpretation in connection with political and religious transformations. ... Read More

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Research Paper

A Structural and Content Analysis of the taṣdīq-nāmeh of a Siyurghal Decree Issued by Tīmūr Gurkānī in Favor of Mīr Ikhtiār al-Dīn Ḥasan al-Ṭabāṭabāʾī al-Bihbahānī from the Late Zand Period

Seyyed Mohammad Mansour; Alireza Khazaei

Volume 16, Issue 1 , May 2026, Pages 1-1

https://doi.org/10.22059/jis.2026.402271.1369

Abstract

The present article examines the structural and content-based aspects of a certification document related to a siyurghal decree issued by Tīmūr Gurkānī in favor of Mīr Ikhtiār ... Read More

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Volume & Issue: Volume 16, Issue 1, May 2026, Pages 1-230

A Comparative Study of the Form and Content of Composite Creatures in the Lithographic Edition of Qazvini’s Ajāib al-Makhlūqāt and the Images of Mesopotamian Cylinder Seals

Abstract

The Role of Wages and Religious Offerings in the Consolidation of Political Power: A Documentary Analysis of the Persepolis Fortification Tablets

Abstract

Manichaeism and Its Zurvanian Roots: From Conceptual Interaction to Cosmological Opposition

Abstract

Iconographic Analysis and Iconographers' Interpretation of the Snake and Eagle Motif in the Jiroft Civilization (3rd Millennium BC)

Abstract

A proposal to determine the function and dating of Qal-e Dokhtar Save

Abstract

From Syncretism to Rationalism: Examining the Threefold Approaches to Iranian Mythology in the Historiography of the Seljuk Period (Based on Tarikh-e Sistan, Farsnameh, and Mujmal al-Tawarikh wa’l-Qisas)

Abstract

A Structural and Content Analysis of the taṣdīq-nāmeh of a Siyurghal Decree Issued by Tīmūr Gurkānī in Favor of Mīr Ikhtiār al-Dīn Ḥasan al-Ṭabāṭabāʾī al-Bihbahānī from the Late Zand Period

Abstract