Iranian Studies

Abstract Having curly hair (Persian: gīsvari) is one of the obscure and rare concepts in the epics and heroic stories but various texts and particularly some of the non-Iranian sources pertaining to this issue could show us some evidenc regarding the ancient descriptions of warriors in Indo-european culture. Moreover, obstinacy (Persian: sar-keshi), as one of the indispensable characters of heros, doesn’t mean “insurrection”, but it designates some kind of “independence” of two other functions, especially the first one, namely the “King-Priest”. It is possible to find the literal meanings of “Gīsvari” (having long locks or dishevelled hair) in some texts. The termGīsvari has occurred in the Iranian stories (either old texts or New Persian epics). It could be compered with its equivalents in some other cultures. This comparison would show us that symbolic signification of this term refers to the obstinacy of warriors distinguishing them from mercenary soldiers. According to the old beliefs, obstinacy of heroses appears in different forms: first, the incompatibility between warrior deities and other ones in the divine territory; and second, the heroses and kings’ discord in the epic literature. After the genesis of the priestly ethics of Zoroastrianism, Garshasb’s role retrogrades to a particular status and his obstinacy emerges as against religious laws.

Abstract It  is  the  tribal  structure  of  society  and  power  with  which  one  can  explain  many  developments  in  ancient  Iran  in  particular  in  the  Achaemenian  period.  The  ancient  authors  confirm  that  seven  families with various  names  played  an  important  role  in  political,  economic and  military  structures  of  Persia  from  this time  up  to  the end of  Sasanian  period.  By  choosing  Gobryas,  described  in  the Old Persian and Elamite evidance as a Patischorian and a  member  of  seven  families  during  the  reign  of  Darius I,  as  a  case  study,  the  present  paper  attempts  to  discuss  this  concept  from  a  new  perspective  based  on  the  Persepolis  tablets  and  seal  impressions  preserved on them. In the light of this evidence, it seems that  Gobryas  as  the  leader  of  Patischorian  tribe  was  one  of  major  landlords  of  northwestern  Fars and  southeastern  Khuzestan.  It  is  suggested  that  this  region was the  house of Patischorian tribe. Further, it is argued  that Liduma (modern Jenjan), where Achaemenid  architectural  works  have been discovered, was probably a regional/tribal center of  Gobryas. The Achaemenid rock-cut tombs in Behbahan might be  attributed to Gobryas family. This region was  influenced  by  Elamite  culture and art and, as the personal seal of Gobryas indicates,  Gobryas  family  was  not  separated  from  it.

Abstract This study explores the person/number suffixes in Laki in a descriptive-analytic method. Having a broad distribution, these suffixes can attach to subject and object NPs, prepositions, and verbs. By considering the uniform syntactic behavior of subjects of transitive and intransitive predicates and it’s contrast with the behavior of objects of transitive predicates, the authors show that these suffixes are not ergative markers. The presence of these suffixes on prepositions as well as verbs, priority of verbal stem and not necessarily the first constituent of VP for hosting these endings and the agreement relation between these suffixes and direct objects evidences that viewing these suffixes as subject agreement markers is not on the right track. Finally, using evidenc like the uniformity of distribution of these suffixes with NPs and dependent personal pronouns, together with historical evidenc regarding the origination of verbal suffixes from pronouns, the authors argue that these suffixes are pronoun and are not fully converted into verbal agreement markers yet.

Abstract The cities of Jay in pre-Islamic and Yahudiya in the post Islamic period were located in a plain delimited from three sides by surrounding heights. This area, referred to in historical and geographical documents as the Rostāq-i Jay, was the most important rural district of Isfahan's khora. With rising of Buyids, they decided to change the seat of power from Jay to Yahudiya and consequently the construction of the city wall. Given the complete destruction of both city^,s wall, the only data available on their location are limited to the texts and few archaeological traces. Therefore, while analyzing the reasons for change of hub in Isfahan from Jay to Yahudiya, the article tries to determine the location of walls of Jay and Yahudiya in Jay district on the basis of geographical and historical texts, archeological evidence, old maps and satellite photos, and traces them on the current city^,s map.
 

Abstract Formation of the Ilkhanid rule and conversion of Hulagu to Buddhism Let Buddhists to participate in Ilkhanid rule. Buddhists hadnot any role in Iranian politics before, and this was seen as a permission to them to take part in the statecraft. After this, many Buddhists migrated from China, Tibet, and the Uyghurestan to Iran. They built some temples which sought to convert people to Buddhism. Some of the  Ilkhanid Kings converted to Buddhism and like Hulagu and Abaqa Khan appointed some of Buddhists as their consultants. Buddhists developed area of their influence up to get involved in military and political affairs. They were in good position till Ghazan converted to Islam and left them between converting to Islam or leaving the country.

Abstract One of the rich families of Azerbaijan during Mongol and Ilkhanid period was “Jamā‘at-e Malekān” of Tabriz. The persons of this family had rulership in Tabriz and its districts and were nobles and respected persons for the Mongol khans including Holagu (rule: 651-663). Some personalities of this family, like Malek Mahmūd, Amīr Majd al-Dīn Muhammad and Abu al-Majd Tabrizi, were poets and scholars and their poems and works are now available. Brief and scattered information about this family can be found in literary and historical sources and by joining them together some knowledge about the persons of this family may be obtained.

Abstract The Seleucid Seals and bullae play a significant role in understanding the administration and social structures of this period. Due to the limitations in the Seleucids sigillographic study, a wide variety of administrative archives of bullae found from important sites such as Qumis, Susa, Babylon, Nippur and Kadesh are waiting for the researchers to deal with the bullae’s various aspects. Apart from the hellenistic style, characteristic of bullae, they generally are bearing the impressions concerning the political and social status of Seleucid officials as well as the bureaucratic economic system of the Seleucid society. It seems that there has been association between the iconography of the seal and its owner’s social or political status. In some cases, the iconography of the seal could have been served to realize either the role of seal owners or his professional status because the privilege of some of iconographic motif of the seals were reserved for a certain class of nobility.