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113-524: Old Azeri was the dominant language in Azerbaijan before it was replaced by Azerbaijani , which is a Turkic language . Ahmad Kasravi , a preeminent Iranian Azeri scholar and linguist, was the first scholar who examined the Iranian language of Iran's historic Azerbaijan region . He conducted comprehensive research using Arabic, Persian, Turkish and Greek historical sources and concluded that Old Azeri

226-622: A deep understanding of historical change, tracing current conditions to the unfolding of events over generations and centuries. He perceived the significance of interstate relations and of the interaction of Muslims and Hindus in the various states of the subcontinent. He described previous rulers in China , underlined the importance of the revolt by Huang Chao in the late Tang dynasty , and mentioned, though less detailed than for India, Chinese beliefs. His brief portrayal of Southeast Asia stands out for its degree of accuracy and clarity. He surveyed

339-706: A diverse and varied collection of peoples. He noted their independent attitude, the absence of a strong central authority among them and their paganism . He was very well informed on Rus trade with the Byzantines and on the competence of the Rus in sailing merchant vessels and warships. He was aware that the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea are two separate bodies of water. Al-Masʿudi was also very well informed about Byzantine affairs , even internal political events and

452-464: A draft version from 947 is extant. Al-Masʿudi in his Tanbīh states that the revised edition of Murūj al-dhahab contained 365 chapters. Al-Masʿudi lived at a time when books were available and cheap. Major cities like Baghdad had large public libraries and many individuals, such as as-Suli, a friend of Mas‘udi's, had private libraries, often containing thousands of volumes. Early in the Abbasid era

565-532: A varying altitude from 256 m (840 ft) in the vicinity of the Aras River to 2,896 m (9,501 ft) and covers an area of 78,560 hectares (194,100 acres; 303.3 sq mi). The biosphere is also home to some 23,500 nomads . Arasbaran is confined to Aras River in the north, Meshgin Shahr County and Moghan in the east, Sarab County in the south, and Tabriz and Marand counties in

678-546: A very short-lived autonomous, Soviet-supported state from November 1945 to November 1946, which was dissolved after the reunification of Iranian Azerbaijan with Iran in November of the same year. The period roughly from the last major Russo-Persian War up to this date is so-called the period of high Russian influences in Iran. All of Northern Iran, including Iranian Azerbaijan, Gilan, Mazandaran, Qazvin, and many other places all

791-460: Is Iranian (al-farssya), which binds them together, while Arabic is also used among them; among those who speak al-faressya (here he seemingly means Persian, spoken by the elite of the urban population), there are few who do not understand Arabic; and some merchants and landowners are even adept in it". Ibn Hawqal mentions that some areas of Armenia are controlled by Muslims and others by Christians. Abu al-Hasan Ali ibn al-Husayn Al-Masudi (896-956),

904-580: Is a historical region in northwestern Iran that borders Iraq and Turkey to the west and Armenia , Azerbaijan , and the Azerbaijani exclave of the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic to the north. Iranian Azerbaijan includes three northwestern Iranian provinces: West Azerbaijan , East Azerbaijan and Ardabil . Some authors also include Zanjan in this list, some in a geographical sense, others only culturally (due to

1017-472: Is an important early source for the study of Russian history and the history of Ukraine . Again, while he may have read such earlier Arabic authors as Ibn Khordadbeh , Ibn al-Faqih , ibn Rustah and Ibn Fadlan , al-Mas'udi presented most of his material based on his personal observations and contacts made while traveling. He informed the Arabic reader that the Rus were more than just a few traders. They were

1130-826: Is bounded in the north by Armenia and the Republic of Azerbaijan and in the West by Lake Urmia and Kurdish-inhabited areas of Iran, and in the East by Gilan . Most of the biggest rivers in Azerbaijan flow into either Urmia Lake or the Caspian Sea (both of which are endorheic ). Some of the major rivers are: Arasbārān , in the former Qaradagh , is a UNESCO registered biosphere reserve (since 1976) and an Iranian Dept. of Environment designated "Protected Area" in East Azarbaijan Province , Iran , with

1243-696: Is derived from Atropates , the Persian Satrap (governor) of Medea in the Achaemenid Empire , who ruled a region found in modern Iranian Azerbaijan called Atropatene . Atropates's name is believed to be derived from the Old Persian roots meaning "protected by fire." The name is also mentioned in the Avestan Frawardin Yasht: âterepâtahe ashaonô fravashîm ýazamaide which translates literally to: "We worship

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1356-410: Is implied in /dar/. The vocabulary of the natives of Balkh was dominant in this language, which includes the dialects of the eastern peoples. Khuzi is associated with the cities of Khuzistan where kings and dignitaries used it in private conversation and during leisure time, in the bath houses for instance. Ibn Hawqal states: The language of the people of Azerbaijan and most of the people of Armenia

1469-401: Is known of his means and funding of his extensive travels within and beyond the lands of Islam, and it has been speculated that like many travelers he was involved in trade. Towards the end of The Meadows of Gold, al-Masʿudi wrote: The information we have gathered here is the fruit of long years of research and painful efforts of our voyages and journeys across the East and the West, and of

1582-621: Is known to have met Abu Zayd al-Sirafi on the coast of the Persian Gulf and received information on China from him. He presumably gathered information on Byzantium from the Byzantine admiral, Leo of Tripoli , a convert-to-Islam whom he met in Syria where his last years were divided between there and Egypt . In Egypt he found a copy of a Frankish king list from Clovis to Louis IV that had been written by an Andalusian bishop. Little

1695-480: Is known. Born in Baghdad , he was descended from Abdullah Ibn Mas'ud , a companion of Islamic prophet Muhammad . It is believed that he was a member of Banu Hudhayl tribe of Arabs. Al-Masudi mentions a number of scholar associates he encountered during his journeys: Al-Mas'udi's travels actually occupied most of his life from at least 903/915 CE to very near the end of his life. His journeys took him to most of

1808-817: Is like fresh grapes in a ripped fruit basket." A Macaronic (mula'ma which is popular in Persian poetry where some verses are in one language and another in another language) poem from Homam Tabrizi, where some verses are in Khorasani (Dari) Persian and others are in the dialect of Tabriz. بدیذم چشم مستت رفتم اژ دست // كوام و آذر دلی كویا بتی مست // دل‌ام خود رفت و می‌دانم كه روژی // به مهرت هم بشی خوش گیانم اژ دست // به آب زندگی ای خوش عبارت // لوانت لاود جمن دیل و گیان بست // دمی بر عاشق خود مهربان شو // كزی سر مهرورزی كست و نی كست // به عشق‌ات گر همام از جان برآیذ // مواژش كان بوان بمرت وارست // كرم خا و ابری بشم بوینی // به بویت خته بام ژاهنام Another Ghazal from Homam Tabrizi where all

1921-436: Is neither towards pre-eternity nor upon createdness. Azerbaijan (Iran) 37°36′N 47°00′E  /  37.6°N 47.0°E  / 37.6; 47.0 Azerbaijan or Azarbaijan ( Persian / Azerbaijani : آذربایجان , romanized :  Āzarbāyjān , Persian pronunciation: [ɒːzæɾbɒːjˈdʒɒːn] , Azerbaijani pronunciation: [ɑːzæɾbɑjˈdʒɑn] ), also known as Iranian Azerbaijan ,

2034-940: Is not exactly Dari (name used for the Khorasanian Persian which is the Modern Persian language). From the research conducted by researchers upon this language, it appears that this language is part of the NW Iranian languages and was close to Talyshi language. Talyshi language has kept some of the characteristics of the Median language. Aliyev states that medieval Muslim historians like al-Baladhuri , al-Masudi , ibn Hawqal and Yaqut al-Hamawi mentioned this language by name. Other such writers are Estakhri , Ibn al-Nadim , Hamza al-Isfahani , al-Muqaddasi , Ya'qubi , Hamdallah Mustawfi and Muhammad ibn Musa al-Khwarizmi . According to Gilbert Lazard , "Azarbaijan

2147-506: Is partly Dari and partly convoluted (monqaleq) and all of them are named Persian". Al-Moqaddasi also writes on the general region of Armenia, Arran and Azerbaijan and states: They have big beards, their speech is not attractive. In Arminya they speak Armenian, in al-Ran, Ranian (the Caucasian Albanian language ). Their Persian is understandable, and is close to Khurasanian (Dari Persian) in sound Ahmad ibn Yaqubi mentions that

2260-565: Is partly the product of Azerbaijani intellectuals. Azerbaijani provinces have played a major in the cultural and economic life of Iran in both the Pahlavi era as well as the Iranian Constitutional and Islamic revolution. The Iranian provinces of Azerbaijan, both West and East, possess a large number of monuments from all periods of history. Iranian Azerbaijan is generally considered the north-west portion of Iran comprising

2373-431: Is related to Fahleh. This name is used to designate five cities of Iran, Esfahan, Rey, Hamadan, Man Nahavand, and Azerbaijan. Persian is a dialect which was spoken by the clergy (Zoroastrian) and those who associated with them and is the language of the cities of Fars. Dari is the dialect of the cities of Ctesiphon and was spoken in the kings' /dabariyan/ 'courts'. The root of its name is related to its use; /darbar/ 'court*

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2486-645: Is relatively better than many other parts of the country because of comparatively higher precipitation. Handicrafts are mostly a seasonal industry mostly in rural areas during wintertime when the agriculture season is finished. There are 500 important production and industrial unit in this area. in October 2016, 500 Regional economic giant was introduced in 5 areas and 19 groups. Industries include machine tools, vehicle factories, oil refineries, petrochemical complexes, food processing, cement, textiles, electric equipment, and sugar milling. Oil and gas pipelines run through

2599-487: Is sometimes referred to as the " Herodotus of the Arabs". A polymath and prolific author of over twenty works on theology, history (Islamic and universal), geography , natural science and philosophy , his celebrated magnum opus The Meadows of Gold ( Murūj al-Dhahab ) combines universal history with scientific geography , social commentary and biography. Apart from what al-Mas'udi writes of himself little

2712-560: The Arab historian states: The Persians are a people whose borders are the Mahat Mountains and Azarbaijan up to Armenia and Aran, and Bayleqan and Darband , and Ray and Tabaristan and Masqat and Shabaran and Jorjan and Abarshahr, and that is Nishabur, and Herat and Marv and other places in land of Khorasan , and Sejistan and Kerman and Fars and Ahvaz...All these lands were once one kingdom with one sovereign and one language...although

2825-835: The Assyrians , Babylonians , Egyptians and Persians among others. He is also the only Arab historian to refer (albeit indirectly) to the kingdom of Urartu , when he speaks about the wars between the Assyrians (led by the legendary Queen Semiramis ) and Armenians (led by Ara the Beautiful ). Al-Masʿudi was aware of the influence of ancient Babylon on Persia. He had access to a wealth of translations by scholars such as ibn al-Muqaffa from Middle Persian into Arabic. In his travels, he also personally consulted Persian scholars and Zoroastrian priests. He thus had access to much material, factual and mythical. Like other Arabic historians, he

2938-681: The Avarayr Plain , at what is modern-day Churs (modern-day West Azerbaijan Province ), the Armenian Army under Vardan Mamikonian clashed with Sassanid Persia. Although the Persians were victorious on the battlefield itself, the battle proved to be a major strategic victory for Armenians, as Avarayr paved the way to the Nvarsak Treaty (484 AD), which affirmed Armenia's right to practice Christianity freely. Heraclius ,

3051-658: The Byzantine emperor , briefly held the region in the 7th century until peace was made with the Sassanids. After the Islamic Conquest of Iran , Arab invaders converted most of its people to Islam and made it part of the caliphate . During the Arab invasion of Iran , the Spahbed of Iran was Rostam Farrokhzad , the son of Farrukh Hormizd , who was the son of Vinduyih , the uncle of Khosrau I and brother of

3164-624: The Fravashi of the holy Atare-pata." According to the Encyclopaedia of Islam : "In Middle Persian the name of the province was called Āturpātākān, older new-Persian Ādharbādhagān (آذربادگان/آذرآبادگان), Ādharbāyagān, at present Āzerbāydjān/Āzarbāydjān, Greek Atropatēnḗ (Ἀτροπατηνή), Byzantine Greek Adravigánon (᾿Αδραβιγάνων), Armenian Atrpatakan (Ատրպատական), Syriac Adhorbāyghān ." The name Atropat in Middle Persian

3277-603: The Macedonian dynasty that produced Alexander the Great . He is aware that there were kings before this, but is unclear on their names and reigns. He also seems unfamiliar with such additional aspects of Greek political life as Athenian democratic institutions. The same holds for Rome prior to Caesar . However, he is the earliest extant Arabic author to mention the Roman founding myth of Romulus and Remus . In al-Masʿudi's view

3390-513: The Medes were an: Indo-European people, related to the Persians, who entered northeastern Iran probably as early as the 17th century BC and settled in the plateau land that came to be known as Media. After Alexander the Great conquered Persia , he appointed (328 BC) as governor the Persian general Atropates , who eventually established an independent dynasty. The region, which came to be known as Atropatene or Media Atropatene (after Atropates),

3503-631: The People of Azerbaijan are a mixture of Azari 'Ajams ('Ajam is a term that developed to mean Iranian) and old Javedanis (followers of Javidan the son of Shahrak who was the leader of Khurramites and succeeded by Babak Khorramdin). Zakariya b. Mohammad Qazvini's report in Athar al-Bilad, composed in 1275, that "no town has escaped being taken over by the Turks except Tabriz" (Beirut ed., 1960, p. 339) one may infer that at least Tabriz had remained aloof from

Old Azeri - Misplaced Pages Continue

3616-768: The Persian provinces, Armenia , Georgia and other region of the Caspian Sea ; as well as to Arabia , Syria and Egypt. He also travelled to the Indus Valley , and other parts of India, especially the western coast; and he voyaged more than once to East Africa. He also sailed on the Indian Ocean, the Red Sea, the Mediterranean and the Caspian. Al-Masʿudi may have reached Sri Lanka and China although he

3729-643: The Russian Empire , Qajar Persia ceded all of its territories in the North Caucasus and Transcaucasia to Russia via the Treaty of Gulistan of 1813 and the Treaty of Turkmenchay of 1828. The territories south of the Aras River , which comprised the region historically known as Azerbaijan, became the new north-west frontier of the Persian Empire and later Iran. The territories north of

3842-579: The Sallarid Marzuban , the latter united it with Arran , Shirvan , and most of Eastern Armenia . After confrontations with the local Dailamite and Kurdish populations who had already established their own dynasties and emirates in different parts of Azerbaijan, the Seljuks dominated the region in the 11th and early 12th centuries, at which point the linguistic Turkification of the native Iranian populations began. In 1136, Azerbaijan fell to

3955-577: The harsh re-subjugation of Georgia in 1795, Iran would eventually irrevocably lose all of the Caucasus region to neighbouring Imperial Russia during the course of the 19th century, which had a crucial impact on the region of modern-day Iranian Azerbaijan. Shortly after the reconquest of Georgia, Agha Mohammad Shah was assassinated while preparing a second expedition in 1797 in Shusha . The reassertion of Iranian hegemony over Georgia did not last long; in 1799

4068-484: The 16th or 17th century. Today, Iranian dialects are still spoken in several linguistic enclaves within Azarbaijan. While some scholars believe that these dialects form a direct continuation of the ancient Azari languages, others have argued that they are likely to be a later import through migration from other parts of Iran, and that the original Azari dialects became extinct. According to Vladimir Minorsky , around

4181-610: The 19th century. Through the course of the 19th century Iran lost to Russia regions which had been part Iran for centuries. By the end of the 19th century, the border between Iran and Russia was set more southwards, at the Aras River , which is currently the border between Iran and Armenia – Azerbaijan. Subsequently, the Russians were very influential in Northern Iran including Azerbaijan (as Northern Iran fell into Russia's sphere of influence for decades). After 1905,

4294-467: The 20th century. Historic Azerbaijan was called Atropatene in antiquity and Aturpatakan ( Adurbadagan ) in the pre-Islamic Middle Ages. Some people refer to Iranian Azerbaijan as South (or Southern) Azerbaijan and the Republic of Azerbaijan as Northern Azerbaijan, although others believe that these terms are irredentist and politically motivated. Following military defeats at the hands of

4407-579: The 9th or 10th century: The original sedentary population of Azarbayjan consisted of a mass of peasants and at the time of the Arab conquest was compromised under the semi-contemptuous term of Uluj ("non-Arab")—somewhat similar to the raya (*ri’aya) of the Ottoman empire. The only arms of this peaceful rustic population were slings, see Tabari, II, 1379-89. They spoke a number of dialects (Adhari, Talishi) of which even now there remains some islets surviving amidst

4520-637: The Afghan invasion (1722–8) the Ottomans recaptured Azerbaijan and other western provinces of Iran, until Nader Shah expelled them. At the beginning of the reign of Karim Khan Zand , the Azad Khan Afghan unsuccessfully revolted in Azerbaijan and later the Dumbuli Kurds of Khoy and other tribal chiefs ruled various parts of the territory. Azad Khan was defeated however by Erekle II . With

4633-814: The Aras River, which were not known by the name Azerbaijan at the time of their capture by Russia, were absorbed into the Russian Empire, renamed the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic during the country's short-lived independence from 1918 to 1920, incorporated into the Soviet Union as the Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic , and finally became the independent Republic of Azerbaijan when the Soviet Union dissolved . The name Azerbaijan itself

Old Azeri - Misplaced Pages Continue

4746-895: The Atabakan-e-Azerbaijan and Atabakan-e-Maragheh. It was later invaded by the Khwarizm Shah Jalal ad-din who held Azerbaijan until the advent of the Mongol invasions. In the early years of the 13th century, large parts of Azerbaijan were conquered by the Kingdom of Georgia , at the time led by Tamar the Great . Under the command of the brothers Zakaria and Ivane Mkhargrdzeli , the Georgians conquered Ardabil and Tabriz in 1208, and Qazvin and Khoy in 1210. The Mongols under Hulagu Khan established their capital at Maragheh . The book Safina-yi Tabriz describes

4859-497: The Byzantines, that al-Mas'udi wrote shortly before his death. Ernest Renan compared al-Masʿudi to the second century A.D. Greek geographer Pausanias , while others compared him to the Roman writer Pliny the Elder . Even before al-Masʿudi's work was available in a European languages, orientalists had compared him to Herodotus , the ancient Greek historian called "The Father of History." Some early commentators on al-Masudi indicate

4972-613: The Caliphate, had less to say about the Byzantine Empire than al-Mas'udi. He also described the geography of many lands beyond the Abbasid Caliphate , as well as the customs and religious beliefs of many peoples. His normal inquiries of travelers and extensive reading of previous writers were supplemented in the case of India with his personal experiences in the western part of the subcontinent. He demonstrates

5085-429: The Caspian border region between Gilan to Shirvan is called a Pahlavi language close to the language of Gilan. Following the Islamic Conquest of Iran , Middle Persian , also known as Pahlavi , continued to be used until the 10th century when it was gradually replaced by a new breed of Persian language, most notably Dari . The Saffarid dynasty in particular was the first in a line of many dynasties to officially adopt

5198-414: The Caucasus ), and Persians also inhabit the region. The majority of Azerbaijanis in Azerbaijan are followers of Twelver Shia Islam . Azerbaijanis commemorate Shia holy days (ten first days of the holy month of Muharram ) minority Sunni Azerbaijani Turks ( Shafi and Hanafi ) who live in the Ardabil Province ( Hashatjin and villages of Bileh Savar County ) and West Azerbaijan province (near

5311-440: The Christian religion appeared in Byzantium and the centres of learning were eliminated, their vestiges effaced and the edifice of Greek learning was obliterated. Everything the ancient Greeks had brought to light vanished, and the discoveries of the ancients were altered beyond recognition. He mentions meeting influential jurists and cites the work of others and indicates training in jurisprudence. According to al-Subki , al-Mas'udi

5424-404: The Iranian province of Azerbaijan. The oldest kingdom known in Iranian Azerbaijan is that of the Mannea who ruled a region south-east of Lake Urmia centered around modern Saqqez . The Manneans were a confederation of Iranian and non-Iranian groups. According to Professor Zadok: it is unlikely that there was any ethnolinguistic unity in Mannea. Like other peoples of the Iranian plateau ,

5537-442: The Manneans were subjected to an ever-increasing Iranian (i.e., Indo-European) penetration. The Mannaeans were conquered and absorbed by an Iranian people called Matieni, and the country was called Matiene , with Lake Urmia called Lake Matianus. Matiene was later conquered by the Medes and became a satrapy of the Median empire and then a sub-satrapy of the Median satrapy of the Persian Empire. According to Encyclopædia Britannica ,

5650-450: The Muslims at Nahavand , which was a gateway to the provinces of Azerbaijan, Armenia and Caucasian Albania . The battle was fierce, but the Sasanian troops lost during the battle. This opened the gateway for the Muslims to enter Azerbaijan. The Muslims then invaded Azerbaijan and captured Isfandiyar , the son of Farrukhzad . Isfandiyar then promised, in return for his life, that he would agree to surrender his estates in Azerbaijan and aid

5763-423: The Muslims in defeating his brother, Bahram. Bahram was then defeated and sued for peace. A pact was drawn up according to which Azerbaijan was surrendered to Caliph Umar on usual terms of paying the annual Jizya . Muslims settled in Azerbaijan as they did in many parts of Iran. According to the Iranian Azerbaijani historian Ahmad Kasravi , more Muslims settled in Azerbaijan compared to other provinces due to

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5876-554: The North. Al-Masʿudi’s global interest included Africa. He was well aware of peoples in the eastern portion of the continent (mentioning interesting details of the Zanj , for example). He mentioned that one of the most dangerous routes to travel is to the land of the Zanj, "I have sailed on many seas, but I do not know of one more dangerous than that of Zanj", also saying that several captains that he had sailed with drowned. He knows less of West Africa , though he names such contemporary states as Zagawa , Kawkaw and Ghana . He described

5989-407: The Ottoman Empire and the successive Iranian kingdoms. Agha Mohammad Khan's death and the Russian troops entering the Iranian possession of Tbilisi in 1799, led directly to the Russo-Persian War (1804–1813) , the first of a number of Russo-Persian wars during the 19th century, and the most devastating and humiliating one. By the end of the war in 1813 and the resulting Treaty of Gulistan , Qajar Iran

6102-419: The Russians marched into Tbilisi , which would mark the beginning of the end of the Iranian-ruled domains in the Caucasus, comprising modern-day Georgia , Armenia , the Republic of Azerbaijan , and Dagestan thanks to the 19th century Russo-Persian Wars . Since the late 17th/early 18th century, the Russians were actively pursuing an expansionist policy towards its neighbouring empires to its south, namely

6215-432: The Safavids. It was the chief province from which the various Iranian empires would control their Caucasian provinces, all the way up to Dagestan in the early 19th century. In the meantime, between 1514 and 1603, the Ottomans sometimes occupied Tabriz and other parts of the province during their numerous wars with their Safavid ideological and political archrivals. The Safavid control was restored by Shah Abbas but during

6328-401: The Sasanian usurper Vistahm . Rustam himself was born in Azerbaijan and led the Sasanian army into battle. He is also mentioned in the Shahnameh . The Sasanian army was defeated at the battle of al-Qādisiyyah and Rostam Farrokhzad , along with many other Sasanian veterans, was killed. In 642, Piruz Khosrow , one of the Sasanian survivors during the battle of al-Qādisiyyah, fought against

6441-479: The Turkish speaking population. It was this basic population on which Babak leaned in his revolt against the caliphate. Clifford Edmund Bosworth says: We need not take seriously Moqaddasī’s assertion that Azerbaijan had seventy languages, a state of affairs more correctly applicable to the Caucasus region to the north; but the basically Iranian population spoke an aberrant, dialectical form of Persian (called by Masʿūdī al-āḏarīya) as well as standard Persian, and

6554-436: The advent of the Qajars, Azerbaijan became the traditional residence of the heirs-apparent. Even until then Azerbaijan remained the main area from where the high-ranked governors would control the various territories and Khanates of the Caucasus while the main power stayed in Tehran . Though the first Qajar Iranian ruler, Agha Mohammad Khan , had reconquered the Caucasus and all of Iran in several swift campaigns, such as

6667-494: The art of papermaking was brought to the Islamic world by Chinese prisoners after the battle of Talas and most large towns and cities had paper mills. Available cheap writing material contributed to the lively intellectual life. Al-Mas'udi often refers readers to his other books, assuming their availability. The high literacy and vigor of the Islamic world with its rich cultural heritage of Greek philosophy, Persian literature, Indian mathematics, contrasted with that of Europe, when

6780-408: The author of the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle was writing. Islamic Abbasid society of al-Masʿudi's world manifested a knowledge seeking, perceptive analytical attitude and scholarly-minded people associated naturally in this highly civilized atmosphere. Al-Mas'udi was a pupil, or junior colleague, of prominent intellectuals, including the philologists al-Zajjaj, Ibn Duraid , Niftawayh and ibn Anbari. He

6893-624: The cities of Urmia , Khoy and Salmas ) and have population about 200,000 people in this area. Azerbaijani people mostly live in northwest parts of Iran, but large Azerbaijani populations can be found in Khorasan , mostly in Mashhad , as well as central Iran , due to internal migration to Tehran , Karaj , and Qum . Where they have settled, they have become prominent – not only among urban and industrial working classes – but also in commercial, administrative, political, religious, and intellectual circles. Azerbaijanis make up 25%–33% of Tehran and of Tehran Province 's population. They are

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7006-512: The couplets except the last couplet is in Persian. The last couplet reads: «وهار و ول و دیم یار خوش بی // اوی یاران مه ول بی مه وهاران» Transliteration: Wahar o wol o Dim yaar khwash Bi Awi Yaaraan, mah wul Bi, Mah Wahaaraan Translation: The Spring and Flowers and the face of the friend are all pleasant But without the friend, there are no flowers or a spring. Another recent discovery by the name of Safina-yi Tabriz has given sentences from native of Tabriz in their peculiar Iranian dialect. The work

7119-422: The early 19th century, Qajar Iran was forced to cede to Imperial Russia its Caucasian territories north of the Aras River (modern-day Dagestan , Georgia , Armenia , and the Republic of Azerbaijan ), through the treaties of Gulistan (1813) and Turkmenchay (1828). Following the disintegration of the Russian Empire in 1917, as well as the short-lived Transcaucasian Democratic Federative Republic , in 1918,

7232-417: The eastern side of Turkish border. Of the 86 members of Assembly of Experts , 11 are representative of the Azerbaijan region. Ali Meshkini from Meshgin Shahr in the Ardabil Province was Chairmen of the Assembly of Experts since 1983 to 2007. Of the 290 members of Islamic Consultative Assembly , 44 are representative of Azerbaijan region. in the Azerbaijan region 40/44 Azerbaijani are in parliament

7345-554: The food industry in the region is Tabriz which includes the Shirin Asal , Aydin, Shoniz, Anata, Baraka and Chichak manufacturers. Outside of Tabriz Minoo Industrial Group in Khorramdarreh is another nationally recognized food manufacturer. The principle crops of the region are grains, fruits, cotton, rice, nuts, and tobacco. Iranian Azerbaijanis , are a Turkic - speaking people, of which are largely of Iranian origin. They number between 16 and 24 percent and between 15 and 16 million of Iran's population , and comprise by far

7458-441: The four provinces of East Azerbaijan (2012 pop. 3,724,620), West Azerbaijan (2012 pop. 3,080,576), Zanjan (2012 pop. 1,015,734), and Ardabil (2012 pop. 1,248,488) have a combined population of 9 million people. Al-Masudi al-Masʿūdī (full name Abū al-Ḥasan ʿAlī ibn al-Ḥusayn ibn ʿAlī al-Masʿūdī , أبو الحسن علي بن الحسين بن علي المسعودي ), c.  896 –956, was a historian , geographer and traveler . He

7571-418: The general state of Tabriz during the Ilkhanid period. After being conquered by Timur in the 14th century, Tabriz became an important provincial capital of the Timurid empire . Later, Tabriz became the capital of the Kara Koyunlu empire. It was out of Ardabil (ancient Artavilla) that the Safavid dynasty arose to renew the state of Persia and establish Shi'ism as the official religion of Iran. Around

7684-438: The geographers state that the former was difficult to understand. Igrar Aliyev states that: 1. In the writing of medieval Arab historians (Ibn Hawqal, Muqqaddesi..), the people of Azarbaijan spoke Azari. 2. This Azari was without doubt an Iranian language because it is also contrasted with Dari but it is also mentioned as Persian. It was not the same as the languages of the Caucasus mentioned by Arab historians. 3. Azari

7797-434: The greatest contribution of the Greeks was philosophy. He was aware of the progression of Greek philosophy from the pre-Socratics onward. He also was keenly interested in the earlier events of the Arabian peninsula. He recognized that Arabia had a long and rich history. He also was well-aware of the mixture of interesting facts in pre-Islamic times, in myths and controversial details from competing tribes and even referred to

7910-544: The human concerns of their officials and ordinary subjects. One of the more interesting passages is the account of the symposium held at the home of Harun al-Rashid 's famous vizier Yahya the Barmakid on the topic of love. A dozen leading thinkers provide their definition of love and then a thirteenth, a Magian judge, speaks at greater length on that theme. Kitāb al-Tanbīh wa’l-Ishrāf ( كتاب التنبیه والأشراف ), ‘Book of Admonition and Revision’; an abridged Murūj al-Dhahab , about one-fifth its length, containing new material on

8023-473: The influence of Turkish until the time. From the time of the Mongol invasion, most of whose armies were composed of Turkic tribes, the influence of Turkish increased in the region. On the other hand, the old Iranian dialects remained prevalent in major cities. Hamdallah Mostawafi writing in the 1340s calls the language of Maraqa as "modified Pahlavi" (Pahlavi-ye Mughayyar). Mostowafi calls the language of Zanjan (Pahlavi-ye Raast). The language of Gushtaspi covering

8136-740: The influence of religious antagonisms. The Sunni scholar Ibn Hajar wrote: "[al-Mas'udi's] books are imprecise because he was a Shi‘a, a Muʿtazili .". Adh-Dhahabi believed he espoused heretical Mu'tazili doctrine. However, according to Al-Subki al-Mas'udi was a student of ibn Surayj, the leading scholar of the Shafi'ite school. Al-Subki claimed he found al-Mas'udi's notes of ibn Surayj's lectures. Al-Mas'udi also met Shafi'ites during his stay in Egypt. He also met Zahirites in Baghdad and Aleppo such as Ibn Jabir and Niftawayh; modern scholarship leans toward

8249-423: The language differed slightly. The language, however, is one, in that its letters are written the same way and used the same way in composition. There are, then, different languages such as Pahlavi, Dari, Azari, as well as other Persian languages. Al-Moqaddasi (died late 10th century) considers Azerbaijan as part of the 8th division of lands. He states:"The languages of the 8th division is Iranian (al-‘ajamyya). It

8362-868: The largest ethnic groups after Persians in Tehran and the Tehran Province. The governor of Tehran is Hossein Hashemi from Sarab ; he was born in East Azerbaijan; Ali Khamenei , the Supreme Leader of Iran , was born in Mashhad and is of Azeri origin. The journals Varliq and Azari are printed by the Azerbaijani people in Tehran . According to the population census of 2012,

8475-522: The leading Musavat government adopted the name "Azerbaijan" for the newly established Azerbaijan Democratic Republic , which was proclaimed on May 27, 1918, for political reasons, even though the name of "Azerbaijan" had always been used to refer to the adjacent region of contemporary northwestern Iran. Thus, until 1918, when the Musavat regime decided to name the newly independent state Azerbaijan, this designation had been used exclusively to identify

8588-403: The medical work of Galen , with Ptolemaic astronomy , with the geographical work of Marinus and with the studies of Islamic geographers and astronomers. In The Meadows of Gold, al-Mas'udi wrote his famous condemnation of revelation over reason: The sciences were financially supported, honoured everywhere, universally pursued; they were like tall edifices supported by strong foundations. Then

8701-484: The meeting of al-Mansur and a blind poet unaware of the identity of his distinguished interlocutor. The poet on two separate occasions recites praise poems for the defeated Umayyads to the Abbasid caliph; al-Mansur good naturedly rewards him. There is the tale (p. 28 ff.) of the arrow that landed at al-Mansur’s feet with verses inscribed in each of the three feathers and along the shaft causing him to investigate

8814-656: The members of the Fraction of Turkic regions . Several Iranian Army and Sepah divisions and brigades are based in Azerbaijan, including: The economy in Iranian Azerbaijan is based on Heavy industries, food industries, agriculture, and handicraft. The biggest economic hub is Tabriz which contains the majority of heavy industries and food industries. Iranian Azerbaijan has two free trade zones designated to promote international trade: Aras Free Zone and Maku Free Zone. The agriculture industry in Iranian Azerbaijan

8927-463: The new language in 875 CE. Thus Dari is considered the continuation of Middle Persian which was prevalent in the early Islamic era of western Iran. The name Dari comes from the word (دربار) which refers to the royal court, where many of the poets, protagonists, and patrons of the literature flourished. According to Jean During , the inhabitants of Tabriz did not speak Turkic in the 15th century. The language of Tabriz, being an Iranian language,

9040-403: The old Iranian dialect of Tabriz in a variety of books and manuscripts. Hamdullah Mustuwafi (14th century) mentions a sentence in the language of Tabriz: تبارزه اگر صاحب حُسنی را با لباس ناسزا یابند، گویند " انگور خلوقی بی چه در، درّ سوه اندرین "؛ یعنی انگور خلوقی( انگوری مرغوب) است در سبد دریده "The Tabrizians have a phrase when they see a fortunate and wealthy man in a uncouth clothes: "He

9153-564: The predominance of the Azeri Turkic population there). The region is mostly populated by Azerbaijanis , with minority populations of Kurds , Armenians , Tats , Talysh , Assyrians and Persians . Iranian Azerbaijan is the land originally and historically called Azerbaijan; the Azerbaijani-populated Republic of Azerbaijan appropriated the name of the neighbouring Azerbaijani-populated region in Iran during

9266-554: The province's plentiful and fertile pastures. Local revolts against the Caliphate were common and the most famous of these revolts was the Persian Khurramite movement . After the revolt of Babak Khorramdin , who was a Zoroastrian of neo-Mazdakite background, the Abbasid caliphate's grip on Azerbaijan weakened, allowing native dynasties to rise in Azerbaijan. Azerbaijan was taken over by the Kurdish Daisam and

9379-419: The provinces of East Azerbaijan , West Azerbaijan , and Ardabil . It shares borders with the Republic of Azerbaijan , Armenia, Turkey, and Iraq. There are 17 rivers and two lakes in the region. Cotton, nuts, textiles, tea, machinery, and electrical equipment are the main industries. The northern, alpine region, which includes Lake Urmia , is mountainous, with deep valleys and fertile lowlands. The region

9492-489: The region made up part of historical Armenia . The parts of historical Armenia within what is modern-day Azerbaijan comprise; Nor Shirakan , Vaspurakan , and Paytakaran . Vaspurakan, of which large parts were located in what is modern-day Iranian Azerbaijan is described as the cradle of Armenian civilization. On 26 May 451 AD, a very important battle was fought that would prove immensely pivotal in Armenian history . On

9605-522: The region of Fahlah. A very similar statement is given by the medieval historian Hamzeh Isfahani when talking about Sassanid Iran. Hamzeh Isfahani writes in the book Al-Tanbih ‘ala Hoduth alTashif that five "tongues" or dialects, were common in Sassanian Iran: Fahlavi, Dari, Persian, Khuzi and Soryani. Hamzeh (893-961 CE) explains these dialects in the following way: Fahlavi was a dialect which kings spoke in their assemblies and it

9718-833: The region. The majority Azeris are followers of Shi'a Islam. The Iranian Azeris mainly reside in the northwest provinces, including the Iranian Azerbaijan provinces ( East Azerbaijan , West Azerbaijan and Ardabil ), Zanjan , as well as regions of the North to Hamadan County and Shara District in the East Hamadan Province , some regions Qazvin Province and also Azerbaijani minorities living in Markazi , Kordestan , Gilan , and Kermanshah . Smaller groups, such as Armenians , Assyrians , Kurds , Tats , Talyshs , Jews , Circassians , (and other Peoples of

9831-435: The region. Wool, carpets, and metalware are also produced. In some factories and major companies in Azerbaijan include: The Ardabil Carpet and Tabriz rug the best kind of Iranian carpet . Now 40 percent of Iranian carpet exports are carried through East Azarbaijan . Azerbaijani carpets and rugs are important: More than fifty percent of entire Iranian food exports are carried from Iranian Azerbaijan. The major hub for

9944-434: The relations of African states with each other and with Islam. He provided material on the cultures and beliefs of non-Islamic Africans. In general his surviving works reveal an intensely curious mind, a universalist eagerly acquiring as extensive a background of the entire world as possible. Al-Masʿudi describes Sistan, Iran, in 947 AD: " ... is the land of winds and sand. There the wind drives mills and raises water from

10057-526: The representatives of Azerbaijan were very active in the Iranian Constitutional Revolution as a result to this Russian influence. The Russian (Tsarist) army occupied Iranian Azerbaijan in 1909 and again in 1912–1914 and 1915–1918, followed by Ottoman forces in 1914–1915 and 1918–1919; Bolshevik forces occupied Iranian Azerbaijan and other parts of Iran in 1920–1921, and Soviet forces occupied Iranian Azerbaijan in 1941, creating

10170-405: The same time, the population of what is now Azerbaijan and Iran were converted to Shiism , and both nations remain the only nations in the world with a significantly Shia majority, with Iran having the largest Shia population by percentage, with the Republic of Azerbaijan having the second-largest Shia population by percentage. After 1502, Azerbaijan became the chief bulwark and military base of

10283-481: The second-largest ethnic group in the nation. In the Azerbaijan region, the population consists mainly of Azeris . Azeris are the largest group in Iranian Azerbaijan, while Kurds are the second largest group and a majority in many cities of West Azerbaijan Province . Iranian Azerbaijan is one of the richest and most densely populated regions of Iran. Many of these various linguistic, religious, and tribal minority groups, and Azeris themselves have settled widely outside

10396-453: The similarity between some of this material and the legendary and story telling contributions of some Middle Persian and Indian books to the Thousand and One Nights . Ahmad Shboul notes that al-Mas'udi is distinguished above his contemporaries for the extent of his interest in and coverage of the non-Islamic lands and peoples of his day. Other authors, even Christians writing in Arabic in

10509-614: The streams, whereby gardens are irrigated. There is in the world, and God alone knows it, no place where more frequent use is made of the winds" Lunde and Stone have provided the English reader with a fluent translation of some three-quarters of al-Masʿudi's material on the Abbasids from the Murūj al-dhahab . This is in the form of more than two hundred passages, many of these containing amusing and informative anecdotes. The very first one recounts

10622-544: The unfolding of palace coups. He recorded the effect of the westward migration of various tribes upon the Byzantines, especially the invading Bulgars . He spoke of Byzantine relations with western Europe. And, of course, he was attentively interested in Byzantine-Islamic relations. One example of al-Masʿudi's influence on Muslim knowledge of the Byzantine world is that the use of the name Istanbul (in place of Constantinople ) can be traced to his writings during

10735-642: The unjust imprisonment of a distinguished notable from Hamadan. There is the story of the singer Harun al-Rashid asks to keep singing until the caliph falls asleep. Then a handsome young man arrives, snatches the lute from the singer's hand and shows him how it really should be done. On awakening Harun is told of this and suggests his singer had a supernatural visitation. Al-Mas'udi quotes the lines (five in English) of this remarkable song. These anecdotes provide glimpses of other aspects of these prominent people, sharing, actually, greater realization of their humanity and

10848-654: The use of the phrases "I am going Downtown" or "I am going into the City" by those who live near say Chicago or London respectively. He has some knowledge of other peoples of eastern and western Europe, even far away Britain and Anglo-Saxon England . He names it, though he is sketchy about it. He knows Paris as the Frankish capital. He obtained a copy of a list of Frankish rulers from Clovis to his own time. He makes several references to people interpreted as Vikings , described by him as Majus, they came to Al-Andalus from

10961-461: The various nations that lie beyond the regions of Islam . The author of this work compares himself to a man who, having found pearls of all kinds and colours, gathers them together into a necklace and makes them into an ornament that its possessor guards with great care. My aim has been to trace the lands and the histories of many peoples, and I have no other. We know that al-Masʿudi wrote a revised edition of Murūj al-dhahab in 956 CE; however, only

11074-554: The vast areas inhabited by Turkic peoples , commenting on what had been the extensive authority of the Khaqan , though this was no longer the case by al-Mas'udi's time. He conveyed the great diversity of Turkic peoples, including the distinction between sedentary and nomadic Turks. He spoke of the significance of the Khazars and provided much fresh material on them. His account of the Rus

11187-621: The way up to Isfahan fell into the Russian sphere of influence. Russian armies were stationed in many regions of Iranian Azerbaijan, Russian schools were founded, and many Russians settled in the region, but less than in Gilan and Mazandaran . Also, Azerbaijan saw the large influx of the so-called White émigrées who fled to Iran following the Bolshevik revolution in Russia. Iranian nationalism

11300-581: The west. The Mugan plain is a plain located between Iran and the southern part of the Republic of Azerbaijan . The highest density of irrigation canals is in the section of the Mugan plain which lies in the Republic of Azerbaijan. It is located on the bank of the Aras river extending to Iran. The Urmia Plain is in the West Azerbaijan Province , situated on western side of Lake Urmia and

11413-618: The year 947, centuries before the eventual Ottoman use of this term. He writes that the Greeks (i.e. the Byzantines of the tenth century) call it "the City" ( bulin in the Arabic script , which lacks the letter p: so Greek polin ); "and when they wish to express that it is the capital of the Empire because of its greatness they say Istan Bulin. They do not call it Constantinople. It is only Arabs who so designate it". A present-day analogy would be

11526-511: Was a student of Ibn Surayj, the leading scholar of the Shafi'ite school. Al-Subki claimed he found al-Mas'udi's notes of Ibn Surayj's lectures. Al-Mas'udi also met Shafi'ites during his stay in Egypt. He met Zahirites in Baghdad and Aleppo such as Ibn Jabir and Niftawayh; modern scholarship leans toward the view that al-Mas'udi was an adherent of the latter school. Al-Masʿudi knew leading Mu'tazilites , including al-Jubba, al-Nawbakhti, ibn Abdak al-Jurjani and Abu'l-Qasim al-Balkhi al-Ka'bi. He

11639-571: Was acquainted with famous poets, including Kashajim, whom he probably met in Aleppo . He was well read in philosophy, the works of al-Kindi and al-Razi , the Aristotelian thought of al-Farabi and the Platonic writings. It is probable that al-Masʿudi met al-Razi and al-Farabi, but only a meeting with al-Farabi’s pupil Yahya ibn Adi, of whom he spoke highly, is recorded. He was familiar with

11752-410: Was also well acquainted with previous Mu'tazilite literature. His reasoning, his phraseology, and his expressed high esteem for Mu'tazilities could suggest that he was one of their number. However, Shboul points out that his extant works do not specifically state that he was. Al-Mas'udi included the history of the ancient civilizations that had occupied the land upon which Islam later spread. He mentions

11865-515: Was compiled during the Ilkhanid era. A sample expression from the mystic Baba Faraj Tabrizi in the Safina: انانک قده‌ی فرجشون فعالم آندره اووارادا چاشمش نه پیف قدم کینستا نه پیف حدوث Standard Persian (translated by the author of Safina himself): چندانک فرج را در عالم آورده‌اند چشم او نه بر قدم افتاده است نه بر حدوث Modern English: They brought Faraj in this world in such a way that his eye

11978-692: Was forced to cede Georgia, most of the modern-day Republic of Azerbaijan, and Dagestan to Russia. The only Caucasian territories remaining in Iranian hands were what is now Armenia , the Nakhichevan Khanate , and the Talysh Khanate . The next war, the Russo-Persian War (1826–1828) , resulted in an even more humiliating defeat, with Iran being forced to cede the remaining Caucasian regions, as well as having Russian troops temporarily occupying Tabriz and Iranian Azerbaijan. As Iran

12091-489: Was much disputed. In the 2nd century BC, it was liberated from Seleucid domination by Mithradates I of Arsacid dynasty , and was later made a province of the Sassanid Empire of Ardashir I . Under the Sassanids, Azerbaijan was ruled by a marzubān , and, towards the end of the period, belonged to the family of Farrokh Hormizd . Large parts of the region were conquered by the Kingdom of Armenia . Large parts of

12204-536: Was not the standard Khurasani Dari. Qatran Tabrizi (11th century) has an interesting couplet mentioning this fact: بلبل به سان مطرب بیدل فراز گل گه پارسی نوازد، گاهی زند دری Translation: The nightingale is on top of the flower like a minstrel who has lost her/his heart It bemoans sometimes in Parsi (Persian) and sometimes in Dari (Khurasani Persian) There are extant words, phrases, sentences and poems attested in

12317-517: Was the domain of Adhari, an important Iranian dialect which Masudi mentions together with Dari and Pahlavi ." According to Richard N. Frye , Azari was a major Iranian language and the original language of Iranian Azerbaijan. It gradually lost its status as the majority language by the end of the 14th century. Ebn al-Moqaffa’ (died 142/759) is quoted by ibn Al-Nadim in his famous Al-Fihrist as stating that Azerbaijan, Nahavand, Rayy, Hamadan and Esfahan speak Fahlavi (Pahlavi) and collectively constitute

12430-594: Was the language of this region of Iran before it adopted the Turkic language of the same name . Historical research showed that Azeris were an Iranic people before the arrival of Seljuq Turks to the region. Old Azari was spoken in most of Azerbaijan at least up to the 17th century, with the number of speakers decreasing since the 11th century due to the Turkification of the area. According to some accounts, it may have survived for several centuries after that up to

12543-404: Was transformed to Adharbad and is connected with Zoroastrianism. A famous Zoroastrian priest by the name Adarbad Mahraspandan is well known for his counsels. Azerbaijan, due to its numerous fire-temples has also been quoted in a variety of historic sources as being the birthplace of the prophet Zoroaster although modern scholars have not yet reached an agreement on the location of his birth. In

12656-569: Was unclear on the Achaemenid dynasty , though he knew of Kurush ( Cyrus the Great ). He was much clearer on the more recent dynasties and his estimation of the time between Alexander the Great and Ardashir is much more accurately depicted than it is in al-Tabari . His wide-ranging interests included the Greeks and the Romans. Again, like other Arabic historians, he was unclear on Greece before

12769-514: Was unwilling to allow the Russians to gain possession over its Caucasian territories in the North Caucasus and South Caucasus , the millennia-old ancient ties between Iran and the Caucasus region were only severed by the superior Russian force of Russia through these 19th-century wars. The area to the north of the river Aras , which included the territory of the contemporary republic of Azerbaijan, eastern Georgia, Dagestan, and Armenia, were Iranian territory until they were occupied by Russia during

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