Iran Chamber Society: When "Persia" became "Iran" Geography of Iran When "Persia" became "Iran" This article is a part of "Persia or Iran" by Professor Ehsan Yarshater, published in Iranian Studies, Vol. XXII, No.1, 1989. In 1935 the Iranian government requested those countries which it had diplomatic relations with, to call Persia "Iran," which is the name of the country in Persian. The suggestion for the change is said to have come from the Iranian ambassador to Germany, who came under the influence of the Nazis. At the time Germany was in the grip of racial fever and cultivated good relations with nations of "Aryan" blood.

It is said that some German friends of the ambassador persuaded him that, as with the advent of Reza Shah, Persia had turned a new leaf in its history and had freed itself from the pernicious influences of Britain and Russia, whose interventions in Persian affairs had practically crippled the country under the Qajars, it was only fitting that the country be called by its own name, "Iran." This would not only signal a new beginning and bring home to the world the new era in Iranian history, but would also signify the Aryan race of its population, as "Iran" is a cognate of "Aryan" and derived from it. The Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs sent out a circular to all foreign embassies in Tehran, requesting that the country thenceforth be called "Iran." Diplomatic courtesy obliged, and by and by the name "Iran" began to appear in official correspondence and news items. At first "Iran" sounded alien (for non-Iranians), and many failed to recognize its connection with Persia.

Some (Westerners) thought that it was perhaps one of the new countries like Iraq and Jordan carved out of the ruins of the Ottoman Empire, or a country in Africa or Southeast Asia that had just been granted independence; and not a few confused it with Iraq, itself a recent entity. As time passed and as a number of events, like the Allied invasion of Iran in 1941 and the nationalization of the oil industry under Prime Minster Dr Mohammad Mosaddeq, put the country in the headlines, the name "Iran" became generally accepted, and "Persia" fell into comparative disuse, though more slowly in Britain than in the United States. Iran and Persia - Are They the Same? Are They The Same? The Difference Between Persia and Iran Map of Iran and Central Asia The names Iran and Persia are often used interchangeably to mean the same country. Iran is the legal name. Persia , was an ancient kingdom within Iran. Iran came to be known as Persia in the West thanks to classical Greek authors during whose time Persia was the dominant kingdom in Iran. To call all of Iran 'Persia', would be like calling all of Britain 'England'.

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 ). 2,500 years ago, when the present provinces of Iran were kingdoms [at one time Iran (then Airan) consisted of 240 kingdoms*], Pars was known as Parsa, and the kings of Parsa established an empire that came to be known in the West as the Persian Empire - the largest empire the world have ever known to that point. In those days, Parsa was the dominant kingdom of all the Iranian or Aryan kingdoms. [*Note: According to the Middle Persian (Pahlavi) Kï¿½rnï¿½mak-i Ardeshir-i Pï¿½pakï¿½n / Kï¿½rnï¿½mag-ï¿½ Ardashï¿½r-ï¿½ Babagï¿½n, 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 dominant kingdom of Iran has at various times been Balkh (Bactria) , Mada (Media) , Parsa (Persia) , Parthava (Parthia) and then Persia again. The king of the dominant kingdom was called king-of-kings (shah-en-shah in modern terms) - an emperor.] Evolution of the Name Iran Iran is a relatively modern contraction of the name Airyana Vaeja (the ancient homeland of the Airya or Aryans ). Over time, Airyana Vaeja became Airan-Vej, then Eran-Vej or Airan-Vej (the Parthians and Sassanians had a slightly different pronunciation), then Eran or Airan, and finally Iran. Location of Ancient Iran While we do not know the precise location of the originl Aryan homeland, Airyana Vaeja , the Central Asian lands that are today part of Tajikistan , north-eastern Afghanistan , and southern Uzbekistan - all east of the northeast corner of present day Iran - are strong candidates. For a more detailed discussion on the possible location of Airyana Vaeja, please see our page on the Location of the Aryan Homeland, Airyana Vaeja .

Map showing Iran and Central Asia and the possible movement of the Persian-Aryans culminating in the formation of Persia Growth of Iran & Formation of Persia Migration of Ancient Iranians & Growth of Greater Iran From Airyana Vaeja the original Aryan homeland (possibly quite small in size and extent), the Aryans migrated to surrounding lands. In doing so, they formed fifteen additional kingdoms listed in the Avesta, the Zoroastrian scriptures, in a book called the Vendidad. We therefore call these kingdoms the Vendidad Nations . Coincidentally or otherwise, we find that the migrations extended along the Aryan Trade Roads known commonly as the Silk Roads. [ Click here for a map of the sixteen Aryan nations .] 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.

Even Iranian legends such as those contained in the poet Ferdowsi's epic, the Shahnameh or Book of Kings, do not mention Persia or Media during the early legendary phase. Instead, Pars/Persia is mentioned in Shahnameh later in history in connection with the invasion by Alexander. In the early Iranian history phase, the Shahnameh makes first mention of a greater Iranian nation, an empire, during the reign of King Feridoon . 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. Feridoon's Iranian Empire stretched from the borders of China to the borders of Europe (say up to Greece), and was large enough for it to be divided and administered by his three sons. 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).

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?). 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. Extent of Iran. Aryana Ancient Airyana Vaeja grew to become a federation of nations that classical Greek historian and geographer Strabo called Aryana/Ariana (Avestan Airyana). Strabo describes the different kingdoms/nations that constituted Aryana describing its borders as stretching from the Indus to Persia-Media - linked, as he noted, by a common language native to the groups (and we might add, trade/commerce and other cultural ties such as religion).

In some ways the concept is similar to the umbrella Hellenic nation where when the Greek-speaking people moved or even asserted their independence from one another, they still maintained a sense of shared identity. 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. As we had mentioned earlier, this region at one time included 240 kingdoms. 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. 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.

Formation of Persia 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. Several authors feel that the name Parsua was a precursor to the name Parsa (Persia). From that time on, we find that inscriptions containing the name Parsua, Parsumash / Parsamash or Parsuash gradually located this group(s) further south. 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.

An eight century Assyrian inscription from the time of King Sennacherib (705-681 BCE) tells us that in 690 or 691 BCE the Parsumash and Anzan (Anshan), i.e. Persians allied with the Elamites, attacked the Assyrian city of Halule. 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 city-state of Susa (today called Shush) was a part of Elam.] Elam is some hundred kilometres south of Kermanshah and is, together with Lorestan, in the mid-western border region of Iran today.

Chishpish / Teispes (675-640 BCE) an early king of the 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. Anshan (Anzan) is said to have been a former Elamite city and state to the southeast of Elam and possibly bordering Pars where the Parsa/Parsi established their eventual homeland. If the connection between Parsua, Parsumash / Parsamash or Parsuash and Parsa/Pars/Pers/Persia is correct, then we do have what appears to be a south-eastern movement by the Persians some thousand kilometres from Urmia to Pars. If the Persians were indeed migrants, then where was their original home? 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. They had for commander Tigranes, of the lineage of the Achaemenids.

These (the Medes & Persians) were called anciently by all people Aryans." Herodotus (485 - 420 BCE ) says that the Median (and Persian) association as Aryans was already 'ancient' in relation to the mid-first millennium BCE, the time when he lived. The Persian (Parsa/Parsi) kings themselves declare their Arya (Aryan) lineage in their inscriptions. 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 derivative of the older Parsa-van, meaning 'people of the Parsa/Parsi'. We are inclined to draw some connections between to two Parsis rather than ascribing this homonym to coincidence. The Persian migration theory is not universally accepted. There are those who believe that the Persians were autochthonous or aboriginal to the region of Pars. If so, the lack of mention of Parsa/Pars in both the Vendidad list of nations and the early Shahnameh, and well as the predominance of pre-Parsa Elamite artefacts in the Pars area beg a reasonable explanation.

The Parsua, Parsumash / Parsamash or Parsuash will also need to be re-identified. Persian Rise to Dominance Over the Aryan Nations About 2,500 years ago, the Parsa (Persians) rose to power to became the dominant Aryan kingdom. 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. The dominance of the Aryan federation of nations had passed from Feridoon's dynasty (in Gorgan-Mazandaran, i.e. central-north Aryana) to the Kayanians (in Balkh i.e. mid-eastern Aryana) to the Medes (in north-west Aryana) and now to the Persians (in south-western Aryana). Cyrus then added surrounding non-Aryan countries to his Persian Empire - especially countries to the west of Persia and Media.

In this manner, the Persian Empire grew to include lands that extended from the lower Indus valley in the southeast corner, to Central Asia in the northeast, to Babylon in the centre, Egypt and Ethiopia in the southwest, and Asiatic Greece in the northwest. By the time Cyrus had finished putting together the Persian Empire, it had become the largest empire the world had ever known to that point in history. The Achaemenid Persian Empire came to a close at the hands of Alexander of Macedonia in 330 BCE. 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. Dominance of the Iranian (Aryan) nations now passed on the the Parthians . Parthia was a kingdom located in the northeast of present day Iran (around today's Khorasan province). Parthian rule lasted until it was replaced by the Persian Sassanian dynasty in 226 CE. The Persians thus resumed dominance of Iran until they were yet again overthrown - this time by the Arabs. The old noble and great Iran thus died, perhaps forever. It continues to live, however, in many hearts.

First Use of the Name Iran As we had noted at the outset of this article, the name of the original Aryan homeland, Airyana Vaeja, evolved into Airan-Vej, then Eran-Vej or Airan-Vej (the Parthians and Sassanians had a slightly different pronunciation), then Eran or Airan, and finally Iran. Classical Greek geographer Strabo , called the collection - the federation - of nations united by the Aryan language (and we add commerce, culture and religion), Aryana/Ariana (Avestan Airyana - the Aryan nation). That concept of autonomous nations or kingdoms within a greater Iranian nation or empire - and one ruled by a king-of-kings had existed from the earliest times in Aryan history. 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). These inscription can still be seen at Naqsh-e-Rustam , a historical site containing royal tombs, and some 12 km northwest of the ancient Persian capital city of Persepolis in Pars.

In the inscriptions, King Ardeshir I (226-241 ACE) is referred to as king of kings of Eran. This was when the Persian Sassanian dynasty displaced the Parthian Ashkanian kings as the Aryan king-of-kings. It was usual that when such a coup took place, for the various Aryan nations or kingdoms to assert independence from central authority and for the rebellion to be met with a strong response from the coup leader to consolidate power. Ardeshir's son and successor King Shahpur (241-272 ACE) moved to consolidate dominance as king of kings over the other Aryan /kingdoms nations and to rebuild the Aryan Empire to its former extent under the Achaemenid Persians. His inscriptions refer to Eran and An-eran i.e. Aryan and non-Aryan kingdoms, the latter being nations such as Syria and Cilicia. The words Eran-shahr meaning 'place of the Aryans' was also used by the Sassanians in describing the Iranian nation. These words would evolve to Iran-shahr.

Continued Western Use of the name Persia for Iran The West, influenced as it was by Greek and Latin literature, continued to call Eran 'Persia', presumably out of habit or because the rulers of Iran were Persians. That Western tradition continued into the last century until the reign of Iranian king, Reza Shah, founder of the Pahlavi dynasty. In 1935 CE, Reza Shah asked those countries with whom Iran had diplomatic relations, to stop using the name Persia and to formally refer to his country as Iran. Some Euro-centric map-makers and authors ignored this formal request and continued to use Persia as the name instead of Iran. Iranian Capital Moves to Tehran 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. Pars was no longer the seat of the Iran's capital anyway, since in the years following the Arab invasion of Iran, a 17th century CE Safavid dynasty king made his residence in the north-central Iranian town of Tehran. Later, in 1795 CE, the subsequent Qajar dynasty kings formally made Tehran Iran's capital, a position Tehran has held since then.

That move finally brought to an end even a nominal notion of Pars (Persia) being the seat of the greater Iranian government. Local kingdoms ruled by kings eventually became provinces ruled by governors. Pars and Fars Map of Modern Iran showing Pars / Fars In the 7th century CE, the Arabs conquered Iran and converted the mainly Zoroastrian population to Islam. 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 more authentic name is Pars and not Fars. 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. Parsi and Farsi 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].

While the words Parsi and Farsi are synonymous, today the Arabized name Farsi is used to mean the Persian language. 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. Persian | people | Britannica.com Persian Mede Persian, predominant ethnic group of Iran (formerly known as Persia ). Although of diverse ancestry, the Persian people are united by their language, Persian (Farsi), which belongs to the Indo-Iranian group of the Indo-European language family. ( Dari , a variant of the Persian language, is the lingua franca and an official language of Afghanistan and is also spoken in Pakistan .) The name Persia derives from Parsa, the name of the Indo-European nomadic people who migrated into southern Iran—to an area then called Persis —about 1000 bce. The first written reference to the Parsa occurs in the annals of Shalmaneser II, an Assyrian king, who reigned in the 9th century bce.

As the Parsa expanded their sphere of political influence, particularly under the Achaemenian dynasty (559–330 bce), the entire Iranian plateau became known to outsiders (such as the ancient Greeks) as Persia; its various peoples were designated (collectively) the Persians. Subsequent rulers—including Alexander the Great , who conquered Persia in 330 bce, and the local Sāsānian dynasty (ruled 226–641 ce)—fostered cultural consolidation. The vast majority of Persians practice Shīʿite Islam . Before the Muslim conquest of Persia in the 7th century ce, most Persians followed Zoroastrianism , based on the teachings of the ancient prophet Zoroaster (Zarathustra), who lived during the first half of the 1st millennium bce. In 21st-century Iran there remain a small number of Zoroastrians; larger numbers of Zoroastrians now live in South Asia .

In addition to the Zoroastrians, Persian adherents of the Bahāʾī faith (which originated in Iran) constitute a tiny minority of the population, their religion having been strongly discouraged by the Muslim government. The Persian population is engaged in a broad array of occupations, in both urban and rural settings. In urban areas Persian society is stratified by profession; real-estate investors and commercial entrepreneurs occupy the highest position, followed by upper-level administrators, merchants, and clergy. The middle class consists largely of civil servants and assorted white-collar workers. The next group generally comprises labourers of various sorts, while the lowest class includes the unskilled and the unemployed. In rural areas, which are largely agrarian, social stratification is much less marked. Similar Topics Hui The traditional handwoven cloth and carpet industries have remained strong, despite competition from mechanized textile mills. Persian villages often pride themselves on the unique designs and high quality of their carpets, most of which display the typical geometric figures and floral designs prevalent in Muslim visual art. Products of the weaving industry are both used locally and exported. The Persians are known for their intricately inlaid metalwork as well as for their legacy of extraordinary architecture.

Finely decorated pre-Islamic structures still stand in several ancient cities, as do spectacular mosques and shrines from the Muslim era. A number of these buildings—including those at Persepolis and Choghā Zanbil —and their surroundings have been designated UNESCO World Heritage sites . The Persian literary tradition extends back at least to the time of Zoroaster. Although no writing in Persian occurred for a period of nearly five centuries after Alexander the Great captured the region, the tradition resumed during approximately the 3rd century ce and continued into the 21st century. Among the most renowned Persian literary figures are 10th-century court poet, musician, and singer Rūdakī , who composed versified renditions of local lore; mathematician, astronomer, and skeptic Omar Khayyam , to whom is attributed a collection of quatrains advocating a hedonistic approach to an otherwise meaningless life; and Rūmī , a 13th-century mystic of the Sufi branch of Islam, whose compilation of couplets in Mas̄navī-yi Maʿnavī (“Spiritual Couplets”) has influenced religious thought and literature throughout the Muslim world.

Poetry continues to be a prominent form of literary expression among Persians of the 21st century, though modern literary forms, as represented by Marjane Satrapi ’s graphic novels , have also been embraced. Renaming Persia Renaming Persia Persians Are Not Arabs Persians Are Not Arabs we explain the difference Persian New Year Persian New Year Read More Renaming Persia Persia, What’s in a name? The name Persia is actually a Latin derivation used mainly by Westerners to describe the region roughly equivalent to that of present day Iran . In truth during the rise and fall of the Persian Empire the land was known to its people as 'Aryanam', which is equated to the current “ Iran ” in the proto - Iranian language . During the reign of the Sassanids it became Eran – meaning "land of the Aryans". Aryan: Aryan by definition meant anyone speaking any of the Indo-European languages, including that of the Iranians .

Unfortunately, with the rise of Hitler in the 1930’s, "Aryan" came to be associated with the Nazi definition: being of Non-Jewish Caucasian descent, especially the blue eyed, blond haired Nordic races that Hitler himself favored and hoped to make a master race. Iran VS Persia: In fact, in 1935, Dr Hjalmar Schacht, the Nazi Economics minister noted the Aryan origin of the Persians and encouraged the Persian Reza Shah Pahlavi to ask foreign delegates to use the term Iran, "land of Aryans" instead of Persia. As the New York Times explained at the time, "At the suggestion of the Persian Legation in Berlin, the Tehran government, on the Persian New Year , March 21, 1935, substituted Iran for Persia as the official name of the country. Defenders of the name change, point to its use by the Greek historians citing that "Aryan" means "noble". Many also felt that calling something or someone Persian was dated and somewhat restrictive.

There was a need to unify the people of this land under one nation, Iran , thus encompassing the other ethnicities, such as the Kurds or Turks, residing in former Persia . In its decision it was influenced by the Nazi revival of interest in the various Aryan races, cradled in ancient Persia . As the Ministry of Foreign Affairs set forth in its memorandum on the subject, 'Perse,' the French designation of Persia, connoted the weakness and tottering independence of the country in the nineteenth century, when it was the chessboard of European imperialistic rivalry. conjured up memories of the vigor and splendor of its historic past." Name Change This change however, evoked much opposition and confusion as Persians felt that the term damaged their cultural heritage and aligned them with pro Nazi sentiment. Additionally, all too often Iran was confused with their neighboring Arab state of Iraq, so much that during World War II, Winston Churchill called to enforce continuation of the term of Persia when dealing with political documentation. Even today, in an effort to separate themselves, those opposed to the current government in Iran continue to refer to themselves as Persian .

In 1959, the work of Professor Ehsan Yarshater, editor of Encyclopedia Iranica, propagated a move to use Persia and Iran interchangeably which was approved by Mohammad Reza Shah. Share : Persia, Iran, and the Persian Gulf: A Brief History of Names Persia, Iran, and the Persian Gulf: A Brief History of Names By Fouad Kazem A campaign has been recently launched. Many Iranians from all stripes, fascists, monarchists, nationalists, reformists, liberals, even some leftists, and some religious hardliners, whether in Iran or abroad, have been swept up by a nationalistic fervor. And, what, you may ask, is the root cause of this rare moment of unity among Iranians? It is the fact that an atlas published by the National Geographic (in 2004) included in parentheses the words "Arabian Gulf" next to the "Persian Gulf". That is why there is a campaign to convince the world about the name of the "Persian Gulf". It is a fact that by all historical accounts the Persian Gulf has always been called the "Persian Gulf", in most recorded history.

It is also true that in the same region there is the "Sea of Oman", and next to that there is the "Arab Sea". There is no reason to change the name of "Persian Gulf" to the "Arab Gulf", for that would create more confusion. However, should those interested in Iran's progress and democracy focus their time and energy on teaching everyone in the world about the name of a gulf? Would it not be more productive to devote efforts to make the historical connections between Iran, Iranian, Farsi, and Persian? Would it not make more sense to study the basic facts of Persian and world history we can change the present and work towards a better future? At this point, the vast majority of non-Iranians do not even know that Iranian, Farsi, and Persian are synonymous words referring to the same civilization and language. At best they think Persia is a region larger than Iran; at worst they think Persian is a civilization that disappeared along with the Hittites (who used to live in today's Turkey) or Babylonians (who used to live in today's Iraq). They think Farsi is a new dialect remotely related to Persian.

They think Persian is a type of cat, a style of rug, or a flying carpet from somewhere exotic in the East. Basic facts of Persian history need to be clarified, before we focus on teaching people about the name of the Persian Gulf. Even if we succeed in convincing everyone in the world (including every Saudi Sheikh in his Harem) to use the name "Persian Gulf", the connection of that name with Iran will still be problematic in the minds of many. To be clear, in Persian we call the Persian Gulf, Khalije "Fars". Persia's government in 1935 asked the world to stop using the word, "Persian" and use the word "Iranian" instead (1). And yet in English we want it to be called the "Persian Gulf". Why the confusion over the names Persian and Iranian? For the last 2600 years, up to the year 1935, following a naming convention that was started by the ancient Greeks, in all Western languages today's Iran was known as "Persia", a word that was different from the word used in Persian, which was always "Iran". There are many other examples of such naming conventions in the world.

Indians call their country "Bharat", Egyptians call their land "Missr", in Finland they call their country "Suomi", the Japanese call their country "Nihon", and Germans call their country "Deutschland" (2). By the same token, the language of Persia (Iran) has always been internationally known as Persian. The naming conventions for Persia (aka Iran) changed in 1935. The suggestion for the name change from Persia to Iran is said to have come from the Persian ambassador to Germany, who was a Nazi sympathizer. In 1935 Germany was ruled by Hitler. Aryanism was equated by the Nazis as the highest level of human civilization, in an article of faith based on a vulgar Hegelian hyperbola. Apparently the Persian ambassador was persuaded by his Nazi friends that Persia would be better off as an ally of Nazi Germany. Moreover, he became convinced that the country should be called by its Persian name, Iran, in Western languages. This was to signal a new beginning and bring home to the world the new era in Iranian history, one that would emphasize the Aryan aspect of its people. The name Iran is a cognate of the old word Aryan.

The Persian Ministry of Foreign Affairs sent out a memo to all foreign embassies in Tehran, requesting that the country be called "Iran." Unfortunately "Iran" sounded alien to non-Iranians, and many failed to recognize its connection with the historic Persia. Some (Westerners) thought that it was perhaps one of the new countries like Kuwait or Jordan carved out of the ruins of the Ottoman Empire, or like "Pakistan", carved out of India. Even today many confuse Iran with Iraq. The confusion has been made worse by the usage of the word Farsi, which is the Persian word for Persian, just as "Deutsch" is the German word for German. To make matters worse, for marketing purposes Rumi and other Persian poets are presented by American book publishers as Sufi poets and not as Persian poets (3). It is generally known that Dante was Italian and Shakespeare was British. But most Americans know Rumi as a "Sufi poet" from somewhere in the East, as if Sufi were a nationality.

As the references in a large body of European texts (Examples: texts by Schopenhauer, Nietzche, Hegel, Montesquieu, etc.) indicate, Persian civilization has been very well known in European philosophy and culture for centuries. For today's Persians (Iranians), the name "Iran" refers to a rich and historic civilization. For most non-Iranians, Iran is a country in the Middle East with a more or less Islamic identity, and with no clear connection with the historic "Persia". Let us look at another interesting example: the name of the Caspian Sea. Today in most Middle Eastern languages including Persian and Turkish, the Caspian Sea is called the Sea of the Khazar. The name refers to the Khazar people who inhabited an area extending from the Caucus Mountains to Central Ukraine from the 5th to the 13th century and whose civilization disappeared after successive attacks by the Mongols. The Khazars were a Turkic people who had originated in Central Asia. In the beginning, the Khazars believed in Shamanism, spoke a Turkic language, and were nomads.

Later, the Khazars adopted Judaism, Islam, and Christianity, and settled in cities and towns that they built throughout the north Caucasus and Eastern Ukraine. The Khazars had a tradition of religious tolerance. Kiev, the capital city of modern Ukraine, was largely founded by the Khazars. Kiev is a Turkic name (K�i = riverbank + ev = settlement). The Hungarian-Jewish writer, Arthur Koestler, argued in his carefully researched work, The Thirteenth Tribe (1976) that large portions of the Khazars converted to Judaism. He also documents that the Khazars were forced to migrate to Eastern Europe under attacks from the East by the Mongols in the 13th Century. Through an interesting twist of history, Westerners today refer to the Caspian Sea with the old Latin name for the historic city of Qazvin (in today's Iran), while Persians and Turks refer to it as the Sea of the Khazar, named after a proud civilization that disappeared long ago. Superficial isolated discussions about the name of the Persian Gulf are misplaced. They distract us from more basic problems.

If something is to be done from a naming point of view to promote a better understanding of Persian culture and history, it would be far more sensible to officially change the name of Iran back to Persia, Farsi and Iranian back to Persian, in all Western languages; That can be achieved through a campaign that will educate people about Persian civilization in a clear progressive manner, through a dialogue that will highlight Persia's contributions to the world, without attacking, or claiming superiority over other peoples of the Middle East: the Arabs, the Turks, the Jews, the Armenians, the Kurds.

The Persian rug, the Persian cat, the Persian Empire, the Persia that Alexander the Great was so proud to have defeated, the Persia that the Greek historian, Herodotos, wrote about in his world classic, The Persian Wars, the Persian civilization that Hegel wrote about in his world classic, Philosophy of History, Scheherazade who told stories to the Calif of Baghdad in the tales of A Thousands and One Nights, Ibn-e Sina (aka Avicenna) whose works of medicine were taught in Europe for centuries, Hafez who was admired by Goethe, the great astronomer and poet, Omar Khayyam, Rumi (Mowlana Jalaluddin Rumi) were all Persians, they were from Persia, the same country that has been known in the West as Iran since 1935, through a strange accident of history. In Western Europe, after long periods of warfare and violence (culminating in the savagery of World War II), they finally opted for cooperation among nations and the formation of a European Union. A time may come when the peoples of the Middle East will overcome the existing cultural backwardness and live in harmony and rich cultural exchange with each other.

They will learn to collaborate with each other and not claim superiority over each other. (1) cf. Article by Ehsan Yarshater, professor at Columbia University in New York and editor of the Encyclopedia Iranica. (2) Deutschland, Germany, and Allemagne all refer to the same country in different languages: German, English, and French. (3) Presumably because these publishers believe pointing out Rumi's national origins will dampen the sales efforts. ... Payvand News - 03/25/16 ... -- The Persian Empire of Ancient Iran Updated October 23, 2015. Pre-Achaemenid Iran Iran's history as a nation of people speaking an Indo-European language did not begin until the middle of the second millennium B.C. Before then, Iran was occupied by peoples with a variety of cultures. There are numerous artifacts attesting to settled agriculture, permanent sun-dried- brick dwellings, and pottery-making from the sixth millennium B.C. The most advanced area technologically was ancient Susiana, present-day Khuzestan Province.

By the fourth millennium, the inhabitants of Susiana, the Elamites, were using semipictographic writing, probably learned from the highly advanced civilization of Sumer in Mesopotamia (ancient name for much of the area now known as Iraq), to the west. Sumerian influence in art, literature, and religion also became particularly strong when the Elamites were occupied by, or at least came under the domination of, two Mesopotamian cultures, those of Akkad and Ur, during the middle of the third millennium. continue reading below our video Test Your General Science Knowledge By 2000 B.C. the Elamites had become sufficiently unified to destroy the city of Ur . Elamite civilization developed rapidly from that point, and, by the fourteenth century B.C., its art was at its most impressive. Immigration of the Medes and the Persians Small groups of nomadic, horse-riding peoples speaking Indo-European languages began moving into the Iranian cultural area from Central Asia near the end of the second millennium B.C. Population pressures, overgrazing in their home area, and hostile neighbors may have prompted these migrations.

Some of the groups settled in eastern Iran, but others, those who were to leave significant historical records, pushed farther west toward the Zagros Mountains. Three major groups are identifiable--the Scythians, the Medes (the Amadai or Mada), and the Persians (also known as the Parsua or Parsa). The Scythians established themselves in the northern Zagros Mountains and clung to a seminomadic existence in which raiding was the chief form of economic enterprise. The Medes settled over a huge area, reaching as far as modern Tabriz in the north and Esfahan in the south. They had their capital at Ecbatana (present-day Hamadan) and annually paid tribute to the Assyrians. The Persians were established in three areas: to the south of Lake Urmia (the tradional name, also cited as Lake Orumiyeh, to which it has reverted after being called Lake Rezaiyeh under the Pahlavis), on the northern border of the kingdom of the Elamites; and in the environs of modern Shiraz, which would be their eventual settling place and to which they would give the name Parsa (what is roughly present-day Fars Province).

During the seventh century B.C., the Persians were led by Hakamanish (Achaemenes, in Greek), ancestor of the Achaemenid dynasty . A descendant, Cyrus II (also known as Cyrus the Great or Cyrus the Elder), led the combined forces of the Medes and the Persians to establish the most extensive empire known in the ancient world. Middle East Map / Map of the Middle East - Facts, Geography, History of the Middle East - Worldatlas.com Middle East Information What Is The Middle East And What Countries Are Part Of It? The Middle East is a geographical and cultural region located primarily in western Asia, but also in parts of northern Africa and southeastern Europe. The western border of the Middle East is defined by the Mediterranean Sea, where Israel , Lebanon , and Syria rest opposite from Greece and Italy in Europe. Egypt in Africa also borders the Mediterranean and is sometimes considered as part of the Middle East, while Turkey and Cyprus literally connect Europe to Asia and oscillate between being called European and Middle Eastern. Armenia , Azerbaijan , and Georgia , all located just northeast of Turkey, are at times associated with the Middle East, Europe, Asia, or as their own separate region.

South of the Mediterranean Sea, the Red and Arabian Seas surround the southern part of the Middle East. Saudi Arabia , Yemen , and Oman border these waters, with Iraq and Jordan connecting them to the western part of the region. At the center of the Middle East rests the Persian Gulf, cutting into the region and giving it its hook-like shape. Countries along the Persian Gulf include the United Arab Emirates , Qatar , Bahrain , Kuwait , and Iran . The eastern and northern borders of the Middle East are somewhat difficult to define. Both Afghanistan and Pakistan border Iran to the east, but Pakistan’s shared history with India causes it to sometimes be seen as part of South Asia instead of the Middle East. Some of the countries bordering Iran and Afghanistan’s north, such as Turkmenistan , Tajikistan , and Uzbekistan , are sometimes included within the northern borders of the Middle East, but are other times seen as their own Central Asian region alongside Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan . There are also several unrecognized or partially recognized states within the Middle East.

Palestine, which is made up of the Gaza Strip and West Bank regions in and around Israel, declared its independence in 1988 and is currently recognized as independent by 134 countries, though it is not an official member of the United Nations and is not considered to be its own countries by every G-8 nation except Russia . Abkhazia, Nagorno-Karabakh, and South Ossetia are all located within the Caucasus region around Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Russia and all declared their independence during the 1990s, with limited recognition internationally. Northern Cyprus declared its independence in 1983 but is only recognized as a sovereign state within the UN by Turkey, with every other member considering it as simply part of Cyprus. Some borders within the Middle East are similarly difficult to define as a result of territorial disputes between countries within the region.

Some examples include the island of Abu Musa in the Persian Gulf, which is administered by Iran by claimed by the United Arab Emirates, the Golan Heights plateau, which was part of Syria until it was occupied and annexed by Israel during the Six-Day War, and the region of Kurdistan, which is officially a part of northern Iraq but also has an autonomous status. Geography Of The Middle East The majority of the Middle East region is characterized by a warm desert climate. Weather in this climate is very high during the summer and can reach dangerous levels, with parts of Iraq and Iran having recorded feel-like temperatures of over 160 degrees Fahrenheit (71 degrees Celsius). Average temperatures during the summer usually rest at around 120 degrees Fahrenheit (49 degrees Celsius), while the winters are somewhat milder. This climate also has very little rainfall, resulting in large desert regions. Areas of the Middle East surrounding the Mediterranean, such as Israel and Lebanon , instead boast a warm Mediterranean climate similar to parts of Greece and Italy , while Turkey ’s territory stretches over a variety of arid and continental climate. The northern regions of the Middle East in Iran, Afghanistan , and Central Asia are closer to a steppe climate, with colder winters but still very little precipitation.

As a result of its arid climate, the Middle East is home to several of the world’s largest deserts. The Syrian Desert, which also stretches into Jordan , Iraq, and Saudi Arabia , combines both traditional desert and steppe geography, while the Arabian Desert around Yemen , Oman , Jordan, Iraq, and the Persian Gulf contains more of the rolling sand dunes which often characterize desert imagery. Indeed, the Rub ‘al-Khali, or Empty Quarter, at the center of the Arabian Desert is the largest sand-only desert on the planet and receives as little as 1.2 inches (30 millimeters) of rainfall per year. The Sahara Desert, which stretches across northern Africa and which is perhaps the best-known desert in the world, reaches into the Middle East by way of Egypt . Despite the proliferation of deserts within the region, the Middle East also has several seas, gulfs, and rivers. It shares the Mediterranean Sea with Africa and Europe and the Black and Caspian Seas with Eastern Europe. The famous Suez Canal and Gulf of Suez run between Egypt’s African territory and its Sinai region bordering Israel in Asia, while the equally renowned Nile River flows from the Mediterranean Sea through Egypt and well into the African continent.

The Dead Sea borders Israel to the West and Jordan to the East and is among the saltiest lakes in the world and is also lowest point on the Earth’s land surface, while the Red Sea is shared by both the Western Middle East and parts of Eastern Africa. The massive Tigris and Euphrates rivers begin in the mountains of eastern Turkey, flowing through Syria and Iraq out into the Persian Gulf. The Persian Gulf, along with the Gulfs of Arden and Oman, connect the central and southern regions of the Middle East to the Arabian Sea and ultimately the India n Ocean. Using the most inclusive possible definition of the region as per the outlines listed previously, the total landmass of the Middle East is roughly 3.82 million square miles (9.9 million square kilometers). The largest countries in the region are Saudi Arabia (800 thousand square miles or 2.1 million square kilometers), Iran (580 thousand square miles or 1.5 million square kilometers), Egypt (384 thousand square miles or 995 thousand square kilometers), and Pakistan (340 thousand square miles or 881 thousand square kilometers).

The smallest countries in the Middle East are Bahrain (295 square miles or 765 square kilometers), Cyprus (3,568 square miles or 9,241 square kilometers), Lebanon (3,950 square miles or 10.2 thousand square kilometers), and Qatar (4,473 square miles or 11.6 thousand square kilometers). History of the Middle East The Middle East is often referred to as the “Cradle of Civilization,” and a brief look at the region’s history clearly explains why this is true. This part of the world, and particularly the Mesopotamia region around the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, is home to many of humanity’s earliest accomplishments. Neolithic humans here made their first transitions from nomadic to agricultural lifestyles by inventing the wheel, basic agriculture, and the beginnings of the written word roughly 12,000 years ago. Ancient Sumer was the first civilization on Earth, and produced the oldest known piece of literature, the Epic of Gilgamesh, which is now over 4000 years old.

This region was also home to the ancient Akkadian, Babylonian, and Assyrian empires, while farther West the Middle East region saw the unification and rise of Ancient Egypt . Several Persian empires originating in modern Iran also rose to dominance in the Middle East, while the Romans and their successor state in the East, the Byzantine Empire, eventually controlled the region from the Mediterranean coasts up to the Euphrates River. The Middle East is also the origin point for many of the religions and belief systems which help define modern civilizations today. The region was home to the ancient Kingdom of Israel and thus fostered the Jewish religion. Jesus is believed to have been born in Nazareth, which is located in what is now the northern region of Israel, and indeed early Christianity traces its origins back to the Middle East. The region is also the birthplace of Islam, as the Prophet Muhammad was born in Mecca (now the capital of Saudi Arabia ) in around AD 570. Several other belief systems also trace their origins to the Middle East, such as the pantheon of Ancient Egyptian gods, the deities of Ancient Sumer, and the Zoroastrianism and Manichaeism of Ancient and Classical Persia.

Following the establishment of Islam, much of the Middle East came under control of Arab dynasties, followed by a series of Turkic peoples. The first of these was the Seljuks, followed by the influx of Mongol invasions during the 13th century, and finally by the Ottomans, who established an empire based in Constantinople (now Istanbul) in the middle of the 15th century. The Ottoman Empire controlled much of the Middle East for several centuries, though there were competing powers such as the Persian Safavids and the growing colonial powers Britain, France , and Russia . The Ottoman Empire was dismantled during the course of World War I, resulting in a vacuum of power in the Middle East in which the British and French occupied further stretches of territory up until the end of World War II, where after a series of conflicts both European powers began to retreat from the region. The 20th century saw the formation of several new nations within the Middle East, such as Saudi Arabia, Iran (which had been previously known as Persia), Jordan , Lebanon , Syria, and Israel.

The region also saw a series of major conflicts during this century, such as the Arab-Israeli War, the Iran- Iraq War, and the Gulf War. The Middle East’s recent history during the 21st century has also been marred with violence. The September 11 terrorist attacks on the United States in 2001 prompted an invasion of Afghanistan and later Iraq as part of a continuing “War on Terror,” while a series of revolutions beginning in 2010 called the Arab Spring involved major protests and the overthrowing of dictatorial regimes in Tunisia , Egypt, Libya , and Yemen . Revolutionary activity in Syria resulted in harsh governmental retaliations leading into the prolonged Syrian Civil War, a larger conflict is still ongoing and has killed between 250,000 and 470,000, displaced over 7.5 million within Syria, and forced over 4 million people to flee the country as refugees.

New militant terrorist organizations have also taken hold in the region in recent years, most notably the Taliban in Afghanistan; al-Qaeda, which had orchestrated the September 11 attacks; and the Islamic State (IS), also known as ISIS (Islamic State of Iraq and Syria), ISIL (Islamic State of Syria and the Levant), or Daesh, which has proclaimed its own state and caliphate with the intent of forcibly implementing its own interpretation of Islam and Sharia law. Demographics of the Middle East Stretching the definition of the Middle East to include its widest borders as per the parameters outlined earlier, the population of the region rests at around 690 million people. The most populous countries in the Middle East include Pakistan (~193 million), Egypt (~90.6 million), Iran (~79 million), and Turkey (~78.7 million), while the least populated countries are Cyprus (~1.1 million), Bahrain (~1.4 million), Qatar (~2.4 million), and Armenia (~3 million). Despite the historical rise and prominence of Islam in the Middle East, the many belief systems which originated in the region allow it to maintain a highly diverse religious makeup today.

Indeed, out of the entire global Muslim population only roughly 20% live within the Middle East. This being said, Islam is still dominant and is the official state religion in most countries of the region. Over 90% of people in Afghanistan , Azerbaijan , Egypt, Iran, Iraq , Jordan , Kuwait , Oman , Pakistan, Saudi Arabia , Tajikistan , Turkey, Uzbekistan , and Yemen adhere to Islam, while Muslims make up between 50-89% of the population in Bahrain, Lebanon , Qater, Syria, Turkmenistan , and the United Arab Emirates . The two largest denominations of Islam in the Middle East are Sunni and Shia, though Sunni is the more dominant sect in most countries of the region. The countries that have Shia majorities in the Middle East are Bahrain, Iraq, and Iran. Shia Islam specifically is the official religion of Iran, which is the country with the highest percentage of its adherents in the world (90-96%) and with its largest global population (30-35%). Orthodox Christianity is the most prominent Christian denomination in the Middle East, with several major groups including the Armenian, Coptic, and Greek Orthodox churches.

Christianity is the dominant religion in Armenia, Cyprus, and Georgia , and Christian minority populations of at least 10% are found in Bahrain, Egypt, Lebanon, Qatar, Syria, Turkmenistan, and the United Arab Emirates. Lebanon is of particular note for having a nearly even split between Islam and Christianity, being roughly 54% Muslim and 40% Christian and having a Christian as its president. Israel is unique for being the only country in the world with a majority Jewish population, though it officially has no state religion. Roughly 75% of its population adheres to Judaism, with about 17% adhering to Islam. Among Israel’s Jewish population, roughly 66% are Secular, 26.5% Orthodox, 3.2% Conservative, and 3.9% Reform. Arabic is the most common language in the Middle East. It is the sole official language in Bahrain, Egypt, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, the United Arab Emirates, and Yemen. Iraq has two official languages, with Arabic spoken by the majority of its population and Kurdish spoken by in the autonomous Kurdistan region.

Persian is the second-most spoken language in the Middle East, and it has specific dialects in the region. The most common form of Persian is Farsi, which is the sole official language of Iran and is spoken by the vast majority of the population there. The Tajiki dialect of Persian is the official language of Tajikistan, with Russia n recognized as a regional language, and Dari is the Persian dialect spoken primarily in Afghanistan. Afghanistan actually has two official languages: Dari and Pashto, a Central Asian language related to (but separate from) Persian. Turkish is the third-most popular language in the Middle East. It is the sole official language of Turkey and one of the two official languages of Cyprus, alongside Greek. Several Middle Eastern nations also have their own languages specific to their country. Urdu is one of the two Hindustani languages (alongside Hindu) and is the national language of Pakistan, though English is also an official language. Uzbek, a Central Asian Turkic language, is the official language of Uzbekistan, with Russian and Karakalpak (also a Turkic language) recognized as regional languages.

Turkmen, another Turkic language from Central Asia, is the sole official language of Turkmenistan, though Russian has some limited recognition. Armenian, Azerbaijani, and Georgian are the sole official languages for their respective countries. Israel is the only country in the world to have Hebrew as a national language, but there are actually two official languages in the country: Hebrew and Arabic. Aside from official and national languages, there are also a wide variety of minority languages which are a product of the diverse cultures, patterns of migration, and economic activities of the Middle East. These spoken languages include (but are not limited to) Berber, Circassian, English, French, Gagauz, Hindi, Romani, Russian, Somali, and several Modern Aramaic dialects. Persia In the Bible - Amazing Bible Timeline with World History Amazing Bible Timeline with World History Easily See 6017 Years of Biblical and World History Together! Menu $0.00 0 items Persia In the Bible Persia is an empire located in southern Asia. It was created by Cyrus the Great in the 6th century BC and was destroyed by Alexander the Great in the 4th century BC.

It became a theocratic Islamic republic in the Middle East in western Asia. The Persian Empire is the name used to refer to many historical dynasties that have ruled the country of Persia now known as Iran. Persia’s earliest known kingdom was the proto- Elamite Empire, followed by the Medes, but it is the Achaemenid Empire that emerged under Cyrus the Great that is usually the earliest to be called “Persian.” However, it is placed on the Bible Timeline as early as the 14th century BC based on it’s earliest beginnings. [This article continues after a message from the authors] These Articles are Written by the Publishers of The Amazing Bible Timeline Quickly See 6000 Years of Bible and World History Together Unique Circular Format – see more in less space. Learn facts that you can’t learn just from reading the Bible Attractive design ideal for your home, office, church … Limited Time Offer! Find out more now! > The history of Iran, commonly known as Persia In the Early history, the Elamite kingdom was found in what is now southwestern Iran and Mesopotamia.

The nomadic people known as Scythians , Medes , and Persians ranged from Central Asia to the Iranian plateau. Cyrus the great overthrew the Median King to become the ruler of Persia and Media. Cyrus captured Babylon and released the Jews from captivity. Darius, I next became the king. He reestablished and extended the empire, carrying out the administrative reorganization. Darius invaded the Greek mainland but was defeated at the Battle of Marathon. Before 1995, successive states were collectively called the Persian Empire by Western historians. The name Persia has long been used by the West to describe the nation of Iran, its people, or its ancient empire. Persis is derived from the ancient Greek name for Iran. This in turn comes from a province in the south of Iran, called Fars in the modern Persian language and Pars in Middle Persian. Persis is the Hellenized form of Pars, which is the basis for other European nations calling the area Persia. Persians in the Bible King Xerxes ruled over 127 territories in his kingdom. They reached from India all the way to Cush . The story of Esther tells of Persia.

(Esther 1:1) This is how Persia is introduced in the Bible. Many historical Persian people have been mentioned in the Bible such as Cyrus the Great who has been referred to as a “Messiah” in the Old Testament. Cyrus the Great freed the Jews from captivity in Babylon through his Edict of Restoration in 538 BC and helped them to go back to the Jerusalem.He helped the Jewish people to rebuild their temples. Many Jewish people worked in the Persian court, and Jewish law was recognized in Persia. Some historians believe that one or all of the three wise men who brought gifts to Jesus at the time of his birth were Persian. They are referred to as “magi” and a magus (the singular of magi) was a Zoroastrian priest. Finally, Persians were some of the first people to convert to Christianity. What Part of the Bible Mentions Persians? 2 Chronicles 36:22 – Cyrus, king of Persia, is tasked to formulate a declaration throughout his kingdom and to put it in writing in the accomplishment of the Lord’s proclamation pronounced by Jeremiah . 2 Chronicles 36:23.

Cyrus king of Persia appointed to build a temple for the Lord at Jerusalem in Judah. 2 Chronicles 36:20. He carried into exile to Babylon the remnant, who escaped from the sword, and they became servants to him and his sons until the kingdom of Persia came to power. Ezra 9:9. God has shown kindness and goodness to His people in the sight of the kings of Persia: new life and new living to re-establish the house of God. And restore its ruins, and He has set a wall of protection in Judah and Jerusalem. Ezekiel 27:10. Men of Persia, Lydia, and Put served as soldiers in the army. Ezra 4:3. Zerubbabel, Jeshua and other family members of Israel opposed the offer of the enemies of Judah and Benjamin to help build the temple of God. As they were determined to work on this task alone for the Lord, God of Israel, as King Cyrus, the king of Persia, ordered them. References:

Question: What country is also known as Persia?
Answer: Iran