Persians
- This article is about the ethnic Persians (Iranians) of Iran. For information about Central Asian Persians see Tajiks. For the ancient empire, see Persian Empire.
The Persians of Iran (officially named "Persia" by West until 1935 while still referred to as Persia by some ) are an Iranian people who speak Persian (locally named Fârsi by native speakers) and often refer to themselves as ethnic Iranians as well. Religiously, most of the Persians in Iran follow the Shia sect of Islam, while small minorities of Sunni Muslims, Persian Jews, Persian Christians, Zoroastrians, and Bahá'ís remain. The ancient Persians from the province of Pars (Fars) became the rulers of a large empire under the Achaemenid dynasty (The Persian pronunciation is Ha-Khuh-Manesh-ee-yun) in the sixth century BC. Over the centuries Persia was ruled by various dynasties; some of them were ethnic Persians (the Sassanids, Buwayhids, Samanids, and others), and some of them were not (the Seleucids, Seljuk Turks, Mongols, Safavids, and others).
The Persian civilization spawned three major religions: Zoroastrianism, Mithraism, and Manichaeanism. All of these reflect the extreme Dualism of Persian culture which has also significantly influenced Judeo-Christianity and Western civilization. In addition, Persian civilization has affected its neighbors through culture, religion, and language.
According to the 2004 CIA World Factbook, 51% of Iran's current population is ethnically Persian. Other estimates put the figure as high as 70%. A number of other ethnic groups are represented in Iran, including the non-Persian Aryan groups, the Gilaki and the Kurds; the Turkic Azerbaijanis and Turkmen; and a few Arabs (approximately 3%), Baluchis, and other minorities. See Demographics of Iran for more detail.
Ethnic Persians can also be found outside of Iran and include the Tajiks and Farsiwan who can be found in Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Pakistan, and Xinjiang, while another group called the Tats live mainly in the Caucasus region concentrated in Azerbaijan. The Parsis of India and eastern Pakistan are also largely descended from Persian Zoroastrian refugees who fled from Persia following the Arab conquests. In addition, a group called the Hazara are a Persianized Turkic-Mongol ethnic group.
Origins and roots
The Persians of Iran are mainly descended from the Iranian branch of the Aryans, an Indo-European people that migrated to the region from Central Asia between 2000-1000 BCE as well as indigenous populations such as the Elamites. The Persians have been, over time, genetically and/or socially modified and impacted by various groups including the Greeks, Scythians, Parthians, Arabs, Turks, Mongols, and various other Eurasian invaders. The Persian Jews are a good example of a population that moved to Iran and assimilated and mixed with the Persians so that today they speak Farsi and are virtually identical to other Persians except for religion.The Persian language and other Iranian tongues all arrived with the Aryans. The first record of the Persians comes from an Assyrian inscription from the 800s BCE which calls them the Parsu and mentions them alongside another Aryan group, the Madai (Medes). See also Persian Empire and History of Iran.
Persian language
Main article: Persian language.The Persian language is one of the world's oldest languages still in use today. It is called Farsi in Iran and Dari or Tajiki east of Iran. It is part of the Iranian sub-section of the Indo-Iranian branch of the Indo-European family of languages. Persian-speakers are today in the majority in Iran, Tajikistan, and possibly Afghanistan, and form a large minority in Uzbekistan as well. Smaller groups of Persian speakers are found in western Pakistan and western China, as well as in Bahrain and Iraq. This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality
Persian Art
Persian Music
Main article: Music of Iran.The music of Persia goes back to the days of Barbod in the royal Sassanid courts, and even earlier.Ń
Persian Architecture
Main article: Iranian architecture.Architecture is one of the areas where Persians have made outstanding contributions.
Persian rugs
Main article: Persian rug.Gottfried Semper called rugs "the original means of separating space". Rug weaving was thus developed by ancient civilizations as a basis of architecture. Persian rugs have a history as old as humanity itself.
Persian Gardens
Main article: Persian Gardens.The Persian Garden was designed as a reflection of paradise on earth; the word "garden" itself coming from Persian roots.
Persian Women
Main article: Persian Woman.She is the star of 1001 Nights. She is the source of color and life in Persia. Who is the Persian woman? Oriental, yet markedly distinguishable.
Persian contributions to humanity
Main article: Culture of Iran.From the humble Brick, to the Windmill. Persians have strived to create a better world by mixing creativity with art.