Iranian studies

The Iranian or Iran customer is an interdisciplinary science that deals with the study of the spiritual and material heritage of Iranian peoples from ancient times to the present day busy ( Ancient Iranian / Iranian Studies ). These include the history, literature, art and culture of the Iranian peoples. Furthermore, it deals with the study of Iranian languages ​​.

The Iranian addresses, among other things, the present states of Iran, Afghanistan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan.

Among the best known researchers in the field of Iranian studies include the American Orientalist Richard N. Frye, the British Iranistin Mary Boyce and Russian scientists and Orient expert Vladimir Minorski. From Iran Ehsan come Yarshater, co-founder and publisher of the Encyclopedia Iranica, and Zabihollah Safa, author of the long-time standard work to the Persian literary history.

Getting sources for Iranian Studies

In addition to numerous inscriptions and cultural products makes the Shahnameh ( " Book of Kings " ) of Firdausi (~ 990-1020 AD) a rich source for the study of ancient Iran. It provides an extensive consideration of the Persian culture, literature, art, history and anthropology to in his time. Further digestion offer the annals of the historian Abū Ja'far Tabari, which reflects historical circumstances to 915 AD. The book Tarikh -e Mas'udi of the Persian historian Abolfazl Beyhaghi (995-1077) is one of the most reliable sources for Ghaznavidenreich. Meanwhile, liquid prose style also made it an important work of Persian literature. From the 13th century comes the extensive history of the world conqueror of the historian Ata Malek Joveyni ( Tarikh -e Jahāngoshāhi -ye Joveynī ), who reported on the Mongol rule. The Zafernāmeh ( "Book of victory" ) Sharaf ud- Din 'Ali Yazdi from the 15th century treated the conqueror Timur ( 1370-1405 ). It is believed that it is based on the book by Nizam ud- Din Shami, which was written at the request of Timur.

The Iranian Studies in modern Iran

At the beginning of the 20th century, the University of Tehran sent a few chairs of Iranian Studies, which focused mainly on areas such as the Ancient Iranian linguistics and culture of ancient Iran, Persian literature, history and archeology. The University of Shiraz specialized with Alireza Pour Shahbazi damage mainly to the archaeologist of the Achaemenid.

The most comprehensive to date encyclopaedic dictionary of the Persian language, which was released in 15 volumes dictionary Dehkhodas - Loghat Nameh Dehkhoda linguist Allameh Ali Akbar Dehkhoda, also comes from this period.

The Iranian Studies in Europe

Within Europe, Germany contributed a significant contribution to the field of Iranian Studies. Thus, the Georg- August -Universität Göttingen is one of the pioneers of the discipline in the West. In 2003, she celebrated the 100th anniversary of the department. In France, especially the École Pratique des Hautes Études in Paris specializing in this area, in England the School of Oriental and African Studies in London. With the publication of the Encyclopédie de l' Islam, Leiden University contributed to the study of Islam.

The umbrella organization of European Iranisten, the Societas Europaea Iranologica, regularly organizes conferences in different universities and research centers in the world.

Valuable collections of Iranian culture can be found in the British Museum in London, the Louvre in Paris, in the St. Petersburg Hermitage Museum and the Pergamon Museum ( Museum Island ), Berlin.

The Iranian Studies in the United States

Within the United States was driven primarily by Harvard University, Columbia University and Stanford University to the deepening of the subject.

The Encyclopædia Iranica, one of the most comprehensive sources for Iranian culture was initiated at Columbia University. Iranisten like Richard Nelson Frye and Ehsan Yarshater were instrumental in this project. It is considered the most accurate and reliable reference to country life, culture and history of all Iranian peoples and their interaction with other peoples.

More research centers

Research institutions for Iranian Studies can be found all over the world. For example, there are besides those already referred to in Europe, the United States and Iran even more in India (Mumbai, Iran Society, Calcutta), Israel, Japan and other countries.

Literature (selection )

Literature on multiple description

• Philip Huyse: Iranian Studies. In: Brill's New Pauly. Reception and history of science. Vol 14, 2000, pp. 633-641.

Encyclopedias, reference books and Institusreihen for Iranian Studies

• Harold Bailey ( ed.) Cambridge History of Iran. Vol 1-8, Cambridge University Press.
• B. Lewis, Ch Pellat, J. Schacht (eds.): Encyclopédie de l' Islam. 1-12, E. J. Brill, Leiden, The Netherlands; Paris 1960ff.
• Maria Macuch (ed.): Iranica. Harrassowitz Verlag, Wiesbaden 1993 ff
• Rüdiger Schmitt ( ed.): Compendium Linguarum Iranicarum. Reichert, Wiesbaden 1989 ( Short Quote CIL, a comprehensive description of all Iranian language groups in the past and present, written by an international panel of recognized Iranisten. ).
• Ehsan Yarshater et al. Encyclopaedia Iranica. Costa Mesa 1985 ff
• Ehsan Yarshater et al. History of Persian Literature. New York 1988 ff

Literature on the Iranian languages ​​and peoples

• Rüdiger Schmitt: The Iranian languages ​​in the past and present. Reichert, Wiesbaden 2000 ( Current Summary of CIL, in particular for the classification important).
• Nicholas Sims -Williams: The Iranian Languages ​​. In: Ramat- Ramat (ed.): The Indo- European Languages ​​. Routledge, London / New York 1998.
• Nicholas Sims - Williams ( ed.): Indo -Iranian Languages ​​and Peoples. Oxford University Press, 2002.

Literature on the topic Persian literature and Persian literature

• Edward G. Browne: Literary History of Persia. 1998, ISBN 0-7007-0406- X.
• Henri Massé: Anthology persane. Petite Bibliothèque Payot, Paris 1950 (2004) ( Persian literary history ( v. 11 - 19th century) ).
• January Rypka, Robert Salek, Helena Turkova, Heinrich FJ Junker: Iranian literary history. Leipzig 1959.
• Zabihollah Safa: Hamāse - sara- ī represents Irān ( history of the heroic epic in Iran ). Tehran 1945 ( 2000).
• Zabihollah Safa Tarikh -e Adabiyāt is Irān ( history of literature in Iran ). Vol 1-8, Tehran, 1953 ( 2001).

Literature on the subject of Persian history

• Arthur Christensen: L' Iran sous les Sassanides. Munksgaard, Copenhagen 1944 (reprint: Zeller, Osnabrück 1971), ISBN 3-535-01195-7.
• Shirin Ebadi et al.: My Iran. A life between revolution and hope. Pendo Verlag, Starnberg, 2006.
• Shirin Ebadi: History and Documentation of Human Rights in Iran., 2000.
• Richard Nelson Frye: The Heritage of Persia. 1962 ( (German: Persia, Zurich 1962) ).
• Richard Nelson Frye: The History of Ancient Iran. Handbook of Classical Studies, Munich 1985.
• Richard Nelson Frye: Greater Iran: A 20th Century Odyssey. Mazda Publishers, Washington, D.C., 2005.
• Vladimir Minorsky: The Turks, Iran and the Caucasus in the Middle Ages. In 1978.
• Vladimir Minorsky: Medieval Iran and its Neighbours. In 1982.
• Josef Wiesehöfer: The ancient Persia. From 550 BC to 650 AD .. Dusseldorf 2005.

Persian literature on philosophy and religion

• Mary Boyce: A history of Zoroastrianism. Vol 1-3, Leiden 1975-1991.
• Henry Corbin: Terre Céleste et de Corps Résurrection. De l' Iran Mazdéen à l' Iran Shiite. Edition Buchet / Chastel, Corrêa, 1960 ( 1979).
• Henry Corbin: L' Iran et la philosophie. Fayard, Paris 1990.
• Gerd Gropp (ed.): Zarathustra and the mysteries of Mithras. Catalogue of the special exhibition at the Museum of Iran in the Museum Rade, Reinbek ( 31 March-27 June 1993). Edition prying, Bremen 1993.
• R. P. Masani: Le Zoroastrisme. Religion de la vie bonne. Préface de John Mc Kenzie ( Vice - Recteur de L' Université de Bombay). Payot, Paris 1939 ( very good overview of the religion). English edition: Zoastrianism: the religion of the good life. Allen & Unwin London 1938 / Indigo Books New Delhi 2003
• Vladimir Minorsky: Iran and Islam. In 1971.
• Steven Runciman: The medieval Manichee ( Manichaeism ). Cambridge ( Cambridgeshire); Cambridge University, New York 1982.
• Annemarie Schimmel: Islam. An Introduction. Stuttgart 1990.
• Annemarie Schimmel: Mystical Dimensions of Islam. The history of Sufism. In 1975.
• Michael Strausberg Zoroaster and his religion. Munich 2005.
• Stephan A. Towfigh, Wafa Enayati: The Baha'i religion. An Overview. Olzog Verlag, Munich 2005, ISBN 3-7892-8163-8.

Literature Persian Art

• SJ Falk, Farah Diba Pahlavi (ed.): Qajar Paintings. A Catalogue of 18th and 19th Century Paintings. Tehran 1971.
• Penelope Hobhouse: Persian gardens. Paradise of the Orient. Knesebeckstraße, Munich 2005, ISBN 3-89660-271-3.

• Hertha Kirketerp -Möller: Det Islamiske Bogmaleri. Nyt Nordisk Forlag Arnold Busck, Kopenhavn 1974.
• Thomas W. Lentz, Glenn D. Lowry, Timur and the Princely Vision. Los Angeles County Museum of Art Arthur Sackler Gallery, Los Angeles 1989 ( Persian Art and Culture in the Fifteenth Century ).
• Arthur Upham Pope: Introducing Persian Architecture. Oxford University Press, London, 1971.
• Friedrich Sarre: The Art of Ancient Persia. Bruno Cassirer Verlag Berlin, 1922.
• Wilfried Seipel ( Eds.): 7000 Years of Persian Art. Masterpieces from the Iranian National Museum in Tehran. Kunsthistorisches Museum Vienna, the Art and Exhibition Hall of the Federal Republic of Germany GmbH, Bonn. Skira editore. Milano. Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna, 2001.