Matikan III

Matikan 3 is the title of a book whose first and second volumes were previously published through the Amordad weekly and Barsam Publishing and made available to those interested in the history and culture of Iran. Now, the third volume of Matikan is presented to readers seeking works of Iranian studies in all its breadth. Further volumes of this book will also be published in the future.

Part of the cost of printing Matikan 3 was donated in memory of the late Ardeshir Foroudi by his wife, Mahnaz Mozhgani, and his children, Farin and Soroush Foroudi, in support of this cultural endeavor.

This book contains a collection of essays, some of which were previously published in the weekly Amordad, while others are being published for the first time.

“Matikan 3” contains 23 essays, which can be categorized as follows:

1. Gathic Studies and the Study of Zarathustra

Discussion of the Gathas of Zarathustra is informative and highly valuable. The essays related to the Gathas in Matikan 3 include:

• “The Gathas and Their Influence on Other Parts of the Avesta”, by Mehrdad Ghadardan. In this scholarly essay, the author examines the influence of the Gathas on the Yashts, Visperad, and Khordeh Avesta, presenting substantial arguments in support of his findings.

• “The Value of Zarathustra’s Thought in Today’s World”, by Kourosh Niknam. The vision and thought of Zarathustra remain instructive and significant for the modern world. The author identifies examples of this outlook in the universality of these ideas, openness to knowledge, rational thought, and other subjects discussed in the essay.

2. The Ancient and Middle Periods of Iranian History

The essays dealing with the ancient history of Iran and illuminating aspects of this important period include:

• “The Statecraft of Darius the Great”, by the late Professor Farhad Abadani. In this scholarly work, he discusses the birth and childhood of Darius, the beginning of his political career, his accession to the throne, the administrative organization he successfully established, the construction of roads, his system of justice, his humane treatment of followers of different religions, and several other subjects of considerable importance. Reading this essay introduces us to an important part of the rich heritage of the Achaemenids.

• “Cyrus the Great and His Name”, by Dr. Afsaneh Goli. She examines the life of Cyrus the Great, conducts an in-depth study of his name and its place in ancient writings, and reaches informative conclusions.

• “Iran (Media, Persis, Parthia)”, by Ahmad Nouri (Aryachehr). The question of where the boundaries of historical and cultural Iran lay has always been a matter of debate. In this essay, the author attempts to address the subject through scholarly investigation and, by referring to the story of Fereydun’s division of the world among his three sons—Iraj, Salm, and Tur—seeks to establish a connection between history and mythology.

• “The Fire of Shiz: Examining the Role of Khosrow II’s Actions in the Collapse of the Sasanian Empire”, by Dr. Mehdi Yarahmadi. The author first divides the reign of Khosrow II into three periods and then, through an examination of these periods, investigates the role of this Sasanian ruler in the destruction and eventual downfall of the Sasanian Empire.

• “An Examination of Greek Sources on the Life of Cyrus the Great”, by Dr. Kourosh Salari. Despite extensive scholarly research, uncertainties concerning the life of Cyrus the Great still remain. In this essay, the author traces the life of this Achaemenid ruler through Greek sources.

• “The Identity of the Time, Place, Names, and Titles of the Median Kings with the Kayanian Kings”, by Javad Mofrad Kahlan. The author argues that the Kayanians mentioned in the Avesta, Pahlavi books, and the Shahnameh were the same kings as those of Media. He presents significant arguments in support of this view.

• “The Role of Tribes in the Rise and Fall of Royal Dynasties in Iran”, by Dr. Mehdi Keyvani. In this illuminating study, the author seeks to trace the role of Iranian tribal groups in the historical transformations of Iran and in the emergence of ruling dynasties.

3. Cultural Figures of Iran

Another group of essays in Matikan 3 concerns Iranian cultural figures who have had an influence throughout the history of the land:

• “The Influence of Persian-Language Poets on Amir Ali-Shir Nava’i in His Composition of Turkish Poetry”, by Dr. Amirtimur Rafiei. Nava’i, the capable Timurid minister, was a skilled poet and man of letters. A body of poetry by him survives in Turkish. Some consider him the founder of Turkish poetry. In this essay, the author examines Nava’i’s literary influences from Persian-language poets such as Attar, Hafez, and Jami.

• “The Fire of Love According to Hallaj and the Mobadan Mobad”, by Dr. Nasrollah Pourjavady. A leading scholar of Iranian mysticism and mystics, the author examines the evolution of the concept of “love” and then explores the concept from Hallaj’s perspective, finding it comparable with the ideas of Adur-Farnbag, the Mobadan Mobad (chief Zoroastrian priest).

• “Hormuzan Taught Umar the Administrative System”, by Amir Soroush. If Hormuzan is considered not only in terms of his political position during the Sasanian period but also as a cultural figure, this essay can be included among the studies of Iranian cultural personalities. Drawing upon historical evidence, the author presents how Hormuzan is said to have taught the Arabs the long-established Iranian administrative tradition.

4. Iranian Art and Rock Inscriptions

It is impossible to speak of Iran’s past without mentioning its art. Among the essays in Matikan 3 devoted to this subject are:

• “The History of Music and Minstrelsy in Iran”, by Leila Haj-Abed. As the title suggests, the essay examines the antiquity of musical art among Iranians.

• “The Stone Inscriptions of the National Museum of Iran”, by Dr. Hamid-Reza Gholich-Khani. Apart from their historical value, inscriptions should also be regarded as works of art. This essay examines and introduces the marble inscriptions held at the National Museum of Iran.

5. The Shahnameh and Mythology

The material concerning the Shahnameh and mythology in Matikan 3 includes:

• “Simorghdokht: An Examination of the Aspects and Manifestations of Sindokht’s Character in the Verses of the Shahnameh”, by Dr. Katayoun Namiranian and Narges Ghanavati. The Simorgh occupies a prominent and elevated position in the Shahnameh. The authors examine the mythical bird from a new perspective.

• “Myth in the History of Beyhaqi”, by Ali Hamidi-Nia. The History of Beyhaqi is not merely a historical and literary work; it also contains themes demonstrating its connection with mythology. This essay addresses precisely this subject.

• “Tradition Is Victorious, Not Idealism!”, by Asgar Bakhshoudeh. This essay offers a new perspective on the Shahnameh and examines values that have received comparatively less attention.

• “The Dialectic of a Statement”, by Bijan Janfashan. The historical signs and indications found in certain stories of the Shahnameh are examined in this essay.

6. Iranian Identity

Some of the essays in Matikan 3 dealing with the question of identity include:

• “The Cultural and Identity-Based Image of Iranians in Official Achaemenid Documents”, by Dr. Zagros Zend. The author conducts an in-depth examination of the “view of the self,” or “looking from within,” in Achaemenid documents such as inscriptions and clay tablets. By “view of the self,” he means an understanding obtained through Iranian sources rather than through the writings of foreigners.

• “Persian Speakers of Iran and the Construction of the Persian Ethnic Identity”, by Ardalan Kouzegar. The author examines the history of the name Pars/Fars, the emergence of Fars as a designation for Persian speakers, and other examples related to the subject, arriving at the conclusion that the use of Fars to designate Persian speakers does not have a history extending back before the modern period.

7. Geographical Studies

Geography has an inseparable relationship with history. Without an understanding of geography, knowledge of history is not possible. The geographical essay in Matikan 3 is:

• “Greater Khorasan and Turan Instead of Central Asia and Middle Asia”, by Mehran Shafiei-Nasab Langaroudi. The proposal presented by the author in this essay merits consideration. He examines the historical roots of geographical names and questions the use of more recent geographical terminology.

8. Other Essays in Matikan 3

• “The History of the Emergence of Genetics in the World and Iran, from Zarathustra to the Third Millennium”, by Mohammad-Hassan Kariminejad and Ardeshir Khorshidian. Genetics in ancient Iran is a relatively new and meaningful subject, which the authors address in this exploratory study.

• “The Sasanian Penal System”, by Ava Owhadi Nava’i. An important subject addressed by the author is the system of justice and its foundations during the Sasanian period.

The third volume of Matikan (A Collection of Articles from Amordad) comprises 235 pages and includes a foreword by Babak Salavati. It has been published and distributed by Barsam Publishing, in cooperation with the weekly Amordad. Purchase Collection…