Iran League quarterly

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Official Organ of the Iran League, Bombay

Vol. IV

OCTOBER 1933

No. 1

Y

CONTENTS

The Editor's Notes

Poetry and Other Literature of Ancient Iran
My Impressions of Present Persia
The Kurds

Source of Muslim Thought ...
Zarathushtra's Message to the Aryan "World
Persian Government Rules for Transmitting Money
Countries

Impressions of a Summer Journey in Kurdistan
Ancient Iran: Its Contribution to Human Progress..
Reviews and Notices
The Advice of Emperor Noushirvan

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Hon. Sardar Sir Rustom Vakil

While we were in press, death occurred in Bombay of Hon. Sardar Sir Rustom
Jehangir Yakil, the distinguished Minister of the Bombay Government. He
was a mest successful administrator, a very prominent businessman and an
eminent Parsi. All communities had hailed with pleasure his appointment to a high
administrative post in the Council of the Bombay Government ; and his bright and
eventful career in that post has proved the just confidence the public had shown at
his appointment. While some people had been only talking and destroying, he started
real constructive work by laying the foundation stones of sound and far-reaching self-
government by the masses, for which the Indian Nation will remember and thank
him in all future.





[Iran League Quarterly.

H. H. Foroughi, The Persian Prime Minister,

On the 13th of September the Government in Persia resigned, and a new
one has been formed by H. H. Foroughi, the former Foreign Minister. The
Government is expected to do well under his experienced guidance.



THE IRAN LEAGUE QUARTERLY

Vol. IV ] OCTOBER 1933 [ No. 1

THE EDITOR'S NOTES

Afghanistan in Mourning

The world has heard with shock the appalling news
of the assassination of the King of Afghanistan. H. M.
Nadirshah had proved himself a 'successful and sagacious
administrator, and the wonderful progress the country made
during his short regime, gave promise of still greater achieve-
ment in the future. One is really sorry that so useful a career
has been cut short so suddenly, and Afghanistan is again on

the verge of uncertainties.

* * *

Some Persian Losses

We regret to have to note the passing away early in Sep-
Coionei Habibui* tember of Colonel Habibullakhan, the father
lakhan 0f H Mirza Hasan Khan Pirnazar, the

Persian Consul in Bombay. Having played his part well in the
army, he had his share in forming modern Iran, and he leaves
behind worthy sons to carry on his work and to serve her with
ability and in the fulness of loyalty.

There also passed away in July last, Mirza Huseinkhan
Muaqqar who was a useful and guiding member
Huseinkhan 0f the Persian Parliament for a number of years

Muaqqar

and also the founder of some most beneficjla


78 the iran league quarterly [octf.

industries in south of Khuzistan. Among these were the
Electric Supply Companies in Ahwaz and Abadan, the Water
Distillation Plant in Ahwaz, the Ice Factory in Abadan, and
the Boat Service between Muhmarreh and Ahwaz, and between
the Gulf Ports and Abadan. He was a good-natured peace-
loving man, upright and possessing great experience. He
evinced keen interest in the Mehr, a new and very useful
Teheran monthly which his son Mirza Majidkhan Muaqqar
is very ably conducting.

On the 23rd Amardad 1312 or 14th August last, there

General Qftsim a^so passe(l away at Rezaiyeh in Azarbaijan, a
Khan Vaii personage who had an exceedingly long and use-

ful career. General Q£tsim Khan Yali, Sardar Humaiyun, was
highly descended both on the father's and the mother's sides.
He was born in Teheran in 1292 A. H., and was early sent to
Paris for military training. On his return he got various
military and civil appointments in all of which he shone.
With the advent of the Pahlavi regime he was raised to the
General's rank which he held with honour and distinction.

News has also arrived recently of the sad and sudden

death of Mirza Abdul Husein Khan Teymour-

Teymourtasche ,,«-•• » . «

tasche, the late Court Minister of the Shah,
who had been kept in detention on some serious charges since
troubles started with the Anglo-Persian Oil Company. One
is sorry for such an end to a great and useful career.

Persian Affairs

Some trouble arose with the British over an incident at
The Baeudi Basudi in the Kishm Island in the Persian Gulf,
incident jjappjjy kas been gettled peacefully by

mutual understanding. Indeed it is natural that Persia should
feel uneasy at even a friendly foreign power holding strategic
points so close to its borders.


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POETRY AND OTHER LITERATURE OF ANCIENT IRAN

Jehangir Barjorji Sanjana, b.a.

An Erroneous Belief

No lover of Ancient Iran and all that she stood for,
and no unbiassed student of ancient history and literature,
can let pass unchallenged a daring assertion, made in an
article on the Literature of Persia which appeared on the
first day of the year 1938 in one of the leading English-
conducted journals of India, to the effect that down to the time
of the Arab conquest early in the seventh century, Persia has
produced little in the way of literature, save the purely religious
books of Zoroastrianism and a few anecdotal histories of the
later Persian kings, and that in the art of poetry the earlier
Persians were quite deficient and Persia learnt the craft from
the Arabs after the conquest.

A Most Ancient Literary Work

We have traditions showing that Iran has produced
literature from legendary times. We know of a treatise on
Moral Philosophy, entitled Javid&ne-Kherad (or Eternal Wis-
dom), which was composed by King Hoebang, the second
monarch of the Peshdadyan dynasty. This treatise, or at least
a portion of it, must have long subsisted, for we find a part
of it was translated from Syriac into Arabic by Hasan, brother
of Fazel, son of Sahal, who was vizier to Sultan Maamtin-
ar-Rashid ; and the great historian Mirkhond, in his memorable
work Eauzat us-Saffi, mentions that the said treatise reveals
the copious knowledge, perfect eloquence, powerful genius and
clear sagacity of King Hoshang.

Evidence of Ancient Iranian Literature

One such book implies the production of other literature
in the Iran of that period, since it is obvious that such a


18

THE IRAN LEAGUE QUARTERLY

[Oct.

philosophical work as the J&vid&n6-Kherad must have an
intelligent and literate public to learn and understand it; and,
as a matter of fact, Albiruni alludes, in his famous Chronology
of Anoient Nations, to the existence of a number of scientific
books in those early days. This author mentions that King
Tehmurasp, the successor of King Hoshang, had received the
warning of the Deluge 281 years before that cataclysm
occurred, and therefore ordered his people to select a place
of good soil in his realm. Ispahan answered to this descrip-
tion, ahd there he ordered all scientific books to be preserved
for posterity, buried in a part that was least exposed to
obnoxious influences. Hamza Isfah&ni, under the events of
A.H. 350 (A.D. 961), adverts to the discovery at Jai (Ispahan)
of the rituals of the Magi, all of which were written in the
most ancient Persian language, on birch-bark. (See Thomas'
Numismata Orientalia, Part I, p. 56).

An Inconsistency above

The writer of the article referred to in the first paragraph
mentions further that when the Arab conquest was an
accomplished fact, an enormous increase is noticed in the
literary output of the country, notably in the art of poetry.
He speaks of the poetic talent of the Persian poets as having
been entirely latent till they came under the influence of
Islam, and says that once that talent was awakened they
produced a poetic literature second to none in all Asia.

Now is it at all possible for a people who could or did
produce no poets and no poetry during the time when it was
a. free and mighty nation, and its cultured kings held courts of
unparalleled magnificence, to surprise the world with poetry
"second to none in all Asia " as soon as it comes under the
influence of Islam, that is, in other words, when its indepen-
dence is lost, its national sentiments and pride are ruthlessly
Suppressed, its religion persecuted, its very soul strangled ?
Who sings best, the free cuckoo or the caged one ?


1933] poetry and other literature of ancient iran 19
What Happened to Iran's Ancient Learning?

When the writer asks us not to think that the early
Persian poets were merely slavish imitators of the Arabic
qasida and speaks of the independence they so soon assumed
by the invention of a variety of different forms as all the more
striking when we consider that their poetic talent was entirely
latent till they came under the influence of Islam, he gives his
case away. From the facts which he presents the correct and
only conclusion that could be drawn is that the old Persians
had always possessed a poetic soul and musical talent, and
possessing these they could not but have cultivated and produc-
ed both poetry and music, even though we can now find little
trace of them in consequence of the lamentable destruction of
their literature by the fanatic Arabs and their still more fanatic
proselytes.

Iran's Influence on India

The Iranians were a cultured people from immemorial
times. Dr. A. Hoffman-Kutschke writes: "The Aryans of
India wandered through Iran, and through them (1) the
Elamite culture, which is older than the Eraaian, (2) the
Iranian culture of the time of the Acheejienides, and (3) .the
culture of the middle Persians, all had their effect on India.
On this account a great deal of the e icly ludian culture is to
be explained by the Iranian culture." (See Dastur Hoshang
Memorial Volume, p. 567.)

Now, culture implies literature. There can be no crops
without sowing, and no culture without literature.

In the Present the Past Survives

M. Clement Huart, author of " Ancient Persia an Iranian Civilization," writes: t! I know well that the intro-
duction of Islam has transformed the manners of the people,
the rules of their conduct, the principles of their religion ; but


20

THE IRAN LEAGUE QUARTERLY

profound observers, such as the Count de Gobineau, will tell
you that these modifications are superficial, and have not
changed the Persian soul which still lives in the Persians of
our own day."

If post-Islamic Persia has produced fine poetry and
other literature, pre-Islamic Persia oould not have failed to do
the same, when she had her national kings, her satraps, and
her cultured grandees freely and liberally to patronise,
encourage, and reward poets, musicians, and authors.

Persian Work in Arabic Guise

No other Asiatic book, except the Christian Bible, has
ever had anything like the influence that has been exercised
by the book of Thousand and One Nights in Europe, the stories
of which are of Persian origin and have come from the Persian
Hazar Afsa,n. These stories, as that versatile member of the
Indian Civil Service, the late Mr. Otto Bothfeld, mentions, are
said to have been first composed for Queen Hom&i, the wife of
King Bahman Dar£zdast. Broadly speaking, Rothfeld considers
it hardly an exaggeration to say that, with the exception of the
seven pre-Islamic poets, the greater part of Arabic literature
is the work of Persian authors ; more often than not, Arabic
literature is really the thought of Persian men written in
Arabic instead of Persian, and to no class of writing does this
apply so much as to the scientific and philosophic books written
during the period which corresponds to the European Middle
Ages, which books did so much to refresh the slowly reviving
European soul.1 Noldeke alludes to these having once been a
not quite inconsiderable profane literature of which a good
deal is preserved in Arabic or new Persian versions or
reproductions, particularly in historical books about the time
before Islam.2

1 See Rothfeld's article "The Value of Persian Literature Dr. Modi
Memorial Volume, pp. 639 ff .

i See Noldeke's article (< Pahlavi" in Eucy. Brit. 9th ed,


1933] poetry and other literature OF ancient iran

Musio in the Days of Parviz

The magnificent Khftsrau Parviz had in his gorgeous
Court two highly skilled minstrels, Sargash and Barbad, and
his hanize mtitrabe or female musicians numbered fifteen
thousand. Minstrelsy cannot be there without songs and
verses, and we can well fancy how considerable a variety of
airs and verses there must have been in existence then for
such a large band of musicians to regale the king and the
Court, from day to day, without palling. Sargash and Barbad
sang in Pahlavi. Among the fifteen thousand female musi-
oians there must have been a number of Greek, Egyptian and
Indian girls, and these must have expressed their musical art
in the languages of their own original lands, but besides them
there must have been a considerable number of Persian girls
who sang in Pahlavi, which was the court language.

Immense Poetio Literature op Old Iran

There is no reason to doubt the existence of poetry in
Persia before, as after, the Arab conquest. We have the
evidence of Abu Hilal Al-Ashkari, who flourished in the fourth
century A.H., to the effect that the ancient Persians possessed
poetry, which was so vast that it could not be collected in books.
This Arab writer says that these people possessed poetry which
treated of their history and warfare and that it was preserved
in the royal archives. Mons. Darmesteter writes, in his
" Origines de la Po6sie Persane," that there is sufficient evidence
to warrant us in believing that romantic poetry existed in
Persia even in Achaemenian times.

The martial and merry Sasanian king Vahran V, known
by the familiar name of Behram G-fir (reigned A.D. 420-438),
is reported by Masudi to have composed a number of poems in
Persian and Arabic, and his Diwan is said to have been seen by
'Awfi in Bokhara. He was a patron of learning and rewarded
men of science and letters with pensions.


78 the iran league quarterly [octf.

The Great Sassanian University

King Khftsrau I (Naushirvan the Just) opened at Jundi
Shahp&r, a plaoe which is identified with the village of ShaMb&d
in Khuzistan, a school of physic, which developed into a uni-
versity, where the study of philosophy, rhetoric and poetry
was also pursued. Instruction in Greek sciences was imparted
here by Syrian and Greek teachers. The medical teaching
was in the main Greek, but E. G. Browne, the author of
"Arabian Medicine," mentions that there was no doubt an
underlying Persian element, especially in pharmacology.
This institution of learning flourished even after the Arab
conquest. For the prosecution of studies at this university
there certainly must have existed sufficient scientific, medical,
philosophical, theological, and other literature.

Fanatical Destruction

A Persian biographer speaks of a book containing the
romance of Wamiq and Adhra, a pleasing tale which wise
men compiled and dedicated to King Naushirv&n. One day
in Nish&pur the Amir Abdulla ebn Tahir (died A.D. 844) was
presented with a copy of this old book. The fanatic Amir
ordered it to be destroyed, saying that the Kor&n and the
Traditions of the Prophet Muhammad ought to suffice for good
Moslems and adding that this romance was " written by
Magians and is accursed in our eyes."1

1 See Browne's " Literary History," p. 12.

K. WADIA

The Parsi community has a judicious taste for jewellery, and
are spending large sums on it during all happy occasions. There
is however a dearth of Parsi jewellers always and the community has
to depend on Armenian and other jewellers for a high order of artistic
jewellery. Mr. K. Wadia is however one of the few exceptions, and
is a trustworthy and clever jeweller for buying precious stones an d
having beautiful ornaments m^de.


MY IMPRESSIONS OF PRESENf PERSIA

Nadirshah Noshirvan Gooal, A.M.I.E., Karachi

There are dreamers in this world and I was one of them, always
dreaming and trusting that a day would come when I should find an
opportunity to proceed to Iran—the Iran of our glorious ancestors,—the
fountain-head of all valued knowledge and the first world civilization.
That dream was realized when recently I had to proceed to Iran
to find out prospective fields for the future industrial enterprise and
activities of the Parsees of India.

Before I start recording my impressions of the present day Persia
and its all round improvements, to create interest and awakening of
the national consciousness it would be advisable to hurriedly display
before my readers the glorious past of the Parsees in Persia, the forced
emigration of a few thousand Parsees of Persia into India, the Parsee
life in India before the advent of the British, the part played by the
Parsees in building up the present day India, and finally the reasons
which compel a few optimistic Parsees once more to look to their land
of origin—Iran—for enterprise.

Part t : A Survey of Ancient Parsee History
Its Foundations

The history of Persia is the history of hoary antiquity. Religious
records and traditions of ancient Iran like " Dabistan", " Bundeheshn",
" Dinkard " and others suggest that one section of the Aryans left
their original home of " Airyan-vej" in the extreme north before the
deluge, migrated into this part of the country in the pre-glacial period
prior to B.C. 10000 and established a kingdom in Iran. If this refer-
ence can be historically proved, then we are led to believe that there
was anti-deluvian monarchy in Iran and the Iranian was the oldest
civilization in the known world. This will help us in correctly fixing
the period of Zarathushtra Spitama at somewhere in the seventy-
second century B.C. and not in the sixth century B.C. as is generally
done now. It will further enable us to prove that the Kaiyanians and
the Hakhamanians were two separate Parsee dynasties of Iran and
that a big gap of over six thousand years intervened between them
and that nothing is known about the Parsee history in Persia during
this great gap. The subject merits study, exploration and elucidation,


34

THE IRAN LEAGUE QUARTERLY

but till then we are obliged to content ourselves with the dates bo far
traced and fixed on the authorities of Greco-Roman, Persian and
other oriental historians.

The Great Peshdadian Epoch

According to these later date writers, Persian history starts with
Kaiomars, the first ting of the Peshdadian dynasty, who established
the first regular government in Iran about B.C. 3650 with his capital
at Bakhtar (now Meshed) in Khorassan. The fourth king of this
dynasty was the immortal Jamshid. Tradition has it that in the
full glory of his kingship, Jamshid claimed himself to be a deity
equal to the Creator. This act of impiety and blasphemy brought
down his fall and Iran was ruled for a thousand years by the
tyrant king Zohaq, supposed to be an Assyrian prince, descendant
of Shedad and even conjectured to be Nimrod of the Hebrews. All
reforms introduced by Jamshid in social, religious, agricultural and
industrial life of the country and the people were undone, and the
worst misrule of the dark age was the order of the day.

When the situation reached a climax, a common blacksmith
Kaveh raised the banner of revolt against the tyrant king and his
equally oppressive retinue of officials and servants. Under the accept-
ed leadership of Feridun, a descendant of Jamshid and living in
exile, people deposed Zohaq and declared Feridun to be the king
of Persia. This banner under which Feridun regained the lost empire
of Jamshid was called " Darafsh-e-Kaveh" and is immortalized in the
Persian history as the Royal Standard or insignia of Parsee sovereignty
in Persia till its complete downfall in A.D. 651.

Glorious Kaiyanian Sovereignty

Including the Zohaq period of one thousand years the first Parsee
dynasty of Peshdadiyans ruled in Persia, according to some erroneous
calculation, from B.C. 3650 - B.C. 1008 for 2612 years. Then follows
the second Parsee dynasty of the Persian kings called the Kaiyanians.
This dynasty ruled for 678 years from B.C. 1003 - B.C. 330 according
to the same mistaken chronology. The kings of this dynasty were not
only great warriors and empire-builders but some of them are celebrat-
ed to this day for their piety. The most illustrious of them are
Kai-Khusroo and Kai-Vishtasp or Gushtasp and his son Ispandiyar.
The reign of Gushtasp is celebrated for being the period when Spitama
Zarathushtra, the first world teacher, was born. The divine teacher


1933]

my impressions of present persia

25

had his revelations in his thirtieth year and after twelve years of
bitter struggle wibh his enemies and accusers, in shape of open trials,
hopes and disappointments, his efforts were finally crowned with
success when King Gushtasp with his household and full court accept-
ed and adopted his Mazdayasni Zarathushtrian religion. Within a
short period the new faith spread over the whole of Persia and
Zoroastrianism became the established religion of the state.

The Magnificent House of Achaemenes : A Confusion

For want of authenticated records, scantiness of facts and figures,
the confusion of dates and ev ents, the error arising from writing of
proper names in different languages and the variety of appellations
often used to designate the same persons, the kings of the Kaiyanian
and the Hakhamanian dynasties are so hopelessly mixed up that the
later-date-historians have taken both these houses to represent one
and the same line of kings. Thus Kai-Khusroo, Kai-Vistasp, Ispandi-
yar and Behman of the Kaiyanian fame are taken to be the same per-
sonages respectively as Cyrus the Great, Darius Histaspes, Xerxes
and Artaxerxes Longimanus of the Hakhamanian line. Whatever
may be the final verdict of history, historians of all ages do agree
that these latter Persian sovereigns had built up for Persia the then
greatest existing empire. In the west the old empires of Egypt,
Chaldaea, Assyria, Lydia, Babylon and the whole of Asia Minor were
brought under the sway of Persia. In the east part of India upto the
Indus and Chinese Tartary owed allegiance to the Persian throne.
In the north the Scythian empire to the banks of the great Oxus
formed part of Persia and though Greece was never permanently
subjugated, years of constant wars and defeats compelled the Greeks
to submit to an indirect domination of Persia almost to the end of
their freedom.

A Mighty People's Fall

It is an irony of fate that while the early kings of this dynasty
brought Persia the glory of the greatest living empire, the empire saw
its complete dismemberment in the reign of its last king Darab or
Darius III. His Macedonian contemporary Alexander the Great or
Sikander invaded Persia in B.C. 330, defeated the Persian armies after
stubborn resistance and devastated the whole country. Not being
satisfied with this success, history records that in a fit of excitement
he ordered to be totally burnt the greatest library of the world at
Persepolis in which very rare treasures of world literature, including


<26

the iran league quarterly

[Oct.

scientific and religious works, existed for the benefit of Iran in
particular and mankind in general. Thus ended, in the lines of
Firdousi, the second stage of the Parsee Empire in Persia





The Heroic and Victorious Arsacides

Alexander divided the whole of Persia into a number of princi-
palities under the governorship of the Parsee princes whom he had
deposed and plundered. After the death of Alexander in B.C. 324,
these satraps gradually threw oft their allegiance to his successor and
formed themselves into a feudal commonwealth of small kingdoms, in-
dependent of each other but recognising the virtue of uniting against
a common danger or foe. The most noted amongst these satrapies
was the dynasty of 31 kings known as Arsacides or Ashkhanians
called by the western historians as Parthians. The capital of this
house was first at Ehegis, the headquarters of the Zoroastrian priest-
hood, about 3 miles south of present Teheran where ruins of Ehegis
could be seen even today. This Parsee dynasty ruled in Persia from
B.C. 256 - A.D. 226 or 482 years.

The Noble and Illustrious House of Sassan

This brings us to the fourth and the last stage of the Parsee
sovereignty in Persia. Ardeshir Babegan, a Parsee prince of the
province of Pars, revolted against the Parthian Governor of the province
and captured Pars. Hearing of this, Ardwan or Artabanus, the last of
the Ashkhanian sovereigns, came down from Ecbatana, the present
Hamadan, with a big army to subdue Ardeshir. Both armies met at
Ahwaz in Khuzistan and Ardeshir coinplete]y defeated Ardwan.
Thus was laid the foundation of the Sassanian dynasty of the Parsees
in Persia.

In a short period Ardeshir regained all the lost empires for Persia,
He was the first king of Iran to assume the title of Shahanshah-e-Iran.
This dynasty of 28 kings ruled over Persia and its dominions for 42B
years from A.D. 226-651. Persia once more rose to the pinnacle of the
glory of the Kaiyanians and Hakhamanians, and the Sassanians were
successful in restoring this glory and empire to Persia which Cyrus
the Great and Darius Hystaspes had created but which Darab had


1933]

my impressions of present persia

27

totally lost in B.C. 330. Ardeshir Babegan, the two great Shahpoors,
Anosherwan and Khusro Parviz were the most successful
and illustrious emperors of this dynasty. Rome was again repeatedly
vanquished and humiliated when the great emperor Valerian was
brought captive to Iran. During the sovereignty of Anosherwan
and Khusro Parviz the absolute rule of these monarchs extended
from the shores of the Mediterranean in the west to that of
Indus in the east and from Egypt, Red Sea and Persian Gulf in the
south to the banks of the great Oxus in the north. But alas ! history
repeated itself and in the reign of the last sovereign of this dynasty,
the ill-fated Yezdajird the Third, this most ancient and noble empire
was successively invaded and finally subverted by the Arab and Semite
confederacy in A.D. 651. The history of the world affords many
instances of such brilliant reigns preceding the fall of a great and
powerful empire, and thus after at least 4301 years of almost continuous
rule the Parsee sovereignty of Persia which had sustained severe
shocks and set-backs at different stages but had revived with double
vigour three times, eventually came to an end; and the gleam of
splendour which Parsees as a nation and governing class had hailed
in the meridian of their rising fortunes, saw the last ray of their
setting sun and expiring glory in A.D. 651.

Parsee Immigrants into India, and Their Hardships

After the fall of the Parsee empire in Persia in A.D. 651, to escape
persecution and wholesale conversion at the hands of the barbarous
conquerors, and especially to keep the torch of the Zoroastrian religion
ever burning, a few thousand Parsees emigrated from Pars to an
unknown destination. This armada tossed about in the sea of destiny
for months and after encountering many ship-wrecks and losses, these
remnants of Parsee glory in Persia eventually sighted land which
happened to be a port of India.

Mother India with her proverbial tolerance of all faiths and beliefs
gave shelter and home to these self-exiled children of Iran, fully trust-
ing that these its future children and citizens would well serve their
land of adoption. This trust was fully justified as time rolled on.

After a prosperous start, troubles did not leave the Parsees alone.
For centuries they had to find security in the mountains of Gujarat,
seeking thereby self-preservation and increase in their family stock.
Agriculture and pastoral produce was their only support then. Even
in this helpless conditions the Parsees had to fight, as promised,
On behalf of their territorial lords against the inroads and attacks


<28

the iran league quarterly

[Oct.

of their enemies. The fights of Sanjan, Bahrot Hills and many other
skirmishes clearly record the gallant part played by these Zoroastrians,
freely giving their lives from their already depleted stock, in defend-
ing the honour, property and lives of their Hindu kings and fellow
subjects. Some idea of the snail's pace increase in the stock of the Parsees
can be imagined when one reads that the number of couple of thousands
that had landed in the port of Div in the early eighth century stood at
about thirty five thousand souls in the beginning of the nineteenth
century, i.e., in a period of about 1100 years. During this long period
three empires changed hands in India, viz., Hindu, Mahomedan and
Mahratha. Empires came and empires vanished but the position of
the Parsees, with notably few exceptions, remained the same, with no
voice whatsoever in the affairs of India.

Dawn of a New Age

At this stage the political situation of India began to make a
distinct change. The East India Company of Great Britain, which had
started as a commercial concern in India, taking advantage of the
general state of disorganisation—internal fighting and unrest—on the
breaking up of the Moghal Empire, inaugurated the gradual establish-
ment of the supremacy of the British power in India. Hitherto
India had been exclusively dealt with by the Company as by a private
mercantile concern, but with the beginning of the nineteenth century
began a series of British Parliamentary encroachments in the affairs
of the Company. In 1813 it was ruled that the Company and the Crown
were joint possessors of India. This was modified in 1883 and
Parliament declared that the Company held India in trust for the
Crown. In 1853 Parliament deprived the Company of appointing any
of its officers or servants and finally in 1858 after the great Mutiny the
Company ceased to exist and India beca me a possession of the Crown.

Opportunities the Parsees Grasped

The Parsees were the first of the Indians to take full advantage
of this change in the administration of India. The British traders
found this very small but intellectual and virile community, centering
round about Surat and Broach, to be highly responsive to their
every day business and administrative requirements. English education
was freely given and encouraged by the British and the Parsees of
quick intellect, aptitude and grit, derived full benefit by this God-sent
opportunity. The result was that in the early administration of
British India, next to Europeans, Parsees were the only English


1933]

my impressions of present persia

29

educated candidates for official jobs. Naturally this political status
had repercussion in the other activities of the community specially
in the field of trade and social upheaval. Within a short period of
about fifty years members of this small community became the great
captains of industry and trade in Bombay and round about, amassed
princely fortunes, produced first-rate men in all branches of education,
out of proportion to the smallness of their numbers, and finally by
their great works of permanent public philanthropy, utility, chari-
ties and leading part in the civic life of Bombay made a distinct mark
as pioneers and torch-bearers of the army of servants of Mother
India.

progress op the major communities

All this was very well achieved till the great masses of the Hindus
and Mahomedans in India were slow and indifferent towards acquiring
English education. But once they entered the field, they were bound
to over-whelm the situation. With the steady growth of English
education and awakening of political consciousness, specially after
the world war of 1914, the two sister communities began to assert
their moral and legal rights for due share in the free commerce,
internal government and general development of their own country.
These aspirations are the direct results of the English education
imparted to them and the Government is bound fco encourage these
efforts by giving gradually greater share in these to the general
community of the Indian Nation; and in this the two major communi-
ties are bound to benefit, in proportion to their population, in the
administration of the country, and will consequently increase their
sphere of influence in the commercial and industrial development of
India.

These changes are bound to reflect seriously on a small community
like the Parsees. No doubt there is a thousand per cent disparity in the
ratio of general education, between the Parsees and other communi-
ties of India, but after all, numbers count and the huge majority of
the later—3600 : 1—must swamp the microscopic minority, however
intellectual it may be.

The Position the Parsees mat lose

This is exactly what we are finding today. Whereas in 1890-1900
fifty per cent of the general trade of India and seventy per cent of
Bombay Cotton industry was in the hands of the Parsees, the tables
are inversely turned today. The same is the case in all Government


<30

the iran league quarterly

[Oct.

services. If such is the deplorable position of the Parsees in India
today when the Hindu and the Mahomedan communities have just
entered the field, what would be the position twenty-five or thirty years
hence when these communities will grow to their manhood and fully
assert their born rights ? However reluctant the die-hards of Britain
and India may be to surrender their power and privileged position,
within a generation the British Parliament will have to yield to the
united voice of India and grant dominion status to India so as to manage
their own affairs in the best interests of the country and its nationals.
Parsees have maintained their distinct identity in India, and as a very
small community the Parsees may have very little share in a
national government of this country. History teaches us that a com-
munity that has very little share in the government of the country
it resides in, must find itself materially at a disadvantage.

Special Efforts for Saving It by Seeking New Fields

Thus chances are that unless the Parsees devise special measures
to safeguard their future, they may slowly revert back to the old
position they occupied prior to the advent of British administration
in India or be a little better. To avoid such a catastrophe,
prudence and forethought requires that the Parsees should try to find
out from now new fields for their future commercial and industrial
activities. Providentially one such field opens out in our ancient father-
land—Iran. After thirteen hundred years of chequered history of
foreign invasions, plunder, rapine and devastation, Persia—a land of
braves and warriors—, ever ready to die than to become a slave country,
is raising its head once more from the ashes of its past Kaiyanian and
Sassanian glory.

Like Feridun and Ardeshir Babegan the present saviour of Persia
has pulled her out of anarchy and misrule of the last Kajar dynasty.
He is the truest patriot and a pure Irani soldier, for, Reza Shah Pahlavi
hails from Mazanderan, the country that never submitted to the Arab
conquerors of Persia and preserved their true Persian blue blood. The
people of Iran are to be highly congratulated for having chosen such
a personage to be their Shahan-Shah. May Ahurmuzd crown with
success his efforts to bring Persia in the first rank of the Empires of
the world. May he live long to achieve his great mission !

(To be continued)


[ban League Quarterly.

H E- Mirza Hasan Khan Pirnazar, the Persian Consul in Bombay, is a keen Parsiphilj
and so he never misses an opportunity lo joia and take part in t.be congregational affairs of
the Parsis. When the Parsis las'; went over to Uran, a pleasant place across the Bombay
harbour, to celebrate the foundation day of the Fire Temple in that place, His Excellency also
gladly went over there and took a willing part in the celebration. In the above picture he is
found with some Parsi gentlemen who had been with him there.

R. Bamji, A.

I. P. O., who has lately been
raided in rank in the India
.Reserve of Officers in the
Army, has been a zealous
member of t'ie Iran League
and a very useful citizen
here. He holds Long Servi-e
and War Service Medals and
is one of the few Parsis who
have a long ana ineriiorioiw
record of Army Service.



This photograph
has a melan-
choly association
as it was taken
during the visit of
the Bombay Parsis
who had been
praciously invited
by His Majesty
the late King
Nadirshah to
attend the anniver-
sary celebrations
of his accession to
the throne of
Afghanistan.

(Left to right
Madame Asphan-
diari, Mrs.Eustam
A. Dabash, H. E.
Aspandiari, Per-
sian Minister in
Kabul, and Mr.
Khurshedji Limji
and Khan Bahadur
Dossabhoy B hi-
vandiwala, h e

last two being the Parsi guests of His Majesty during the time they were in Kabul.)
^jlr-jju* ^L-jL I j J ji*ju/.

The Afghan Independence Day was celebrated by a eight day Jashan in Kabul, and was
marked by a continuously varying programme of events and functions which lasted from
the 11th to the 18th of August last. The above shows a military display during the festival.



THE KURDS

THEIR HISTORY, LANGUAGE, MANNERS AND
CUSTOMS AND THEIR COUNTRY

Translated from the Original French of Dr. Bletch Chirguh

bt

Miss Dhun Behramgore T. Anklesaria, M.A.

[The Parsis are happy in the present circumstance of promising
lady scholars appearing in their midst. Miss Dhun Behramgore
Anklesaria, M.A., is one of them, and shows a special bend for Iranian
learning. Though her academic language has been French she has
mastered Avestan and Pahlavi sufficiently well to lecture to some
Madressa Classes. In the following lucid rendering she is presenting to
us the inspiring life of our dear and valiant brethren, the Kurds, the only
heroic people who have preserved the purity, integrity and independence
of the old Iranian race. We welcome her in our columns.—Editor.}

INTRODUCTION

The Kurdish nation, their country Kurdistan, the aspira-
tions of this nation, the reasons for which this nation has
revolted against the Khalifs and the Padshahs, and the
Unionists, and are revolting against Kemalism are very obscure
data for a very great part of the public of the world.

The object of this work is

To make known to the civilised world the origin,
the past and the present of the Kurdish nation
and of Kurdistan;
To show whether the Kurds deserve to be treated as
they have been treated by victorious Europe and
the Turks; and
To pass judgment on the dark and dishonest scandals
of the Turks.


78 the iran league quarterly [Octf.

The Kurds as been by Other People ; Their Craving for

Culture

As regards the Kurds however, we do not intend to
present them to the world ourselves, but we think it better to
leave this duty to the elite of the European Orientalists who
have studied and known Kurdistan and the Kurds intimately,
by allowing them to speak for themselves :—

Alexander Yaba in his "Recueil de Notices et Recits
Kurdes," published in 1850, says :—

" There were formerly a good number of schools in
Kurdistan and people there exhibited much inclination to
learning. In every town, in every province, in every borough
and village of Kurdistan, one did not fail to meet with one or
two or three schools and sometimes even more.

" The governors and the residents vied with each other
in showing their great concern for the schools and the savants.
Great and small alike in Kurdistan prized the arts and sciences
at their true worth. Distinguished teachers were to be seen
in Jezirah, Amadi, Saard and Soran and in other places. In
order to become a licentiate i t was essential to follow twelve
different courses. Today however schools, teachers and literary
men have almost entirely disappeared, or at least they are
very rare."

Their High Character and Noble Home Life

B. Nikitine in his book " Quelques Observations sur les
Kurdes " says:—

particularly that prostitution is unknown to the Kurds, and
that in order to define it they are obliged to borrow Turkish
words.

" The Kurd has his hearth, he is rather a monogamist
and his wife enjoys a great authority in home-life. It is she
who manages the household and the servants are under her
orders. It is she who distributes the repast during meals and


1933]

the kurds

33

one does not begin to eat without her permission. In the
absence of her husband, she receives the visitors, entertains
them and converses freely with them. She does not wear a
veil like the other Musulmans. Marriages are made by love,
and the consorts see each other and know each other before
the wedding, whilst among other Musulmans marriages are
contracted without the will of the intended husband and wife,
through the intermediary of a third person. In his daily
occupations, the Kurd is a diligent cultivator. One is amazed,
whilst journeying in the ruined corners of Kurdistan, to see
what stubborn pains the Kurd takes to snatch from the
unyielding mountains the riches which it retains greedily."

La Grande Encyclop^die Fran§aise, in its Volume XXI

says:

" Their family feelings are much developed. The Kurds
are sincere, honest and hospitable. The women are more free
than in Turkey and they go out unveiled. Polygamy does not
exist save among the rich. They detest the Turks. They
adore music and dance."

Henry Binder in his book " A Traveller in Kurdistan"
says:—

" In short, the Kurds are elegant, strong and intelligent,
and a nice type of people, and when they will be polished by
civilisation, they will show superior to their neighbours the
Turks."

E. B. Soane in " Two Years in Kurdistan" says:—

" The day the national consciousness of the Kurds is
awakened, the Turkish state will crumble before them."

Their Beautiful Language

L'Abbe Paul Beider in his " Grammaire Kurde," Paris
1926, says:—

t£ Sprightly, harmonious, simple, precise, rich and varied,
easy to learn, this language of the Kurds is captivating and
has its charms. Its proverbs are much in vogue and they are


<28

the iran league quarterly

[Oct.

admirable; they form the base and the link in all conversation
and they are really the appanage of the Kurdish language.
For everything and for every condition of things, the Kurd has
a proverb, and his proverbs serve as a code and as a rule of
life. The entire Kurdish nature is possessed thereof; and the
wisdom of the Kurds has seen and said everything since ages
past. No less eloquent than philosophic, the Kurdish language
is thoroughly poetic and its poesy embraces all branches of
poetry and treats of entire nature."

Martin Hartmann in " Funf Vartrage uber den Islam,"
Leipzig 1912, says :—

"The day the Kurdish nation gets at its head the
required man, the will and the power that it shall then put
forth for co-operation in serving universal culture and civili-
sation, will gain for it the respect and the amazement of the
entire world."

In his preface to the Cherefname (History of the Kurds)
published in 1868-1875, at Petersburg, F. Charmoy, former
professor of the Asiatic Institute of St. Petersburg and member
of the Imperial Academy of Petersburg, says:—

" Among the people that have appeared successively on
the stage of the world, there are some whose souvenir has been
transmitted to the remotest posterity by remarkable monu-
ments which bear witness to their ancient grandeur. Such
are the Egyptians, whose country is considered to have also
been the cradle of philosophy. Others such as the Greeks and
the Romans have so well deserved our admiration by their
progress in art and science, and by the wisdom of their laws

Their Past and Present Greatness

WAD I A

PH» NO 42483

DIAMOND MERCHANT,
GRANT ROAD. BOMBAY*


1933]

the kurds

35

and their political institutions, that their names are associated
with everything great and heroic that history offers.

"Then there are nations which have made themselves
known by their devastating genius and by the ravages they
have exercised in all the countries furrowed by their hordes
thirsting for blood and eager for plunder : Such were the
Huns under Attila and the Mongols or the Tartars who, under
the conduct of their famous conquerors Chengiz-Khan and
Baton, have left their vestiges stained with blood in the vast
regions which they have overrun as conquerors.

" Others finally, without having acquired this sad celebrity,
are distinguished by their warlike genius and by the bra-
very of some of their great captains who have deserved the
honour of gaining sovereigns for various states of Asia and
Africa. Such were the Kurds, whose name was rendered
illustrious in the remotest antiquity by the fabulous exploits
of Rustom, justly considered the Hercules of Persia, and by
the later elevating stories of Saladin and his worthy brother Al-
Malek-al-Adel, which are connected with those of the European
heroes of the ,Second Crusade, Phillip-Augustus, Richard the
Lion-Hearted, Lusignan and many other warriors mentioned
gloriously in the annals of Christendom. This same nation
has again brought forth the generous Karim-Khan, who in the
last half of the 18th century, was the founder of the dynasty
of the Zends, and the Titus of Persia, and also several able
historians and literary men, and among others the learned
Ibn-al Asir of Jezirah, the celebrated Abul Feda, prince Ayoubi
of Hama equally distinguished as historian and geographer,
in fine the elegant historiographer Idris-i-Bitlissi."

Geography

Physical~

Kurdistan is rather a mountainous country, although it
also possesses vast plains. Kurdistan extends from the Per-
sian province of Luristan to Kharpufc and to the confluence of
the two branohes of the Euphrates for a length of 900 kilo-


<36

the iran league quarterly [Oct.

metres from South-East to North-West, and a width of 100 to
200 kilometres, all that great territory enclosed in 34 to 39 of
latitude and 37 to 46 of longitude due East. The ohief valleys
of Kurdistan, Batmantchai of the river Bitlis, the two Zabs
of Adhaim and Shir wan, the mass of the Zagros and the Lake
Van are as citadels to these historic and warlike populations.1

Nuthals in his Encyclopaedia, while treating of the
geography of Kurdistan, says :—" A sketch of plateaus and
mountains situated in the Transcaucasian territory and now
i elonging to tha Turks, the Persians and Russians, consisting
of green plains and of high rang33 of mountiins which are
crossed by rivers like Zab, Batman-Sou and the Euph-
rates would depict the country of the Kurd^. Diacbekir is the
greatest bow a of Kurdistan within 191 miles of Aleppo. The
Tigris is an important river of Asiatic Turkey, which rises
from the mountains of Kurdistan and flows to the South-East
apfco Diaroekir, and thence tiarn^ towards the East."

The frontiers allotted by Strabo to Kurdistan and traced
on his geographical chart in 63 B.O., are m>re or less in
conformity with those assigned by the French Encyclopaedia.

Agricultural:—

The agricultural products of Kurdistan areWheat,
barley, millet, maize, rice, flix, tobacco, rye, sesamum, linseed,
liquorice roots, gall-nuts, onions, rice-fields-peas, opium, lentil,
beans, and chick-peas. Her garden products include almonds,
figs, walnuts, berries, hazelnuts, olives, apples, pears, apricots,
peaches, plums, cherries, wild cherries, pomegranates, grapes,
mulberries and groats and all sorts of vegetables.

Mineral:—

Kurdistan is extremely rich in containing mines of all
ores. Unhappily, the domination of the Turks has, to this day,
prevented the working of these riches, as elsewhere she has
stopped all initiative of progress and work. The mines which

^ See La Grande Encyclopidie Franjaise.


1933]

the kurds 31

are worked are hence very rare and all this wealth remains
buried in the ground. At Argani, there is a copper mine
which is exploited by the Government. At Palou we find the
bearing of brass, in the village of " Havo " of the Kaza of
Silvan and in " Harput" o£ the Kaza of Jezirah there is a
bearing of coal, in the dependencies of Diarbekir gold and
silver mines, in the Kaza of Seerd there is a mineral water
spring containing sulphur which is cool in summer and hot in
winter. We find petrol on the banks of the river Botan.

Similarly we find in the Kaza of Seerd in the neighbour-
hood of Maden mines of iron, plated lead and coal, and in the
Kaza of Eruh gold mines.

In the vicinity of the town of Van and in its dependencies
we meet with very rich bearings of coal, plated and plain lead,
oopper, tin, borax, chalk-stone, plaster-quarry and petrol.

In the neighbourhood of Erdjiche, Julamerick and Bache
Kale are found sources of sulphurous mineral waters and in
the valley of Zab, cold water containing bicarbonate of soda.

In the Kaza of Kigi we meet with iron mines, in that of
Kemah coal, plated-lead and lithrage, in that of Keskin steel,
and in that of Hinisse naphtha. The plains of Keskin, Kigi
and Pessinle contain quarries of plaster, stones, chalk and lime.

In the vicinity of Agri Dag and Erzindjan, there are
several springs of mineral waters with the tinge of sulphur,
and at its base other chemical substances not defined as yet.

In Kian there are lead mines, in Tchemich G-uezec coal,
and in Sandjak de Dersim mineral sources whose nature is not
defined.

Industrial and Economic :—

In spite of the destructive work of the Turks, there re-
main some traces of the old industry of the country. Their
principal products are:—woollen kilimes (a kind of carpets),
tissues for curtains, cotton cloth for hosiery, cotton cloth, satin,
velvet, tissues of pointed thread, carpets, several varieties of


<38

the iran league quarterly

[Oct.

silk stuffs, chayak, woollen cloaks, sedjade (prayer carpets),
flax cloth, silk cloth, hosiery, etc.

They work there on ebony, ivory, yellow amber, leather
and silver in the manufacture of furniture, trinkets, light arti-
cles and jewellery.

They work on iron, steel and copper for the manufacture
of tools or implements.

The industries of peltry, saddlery and carpetry are in
progress in Kurdistan and there are several tanneries, and a
few factories of soap and dyes.

At Mardine, they manufacture a soap called Btone with
the help of a kind of pistachio oil.

Kurdistan has a fairly good scale of export trade. The
chief products exported are:—wool, goat's hair, gall-nuts,
manufactured silk, salted and smoked fish, cheese and various
milk foods, butter and the skins of lambs, goats and oxen.

Besides that Kurdistan exports every year a considerable
number of beasts, reaching at times the figure of some millions
of head, Kurdistan possesses :—

Wealth in the head of cattle and domestic animals :—

Lambs ........................13,478,257

Goats........................... 8,185,b99

Horses, mules, donkeys ... 2,595,148
Oxen, cows.................... 1,821,850

Population'.—

To determine the exact number of Kurds is a very
difficult if not impossible task. The statistics which we have
as regards this are based on suppositions and approximate
figures. It has not been possible to take any census, in con-
formity with the rules in practice in order to be able to have
exact information.

The French Government, in its " Livre Jaune " published
in 1892, estimates the Kurds of Turkey to have been 3,012,879
in number.


1933]

the kurds

39

In a "Statistic" which General Zelendji has published
on the population of the Ottoman Empire, he estimates their
number in Turkey to be 2,800,475.

A Statistic published in 1919 by the Turkish Government
giving the number of inhabitants of Turkey on the 1st March
1914, has estimated the number of Kurds only for the Vilayets
(administrative divisions) of Van, Bitlis, Mamouret-al-Aziz and
Diarbekir to be 1,947,71.2; the Turkish Government regretted
its inability to give the number of the inhabitants of the rest
of Kurdistan as the attempted census in those regions could
not be finished at the time.

Mr. Vital-Cuinet, in his work "Turquie d'Asie" edited in
1892, estimates the Kurdish population of the Vilayets of Van,
Bitlis, Erzeroum, Diarbekir, Mamouret-al-Aziz and Sivas to
consist of 1,928,550 inhabitants.

It being beyond our means to take an individual census
of the Kurds, we have tried to proceed with a census of the
houses in the towns and villages, and of the tents among the
tribes.

Although Alexander Yaba in his work " Recueils de
Notes et de Recits Kurdes," edited in St. Petersburg in 1860,
says :—" These tribes are counted by Khanes—which signify
tents, families,—and every Khane comprises 5 to 20 indivi-
duals—men, women and children "—yet we have adopted the
method of multiplying by 10 the number which we have obtain-
ed by such census and we have arrived at the following
result:—

In Kurdistan occupied by the Turks.....

In Kurdistan annexed to Syria ...........

In Kurdistan annexed to Mesopotamia..

In Persian Kurdistan.........................

Kurds living in the Armenian Republic

3,987,960
289,940
749,380
3,300,000
60,000

8,387,280


40

tbe ib an league qtjabtebly

[Oct.

Not being able to mate even an approximate ediirate of
the number of Kurds settled in the countries of Europe, Africa,
Asia and America, we are obliged to neglect these in the census
taken by us.

We estimate that the exact number of the gereial popula-
tion of the whole of Kurdistan is nearly 8,387,£80, a few hun-
dreds more or less.

A Commission presided over by Count Teleki, Prime
Minister of Hurgaiy, and charged by the League of Nations to
make an enquiry into the question of the population of Mosul,
in his report published on the 16th July 1925, estimated the
number of Kurds as follows :—

Language and Literature:—

The Kurdish language traces its origins from Sanskrit,
Medean (Avestan) and Pahlavi languages. The great resem-
blance to the Persian and Armenian languages arises from
the different sources of its origin. The Kurdish language is
composed of four different dialects:—Kirmanji, Zaza, Baban
and Ler.

Kirmanji is the dialect which is the most in vogue.

The Kurds possessed their own national characters which
they used up to their conversion to Islam. These characters
presented a very great resemblance to the old Armenian and
Assyrian characters and were written from left to right.

K. WADIA, DIAMOND MERCHANT,

PH. NO 42483 GRANT ROAD BOMBAY.

In Turkey ......................

In Persia .........................

In Mesopotamia ................

In Syria and other countries

1,500,000
700,000
500,000
300,000

3,000,000


1933]

the kurds

41

After being converted to Islam the Kurdg have forsaken
theae characters and burnt all their old literature.

The great difficulty which the Arabic alphabet has pre-
sented for writing the Kurdish language has led to the intellect-
ual Kurds neglecting their own language and writing in other
languages such as Persian, Arabic and Turkish. Still some of
them have formed an exception and have still continued writing
in the Kurdish language.

Such were Ahmed Khani, Sharafudin-i-Bitlissi, Mellai-
Jeziri, Ali-Hariri, Faqui'i Tairan, Mella'i Bate, Sherif Khan, Ali
Teremuski, Mella Yunis, Helgatini, Ismail and many others
whose names we have forgotten.

(To be continued.)

ORIENTAL GOVERNMENT SECURITY LIFE ASSURANCE

COMPANY

Report and accounts of this pioneer and most flourishing
Indian assurance company were lately published, and present further
record of prosperous business.

The total assurances in force amounted]to the colossal figure of
Rs. 43,94,91,496, which includes last year's new assurances for
Rs. 8,50,14,523.

Claims paid last year by death amounted to Rs. 41,24,540 and
those by maturity to Rs. 45,93,114.

The former oovered 1703 polioies and 1382 deaths. The greatest
toll was by diseases of the respiratory organs, followed by tuberculosis,
fever and stomach and intestinal ailments. Thus the city's damp
climate and luxurious life have been taking full penalty from the
inhabitants without these showing any resistive methods of living.

The Parsis seem to have specially suffered from diseases of the
brain and the nervous system and debility and senile decay. This
would show greater need for the Community attending to its physical,
social and economic welfare.


SOURCE OF MUSLIM THOUGHT

Prop. Taher Rezwi, M.A., Presidency College, Calcutta

[Our readers are not unacquainted with Prof. Rezwi's talent and
learning and his fair and clear views on all matters dealt with by him.
It is a happy sign that dispassionate, fair and sound writers are daily
increasing in the ranks of Islam.—Editor.]

This essay has been suggested to me by a book, very
recently published, on "Muslim Thought and its Source," in
which the learned author has attempted to remove the idea of
Islam's ever coming under foreign influence, especially
Hellenic, so far as the formation of its chief thoughts is
concerned.1

Here, I am not going to discuss anything in respect of the
author's success, or otherwise, in his attempt. My sole idea is
to put forward in the following pages, quite a different—if not
new—aspect of the origin and development of Islamic Schools
of Thought.

Muslim Arabia's Deep Relations with Persian Civilization

Long before the Muslim Arabia's coming under the alleged
influence of Hellenic culture, it had very deep relations with
the neighbouring civilization of Persia, and as such the bulk of
Islamic thoughts had their roots in Zoroastrianism. History
says that Iraq as well as the entire land of Southern Arabia
—especially the Province of Yemen—were under the sway of
the Persians prior to the advent of Islam. Even Hedjaz was
on the verge of Persian subjugation. When the Prophet of
Arabia was born, Yemen was being ruled over by a Persian
governor. It is even believed that the Prophet used to be
proud of the fact that he got his birth during the reign of
Anushirwan the Just. Salman, the Persian, famous for his
comparative study of Religion, was a close companion of the
Prophet in course of his great mission, and used to be counted

1 " Muslim Thought and its Source,'' by Prof, S. Muzafferuddin, of Ielamia
College, Calcutta—1933 (pp. 168).


1938]

source of muslim thought

43

amongst the Ahl-e-Bait (kith and kin) of Muhammad. It is
strange that Muslim scholars, generally, ignore this important
element while discussing the origin of Islamic thoughts.
There is no use in refuting the ideas of Steiner or Yon Kremer,
that Rationalistic theory of Islam originated under the Greek
influence. Western scholars have themselves now proved
that not only Islam, but even Judaism and Christian theology,
have had the roots of some of their chief doctrines in the
Zoroastrian culture and civilization. Muslim Arabia came in
contact with Hellenism in quite a later period; while much
before this, the Arabs had already come under the direct
influence of the perfect neighbouring civilization of Persia.
And thus we find that Islam has possessed much more Zoro-
astrian parallels than any other religions on account of its
having a wide and liberal fold.1

The 4£ Doctors " of Islam were Predominantly Persian

It can never be denied that on account of the spread of
Islam in its early days, new converts began to explain Quranic
thoughts in the light of their own ancestral beliefs; and the
doctors of Islam tried to adjust and harmonise the dogmas of
religion and the dictates of Reason, with the result that very
soon a number of sciences such as, philosophy, commentary,
theology, jurisprudence, etc., were developed. But who were
these " doctors " of Islam and where did they come from ? If
we take away the Persian Muslim element from the sphere of
Islamic scholarship, then there will be left nothing appreciable
in the Arabic literature, which knew very little except" poetry"
before its coming into contact with the Persians.3

1 I am at present engaged in writing a comprehensive book especially on this
subject and hope to bring into light very soon the " Parallel Thoughts in Islam and
Zoroas trianism.

2 I have-already dealt with, this particular subject in detail, in my recently

finished, but as yet unpublished, work " Peisia'a Services to Islam in which it has
beeji attempted to remove .misapprehensions of some European writers—notably-
among them, Darmesteter—who maintain that the 44 Islam " of the Persian people in
" anything but'Islam It has been very successfully shown that whatever fame or
uplift Islam achieved, it was simply due to the activities of the Persian Muslims alone ;
and that 'Persian Mam has been true to the spirit of the Quranic teachings, all along.


78

the iran league quarterly

[Octf.

The Orthodox Doctrine op Predestination and Its
Irrational Concomitants

Shahristani (A.H. 548) in his renowned work on " Nations
and their Faith,"1 observes that the question of the Freedom
of human will was mainly responsible for the development of
the various schools of Muslim thought, and two groups came
into prominence for the first time. Of these, the Asha rites, or
the Orthodox Scholastics, thought that man was not free in his
will or action, i.e., everything was predestined; and that what-
ever good or evil happens in the world, is the " work of God."
This was, so to say, one of the chief traits of the pagan Arab
mind. They even thought that God and His " words," i.e., the
Quran, were co-eternal with the existence of God, or more clearly,
" uncreated" object, which idea reflected on the very " Unity "
of the holy Creator. Sometimes the Asha!rites went so far as to
attribute human qualities to Godhead, and believed that God
will be visible to human eyes on the Day of Resurrection.2
All these facts show that Arabia had not forgotten its old hea-
then beliefs even after its embracing Islam. The majority of
the Muhammadans, even during such an advanced state of the
world, are upholders of almost all the Asha rite doctrines; and
though the late Shams-ul-Ulema Shibli Nomani tried his
utmost to shake off this charge from the Bhoulders of the Muslim
community, discussing all their " orthodox " views in the light
of Rationalism, yet he could not succeed.3 While some
other noteworthy writers being at a loss to find out any sound
argument of defence, have put an end to the controversy, by
saying that the Asha rite views were suitable for the uneducated
Muslim mass, whose intellects and wisdom were not fit enough
to understand the high principles of Faith, rationalistically.
However, we cannot expect to find the roots of the Asha rite
doctrines in Zoroastrianism, on account of their irrationalities
and imperfectness.

1 " Kitab-ul Milal-wa-NahV' by Allatna Shahristani.

2 The reader ig referred to my " Parsis : A People of the Book,* for a detailed
discussion in this connection,

3 Vide: " Umul-Kalam'' and Al-Kalam'' by Mowlana Shibli (Aligarh
Editions).


1938]

source of muslim thought

45

Persian Influence on School of Muslim Rationalists

The second school of Islamic thought, i.e., the Mutazilites,
or the Muslim Rationalists, on the other hand believed that
man was quite free in his actions ; he has to be guided by his
own reasons; and that there was nothing like predestination ;
else it would tell against the Justice of God, which they
believed to be one of His chief attributes,—a thing totally
ignored by the Aslia rites who thought that God was not bound
to be Just; He might, if he liked, reward the evil-doers or punish
those who did good. The Mu'tazilites, for the above reason,
called themselves Ahlat-Tawheed-wal- Adl, or the partisans
of Divine Unity and Justice. They also believed that the Quran
was a " created" thing, and so not co-eternal with God. Such
rationalistic ideas, as I shall discuss presently, are quite in
keeping with the Zoroastrian tenets, and so we must not hesitate
to say that the Mu'tazilite School of Islam actually sprung up
under the influence of Persian culture.1 And this is the
reason why the whole of Persia since the day of the Arab con-
quest, is the upholder of Mutazilite Islam.2 Let us examine
it more critically and then come to a definite conclusion.

The Mutazilite doctrines may be summed up briefly in the
following:—

God is one and only one®; His attributes are not
apart4 from His Essence; He can never be visible to
human eyes5; He is omniscient, omnipotent and
everlasting0-; He is merciful and beneficent7;
He is all-mighty and all-wise" ; God is ever just and
can never be cruel9; He has given man liberty of

1 Zamakhshari (A..D. 1143), the renowned Mu'tazilite, who wrote the " Kash-

Bhaf", one of the earliest and greatest commentaries of the ra?t, in the light of

Rationalism, was a Persian by birth and nationality.

2 See Prof. Browne's Literary History of Persicc, Vol. I, p. 283, for detail.

3 Quran CXII—1. 4 Quran lv—26. 5 Quran VI—103.

6 Quran XV—10; LV—26 J XII—6. 7 Quran LIX—32.

8 - Quran XV—10 ; L1X—23.

9 Quran IV—39 ; XXIII—60,


78 the iran league quarterly [octf.

action and held him responsible for the same1; man
gets reward for his good actions, and punishment for evil
deeds3; reason is the chief criterion of good and evil3;
God does not impose any impossible task on human
being4; He is free from defects and impurities5 ; He will
never punish those who do good, or reward the evil-doers.8

Comparison with Zoroastrian Ideab

Now let us compare these with the Zoroastrian ideas
given below; and the reader will then easily grasp the truth
that Hellenic influence plays very little part in the develop-
ment of the above school of Muslim Thought; rather practically
every word of the Mutazilite views seems to be identical with
Zoroastrianism.

According to the holy Scriptures of the Parsis, God is
the only Being, the Creator of Mankind and the whole
Universe7; He is the Supreme, Mighty, and the Most
Beneficent Being8; He is Wise, Powerful, Just, and
Merciful9; His attributes are numerous and are not
accidents of His Being : rather they are His very
Essence10; God is Omniscient, Omnipotent and Perfect
Being11 ; He is invisible Spirit12 ; it is the Man's duty to
remain firm on the Eight Path of God and make himself
ready to fight the devil who always misleads the simple
creatures of God13; " 0, True Light and True Spirit! we
pray Thee to grant us wisdom and knowledge ; good reason
and good thought; and power of good action and success,14"

] Quran XLI—46 ; LUI—40.

2 Quran VI—161 ; XVII—14.

3 Quran 11—164 ; XXX—34 j XXI-24 ; XVI—65-67. 4 Quran 11—285.

6 Quran IX-116 ; X—45 ; LIX—22.

6 Quran IV—39 ; XlII^Sl; XVII—16 ; XXXII—20 ; XXIII-60.

7 Yaena XII—I ; L—11. 8 Yasua XLIII-4; XLIV—7 ; XXVIII—5.

9 TaBhts—I, 7-8,12-15. 10 Khordeh-Areata.

11 Yasna XXVIII—5 ; XXIX-6 ; XXXI—8. 12 Yasna XXVIII—1.

13 Ys, XXX and Ys. XXXI. 14 Meher Yasht, 33..


1938]

source of muslim thought

47

Further Persian Influence

Two more Schools of Muslim Thought, as Shahristani
informs us, had developed during the early days, side by side
with the above two already described. These latter were the
Schools of Muslim philosophy and Islamic mysticism. I need
not discuss these in face of the fact that one of them, i.e., the
philosophical school, was simply an offshoot of the Mutazilite
group1 and thus it came under the direct influence of
Persian culture; while the other, the Mystic school of Islam,
has already been dealt with by a talented writer of the present
age, Dr. Sir Muhammad Eqbal, in one of his famous works on
Persian Mysticism2, and where the learned author has proved
that the Muslim School of Mysticism actually developed
under the influence of ancient Persian civilization.

In conclusion, I might remind the reader that " Islam" was
never a new religion. The Prophet of Arabia and the holy
Quran repeatedly declared that it was simply a reformation of
the old creed, which had been propagated at different times, in
different countries.3 And that " old creed " was " Whoever
believes in God arid the Last Day and does good, they shall have
their reward from the Lord, and there is no fear for them, nor
shall they grieve."4 In Muhammadanism we find many things
that are originally claimed by Judaism or Christianity; and so
it is never peculiar if we come across a lot of Zoroastrian
ethics and ideals among the teachings of the Prophet of
Arabia.

1 See " Spirit of Islam" by Right Hon'ble Syed Ameer Ali, P.C. (Calcutta,
1902), p. 392.

2 Vide : «' Development of Metaphysics in Persia " by Sir M. Eqbal, Ph.D.
(London, L908).

3 Quran XVI—36.

4 Holy quran 11—63




ZARATHUSHTRA'S MESSAGE TO THE ARYAN WORLD

Craosh A. Kaul, Jewel Valley, California
»

(Through N. G. Santoke)

In the name of Ormazd the All-Wise Lord,
Greetings to all Mazdayasni Zarathustrians.

The Noble Creed

The noble teachings of Zoroastrianism need be believed
and accepted through its own indisputable precepts of Good
Thought, Good Word and Good Deed, as demonstrated in the
life of Ashoi or Righteousness. The powers of Spenta Mainyu
and Angra Mainyu are ever operating throughout this creation
in which we live at present, therefore it behoves us to devise
ways and means to work properly and deal with this tremendous
task of re-establishing the Mazdayasnian Law throughout the
world that the Aryan majesty may be restored to its birth-
right.

The Holy Mission

Distance is no obstacle in a conjoint labour in the service
of the All-Highest Creator Ahura Mazda, but means must be
found to carry on the work of spreading these teachings, there-
fore one or more Parsees should come to America to conduct
a lecture tour, which will be of great value in providing the
means that we may pursue our labour.

That the Creator Ahura Mazda keep you all in health and
happiness, to the end that the good work of Zarathushtra may
grow apace, and its light may be made manifest to all Aryans,
is and ever will be the sincere desire of me, your brother in
the True Faith of Mazda.


PERSIAN GOVERNMENT RULES FOR TRANSMITTING
MONEY TO FOREIGN COUNTRIES

The Persian Government had enacted temporary laws
for preventing export of gold leading to unfavourable exchange,
and partially prohibited money going out to foreign lands. All
these enactments have now been revoked and money can pass
without and within the country as anywhere else under nor-
mal conditions. All people having, or intending to have, trad-
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IMPRESSIONS OF A SUMMER JOURNEY IN
KURDISTAN

N. R. Najib, Baghdad

Beauties of Kurdistan and the Simple and Virtuous
Life of Its People

Now that the West seems to have bade farewell to idealism
and to have submerged into purely materialistic notions and
ideals, and now that this almost anti-aesthetic wave of the
Western world is about to penetrate into the poetic East, for
one who still adores the glories of a quite, bright, and virtuous
life of nature, our beautiful Kurdistan, with all its lofty moun-
tains, its attractive valleys, its forests and meadows, and its
ever-changing impressive and arresting scenery, is surely a
second Eden. There alone under the shades of years-old oak
trees and maples and on the summits of high mountains one
can comfortably lead a peaceful life—a life far away from the
destructive inventions and vicious conceptions of civilization,
but nevertheless rich with productive and virtuous gifts of
nature. There nature has, with marked generosity, bestowed
upon the inhabitants all means and ways for living a simple and
righteous life: fertile soil, pure and refreshing air, matchless
sceneries, plentiful fruits, and the most important of all, a
strong and vigorous will coupled with no less vigorous manly
character.

The Lofty Traditions of the Kurds and How Thet
Live up to Them

Once one enjoyed the picturesque sights and landscapes of
Kurdistan and once one observed the chivalrous deeds and beha-
viour of these descendents of Dieoces, Cyaxares and Astyages,


78 the iran league quarterly [Octf.

one would no more wonder at the great number of poets
produced, both in the past and in the present, by this talented
and creative race, nor would one wonder at the sincere desire
and zeal of the people for the preservation of the higher tradi-
tions, customs, and usages of their ancestors, many of which,
together with the numerous heroic adventures of their fore-
fathers, are preserved in a great many beautiful epics still lis-
tened to with solemnity and esteem, The good rider, the good
marksman, the good hunter are accorded no less honour and
homage than are accorded to, say, a ruler. Hospitality is, of
course, one of the most sacred and inviolable traditions among
the Kurds.

Their High Regard for the Gentler Sex

Their respect for the fair sex in all aspects of life is very
great indeed. The following instance will suffice to show the
feelings of the Kurds towards women. Some thirty years
ago a Kurdish tribe, famed for their bravery all over Kurdistan,
were compelled to pursue brigandage as the only way to earn
a livelihood. Soon the whole country became a scene of rob-
bery and hold-ups. No caravan could travel unless escorted
by a military force, and even in some cases the fate of the pro-
tecting force was no better than that of the caravan. Once it
so happened that the bandits held up a caravan which included,
among others, a few ladies. The merchants being conscious
of the instinctive respect of Kurds towards the fair sex, began
to hand over their money and other valuables to the
ladies while the bandits watched their movements with indiffer-
ence. At last the bandit chief's patience came to an end when
he saw that if things were allowed to go on like that there
would remain but little loot for them to take. So he advanced
towards the ladies and begged them respectfully to be a bit
" just" in the division and to receive no more from their male
companions. Needless to say the ladies were allowed to keep
what they had already been given by their merchant friends.


1933] impressions of a summer journey in kurdistan 53
Place-Names of Pre-Islamio Age

One thing that deserves proper attention and study is, I
believe, the pre-Islamic names. Besides many place-names
which now appear to be of no clear meaning, there are
some which are of great significance. For instance,
there is a Kurdish clan called "Yezdanbekhshi" whose habitat
is known as " Shemeran," while there are several villages with
the name "Wurmuzyar" which apparently is a corrupt form of
" Hormuzd-yar". The large mountainous district of "Howra-
man" which is inhabited by a tribe called "Howrami" is of no
less significance. These people themselves claim to be descen-
dents of " Behmen". They speak a dialect which is parti-
cularly their own, the only other tribe in Kurdistan who speak
this dialect being "Zendene" or " Zenkgene".

There are besides many other Kurdish clans whose names
end with the suffix "vend" such as Hamavend, Seferevend, etc.
In my opinion a methodical study of such place-names and
proper names is very likely to lead to satisfactory results, at
least so far as the historical and philological study of the Kur-
dish subjects is concerned.

Before ending'this part of my article I wish to say that
I am inclined to believe in the existence of some relation,
however vague, between the Kurdish word "Afret", i.e:, woman,
and Aphrodite, the ancient Greek goddess.*

A Dictionary of Old Persian and Pahlavi Terms

While speaking of pre-Islamic place-names, I take the
opportunity to say a few words about a manuscript dictionary of
old Persian which recently I came across by chance. Our ances-
tors have surely written a great deal on language and litera-
ture, but most of such treasures have been either lost or shelv-
ed in corners through the neglect of the succeeding genera-

* This may rather be a form of the Avestan Frita or Afrita, meaning "The
adored one, or darling."—Editor.


78

the iran league quarterly [octf.

tions. The dictionary I refer to was written in the year
1016 A.H. by one Moharned Qasim, son of Mohmed Kashani,
known by the nickname of "Serweri", and transcribed in the
year 1025 by one Mohamed Baqir. It opens with an eulogy
in verse of Ab-ul Muzaffar Abbas Shah, and comprises about
250 pages in leather binding. The definitions of disused and
forgotten Persian and Pahlavi words are given in modern
Persian, and in support of the correctness of the meanings the
author has given quotations from the works of famous Persian
poets. I doubt very much if any copies of this book were avail-
able now. It would surely help attempts for the purification of
the Persian language of foreign elements if such valuable
books were published.

AVESTA-NA JAVAH1RO

(GEMS OF THE AYESTA.)

VOL. I & II (IN GUJARATI).

Compiler— Me. Fredoon K. Dadachanji, Solicitor.

Price :—Es. 3-8 for Vol. I and Rs. 3-12 for Vol. II. As. 8/-
reduction to Members of the Iran League and
the Jashan Committee. V. P, P. As. 12/- extra.

The books have been published by the" Seth Pestonjl Harker
Religious Literature Fund and are being sold at a nominal price.
They cover 550 and 580 pages with illustrations and the Zoroastrian
spiritual and religious philosophy culled from the entire Avesta.
Further, the Gems gathered together in them are explained and
compared with other religions and religious and moral literature, and
the greatness of Zoroastrianism and similarities of other religions
therewith are exhaustively set out.

The books (pronounced by a noted Parsi Scholar : " the most
excellent reference books ") throw a new light on the Zoroastrian and
other religions and furnishes a precious treasure to the writer, speaker,
teacher, thinker and the religiously inclined.

Apply :—The Secretary, The Iran League,

Kamar Bldg., Cowasji Patel Street, Fort, BOMBAY.


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ANCIENT IRAN
ITS CONTRIBUTION TO HUMAN PROGRESS

P. P. Balsaba, M.A., LL.B.
CHAPTER II

IRAN AND INDIA
India as a Province op Iran
{Continued from p. 271, Vol. Ill, No. 4, June 1933.)

That India was a province of the empire of Darius can be seen also
from two documents deciphered by Prof. Herzfeld. These documents,
found in the old town of Hamadan, West Persia, are on gold and silver
tablets, each 7i inches square, and are inscribed in old Persian, Elamite
and Babylonian languages. They read: "Darius, the Great King, King of
Kings, the king of Countries, the son of Vishtaspa, the Achasmenid.
(Thus) saith Darius the King: This (is) the Empire I possess—from the
Saka (Scythia on the North of Iran) that are beyond Sogdiana as far
as the Kush (Ethiopia on the South-West), from the Hindu (India) as far
as Sparda (on the North-West) which A.hura Mazda has granted unto me,
Who is the greatest of Worshipped Deities. May Ahura Mazda

protect me and my Hbuse."1

The invasion of Darius did not go further than the Punjab and
Sindh, and therefore it is right to say that Darius was the master of only
that portion of India which comprised the whole of the Indus regions.2
This conquered territory of India was by no means an unimportant part
of the Empire of Darius. We are told by Herodotus: " The Indians, who
are more numerous than any other nation with which we are acquainted,
paid a tribute exceeding that of every other people, to wit, three hundred
and sixty talents of gold-dust. This was the twentieth Satrapy."3 This
tribute of three hundred and sixty talents of gold-dust in present money
would amount to nearly fifteen lacs of rupees, and such a sum was of not
a little value in those old days. Darius, pursuant to the Iranian spirit

1 Vide, " The Times of India," 23rd May, 1927, p, 10. Vide Dr. J. M. Unvala's
article on " Two New Historical Documents of the Great Achsemenian King Darius
Hystaspes," Journal of the K. R. Cama Institute, No. 10, pp. I flf.

2 M'Orindle, Ancient India as described in Classical Literature, p. In.

3 Herodotus, 111-94, Rawliuson, Herodotus, Vol. II, p, 403.


78

the iran league quarterly

[Octf.

of adventure, finding that the Indian province of his empire was very
fertile and that this fertility was largely due to the Indus which passed
through his dominion, wished to know where the mouth of this river led
to, and is consequently reported by Herodotus to have explored this river.
He says: " Of the greater part of Asia Darius was the discoverer. Wishing
to know where the Indus (which is the only river save one that produces
crocodiles, i.e. the Nile) emptied itself into the sea, he sent a number of
men, on whose truthfulness he could rely, and among them Scylax of

Caryanda, to sail down the river.....After this voyage was completed,

Darius conquered the Indians and made use of the sea in those parts."1

Persian Influences on India

Thus Darius not only conquered India but explored some parts of it
with a view to further conquest. His province of India not simply gave
him a large tribute but we are also told that as a result of this conquest
there was a free interchange of ideas and practices among the Iranians
and the Indians. Prof. Herzfeld has thrown some new light on the
connections of India and Persia. On the tomb of Darius at Nakshi Rustam
are seen three persons whom he identifies as Indians, because they are all
nude except for a loin cloth and a short turban and their weapon is a long
broad sword, hanging by a strap from the shoulder. Since the climate of
Iran would never permit such clothing, it is certain that these people were
from the hot climate of India.2 This connection of India and Iran did
not die with the death of Darius, but continued for many years. For
example, when Xerxes, the successor of Darius, took his army for the
conquest of Greece, there were many Indian soldiers in his army, besides
the Persians, the Medians, the Assyrians, the Arabs and the Parthians.
These Indians '' wore cotton dresses, and carried bows of cane, and
arrows also of cane, with iron at the point. Such was the equipment of
the Indians, and they marehed under the command of Pharnazathres, the
son of Artabates."3

This connection further continued up to the Maurya times during
which period, as it will be our task to show, India borrowed many things
from Iran in the spheres of architecture and society. The founder of
the Maurya Dynasty whence we begin the true history of India was
Chandragupta. He deposed and slew the last king of the Nanda Dynasty
of Magadha and ascended the throne somewhere between 325-320 B.C.
In this fight of Chandragupta and the last Nanda king in which

1 Herodotus, IV-44, Rawlinson, Herodotus, Vol. Ill, pp. 31, 32.

2 Vide, " Times of India," 23rd May, ] 927, p. 10.

3 Herodotus, VII-65, Rawlineon, Herodotua, IV-53*


1933] ancient iran : i^s contribution to human progress 57

the. forqier was victorious, Chandragupta had the help of the
Jraniajis. That the Iranians had a hand in the founding of the Maurya
Dynasty, although very little, is proved by the famous ancient political
Sanskrit drama called Mudra Rakshasha, the Signet of the Minister'
written somewhere about 5th to 7th century A.D. In the second
act of the play, Vishakhadatta, the author of the play, makes Rakshasha,
the minister of the last Nanda king of Magadha and an enemy of
Chandragupta, talk with his servant and agent Viradhagupta as under:

Rak.—What news from Pushpapur?

Vir.—I have much to tell, sir: where shall I commence?

Rak.—With Chandragupta's entry in the city,

Whatever my agents since have done, inform me.

Vir.—Yon will remember, sir, when in close league
United by Chanakya Parvateswara
And Chandragupta in alliance, led
Their forces against our city—a wild multitude
Of Sakas, Yavanas, and mountaineers,
The fierce Kambojas, with the tribes who dwell
Beyond the Western streams, and Persia's hosts,
Poured on us like a deluge.1

Persian Influence Centred in T axil a

Mr. S. K. Hodivala, in his valuable work, Parsis of Ancient India,
{jives us another proof of the fact that the Persians after the Indian
cp3qu.es t qf Darius had come to India and had settled as a separate
patian. Pe shows us that in the Bhishma Parva of the Mahabharata,
section IX, 64-67, which was written just after the times of Ch^ndra-
ppta, we have a list of the several tribes that inhabit Bharatavarsha, i.e.,
India, The list includes the Yavanas (Greeks), Chinas, Kambojas (I£abulig),
Mlechha tribes, the Kaluthas, Hunas (Huns) and the Parsikas. These
P^rsikas are the Persians, followers of Darius and the ancestors of
modern Parsis.

Although the Iranians only came as far as tKe North of Jndia
they established such firm rule in India that it will not be that it
was the same Iranian Empire that influenced so powerfully the
Maurya Dynasty and subsequent periods of Indian history. During
the Maurya Dynasty Iran had lost most of its past glory due to its
defeat by Alexander, but still it was capable of influencing India,

1 Wilson, Wor]ts of, Vol. XII, Selected Specimens of the Theatre of the Hindus,
Vol. II, pp. 178-179.


78

the iran league quarterly

[Octf.

for reasons which we shall soon see. Prof. Bawlinson says on this
point: " How this influence precisely crept in, we are, in our ignorance
of the histoiy of the Punjab at this period, unable to say. Was there
a viceregal court at Taxila, where Sandrakottus had seen the stately
Persian ceremonies in practice? Or did he merely assume Persian
customs, as Alexander and the Syrian Seleukids assumed them, beeause
Persia, even in decay, remained the greatest and most imposing empire
known to the world at that time?"1 We believe that both these causes
combined to bring about this vast influence over India, for Taxila, which
was very much persianised, must surely have influenced Indian life, and
the stately fabric of the Achcemenian Dynasty, which was before the eyes
of the Indian emperors, must have equally served to bring about Iranian
influence over India.

Taxila,2 Takthcsila of the Sanskrit books, was a great seat of learning
in the old days and it was annexed to the Persian Empire at the time of
the conquest of India by Darius.3 It remained a Persian province until
Alexander conquered it in 326 B.C., and therefore since it remained
under Iranian authority for nearly two centuries there is every reason to
hope that it must have been largely influenced by Iran.

An Ancient Persian Temple

At Taxila Sir John Marshall has discovered " a spacious temple dedi-
cated to fire-worship",4 which is 158 feet long and 85 feet wide.5 After
careful survey He has come to the conclusion that the temple was built
by the Iranians when they stayed in Taxila, because " its plan is unlike
that of any temple yet known in India, but its resemblance to the classical
temples of Greece is striking";6 but with regard to the difficulty arising out
of the tower standing in the midst of the temple Sir John Marshall had to
discard the Greek origin of the temple and he finally concludes that "I
infer from its presence, as well as from the entire absence of images that
the temple belonged to the Zoroastrian religion".7 This tower attached to
the temple was mainly meant for the priests to go up and recite their
prayers in praise of the sun, the moon and the water which can be viewed
best from a high and solitary place, and we see even today that the new

1 Rawlinson, Intercourse between India and Western World, p. 29.

2 I visited Taxila at the end of May 1929, on my return from Kashmir.

3 Marshall, Guide to Taxila, p. 20.

4 Annl. Rpt. Archaeological Surv., 1920-13, p. 5. 5 Ibid., p. 35,

6 Marshall, A Guide to Taxila, p. 87.

7 Ibid., p. 90 ; vide my articles on this Temple in " Jam-e-Jamshed " of 14th Sep-

tember, 1929 and " The Hindu Illustrated Weekly" of 12th July, 1931.


1933] ancient iran : i^s contribution to human progress 69

Fire Temple of Navsari, which is the second biggest place of Parsi inhabi-
tance, has also a tower attached to it from which the priests can recite their
prayers as they view the grand objects of nature, such as the sun, the
moon and the water and raise their thoughts from nature to nature's God.

The other point which is reminiscent of Persian occupation is
equally striking. Strabo informs us that at the time of the viceroyalty
of Bindusara, father of King Asoka, Taxila was noted for some strange
and unusual customs. Among them was one of the sale of maidens in its
public market by Indian parents who due to poverty were unable to
marry their daughters to anybody, and apparently came from the sur-
rounding country. This probably commenced when soldiers of the Persian
army of occupation married Indian wives.

The other custom, which is important for our purpose, was that the
'dead were not buried or cremated, but were, as was the Zoroastrian
custom, left to be devoured by vultures.1

Introduction of the Kharoshthi Script

The last influence on the city of Taxila which the Achaemenians exer^
cised was in respect of the Kharoshthi inscriptions. These Kharoshthi
inscriptions, found at and round about Taxila, are taken by scholars
to have been derived from the Aramaic language used by the Achie-
menians and brought to India after their conquest of the country.
Besides the two inscriptions of Asoka in Kharoshthi at Mansahra and
Shahbazgarhi, in the North-We3t Frontier Province,2 there are many to
be found at Taxila and Sir John Marshal] says that they confirm the view
" that Kh'aroshthi was derived at Taxila (which was the chief city of the
Kharoshthi district) from Aramaic, the latter having been introduced into
the North-West of India by the A'chgemenids after their conqu est of the
country about 500 B.C."3 The first man to suggest that the Aramaic
was the official script of the Achgemenians was Clermont Ganneau,
and his view has been rightly or wrongly accepted by Europe an
scholars. In any case the large number of Kharoshthi inscriptio ns
discovered in the region show that the Kharoshthi was derived
from the script which was introduced into India by the Persians.
Dr. Bhandarkar4 also says that Asoka made use of two languages
in inscribing his edicts—one of them being Brahmi and the other

1 Strabo, XV-62, M'Crindle, Ancient India as described in Classical Literature,
p. 69.

2 Smith, The Edicts of Asoka, p. xix.

3 Marshall, A Guide to Taxila, p. 76.

4 Bhandarkar, Asoka, 18?.


78 the iran league quarterly [octf.

the KharoshtHi and this] last language was extinct in India after
400 A.D. That this is true can be seen from the fact that since
the Kharoshthi inscription was derived from the Aramaic which was
introduced by the Persians it was found to disappear with the decay of
Persian power in India about 400 A.D. Nay, more, since the Brahmi
language was purely an Indian language it was written from left to right,
but since the Kharoshthi was derived from Persia it followed the rule of
that country and was written from right to left.

Persian Influences in the Mattrya Age

Hence it is clear that the influence which Persia exercised over f axilli
was great and it gradually was transmitted to the whole of India ib the
days of Asoka and subsequently.

As regards the other point, it cannot be doubted that the splendour
and majesty of the Persian court, wh ich is even today brought vividly to
our mind by the ruins of Persepolis, must have had a great influence
over India. Smith rightly says that " the imposing fabric of the Achse-
menian Empire evidently impressed the Indian mind, and several facts
indicate the existence of a strong Persian influence on the Indian civili-
zation of the Maurya age."1 Hence, as we shall see step by step, the palaces

1 Smith, Asoka, p. 140.

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1933] ancient iran : its contribution to human progress M

of Iranian kings, their manners and customs together with several of
their practices were copied by the Mauryans and their followers because
the Iranian civilization was not a thing confined to its own limits, but a
civilization which was suitable to be world-wide.

It is necessary at this stage to explain why it was Iran alone, and
that too when it had been shattered by the conquest of Alexander, that in-
fluenced India, and why not Greece also although Alexander had a trium-
phant march to India via Persia and became the master of India in 326
B.C. The explanation is found in the fact that Alexander barely stayed
in India for nineteen months, and that period of his sovereignty over the
Punjab was too short for any Greek influence to take deep roots. During
that short space of time India and Greece touched each other only on their
fringes—they had not a deep connection. His short stay in India coupled
with his untimely death in Babylon in 328 B.C. shattered all his plans
and within three years of his death no trace remained in India
of Greek authority. Hence it was that in spite of his great military
capacity and zealous efforts to influence India, Alexander was never
successful in his aim and " India was not helienized."1 His conquest,
though it occupies an important positio n in the history of India, had not
left much behind it in India and no Indian author mak es any allusion to
him or to his work. Not only are the Indian authors silent over the work
of Alexander, but no building or monumen t even is found in India to
have been constructed on Greek model, chiefly because the period of
Greek authority over India was very short. Even Megasthenes, himself
a Greek, who wrote an accurate account of his life at Pataliputra, modern
Patna, as an ambassador of the Greek King Seleucus Nikator of Western
Asia, does not speak of any Greek influence on Indian political or social
life. On the contrary, his book, supplemented by archaeological evidence,
shows us that "the Maurya government managed its affairs after its own
fashion in general accordance with Hindu tradition, borrowing something
from Persia but nothing from Greece."2 In short, although Alexander
conquered India, Greece in no way benefitted India. Even before and
after the campaign of Alexander Greece did not know much of India, and
what little information it got about it was received, as we have seen, from
Persia. For example, Homer speaks of two races of Ethiopians, the
Western (or African) Ethiopians and the Eastern Ethiopians (or Indians),
but he does not speak of the latter as Indians. He calls them Ethiopians
merely because he has heard of them to be as black as the Ethiopians.
Herodotus also, in later times, says that the Indians " have also all the

1 Smith, The Early History of India, p. 118.

3 Smith, The Oxford History of India, p. 140.


78

the iran league quarterly [octf.

3 3,-ne tint of skin, which! approaches that of the Ethiopians."1 Thus, it
must Have been seen, Greece never succeeded in exercising her influence
over Itidia, while Persia, even in her collapse, was able to influence India
due to its past splendour and autho rity.

Iran's Influence on Indian Architecture

The influence of Iran over India will be treated by us in
different groups, and firstly we propose to deal with the influence of Iran
over Indian architecture. Kacords are wanting to take the starting point
of Indian architecture farther back than the reign of Asoka—263-226 B.
0. Chandragupta was the founder of the Maurya Dynasty and from his
time the true history of India begins, but since his reign was full of
troubles for the possession of the kingdom of Magadha, we find no
architectural work belonging to his reign. But when once his dynasty
was secure on the throne his followers started the construction of several
works of architecture which truly mark tlie beginning of architectural
history of India. The Maurya Empire first began to adopt Persian me-
thods in its architectural activity because it was influenced by Persia and
because it was the first real Indian Empire, uniting several peoples under
one king. In the first place it must be noted that although the archi-
tectural history of India begins with the date of Asoka we do not
imply that there was no architectural work before that date, India did
possess many palaces, temples and halls of assembly, but they were all
made like the present Burmese buildings, of wood and not stone,2 and
therefore we have no relics of these ancient monuments of wood
amidst us today. Hence, for its want of lasting qualities the wooden
architecture is not taken into great account, and the true history of
architecture in India begins only with Asoka when the change from
wood to stone was suggested by Persia.3 Hence, we are told by Megas-
thenes that before Asoka began any of his architectural work with stone,
such as pillars or rock edicts, which he did on accou nt of Iranian influence,
there was at Pataliputra, surrounding the city, " a wooden wall pierced
with loop-holes for the discharge of arrows."4 Thus, before the days of
Asoka, Indian architects used wood for their superstructure and bricks for
the foundations only, but when in Asoka's days India was working under
the influences of Iran and of her famous palaces at Persepolis we see a

1 Herodotus, Itl-lOl, Rawlinson, Herodotus, 11-408.

2 Fergusson, History of India and Eastern Architecture, Vol, I, p. 51,

3 Smith, History of Fine Art in India and Ceylon, p, 13 ; Smith, Oxford History
of India, p. Ill,

4 Megasthenesj XI-XXV, McCrindle, Anaieat tadifv of Meg asthenes, p. 66 ,


1933] ancient iran : its contribution to human progress 63

change from wood to stone and, further, we also see that the very models
and methods of workiranship were derived from Iran by the Indians—
especially Asoka.

Pillars and Edicts of Asoka

'As regards the architectural influence of Iran over India, the pillars
and edicts of A scka mu&t occupy our first attention. It is well known that
Asoka, â– tthcse full nrme is 'Asokavardhana (Joy-increasing), was to
B cddhism what Constantine was to Christianity, and both flourished at
about the same distance of time frcm the death of the founders of their
respective faiths. In order to piomulgate the religion of Buddha, Asoka
caused a series of Edicts embodying the doctrines of Buddhism to be
engraAed on rocks ] n "V a rious places in Northern India and in Gujarat.
In all, thir teen rock inscriptions are fcnnd which were used by Asoka for
propagating the Dhaima, the ir.cst important being those at Girnar, Dauli,
Kapurdigiri, Jaugada and Khalsi.1 Of these thirteen inscriptions, one
at Mansahra and the oth(rat Shahbazgarhj, in North-West Frontier
Provinces, have Kharosbthi inscriptions which, as we have already seen,
indicate India on that side being entirely under Iranian influence. But
there are other facts to show that these lock inscriptions of Asoka were
influenced by Iran.

The very manner of propagating the Dharma by means of inscribing
on rocks is a custom unknown to India, both before and since the days of
Asoka, and therefore one naturally ponders over the fact why Asoka, alone
in the whole history of India, used such a method for promulgating the reli-
gion of Buddha. A moment's reflection will at once clear the doubt, for
we see the same method practised by Darius nearly two centuries ago in
the powerful empire of Iran. Darius, the king of the mighty Achsemenian
empire, was in the habit of inscribing on the mountain sides and the
Behistun inscription of his is an example of it. That inscription, first
deciphered by Sir Henry Rawlinson, contains nearly 1,000 lines cut in the
face of a rock 1,700 feet high.? Asoka, who, as viceroy of Taxila before
being the king, was influenced by Iran, therefore did not fail to imitate
this practice of the Iranian sovereigns of using mountain sides for his in-
scriptions.3 Furthermore, we notice that the very style of the inscriptions of
Asoka is an exact imitation of that of Darius. TKe inscriptions of Darius
begin with the words: 'Thus saith Darius the king',4 and Asoka imitates him

1 Smith, Asoka, pp. 126ff.

2 Tolman, Guide to Old Persian Inscriptions, pp. 118ff.

3 Rawlinaon, Intercourse between India and the Western World, p. 29.

4 Tolman, Guide to Old Persian Inscriptions,


78

the iran league quarterly [octf.

and Lie inscriptions, too begin with, ' Thus saith His Saered and Graci-
ous Majesty the King.'1 With such ckj r prtcfs scholars have agreed as
to the debt "which Atoka owed to Iran in regard to his practice of rock
inscriptions, and Bhandarkar tco admits that this practice of Asoka was
due to the .Achsenienian conquest and administration of North-West of
India.2 It is rightly said that this way of Asoka, of having inscrip-
tions cut on rocks and imitating the style of Darius, is. not indigenous.
Had it been indigenous it would have been repeated, but such
practice is isolated in India and the fact that it appears no more in
other Indian inscriptions before or since shows that it was derived
from Iran where it was first introduced by Darius.

1 Smith, Asoka, pp, 149 ff.

2 BhaDdarkar, Asoka, p. 9.

(To be continued.)

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POETS

of the

PAHLAVI REGIME

BY

DINSHAH J. IRANI, B.A., LL.B.,

Solicitor, High Court, Bombay.
Neshan-e Elmi, Teheran 1932.

98 Modern Persian Poets
Over 400 Poems in Persian

Over 200 Translated in English, including all big Poems
50 Illustrations

covering in all 766 pages

with

An Introduction to the Study of Persian Poetry

FROM

The Avestan Times Till To-day,

covering 235 pages in English and Persian.

Price Rs. 18
£140-0

PRINTED AT THE FORT PRINTING PRESS, i FORT, BOMBAY.


Some of the Poets from t'ie Galaxy of Persian Poets in the Book.

-i^a Poure-Davoud Aqa Adib-e-Fftrehraand

Aqa Aref


No. 1 j Poets Place Dates Poems and Translations, with names of Important Poems translated Pages â– 
95 yahiyA, Haji Mirza Yahi y a Daulatabadi Doulatabad B. 1241 Shamsi 1862 A.D. The Morn and The Night, p. 678- 680; and twenty-nine poems of which seventeen translated 666A-689
96 yahiya va'ez, Mirza Yahiya Va'ez Kaivani Qazvin Died at Tehran 1304 Shamsi 1925 A.D. Three poems 690-693
97 zarreh Kerman B. 1296 A.H. 1878 A.D. One poem 280
98 zaif, Ismail-e-Eeza Quli i Isfahan B. 1325 A.H. 1907 A.D. One poem 387

r>

o
3


A Page of Index of Subjects.

INDEX

to

TRANSLATED POEMS.

Advice (Ethical and Social
subjects)—

To My Daughter
Freedom
Good Action

Thy Destiny is in Thy
Banda

A Man of Good Repute ...

An Ode

AnOde

The Worst of Sins (Plurality

of Wives)
Our Girls

The Advice of a Pistachio...
A Poem
An Advice

The Sign of Greatness
A Quatrain
An Ode

Use and Abuse of the Pen...

Forget Self

Advice to Youngsters

Enlightened Mind

Wisdom and Ignorance

Happiness

Sting and Honey

Useless Efforts

The Safe Way

Zameatan

Wailing, Till When ?
Be Pure

The Nightingale and the

Narcissus
The Seed and the Fruit ...
The Single Grey Hair
Advice to Youths
The Brick*bat Thrower ...

EFFORT AND EXERTION—
Preparation

The Scythe and the Plough.
Exert and Act

Pages

2-4
96
96

178b—1780
178d
221-222
224—225

248—251
259—261
272-273
335
356
376—378
381
382—383
391—4G7
491
499—500
596

596

597
605
627

629-630
634—637
656—657

Pages

FAMILY—Home

Love for the Home ... 301—303

In Memoriam ... 347—348

On the Birth of a Son ... 353—354

Two Persons with One

Soul ... 655—656

FORGIVENESS—

Forgivance ... 595

FIDELITY—Constancy

Fidelity ... 128—129

Constancy ... 665

FUTURE—

The Coming War ... 66—67

HUMANITY—

Serve Mankind ... 70

Contest or Co-operation? ... 92d

The Candle—A Quatrain ... 321

Service of Humanity ... 433—434

Humanity ... 554

Service ... 589

KINDNESS—

A Quatrain ... 48

Be Kind ... 117

Kindness and Justice ... 489—490

664 The Life of Men 72—73
666 A Life worse than Death ... 78
673 Mine and Thine 94-95
675—676 The Eternal Question 133-134
684 Life 348
Earthly Paradise 594
The Rose and the Thorn ... 672
Lessening Vision 675
77 The Full Moon 686—687
603 The New Life ... 687


A Page of the Introduction.

The modern poetry of Persia shows real originality,
merit and humour, as attested by Browne, who mentions
as the most notable among the poets Aref, Dakhaw (now
known as Dehkhuda), Ashraf and Bahar, who all grace the
pages of the present volume with many others. Many of
the modern poets possessed a classical training, and it is
remarkable to note the employment by them of the
classical mode and style in giving expression to original
themes, the products of the modern age. The patriotic
poems of Adib-e-Pishawari, Aref's freshest poem which
I received on the day of my departure from Hamadan,—Use
and Abuse of the Pen, Bahar's Damawand, Badi-uz-Zaman's
The Passing Show, Adib-us-Saltaneh's The Message of the
Mountain, Pour-e Davoud's Amshaspandan, Falsafi's The
Helpless Poor, Akhgar's The Coming War, Nezam-e-Vafa's
Robabieh, Vossugh-ud-Dowleh's Some Truths, Vahid's Bahar,
are all instances on the point.

In the same way, whilst Adib-e-Nishapuri and others,
like Golshan, can use the old matter and method in quite a
classical way, on the other hand Eshqi and those of his
way of thinking claim to be fettered by no such tradition.
They give expression to their realistic thought in
poetic forms of their own making, which according to
them best express their thoughts. And after reading
Eshqi's Rastakhiz and The Ideal, no European reader, I am
sure, would ever find fault with him for making the choice.
Apart from the above, there is still one poet of exceptional
merit, Irach Mirza, the realism in whose poems, reminds
us of Zola and makes us regret indeed that death stopped
him from completing his marvellous poemof Zohreh and
Manucheher.


A Page of the Text.

Naisan



0 thou, who dost dive in the ocean of nature,
In search for the unique gem of Truth,
Listen to these words, if thou acceptest them in the light
of advice,

That from this sea thou wilt secure nothing but the foam of
bewilderment;

And eventually this boundless deep will lure thee
down towards itself.



Real knowledge and fruitful action have concealed

themselves from the world ;
Trade and capital have caused commotion in the world ;
Harmful passions have shut the eyes against wisdom and
prudence;

In^place of love, low passions have made their repute in the
world,

And hence people have turned their back upon
Religion, and face towards Money.



So long as the hand of greed has closed the eyes of justice,
So long as the measure of our wants exceeds all limits,
The face of moderation and contented living will be hidden

from the world,
The broom of tyranny will sweep olean the house of the
hungry (poor) of all its belongings;

And this helpless fellow will be compelled to be a
thief for this reason.


Some of the Poets from t'ie Galaxy of Persian Poets in the Book.

Aqa Rashid-e-Yasemi

General Akhgar

Aqa Aurang Aqa Bshqp


Some of the Poets from t'ie Galaxy of Persian Poets in the Book.

Aqa Pazhmaa.

Aqa Bahar.


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Dear Sir,

Please send me____cop_of " Poets op the

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REVIEWS AND NOTICES

" SUKHANVARAN-I-IRAN "*

Review by D. J. Irani, Solicitor

The late Professor Edward Browne, than whom we oan find no
better judge of Persian Literature, says in the last two volumes of
his monumental work, viz., the Literary History of Persia, that the
Indians and the Turks oould not produce Persian poetic or prose
literature that may have the real Persian flavour. He further says
that for appreciating Persian Poetry too, we must rely more on the
Persian than on the Indian and the Turk, however profound students
of Persian the latter may be.

This judgment of Professor Browne is right; for nobody can
realise better than we do how Persian pronunciation, at any rate, is
murdered in India, and what taste some of our University Professors
show whilst selecting text books for study in schools and colleges.
It is only when we come in direct touch with Persian scholars and
writers of repute that we realise how awfully Persian is being taught
now-at-days in many of our schools ind colleges and how we murder
the language in doing so.

Bat there are always exceptions to the rule, and suoh a brilliant
exception is Professor M. Ighaqua, M.A., B.Sc., Lecturer in Persian
at the University in Calcutta, who has just produced his beautiful
book " SukhanVaran-i-Iran" containing selections from poems of
thirty-three Persian poets, containing well-written lives of the poets
as well as their photos.

The book is entirely in Persian and is meant for the Persian-
reading public, a happy arrangement, for, the Reviewer's book on
"The Poets of the Pahlavi Regime," in Persian and English, which
partially covers the same ground in Persian, has been also in the Press
side by side, and meant mainly for the English-reading public.

The selections contained in Prof. Ishaque's valuable book are
well made and the book is taken out in a form, whioh with the wealth
of its contents, makes it indispensable for every College and University

* Compiled by Prof. M. Ishaque of Calcutta University. (Oriental Publishing
House, Calcutta. Ra. 18-12 flndia] ; 25 shillings [Foreign].)


78

the iran league quarterly

[Octf.

in India to have more than one volume in its library. The book is
very well printed on very good paper and is handsomely bound and
has four hundred and twenty pages of some of the finest specimens of
Modern Persian Poetry. I have no doubt in my mind that to every
lover of Persian literature, the book will adorn his library, enrich his
mind and regale his heart for a long time to come.

Amongst the contents we find selections from those great sages
Adib-e-Pishawari and Nishapuri. Iraj Mirza, the renowned literary
prince, whose poems at times have the realization of Zola, is well
represented; and so is our great friend and scholar of international
fame Aga Pour-e Davoud whose poems are taken from his Pouran-
dokht-Nameh, which the Eeviewer had the happiness of translating
and publishing six years ago. The renowned poet Aref, the poet
laureate Bahar, the patriot of many a fight Deh-Khoda, and first-class
men of letters like Rashid-e-Yassemi, Falsafi and many others have
their gems well collected aud represented. The University of
Calcutta deserves great credit for encouraging Professor Ishaque to go
to Persia and make this collection ; but for that visit such a beautiful
book could hardly have been published. I trust the Bombay Univer-
sity too would wake up from its lethargy and cease to give a step-
daughterly treatment to the Persian language. If Professors of our
University are also given the opportunity of polishing up their
knowledge of Persian, by coming in direct touch with Persians and
Persian scholars in Persia itself, the students here will have the
opportunity of learning Persian as it ought to be learned.

The late Professor Edward Browne had noted in his book that
there was originality and taste both of subject and treatment in
Modern Persian Poetry. A striking example of that is Eshqi, whose
Bastakhiz the Eeviewer had published with text and translation so
far back as ten years ago. This poem with several others are also to
be found in this volume.

With perfect confidence we can recommend this book to every
College in India and to every lover of Pesian literature. Professor
Ishaque deserves to be congratulated by everyone of us.

K. WAD I A

»

DIAMOND MERCHANT,

gratjt ROAD. BOMBAY.

ph, no 42483


1033]

REVIEWS AND NOTlOEsi

67

SUKHANVARAN-I DAURAN PAHLAYI

or

THE POETS OF THE PAHLAVI REGIME*

Review by Sohbab J. Bulsaba, MA.

Iran's Soul pulsates with Poetry

The Soul of Iran pulsates with the poetic instinct, and that is
the reason why Iran has produced more poets than any other country
of the world. When Persia was a free nation all the varied emotions
and fancies which arise in pure human genius had their fullest play
in her poetic creation. But since the fall of the Sassanian dominion
the people were so completely enthralled by foreign influences that her
natural genius had not the free play it had before, and poetry was
confined mainly to the portrayal of romantic history and didactic or
mystical reflections and allegories, besides lowly and false panegyrics.
In all this the noble instinct and fascinating soul of old Iran was much
missing, and a bigoted and narrow spirit always prevailed with very
few exceptions.

The Noble Instinct and Fascinating Soul of Iean Revive

With the liberation of the country under H. I. M. Reza Shah
Pahlavi however, the old instinct and the old soul, began to assert
themselves again and have been inspiring a huge number of modern
poets in Iran. This led Mr. Dinshah Irani to attempt collecting works
of modern poets; and it should not surprise one that within the short
space of two years, his study was flooded with the works of some
thousand present day poets ! Of these Mr. Irani has selected the
poems of ninety-eight, and oompiled them in the above work.

Great Variety of Fascinating Themes

The revival and variety of proper poetic themes can well be seen
from the subjects treated of in this great collection. These include
"To My Daughter", "Your Fate is in Your Hands", "Our Girls",
" Winter", 41 The Nightingale and the Narcissus", "Admonitions to
the Young Folk", "Eftort", " Love of the Home", "Forgiveness",
"Fidelity", " Humanity", "Public Service", " Kindness", " Life",
"Paradise on Earth", " Moonlight", " Love", " Love and Wisdom",
"The Mother's Heart", " 0 My Mother", " Search of Truth", "Nature
and Training", " Damavand", " Nature's Beauties", " Springtide",

* Compiled by Mr. Dinshah J. Irani (Fort Printing Press, Bombay. Re. 18
ttndfc]; £ 1-10 [Foreign].)


78

the iran league quarterly [octf.

" Youth", "Love of Country", "Azerbaijan", " The Poor", "Frailty
of the World", " The Amesha Spentas", " The Spring and the Good
Religion", " Par si Ladies", "To Edward Browne", "High Ideal",
"Fear and Hope", "Heaven and Hell", etc.

Great Modern Luminaries

This will show the variety of subjects seldom dealt with befora,
and would supply a fascinating reading for the fond student. The
selection opens with a sweet poem of Bftnoo Shah in, a poetess. Two
other poetesses " Jinnat" and " Nfmtaj, B&noo" appear in the work,
The patriotic " Akhgar", Prince Afsar, Afirang, Iraj, Bahar, entertain
us with variety of styles and themes. The divinely inspired verses of
Ishqi and Pour-e Davoud thrill our soul, Yasemi the Nature wor-
shipper, S&l&r and Spenta, the learned Said-i-Nafisi and Aref are
few of the names which glow on the pages of the compilation.

The Spirit of Sweet Song Thrilled the Courts and Homes of

Ancient Iran

This work's value is further enhanced by the learned introduc-
tion by Mr. Irani. The narrow view that Iran had no poetry worth its
name before the coming of the Arabs is exploded entirely. As
music at court and in private life always predominated in Iran from
the earliest times, singers and poets could never be lacking in that
ancient country. The Yasht literature of the Avesta period has
beautiful and varied poetic pieces. Songs and rhythmic compositions
were common in Achaemenian times. That astounding genius,
Mithridates the Great, the King of Pontus, had his court filled with the
best poetic talents of the world, and so had his great contemporaries
Orodes of Parthia and Artavadishtish of Armenia who was a po&t
himself.

The Heavenly Song and Music of the S.assanians

A more authentic record exists of the glorious Sassanian epocfe.
The Kar Nama has noted the fact of Ardashir having entertained
himself with singing and music. As he was then with Artabanus, this
also proves the existence of extensive song and music in the Arsaoide
period. Behramgore is credited with poetic talent. And the courts
of that great sovereign and of the magnificent Par viz were famed fpr
their noble singers and musicians. The sacred rhythmic song has
been preserved in the Pazancl prayers and blessings which have come
down to us from the Sassanian times.


reviews and notices

69

The Sweet Bird has left the Gage and Soaes and Sings High

Mr. Irani has also divided post-Sassanian poetry into seven
sections and treated these clearly and fully. He shows how the
shackles that had bound the soul of Iran for thirteen centuries are
now snapped, and it having broken out from their bondage, sings
now sweeter and on more lofty heights. May this inspire higher
and nobler instincts in the Persian people !

Rocznik Tatarski : or Tartar Annual, Vol. I

While the Turks played so important a part in south-east Europe,
other Tartar races have influenced north-east Europe in a lesser
degree. Still how considerable has been the influence even in the latter
case can well be seen from the volume that has been lying on our
review table for some time past. In Russia, Lithuania and Poland
equally as in the Southern Balkan States the Tartar race has figured
very prominently for many latter centuries. In the armies of Napoleon
too there were several Turkish and Tartar officers and men. Indeed
the principal role of these people had been military adventure, and it
was in this that their services were valued and requisitioned by the
people of eastern Europe.

This has led to their settlement in these lands; and there is a
considerable Tartar population in Russia and Poland at present.
These have largely adopted the ways of life of the people among
whom they have settled ; but many at the same time have stuck to the
religion of their forefathers, and are still greatly swayed by
their national instincts. They have thus f ormed at Vilna in Poland
the " Union for Culture and Instruction of the Tartars in the Polish
Republic."

The Central Council of this Union has formed an Editorial
Committee for bringing out the Tartar Annual in Polish. The Chief
Editor is Mr. Leon Kryczyuski of Vilna, assisted by four eminent
writers from Vilna, Slonim and Nowogredek.

Among leading matters in the Annual are the following:—

" The National Movement and the Tartars in Lithuania,w rather
a long article by 0. Najman-Mirza-Kryczytiski; "The National
Problem of the Tartars in Poland," by Ayas Ishaki; a very interesting
little essay on " The Statistics and the Geographical and Religious
Association of Islam," by Wassan-Girej Dzabagi; " Islam and Mixed
Marriages," by Alexandre Achmatowicz ; and many others ©f Tartar
or Turkish interest.


the iran league quarterly

There are also reviews and notices of some valuable manuscripts.
Among literary efforts are poems on " Reflexions" and "On
Death" by Akret and St. Kryczyuski respectively.

A number of good illustrations are found in the volume,
mostly depicting the Tartars in military garb. These include some
men in the famous legions of Napoleon.

S.

Le Monde Oriental: Vols. XXIV and XXV

Published in Uppsala in Sweden and edited by the learned H. S.
Nyberg, this journal's pages glow with erudite contributions by
scholars from all countries of the world, and in languages of Europe
and Asia. The latter volume is published in honour of Prof. K. V.
Zettersteen, the journal's former Editor, on the occasion of his sixty-
fifth birthday and bears testimony to the love and esteem of a long
line of learned admirers whose signatures adorn the dedicatory epistle
headed by the learned Nyberg.

Jarl Carpentier's monogram on " I"ndra," opens the volume, and
bristles with learning and critical acumen. The ever interesting Arthur
Christensen contributes a fascinating little note in French on " Did
there exist a Zarvanite Religion ?" Sven Dedering offers a " Comment
on the Tradition regarding the 73 Sects" based on Islamic writings.
Anton Fridrichsen writes a chapter of the early incidents of the
Christian Church in Jerusalem. Ivar Hylander discusses whether
Jesaja (Isaiah) was entitled to be called a Prophet. Johannes Kolmodin
attempts to identify the Imaginary Dr. Frundgruben of Morier's Haji
Baba association with a real chaplain attached to the Swedish
Embassy in Constantinople. Carl Johan Lamm discusses an Arabio







PARSIS: A PEOPLE OF THE BOOK.

By Prof. Rezwi, m.a.



An interesting study of the Zoroastrian religion in the light
of Biblical and Quranic teachings. Highly spoken of by eminent
scholars of India and Europe. To be had of the Manager,
The Moslem Chronicle, 6, Hastings Street, Calcutta, and the
Iran League, at Kamar Bldg., Cawasji Patel Str., Fort, Bombay.
Price Rs. 3 (Board), Rs. 2-8 (Paper).


1933]

reviews and notices

71

Inscription on a vase. Bernhard L9win treats of a " Sunni Polemio
against the Shias.

Joh Lindblom examines the highly interesting Old Sinai Inscrip-
tion which takes so prominent a part in all discourses treating of the
Origin of the Alphabet. Sven Linder deals with some delightfully
simple Arabic songs. Oscar Lofgren writes a learned note on a work
of Abu Mahrama.

Axel Moberg's "Herodotus and Modern Reconstructions of the
Tower of Babel" makes a fascinating reading. That the tower was
really a lofty temple on the top of seven plinths symbolising the seven
stages of the soul's advancement, is variously made clear here. And A.
Moberg's restoration suggests a restoration of the Mausoleum of Cyrus
the Great which no doubt copied in unsullied white marble the lofty
concept of the great Babylonian temple.

Em. Morbeck's contribution on Prophetic Claim is followed by
Nyberg's excellent note on "An Iranian Word in the Book of Daniel".
Daniel is said to have been associated with the Iranian court and hence
it would be natural that he knew the Iranian language also to some
extent. The amount of learning Nyberg brings to bear on the word
for its elucidation is great and praiseworthy.

Hugo Ordenberg treats of a theme in Hebrew and is followed by
G-unnar Olinder who deals with a family of the Arabian Kings of Kinda.
Johs, Pedersen presents a learned study of a Gazal of the celebrated
Al-Gazall. Nils Roden deals with an Ethiopic religious study, and
Kasten Ronnow treats of the Yerse of Sarparaj'ii in the Rigveda. J.
<£jtrup offers notes on some interesting words in the Arabic text of the
Thousand and One Nights. And Tor Andrce closes the volume
with his treatment of a thenia relating to Islamio and Christian
religious fervour.

This shows the great variety of the themes dealt with and the
long list of writers of high repute who have vied with one another in
doing honour to the learned Zettersteen, in this dedicatory volume.

The previous volume of the " Le Monde Oriental" has appeared
only recently, some two years after the memorial volume was published,
and contains some equally interesting matter. Otto Spies describes
three Arabic works on the biographies of the Sufis: (1) Hilyat aV-
auliya of Abu Nu'aim, (2) Safuoat as-Safwa of Ibn Gauzl, and
(3) Al-Muhtar fl manakib al-ahyar of Majdaddin b. al-Atir. K. Raraa
Pesharoti gives an interesting aooount of Shri Shankaracharya's life
from the traditional narratives. Mr. Pesharoti assigns this sage a date


78

the iran league quarterly [octf.

between 788 and 820 A.D. as the time of his birth. L. Mseriantz
examines the Armenian studies of Henri Brenner.

Brenner's principal work was an abridgment of the celebrated
history of Moses of Khorene, at the end of which he gave the
genealogies of the Arsaoide sovereigns of Persia and Armenia. Though
an earlier work, this was not known to "Whiston brothers, the sons of
the eminent English savant "William "Whiston, who had published
in London in 1736 their Latin translation of the history of Moses.

Brenner had intended to publish the translation of the full text
of Moses and also of the Geography attributed to him.

K. V. Zettersteen adds in this volume his further instalment of
the Italiano-Nubian "Dictionary of Arcangelo Oarradori which he edits,
adding most Valuable notes.

A number of interesting reviews follow and close the volume.

9.

" CYRUS THE GREAT"

Khan Saheb Dhunjibhoy Framji Diibash is a fond student
of ancient Persian history. He has written on the subject, off and on,
and some of these he offers in a collected form in the above volume.
The title of the book should not however mislead the reader, for Mr.
DUbash has prefixed to the work a dissertation on the age of Zara*
thushtra, and added to it not only the history of the three great suc-
cessors of Cyrus, but also a chapter on " Chosroe and Shirin".

The author has written his subjects with care and in a Way as
to create interest; art.d we have little doubt that a perusal of them by
Parsee youth will give them happy and beneficial inspiration. Mr.
Dubash has attempted to remedy the defects in Persian History owing
to that having been written by Iran's adversaries with all their
prejudices against her. It redounds to the glory of Iran that
notwithstanding this glairing disadvantage her annals present a brilliant
pageant of continuous and incomparable achievement.

There is the need of more works being written in this vein, for,
nothing bends the youth's minds more to virtue, valour and achieve-
ment than the glorious events of their past depicting them.

S.

STATISTiQUE COMMERCIALS DE LA PEBSfl

This extremely useful document, comprising tables showing
Persia's commerce with foreign countries, ha* been published by


1938]

REVIEWS AND NOTICES

73

the Persian Government lately. It covers the period from 23rd June,
1931, to 21st June, 1932.

Persia has a definite and constant trade with twenty-four foreign
countries, excluding those that trade casually with her.

Some 28 articles are prohibited for import and include arms and
ammunition, metal, money, and opium.

The total imports during the period were valued at 631,363,009
Rials and exports at 702,094,375. The va lue of total trade was thus
1,333,457,884 Rials, and of this a balance of 70,781,866 Rials was in
Persia's favour.

The leading countries trading with Persia are Russia, British
India, rest of British Empire and the United States cf ^mfrica.
Their total trade with Persia computes at 519,588,984; 197,469,£07;
138,803,555; 122,472,532; and 105,468,011 Rials ] ebpectively.

Exports to and imports from Soviet Bussia almost balance with
a comparatively small excess of over 17 million Rials in case of imports
from her. But imports from Japan, France, Italy, Belgium and
Czechoslovakia far exceed the exports to them. "Whereas exports
to Iraq, Turkey and Afghanistan far exceed imports from them.

A comparative table of Persia's foreign trade during the last
ten years shows a steady progress.

Graph tables showing Import of Cotton Tissues, Sugar, Mineral
Oils, Vehicles and Automobiles, and Tea, and leading articles of export
are of extreme interest.

Detailed tables follow including one showing the exact number,
makers and power of automobile vehicles and lorries and trucks
imported during the year, and others showing the imports and
exports of exact articles from, the various countries.

Tables of various imposts on imports and exports are given at
the close, and also of the quantity of trade passing through the various
centres of imposts in the Empire.

Tables of number and kinds of ships plying in the Caspian Sea
and the Persian Gulf and the Karun River and their ownership,
tonnage and number of crew, supply very useful and interesting
information. And so do the tables showing various passage fares
between the several^ports charged by the Companies plying their ships
between them.

Aerial Services, Posts, Telegraphs, Telephones, Monopolies,
etc., comprise numerous other matters dealt with in this extremely
useful and painstakingly prepared volumes-

S.


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event of failure to do so, agrees to pay for the space
not so used up.

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3. The Iran League Quarterly Committee reserve to them-
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1933]

reviews and notices

75

IRAN IQTASADI
This interesting little treatise is compiled by the learned
Rahimzade Safavi, and treats of Iran of the classical period compris-
ing the Achsemenian, Areacide, and Sasanian dominions, their people,
neighbours, administration, trade, civilization, products, manufactures,
arts, coinage, etc. The writer has made a judicious use of such
ancient writers as Herodotus, Plutarch, Strabo, Deodorus of Sicily,
Arrian, Tacitus, Ammianus Marcellinus, Moses of Chorene, Polibius,
Justin and Procopius, as well as modern writers like Gibbon, Sykes,
Huart, Morgan, Gobineau, Rawlinson and others. This booklet will be
read with profound interest by the modern Persians.

SEHAT-NEMAYI-IRAN

Revue Sanitaire Mensuelle de Perse
The above review, edited by Dr. Mohamed Ali Toutia, is a new
venture and treats of matter in which modern Persia has to learn a
good deal. Its second number deals with such useful subjects as
the treatment of syphilis, pneumonia, encouragement of gymnastics,
longevity, etc., and ofiers an interesting note on the celebrated
Avioenna.

YAZIDI PRAYERS

The Yazidis claim to have been Zoroastrians formerly, but
circumstances have forced on them a new form of religion. This of
course includes prayers, some of which are given in this little work.
They are in that unnatural mixture of Persian and Arabic which
characterises the prevailing speech of modern literate Persia and
which murders the genius of both the Persian and Arabic languages.

AKHTAR-I-TABNAK
These are verses written in praise of H. I. M. Rez a Shah Pahlavi
and will appeal to loyal Persians.

The Iraqi Home Medicine is a little work by Vartan Melkonian
dealing with flowers, plants and roots, common ailments and
their treatment, dentistry, midwifery, maternity and infant welfare,
as practised and found among the Iraqis.

Aga Hisamzadeh Pazargad has written three little works dealing
with modern Persian education in schools and will give the readers
insight into it. His Sarud-i-Varzesh are an interesting collection
of verses meant to inspire.Persia's youth with high ideals and aims.


THE ADVICE OF EMPEROR NOUSHIRVAN

A POEM OF MOHANDES-E-DASTGARDI
[Translated by D. J. Irani, Solicitor]

I have heard that Noushirvan the Emperor of Iran made
this testament at the time of his death.

To the leaders and the elders and the mobeds he ordered
thus :—When my soul departs from my body towards
the Divine Abode,

When I am no more, raise my throne and carry it to the
audience-hall and make the following announcement:

" 0 you, people of the anjuman, gather together in
this court and listen to this testament from the Lord
of the Age."

When the people are so gathered give them this advice:
" 0 men, step aside from the path of sins;

Avoid all sins, desist from all ugly and evil actions, and
like men of the good religion exert to do good.

When the world with all its pleasant show is not
stable, let not our heart be fettered with greed and
avarice, for it is harmful to do so,

Tell the gathered people, that this body is the same one
which till yesterday, because of its glory and majesty,

None approached within three steps from it, for none had
the courage to do so because of its awe-inspiring
majesty.

This is the body of that very personage who till yesterday,
was exerting himself for the spread of Purity and
Righteousness.

Through him Truth and Righteousness found currency in
the realm, through him the ways of Goodness and
Purity were adopted by the world.

Now look at this very personage to-day, none will touch him
with his hand, lest it be defiled.


1983] the advioe op emperor noushirvan

77

None comes near that body to-day, lest he be infeoted
by its decaying matter.

This is the very body which if any one touches now,
cannot render his prayers to the Almighty fitly without
ablutions.

After such contamination none can mix with the good and
the pious without first cleansing himself.

Indeed this is the same body, which until yesterday did
not give its hand to anyone because of its great
majesty;

Yet because of its decaying matter no person will allow now
his hand to touch this decomposing body.

Then 0 man I be good and righteous ; do good to the world
and to humankind.

In order ever to be staunch in your faith exert to be
truthful, and be ever faithful to your pledge.

Do not associate with the low and the mean ; prefer always
to be in the company of the truthful and the
generous.

To the advice of your spiritual preceptor ever listen with
all your heart and act accordingly.

Be content with what the Lord has allotted to you; cut off
your avaricious gaze from the possessions of others.

Take heed and neglect not your duty of benevolence to
meet the wants of poverty of the poor and the needy.

Verily know that when you pass away from the world,
your pomp and glory, grief and joy will all pass away
too.

0 man ! be ever on the alert, for this short life thus quickly
passes away,

The way is a long one before you, and there at the end; the
Lord will justly weigh all your actions.

K. WAD I A,

PH. NO. 42403.

DIAMOND MERCHANT,
GRANT ROAD. BOMBAY*


78 the iran league quarterly [octf.

Merit and goodness nobody will lend yon there ; the warder
there will not accept any bribe for your release.

Beware 0 man : never give preference to this corruptible
body of clay over the pure and beautiful soul.

Be sure that except through righteous deeds the Bridge of
Chinwat can never be crossed.

At the head of the Bridge the angelic judges Meher and
Eashnu will fairly observe your actions good and bad.

If you wish to be angelic be one of the righteous, wound
not the heart and soul of any one with your harsh
words.

For, in every one both good and evil oo-exist. Free of
blemish and defeot is only the Lord-

Think of the world more like a wayside inn from whenoe
you have to depart without unpacking your kit.

Aot well there and unpack the load, for, trouble and evil and
harm will eventually be cast off.

And thus also has been said that every one will think and
meditate where this final abode is going to be.

Let him think ' Whence have I come ? Why have I com e
here ? Who am I—thus fashioned ?

Whence have I come and whither shall I go ? What is my
duty and responsibility in thus world ? '

You should be able to answer thus: 'I know this muoh that
I have come from the Creator, from the Realm of Light,

To dig out the roots of falsehood and evil, I have come
from the one Lord to this world.

And onoe again I shall return to the Lord, to my original
abode, like a drop returning to the ocean.

The Lord of Truth and Righteousness wants this from me
that I shall always exert and never remain ignorant
and foolish.'

Mohandes has versified the contents of the valued
Admonitions of Anushiravan.

As his object was simply to versify the context, the wise
Wrill of course not find fault with this poem.

PAGE 1

\. 1'ht jf~ttn teti,Sllt &uttl'!f trtlU J ) I ~ . 1----~-----------------------' I OFFICIAL ORGAN OF THE IRAN LEAGUE, BOMBAY. 'Vol. IV OCTOBER .1933 coNTENTS The Editor's Notes :.Poetry. and Other Literature of Ancient Iran My Impressions o{ Present Persia .. The Kurds Source of Muslim Thought ... Zarathushtra's Message to the Aryan World Persian Government Rules for Transmitting Money to Foreign Countries Impressions of a Summer Journey in Kurdistan Ancient. Iran: Its Contribution to Human Progress ... Reviews and Notices The Aclvice of Emperor Noushirvan No. 1 FAGB 1 17 ..23-31 42 49 50 51 55 65 76 \,r"I w!~l..1.;! , ~V J:J ~..1.~J~ ~\:> •.. J.r>. ~1IJ; ";, i I ,jJ..1.il ,,,)~ ANNUAL SuBsCRIPTlON: !RAN Krs. 50: FoRElGN , s .n. 9: INDIA Rs. 6 ,, J i • I l r \ I I 1

PAGE 2

HOMEWARD ,;....,, ' "'" . .. . • ' l SpYir,.g Season 1934 . . -..,. . Book Early--,~ tt'oid Disappoint1'nent ,. "' '. CHEAP/ fOURIST CLASS PASSAGES ----=-=-=----~ -=-----r ""' r -,, .. -~-b-U.X-Yft:IQYS--blN-E-R-S-c.... ; .L I ;All Diseounts an~ Rebates obtained T~rough Tickets to the U. s : -A. and Canada obtainable Rail Tickets issued * * * Baggage insured Full Particulars on application to : . ''. \ JEI~JN A & CO . ' !' . Official Passenger Booking A gents 'BOMBAY. NOTE: We make no charge for arranging passages . _~ ::,, '": But seeure the best available accommodation. Handbook of fares issued free. ! ,rust publi k !ied: "The lranIraq Traveller's Guide," price Rs.)/4

PAGE 3

~ -!-t'' Hon. Sardar Sir Rustom Vakil While w e were in press, death occurred in Bombay of Hon. Sardar Sir Rustom J ehangir Vakil, the distinguished Minister of t.he Bornb::1.y Governmept.. Re was a mo:s. t successful administrator, a very prominent businessman 'and an eminent ParsL All communities had hailed with pleasure his appointment to a high administrative pl>st in the Council of the Bombay Government; and bis bright and eventful career in that post bas pro,ed the just confidence the public had shown alt his appointment. While some people bad been only talking and destroying, he started real constructive work by laying the foundation stones of sound and far-reaching selfr goverment by the masses, for which the Indian Nation will remember and thank him in all future. Jf~ . .,;~(rli::-/.;, J ; l . ) .;""' l.:~ _,; Y;> :) Y. c.~k .:.J J) u \ .;~ \ :!~ if"') l~ _,~ ., .) 1:..Ji:-: ~-is'., _,~ .A .. 0j t;.15' ., ., ):'. J~ J .. .:,.. .. J(> ) 1..1. .. L j,.)., J.) (51 OJ~-'f J~ ..,.,a:. .. (51~! jl lj\!.~I ~;': ... \~v> j\~=.11.}-f. )-' "~'~ ..A:1! J~~I 0\!.J t'f'A t-\; jl;k 01~;.J .,'), ~oJJ .,') J "::;_,~~ ~;l: i:;..;.~ l! ~=:'. .. J(> cSIJ_,.!. .lu; r..,v "o;~ .. ~.;_, .. JJ ..:,;.I.., ji"-A • ., ~!~, ':"'..a:.. i:;~1: 0\!.J ~l..a:.:;1 J' 'IJ , .. k ;;\;.....: .. .:,.._._,C. 1,J"":A J '(:_::C~ o..,JJ\;, i.)i.!,f . .L(~-IJ! 0\.!.:f .J.;.)J! ':"'~~~.).J.,.)J •Cl! t[; J_,,! J ,u;,f.) J..,k:.. l)Jl ii ..A!I 0~' v>:Ul~I .1.:it> .:,..1 .. "::JI / •.A.!. \;: 0~t,/:, : :./~~;{~1~.A;~~ .) _,: .J.:it> I..,::. _,~:t. 0 L!.~ I j I . ,

PAGE 4

" . Lf1an.' L eag1te 't J ,w rte rly . H. H. Foroughi, The Persian Prime Minister. On the 13th of September the Govetnment in Persia resigned ; and a new . one bas been formed by H. H. Foroughi, the former Foreign Minister. The Government is expected to do well un~er bis experienced guida~ce, . u" )} <5l9\ 01.r. \ u.lb l.!..:.•l!, ~J J) <.S \; _j.,n u}; \ ,:;_, }a> .:!JiJ(:,. J o.,lj d .. ~_. ~.!, jl (.5,. _,(,.. "'ojy-C:,l.1.,I )) fa.'~ o\,. ~•J.r.-.)~ .;JJ:, ..::..il~ J.f.=.;' ~L. ~;\;. )., .. , J~)J ~~h) t,S\;I J?-1 .::.,_;,u,. J)~ ;I ($.l~.J.?" ..:..(~ .::.,1)JAI ~..i J -..:...,k:..J l~ _,,j, c:,,J J•../.,.J"" .)~ (' ..:.-1 .)IJ.l: .. , i:.,1..,,J .J'1': ,, .i, .. 6:51 ;!.,., jl , .,. ., \ . ..

PAGE 5

THE -IRAN LEAGUE QUARTERLY Vol. IV] OCTOBER 1933 [ No. 1 THE EDITOR'S NOTES AFGHANISTAN IN MOURNING The world hae heard with shock the appalling news of the assassination of the King of Afghanistan. H. M. Nadirshah had proved himself a successful. and sagacious administrator, and the wonderful progress the country made during his short regime, gave promise of still greater achieve ment in the future. One is really sorry that so useful a career has been cut short so suddenly, and Afghanistan is again on the verge of uncertainties. * • * SOME PERSIAN LOSSES We regret to have to note the passing away early in Sep-Colonel Habibul-tember of Colonel Habibullakhan, the father lakha.n of H. E. Mirza Hasan Khan P'irnazar, the Persian Consul in Bombay. Having played his part well in the army, he had his share in forming modern Iran, and he leaves behind worthy sons to carry on his work and to serve her with ability and in the fulness of loyalty. There also passed away in July last, Mirza Huseinkhan Muaqqar who was a useful and guiding member Huseinkha n of the Persian Parliament for a number of years Mua.<3.qar a,nd also the founder of some most benefioila

PAGE 6

THE IRAN LEAGUE QUARTERLY [Oct. industries in south of Khuzistan. Among these were the Electric Supply Compainies in Ahwaz and Abadan, the Water Distillation Plant in Ahwaz, the Ice Factory in Abadan, and the Boat Service between Muhmarreh and Ahwaz, and between the Gulf Ports and Abadan. He was a good-natured peace loving man, upright and possessing great experience. He evinced keen interest in the Mehr, a new and very useful T-eheran monthly which his son Mirza Majidkhan Muaqqar is very ably conducting. On the 23rd Amardad 1312 or 14th August last, there General QAsim also passed away at Rezaiyeh in Azarbaijan, a Khan Vali personage who had an exceedingly long and useful career. General Qasim Khan Vali, Sardar Humaiyun, was highly descended both on the father's and the mother's sides. He was born in Teheran in 1292 A. H., 'and was early sent to Paris for military training. On his return he got various military and civil appointments in all of which he shone. With the advent of the Pahlavi regime he was raised to the General's rank which he held with honour and distinction. News has also arrived recently of the sad and sudden death of Mirza Abdul Husein Khan TeymourTeymourtasche tasohe, the late Court Minister of the Shah, who had been kept in. detention on some serious charges smce troubles started with the Anglo-Persian Oil Company. One is:sorry for. such an end to a great and useful career • • • * PERSIAN AFFAIRS Some trouble arose with the British over an incident at Basudi Basudi in the Kishm Island in the Persian Gulf, The focident but happily it has been settled peacefully by mutual understanding. Indeed it is natural that Persia should feel-uneasy a.t even a friendly foreign power holding strategic poi~ts so close-to its borders~

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POETRY A ND OTHER LITERATURE OF ANCIENT IRAN JEHANGIB BARJORJI 8ANJANA, B,A. AN ERRONEOUS BELIEF No lover of Ancient Iran and all that she stood for, and no unbiassed student of ancient history and literature, can let pass unchallenged a daring assertion, made in an article on the Literature of Persia which appeared on the first day of the year 1933 in one of the leading English conducted journals of India, to the effect that down to the time of the Arab conquest early in the seventh century, Persia has produced little in the way of literature, save the purely religious books of Zoroastrianism and a few anecdotal histories of the later Persian kings, a.nd that in t.he art of poetry the earlier Persians were quite deficient and Persia learnt the craft from the Arabs after the conquest. A MosT ANCIENT LITERARY WORK We have traditions showing that Iran bas produced literaturJ from legendary times. We know of a treatise on Moral Philosophy, entitled ,Javidane-Kherad (or Eternal Wis dom), which was composd by King Bof:bang, the second monarch of the Peshdadyan dynasty. 'Ihis treatise, or at least a portion of it, must have long subsistEd, for we find a part of it was translated from Syriac into Arabic by Hasan, brother of Fazel, son of Sabal, who was vizier to Sultan Maamun ar-Rashid.; and the great historian Mirkhond, in his memorable work Rauzat-us-Saf., mentions that the said treatise reveals the copious knowledge, perfect eloquence, powerful genius and clear sagacity of King Hoshang. EVIDENCE OF ANCIENT IRANIAN LITERA'l'URE One such book implies the production of other literature in the Iran of that period, since it is obvious that such a

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18 THE IRAN LEAG'UE QUARTERLY [Oct. philosophical work as the J~vid~ne-Kberad must have an int~lligent and literate public to learn and understand it; and, as a matter of fact, Albiruni alludes, in his fam~us Chronology of Ancient Nation:s, to the existence of a number of scientific books in those early days. This author mentions that King Tehmuras;;i, the successor of King Hoshang, had received the warning of the Deiuge 231 years before that cataclysm occurred, and therefore ordered his people to select a place of good soil in his realm. Ispahain answered to this descrip ti~n, arid there he ordered all scientific books to be preserved foi: posterity' buried in a part that was least exposed to obnoxious influences. Hamza Isfahaini, under the events of A.H. 350 (A.D. 961), adverts to the discovery at Jai (Ispahan) of the rituals of the Magi, all of which were written in the most ancient Persian language, on birch-bark. (See Thomas' N'umismata Orientalia, Part I, p. 56). AN !NCONBISTENCY ABOVE The writer of the article referred to in the first paragraph mentions further that when the Arab conquest was an accomplished fact, an enormous increase is noticed in the literary output of the country, notably in the art of poetry. He speaks of the poetic talent of the Persian poets as having been entirely latent till they came under the influence of Islam, and says that once that talent was awakened they produced a poetic literature second to none in all Asia. Now is it at all possible or a people who could or did produce no poets and no poetry during the time when it was ii. free and mighty nation, and its cultured kings held courts of iitlparalleled magnificence, to surprise the world with poetry "second to none in all Asia " as soon as it comes under the influence of Islam, that is, in other words, when its indepen dence is lost, its national sentiments and pride are ruthlessly suppressed, its religion persecuted, its very soul strangled ? Who sings best, the free cuckoo or the caged one ?

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1933] POETRY AND OTHER LITERATURE OF ANOIENT IRAN 19 WHAT HAPPENED TO IRAN'S ANOIENT LEARNING? When the writer asks us not to think that the early Persian poets were merely slavish imitators of the Arabic qasida and speaks of the independence they so soon assumed by the invention of a variety of different forms as all the more striking when we consider that their poetic talent was entirely latent till they came under the influence of Islam, he gives his case away. From the facts which he presents the correct and only conclusion that could be drawn is that the old Persians had always possessed a poetic soul and musical talent, and possessing these they could not but have cultivated and produced both poetry and music, even though we can now find little trace of them in consequence of the lamentabl~ destruction of their literature by the fanatic Arabs and their still more fanatic proselytes. IRAN' s INFLUENCE ON INDIA Tlle Iranians were a cult9-red people froro. imr:p.e,mor.ial times. Dr. A. I-Ioffrnan-Kutschke writes: " The ~,ryans 9/ India wandered through Iran, and through .the_m (1) .t_he Elamite culture, which is older than the Eranian, (2) the Iranian culture of the time of the AchEe..nenides, and (3) ,the culture of the middle Persians, aU had their effect on lp.dia. On this account a great deal of the e.trly fodian culture .is to be e~plained by the Ir_anian culture," (See Dais.tuJ Hoshang Memorial Volume, p. 567.) Now, culture implies literature. The_re can be no crop~ without sowing, and no culture without literature. IN THE PREsEN T THE PAST Su.av1vEs M. Clement Huart, author of " Ancient ;Per~ia. an9 Iranian Civilization,'' writes : '' I know well that the intro duotion of Islam has transformed the man1i1~rs ~,f t~e p~m:>I_e, the rules of their _Qonduot, the princip,le.s of :~Aeir r~ligio.,;i ; but

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20 1~E IRAN L~AGUE QUARTERLY tact. profound observers, such as the Count de Gobineau, will tell you that these modifications are superficial, and have not changed the Persian soul which still lives in the Persians of our own day." If post-Islamic Persia has produced fine poetry and other literature, pre-Islamic Persia could not have failed to do the same, when she had her national kings, her satraps, and her cultured grandees freely and liberally to patronise, encourage, and reward poets, musiciang, and authors. PERSIAN WoRK IN ARABIC GuIBE No other Asiatic book, except the Christian Bible, has ever had anything like the infl.ueno,e that has been exercised by the book of Thousand and One Nights in Europe, the stories of which are of Persian origin and have come from the Persian Hazair Afailn. These stories, as that versatile member of the Indian Civil Service, the late Mr. Otto Rothfeld, mentions, are said to have been first composed for Queen Homii, the wife of King Bahman Darbdast. Broadly speaking, Rothfeld considers it hardly an exaggeration to say that, with the exception of the seven pre-Islamic poets, the greater part of Arabic literature is the work of Persian authors; more often than not, Arabic literature is really the thought of Persian men written in Arabic instead of Persian, and to no class of writing does this apply so much as to the scientific and philosophic books written during the period which corresponds to the European Middle Ages, which books did so much to refresh the slowly reviving European soul.1 Noldeke alludes to these having once been a not quite inconsiderable profane literature of which a good deal is preserved in Arabic or new Persian versions or reproductions, particularly in historical books about the time before Islam. 2 1 See Rothfeld's article 11 The Value of Persian Literature " Dr. Modi Memorial Volume, pp, 639 ff • See Noldeke's article '' Pah.la.vi '' in Ency. Brit. 9th ed.

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1933] .POE'fRY AND OTHER .LITE.IUTURE OF ANOIENT IRAN 2i Musrn IN THE DAYs OF PAnv1z The magnificent Khusrau Parviz had in his gorgeous Court two highly skilled minstrels, Sargasb and Barbad, and his kanize mtltrabe or female musicians numbered fifteen thousand. Minstrelsy cannot be there wit,hout songs and verses, and we can well fancy how considerable a variety of airs and verses there must have been in existence then for such a large band of musicians to regale the king and the Court, from day to day, without palling. Sargash and Barbad sang in Pahlavi. Among the fifteen thousand female musicians there must have been a number of Greek, Egyptian and Indian girls, and these must have expressed their musical art in the languages of their own. original lands, but besides them there must have been a considerable number of Persian girls who sang in Pahlavi, which was the court language. IMMENSE PoETIO LITERATURE OF OLD IRAN There is no reason to doubt the existence of poetry in Persia b~fore, as after, the Arab conquest. We have the evidence of Abu Hilal Al-Ashkari, who flourished in the fourth century A. H., to the effect that the ancient Persians possessed poetry, which was so vast that it could not be collected in books. This Arab writer says that these people possessed poetry which treated of their history and warfare and that it was preserved in the royal archives. Mons. Darmesteter writes, in his '' Origines de la Poesie Persane," that there is sufficient evidence to warrant us in believing that romantic poetry existed in Persia even in Achaemenian times. The martial and merry Sasanian king Vahran V, known by the familiar name of Behram Gur (reigned A.D. 420-438), is reported by Masudi to have composed a number of poems in Persian and Arabic, and his Diwan is said to have been seen by 'Awfi in Bokhara. He was a patron of lear n.i ng and rewarded men of science and letters with pensions.

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THE IRAN LEAGUE QUARTERLY [Qct. T.aE GREAT SA88ANIAN U NJVERSITY King Khusrau I (Naushirvan the Just) opened at Jundi Shahpur, a plaoe which is identified with the village of Shah!b~d in Khuzistan, a school of physic, which developed into a uni versity, where the study of philosophy, rhetoric and poetry was also pursued. Instruction in Greek sciences was imparted here by Syrian and Greek teachers. The medical teaching was in the main Greek, but E. G. Browne, the author of '' Arabian Medicine," mentions that there was no doubt a_p. underlying Persian element, especially in pharmacology. This institution of learning flourished even after the Arab conquest. For the prosecution of studies at this university there certainly must have existed sufficient scientific, medical, philosophical, theological, and ofiher literature. F ANATIOAL DESTRUCTION A Persian biographer speaks of a book con.taining the romance ol Wamiq and Adhra, a pleasing tale which wise men compiled and dedicated to King Nau shirvan. One day in Nishapur the Amir Abdulla ebn Tahir (died A.D. 844) wa~ presented with a copy of this old book. The fanatic Amir ordered it to be destroyed, saying that the Koran and the Traditions of the Prophet Muhammad ought to suffice for good Moslems and adding that this romance was '' written by Magians and is accursed in our eyes."1 I See Browne's '' Literary History," p. 12. K. WADIA The Parsi community has a judicious t_aste for j'3wellery, a.nd are spending large sums on it during ~11 happy occ~sions. There is.-ho~ever a dearth of Parsi fawellers always and .the community-h;[s to depend on Armenian and other jewellers for a high order of artistic jewellery. Mr. K. Wa.dia is however one of the few exceptions, and " .tru~tworthy and clever je_weller for buying precious stones an d having beautiful orna.mei;i,ts

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MY IMPRESSIONS OF PRESENt f>Efist~ NADIRBHAH NosarnvAN GooAL, A.M.I.E., KARACHI There are dr~amers in this world and I was one of them, always dreaming and trusting that a day would come when I should find an opportunity to proceed to Iran -the Iran of our glorious ancestors,-the fountain-head of all valued knowledge and the first world civilization. That dream was realizerl when recently I had. to proceed to Iran to find out prospective :fields for the future industrial enterprise and activities of the Parsees of India. Before I start reC3ording my impressions of the present day Persia and its all round improvements, to create interest and awakening of the national consciousness it would be advisable to hurriedly display before my readers the glorious past of the Parsees in Persia, the forced emigration of a few thousand Parsees of Persia into India, the Parsee life in India before the advent of the British, the part played by the /•. . . ; . ,. Parsees in building up the present day India, and finally the reasons which compel a few optimistic i>arsees once more to look to their 1ana of origin-Iran-for enterprise. PART I: A SURVEY OF ANCIENT PARSEE H1sTORY !Ts FOUNDATIONS The history of Persia is the history of hoary antiquity. Religious . records a.nd traditions of ancient iran like "Dabistan"," Bundeheshn", " Dinkard" and others suggest that one section of the Aryans left their original home of " Airyan-vej" in the extreme north before t,he deluge, migrated into this part of the country in the pre-glacial period prior to B.O. 10000 and established a kingdom in Iran. If this refer ence can be historically proved, then we are led to believe that there was anti-deluvian monarchy in Iran and the Iranian was the oldest civilization in the known world. This will help us in correctly fixing the period of Zarathushtra Spitama at somewhere in the seventy second century B.O. and not in the sixth century B.0. as is generally done now. It will further enable us to prove that the Kaiyanians and the Hakhamanians were two separate Parsee dynasties of Iran and that a big gap of over six thousand years intervened between them an<} that nothing is known about the Parsee history in Persia during this great gap. The subject merits study, exploration and elucidation,

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TBE IBAN LEAGUE QUABTEBLY [Oct. but till then we a.re obliged to content ourselves with the dates so far traced and fixed on the authorities of Greco-Roman, Persian and other oriental historians. THE GREAT PESHDADIAN EPOCH According to these later date writers, Persian history starts with Ka.iomars, the first king of the Peshdadian dynasty, who established the first regular government in Iran about B.C. 3650 with his capital at Bakhtar (now Meshed) in Khorassan. The fourth king of this dynasty was the immortal J amshid. Tradition has it that in the full glory of his kingship, J amshid claimed himself to be a deity equal to the Creator. This act of impiety and blasphemy brought down his fall and Iran was ruled for a thousand years by the tyrant king Zohaq, supposed to be an Assyrian prince, descendant of Shedad and even conjectured to be Nimrod of the Hebrews. All reforms introduced by Jamshid in social, religious, agricultural and industrial life of the country and the people were undone, and the worst misrule of the dark age was the order of the day. When the situation reached a climax, a common blacksmith Kaveh raised the banner of revolt against the tyrant king and his equally oppressive retinue of officials and servants. Under the accept. ed leadership of Feridun, a descendant of Jamshid and living in exile, people deposed Zohaq and declared Feridun to be the king of Persia. This banner under which Feridun regained the lost empire of J amshid was called "Darafsh-e-Kaveh" and is immortalized in the Persian history as the Royal Standard or insignia of Parsee sovereignty in Persia till its complete downfall in A.D. 651. GLORIOUS KAIYAN1AN SOVEREIGNTY Including the Zohaq period of one thousand years the first Parsee dynasty of Peshdadiyans ruled in Persia, according to some erroneous calculation, from B.C. 3650 B.C. 1008 for 2642 years. Then follows the second Parsee dynasty of the Persian kings called the Kaiyanians. This dynasty ruled for 678 years from B.0. 1003 B.O. 330 according to the same mistaken chronology. The kings of this dynasty were not only great warriors and empire-builders but some of them are celebrat ed to this day for their piety. The most illustrious of them are Kai-Khusroo and Kai-Vishtasp or Gushtasp and his son Ispandiyar. The reign of Gushtasp is celebrated for being the period when Spitama Za,ra,thushtra, the first world teacher, was born. The divine teacher

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1933] MY IMPRESSIONS OF PRESENT PERSIA 25 had his revelations in his thirtieth year and after twelve years of bitter struggle with his enemies and accusers, in shape of open trials, hopes and disappointments, his efforts were finally crowned with success when King Gushtasp with his household and full court accept ed and adopted his Mazdayasni Zarathushtrian religion. Within a short period the new faith spread over the whole of Persia and Zoroastrianism became the established religion of the state. THE MAGNIFIOENT HousE OF AcHAEMENES: A CONFUSION For want of authenticated records, scantiness of facts and figures, the confusion of dates and events, the error arising from writing oi: proper names in different languages and the variety of appellations often used to designate the same persons, the kings of the Kaiyanian and the Hakhamanian dynasties are so hopelessly mixed up that the later-date-historians have taken both these houses to represent one and the same line of kings. Thus Kai-Khusroo, Kai-Vistasp, Ispandiyar and Behman of the Kaiyanian fame are taken to be the same personages respectively as Cyrus the Great, Darius Histaspes, Xerxes and Artaxerxes Longimanus of the Hakhamanian line. Whatever may be the final verdict of history, historians of all ages do agree that these latter Persian sovereigns had built up for Persia the then greatest existing empire. In the west the old empires of Egypt, Chaldaea, Assyria, Lydia, Babylon and the whole of Asia Minor were brought u~der the sway of Persia. In the east part of India upto the Indus and Chinese Tartary owed allegiance to the Persian throne. In the north the Scythian empire to the banks of the great Oxus formed part of Persia and though Greece was never permanently subjugated, years of constant wars and defeats compelled the Greeks to submit to an indirect domination of Persia almost to the end of their freedom. A MIGHTY PEOPLE 's FALL It is an irony of fate that while the early kings of this dynasty brought Persia the glory of the greatest living empire, the empire saw its complete dismemberment in the reign of its last king Da.rab or Darius III. His Macedonian contemporary Alexander the Great or Sikander invaded Persia in B.C, 330, defeated the Persian armies after stubborn resistance and devastated the whole oountry. Not being satisfied with this success, history records that in a fit of excitement he ordered to be totally burnt the greatest library of the wor]d at Persepolis in w4ich very r~re treasures of world literature, including

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26 THE IRAN LEAGUE QUARTERLY [Oct. scientific and religious works, existed for the benefit of Iran m particular and mankind in general. Thus ended, in the lines of Firdousi, the second stage of the Parsee Empire in Persia:.:J J~" .),a; ) :, ~\.o cS) \ .) ,) ..J! y L: .... \ .r; \ J.~;._( ; ,) j-:.ci v~ J; , Y. THE HEROIC AND VlCTOR!OUS ARSAC!DES Alexander divided the whole of Persia into a number of princi palities under the governorship of the Parsee princes whom he had deposed and plundered. After the death of Alexander in B.C. 324, these satraps gradually threw oft their allegiance to his successor and formed themselves into a feudal commonwealth of small kingdoms, in dependent of each other but tecognisi ng the virtue of uniting against a common danger or foe. The most noted amongst these satrapies was the dynasty of 31 kings known as Arsacides or Ashkhanians called by the western historians as Parthians. The capital of this house was first at Rhegis, the headquartern of the Zoroast.rian priesthood, about 3 miles south of present Teheran where ruins of Rhegis could be seen even today. This Par see dynasty ruled in Persia from B.C. 256 A.D. 226 or 482 years. THE NoBLE AND ILLUSTRIOUS HousE OF SASS.AN This brings us to the fourth and the last stage of the P arsee sovereignty in Persia. Ardeshir Babegan, a Parsee prince of the province of Pars, revolted against the Parthian Governor of the province and captured Pars. Hearing of this, Ardwan or Artabanus, the last of the Ashkha~ian sovereigns, came down from Ecbatana, the presen~ Ramadan, with a big army to subdue Ardeshir. Both armies met at Ahwaz in Khuzistan and Ardeshir .completely defeated Ardwan. Thus was laid the foundation of the Sassanian dynasty of the Parsees in Persia. In a short period Ardeshir regained all the lost empires for Persia. He was_ the first king of Iran to assume the title of Shah~nshahe-Iran. This dynasty of 28 kings ruled over P e rsia and its dominions for 425 years from A.D. 226-651. Persia once more rose to the pinnacle of the glory of the Kaiyanians and Hakhamanians, and the Sassanians were successful in restoring this glory and empire to Persia which Cyrus t)le Great and Darius Hystaspes had created but which Darah had

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H)33] MY IMPRESSIONS OF PRESENT PERSIA 27 totally lost in B.C. 330. Ardeshir Babegan, the two great Shahpoors, Anos her wan and Kh usro Parviz were the most success ul and illustrious emperors of this dynasty. Bome was again repeatedly vanquished and humiliated when the great emperor Valerian was brought captive to Iran. During the sovereignty of Anosherwan and Khusro Parviz the absolute rule of these monarchs extended from the shores of the Mediterranean in the west to that of Indus in the east and from Egypt, Red Sea and Persian Gulf in the south to the banks of the great Oxus in the north. But alas! history repeated itself and in the reign of the last sovereign of this dynasty, the ill-fated Yezdajird the Third, this most ancient and noble empire was successively invaded and finally subverted by the Arab and Semite confederacy in A.D. 651. rrhe history of the world affords many instances of such brilliant reigns preceding the fall of a great and powerful empire, and thus after at least 4301 years of almost continuous rule the Parsee sovereignty of Persia which had sustained severe shocks and setbacks at difterent stages but had revived with double vigour three times, eventually came to an end; and the gleam of splendour which Parsees as a nation and governing class had hailed in t,he meridian of their rising fortunes, saw the last ray of their setting sun and expiring glory in A.D. 651. p A.RSEE IMMIGRANTS INTO INDIA, AND THEIR HARDSHIPS After the fall of the Parsee empire in Persia in A.D. 651, to escape persecution and wholesale con version at the hands of the barbarous conquerors, and especially to keep the torch of the Zoroastrian religion ever burning, a few thousand Parsees emigrated from Pars to an unknown destination. This armada tossed about in the sea of destiny for months and after encountering many ship-wrecks and losses, these remnants of Parsee glory in Persia eventually sighted land which happened to be a port of India. Mother India with her proverbial tolerance of all faiths and beliefs gave shelter and home to these self-exiled children of Iran, fully trust~ ing that these its future children and citizens would well serve their land of adoption. This trust was fully justified as time rolled on. After a prosperous start, troubles did not leave the Parsees alone. For centuries they ha,d to find security in the mountains of Gujarat, seeking thereby self-preservation and increase in their family stock. Agriculture and pastoral produce was their only support then. Even in this helpless conditions the Parsees had to fight, as promised, on behalf of their territorial lords against the inroads and attacks

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28 THE IRAN LEAGUE QtABTERLY [Oot. of their enemies. The fights of Sanjan, Bahrot Hills and many other skirmishes clearly record the gallant part played by these Zoroastrians, freely giving their lives from their already depleted stock, in defending the honour, property and lives of their Hindu kings and fellow subjects. Some idea of the snail's pace increase in the stock of the Parsees can be imagined when one reads that the number of couple of thousands that had landed in the port of Divin the early eighth century stood at about thirty five thousand souls in the beginning of the nineteenth century, i.e., in a period of about 1100 years. During this long period three empires changed hands in India, viz., Hindu, Mahomedan and Mahratha. Empires came and empires vanished but the position of the Parsees, with notably few exceptions, remained the same, with no voice whatsoever in the aftairs of India. DAWN OF A NEW AGE At this stage the political situation of India began to make a distinct change. The East India Company of Great Britain, which had started as a commercial concern in India, taking advantage of the general state of disorganisation--internal fighting and unrest-on the breaking up of the Moghal Empire, inaugurated the gradual establishment of the supremacy of the British power in India. Hitherto India had been exclusively dealt with by the Company as by a private mercantile concern, but with the beginning of the nineteenth century began a series of British Parliamentary encroachments in the affairs of the Company. In 1813 it was ruled that the Company and the Crown were foint possessors of India. 'tihis was modified in 1888 and Parliament declared that the Company held India in trust for the Crown. In 1853 Parliament deprived the Company of appointing any of its officers or servants and finally in 1858 after the great Mutiny the Company ceased to exist and India became a possession of the Crown. 0PP0RTUN1T1ES THE PARSEES GRASPED The Parsees were the first of the Indians to take full advantage of this change in the administration of India. The British traders found this very small but intellectual and virile community, centering round about Surat and Broach, to be highly responsive to their every day business and administrative requirements. English education was freely given and encouraged by the British and the Parsees of quick intellect, aptitude and grit, derived full benefit by this God-sent opportunity. The result was that in the early administration of British India, next to Europeans, Parsees were the only English

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1933] MY IMPRESSIONS OF PRESENT PERSIA 29 educated candidates for official jobs. Naturally this political status had repercussion in the other activities of the community specially in the field of trade and social upheaval. Within a short period of about fifty years members of this small community became the great captains of industry and trade in Bombay and round about, amassed princely fortunes, produced first-rate men in all branches of education, out of proportion to the smallness of their numbers, and finally by their great works of permanent public philanthropy, utility, charities and leading part in the civic life of Bombay made a distinct mark as pioneers and torch-bearers of the army of servants of Mother India. PROGRESS OF THE MAJOR COMM.UNITIES All this was very well achieved till the great masses of the Hindus and Mahomedans in India were slow and indifferent towards acquiring English education. But once they entered the field, they were bound to over-whelm the situation. With the steady growth of English education and awakening of political consciousness, specially after the world war of 1914, the two sister communities began to assert their moral and legal rights for due share in the free commerce, internal government and general development of their own country. These aspirations are the direct results of the English education imparted to them and the Government is bound to encourage these efforts by giving gradually greater share in these to the general community of the Indian Nation; and in this the two major communi ties are bound to benefit, in proportion to their population, in the administration of the country, and will consequently increase their sphere of influence in the commercial and industrial development of India. These changes are bound to reflect seriously on a small community like the Parsees. No doubt there is a thousand per cent disparity in the ratio o:f general education, between the Parsees and other communi ties of India, but after all, numbers count and the huge majority of the later-3600: 1-must swamp the microscopic minority, however intellectual it may be. THE PosrT10N THE PARSEES MAY tosE This is exactly what we are finding today. Whereas in 1890-1900 fifty per cent of the general trade of India and seventy per cent of Bombay Cotton industry was in the hands of the Parsees, the tables are inversely turned today. The same is the case in all Government

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30 THE IRAN LE'AGUE QUARTERLY [Oct. services. If such is the deplorable position of tbe Parsees in India today when the Hindu and the Mahomedan communities have just entered the field, what. would be the position twenty-five or thirty years hence when these communities will grow to their manhood and fully assert their born rights? However reluctant the die-hards of Britain and India may be to surrender their power and privileged position, within a generation the British Parliament will have to yield to the united voice of India and grant dominion status to !Rdia so as to mam.ge their own affairs in the best interests of the country and its nationals. Parsees hav-e maintained their distinct identity in Irdia, and as a very small community the Parsees may have very little share in a national government of this country. History teaches us that a community that has very little share in the government of the country it resides in, must find itself materially at a disadvantage. SPECIAL EFFORTS FOR SAVINQ IT BY SEEKING NEW FIELDS Thus chances are that unless the Parsees devise special measures to safeguard their future, they may slowly revert back to the old position they occupied prior to the advent of British administration in India or be a little better. To avoid such a catastrophe, prudence and forethought requires that the Parsees should try to find out from now new fields for their future commercial and industrial activities. Providentially one such field opens out in our ancient father la.nd-Iran. After thirteen hundred years of chequered history of foreign invasions, plunder, rapine and devastation. Persia-a land of braves and warriors-, ever ready to die than to become a slave country, is raising its head once more from the ashes of its past Kaiyauian and Sassanian glory. Like Feridun and Ardeshir Babegan the present saviour of Persia has pulled her out of anarchy and misrule of the last Kafar dynasty. He is the truest patriot and a pure Irani soldier, for, Reza Shah Pahlavi hails from Mazanderan, the country that never submitted to the Arab conquerors of Persia and preserved their true Persian blue blood. The people of Iran are to be highly congratulated for having chosen such a personage to be their Shahan-Shah. May Ahurmuzd crown with success his efforts to bring Persia.in the first rank of the Empires of the world. May he live long to achieve his great mission! (To be continued)

PAGE 22

[ r;~n League Quarterly. ,,, H;E, Mirza Hasan Khan Pirnazar, the Penian Consul in Bombay, is a -keen Parsiphill and so he never misses an oppor~ uDity to joiri and take part in the congregational affairs of the Parsis. When the Parsis last wen , t over to Uran, a pleasant place across the Bombc1yi harbour, to celebrate the foundati.on day of the Fire Temple in that place, His Excellency also gladly: went over there and took a willing part in the celebration. In the above picture he fs _ found with some Parsi gentlemen wh? had been with him there. . . jl '0(,__ 1.}':Ce .) J i:.,f .,~f 0A1l.!.:it1l.!, ,;J J UL;_,; .)l:.z_;_ i:_,\;.. 0...:i:-lj .J:A '->\;I J~I .::., ..J.,a>, l <" I? • ,.:,l!~I ~) .,!. J I.,> p 0~0 ":"':... i:.,~I J ... 1 ,.:,\: ... J~ .:,JI.,~ ~\it11_,;. -~ Jli-,~ '->t~ . .t') w!J,.,, "'! ,.:,l: ... Jl~ t' .,;.1 0~, p .J.it o,~:; 0it1. (.,f' .::.,.lS:~..i: r ... 1..,~'->.1~1 ;, :,)~J i:.,~1 .,\iJY. <1:;) o~~;T ~:.,l; jJ) ,r, ... 1.;A 0-'J.,Tl.f, ($1..,! jl ( ,}:' ;.J.;! J)2.il J . ' . ~:-'I l .J.;Jyt} .:.)_.,!. 11'.'I _,kl;. ..:-~l.:O; .:.~.;!.; ilil )) J oJ...,: ~---~ .>.!.; lf'l!AJ .:.,.,-A\! !'Ali;? ' ~;J:..._,. o.J.~J ..l;J~! \~;I )J wl!~I .,:_,.~;. JJ t' i;? i:.,1: ... ;\;. jl ~i.J!~ ,.:,\.!~I JJ; ~G ~J 1 Major f:"l-rab R. Bamji, A. I. R. 0., who has lately been r;:ii~ed in rank in the India Heserve of Officers in the Army, has h1:11:m a J1.ealo11s ' mAmber of t'lP Jrn.n LP.agne and a very useful citizen bne. He holrl~ Long Servi,e and War' Service Medals and is one of the few 'l>arsis who have a loug a11,1 w1:a Luriou:1 record of Army Service. ••J .ji ~,.)f.., J)A J.'!. lS ..\:.:: t' . '1 .;r '-> 1 "~,; i:.,.,.:.; 01:..a:..:=---"" u~J' •~I jl 0(,__ ~I~'-;; J i.$; j j.:;ti .,;1 J '-~J. ,.:,1..,:1 w.fl )J-f •.: J! . .;t!. u. I . ;.: .. ;,.., '-'l~.!. I '-> I J I : i j.!:. IJ'1:ic:, u.l .:::. ... 1 J . J'}_,k .;.... .J.;. . .....:.,l!.i p, 'J! A.,:.....).;. ' .. , ,.:,l:"")~ i:_,\:A) J ~) .:.. ... .J.;. . ; J c:;l.!.J .c.;\.. , I , ' r ~;;, I J J '} Jk J \;, L. .,._:;.~ ~

PAGE 23

This phot9gr,rph has a melan choly association , as it was taken 1 during the visitof the Bombay Parsis who had been ,iraciously invited by His Majesty the late King Nadirsbah to attend the anniversary celebrations of his accession to the throne of Afghanistan. (Left to right Madame Asphan diari, Mrs. Rustam A, Dubash. H. E. Aspandiari, Per-, sian Minister in Kabul, and Mr. Khurehedji Limji :md Khan Bahadur Dossabhoy B hi vandiwala, h e last two being the ,Parsi guests of Bis Majesty during the time they were in Kahul.) ul: .. J..\:..ti w'tJ~ 1).\:9_,!. i1(1 J.) • .s::r_,~ .J.".J.:,. ~\!.i 1; r.S,;f;1 w,;~ c:! ')'~ u--G_ r.l~ _jl u_,~ : ;;\Jl.. . w!.~ t' _;.. ; .> . .:,\::..i~I , r_S\; _,:. o\!. .,\ ol!.; J~ .:., ..,~~1:.1 h~ _ .::..-1 • ..\!. -.;; .f -l; .) J! w( _,c .J.,e j I .t,; \S" JlA J=!-1 .:.,'-'.,b, ;( r) ~l!J.) _I ~=-J \J :~ JJ ( y) r.SJ~ .J.:..~1 A (,) .:. .... 1..1! J .), JI W \;. \; T J ( 0 ) I.ft' .>.;f,) J;. r_S \;I ( t ) J: IS" J .) . ~ \!.:." \ !, ..:J J,) ..,-}-l> ) ~ , .J.:A .... , l> \;I ., .Y. .:., _,..:z~;k. I w lq.. J ; ts' .; , w \!.~ I ....;.; .i .:., .\A ; .) r.S .)~ T _ _,.; J .) ')' I J~ .J.; J:! 1$ 1 .. /.) ; .) y. The Afghan Inder,endence Day was celebr~ted by a eight day Jashan in Kabul, and was marked by a continuously varying prog11amme of evl;lnts and functions which lasted from the 11th to the 18th of Augu s t last. 'The above shows a military display during the festival . .)J) .i:.,.:... J), .J.) J!~ . ...,1:. ;~ J; 'J;. .::..SJ.cJ~ii: .. 1 jJ; ~~Iv--c:,\;;l .:..1.. ..).;.i.:;L.; r\il~ r; .) J> .. ~~11;,; J...aA,. yl::7; 1! c.;.._( .::.-:{T r.J~: ~-r•.:J\~ JJ; .:,1 o .)J.,T If. .>.A .J.;~ l!: w!.~ r t ,; : I; ..tl~; . I.or'~~ c, _,;

PAGE 24

THE KURDS THEIR HISTORY, LANGUAGE, MANNERS AND CUSTOMS AND THEIR COUNrrRY TRANSLATED FROM THE ORIGINAL FRENCH OF DR. BLETCH CHIBGUII BY Miss DHuN BEHRAMGORE T. ANKLESARIA, M.A. [The Parsis are happy in the prefilent circumstance of promising lady scholars appearing in their midst. Miss Dhun Behramgore Anklesaria, M.A., is one of them, and shows a special bend for Iranian learning. Though her academic language has been French she has mastered Avestan and Pahlavi sufficiently well to lecture to some Madressa Classes. In the following lucid rendering she is presenting to us the inspiring life of our dear and valiant brethren, the Kurds, the only heroic people who have preserved the purity, integrity and independence of the old Iranian race. We welcome her in our columns.-Editor.] INTRODUCTION The Kurdish n~tion, their country Kurdistan, the aspira tions of this nation, the reasons for which this nation. has. revolted against the Khalifs and the Pad shahs, and the Unionists, and are revolting against Kemalism are very obscure data for a very great part of the public of the wodd. The object of this work is To make known to the civilised world the origin, the past and the present of the Kurdish nation and of Kurdista.n; To show whether the Kurds deserve to be treated as they have been treated by victQrious Europe and the Turks; and To pass jud 5 ment on the dark and dishonest scandals of the Turks.

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32 THE IRAN LEAGUE QUARTERLY [Oct. THE KURDS AS SEEN BY OTHER PEOPLE: THEIR CRAVING FOR CULTURE As regards the Kurds however, we do not intend to present them to the world ourselves, but we think it better to leave this duty to the elite of the European Orientalists who have studied and known Kurdistan and the Kurds intimately, by allowing them to speak for themselves:-Alexander Yaba in his "Recueil de Notices et Recits Kurdes," published in 1830, says :-" There were formerly a good number of schools in Kurdistan and people there exhibited much inclination to learning. In every town, in every province, in every borough and village of Kurdistan, one did not fail to meet with one or two or three schools and sometimes even more. "The governors and the residents vied with each other in showing their great concern for the schools and the savants. Great and small alike in Kurdistan prized the arts and sciences at their true worth. Distinguished teachers were to be seen in J ezirah, Amadi, Saard and Soran and in other places. In order to become a licentiate it was essential to follow twelve different courses. Today however schools, teachers and literary men have almost entirely disappeared, or at least they are very rare. ,, THEIR Hrna CHARACTER AND NOBLE HoME LIFE B. Nikitine in his book " Quelques Observations sur les Kurdes " says :-,, In order to give a trait of their character, let us mention particularly that prostitution is unknown to the Kurds, and that in order to define it they are obliged to borrow Turkish words. "The Kurd has his hearth, he is rather a monogamist and his wife enjoys a great authority in home-life. It is she who manages the household and the servants are under her 9.rders. It .is she who distributes the repast during meals a:q

PAGE 26

1988] THE KURDS 33 one does not begin to eat without her perm1ss1on. In the absence of her husbana, she receives the visitors, entertains them and converses freely with them. She does not wear a veil like the other Musulmans. Marriages are made by love, and the consorts see each other and know each other before the wedding, whilst among other Musulmans marriages are contracted without the will of the intended husband and wife, through the intermediary of a third person. In his daily occupations, the Kurd is a diligent cultivator. One is amazed, whilst journeying in the ruined corners of Kurdistan, to see what stubborn pains the Kurd takes to snatch from the unyielding mountains the riches which it retains greedily." La Grande Encyclopedie Fran~aise, in its Volume XXI says: " Their family feelings are much developed. The Kurds are sincere, honest and hospitable. 'Ihe women are more free than in Turkey and they go out unveiled. Polygamy does not exist save among the rich. They detest the Turks. They adore music and dance." Henry Binder in his book " A Traveller in Kurdistan" says:" In short, the Kurds are elegant, strong and intelligent, and a nice type of people, and when they will be polished by civilisation, they will show superior to their neighbours the Turks." E. B. Boane in " Two Years in Kurdistan" says:-" The day the national consciousness of the Kurds is awakened, the Turkish state will crumble before them." THEIR BEAUTIFUL LANGUAGE L' Abbe Paul Beider in his " Grammaire Kurde," Paris 1926, says:-,, Sprightly, harmonious, simple, precise, rich and varied, easy to learn, this language of the Kurds is captivating and has its charms. Its proverbs are much in vogue and they are

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84 THE IRAN LEAGUE QUARTERLY [Oct. admirable ; they form the base and the link in all conversation and they are really the appanage of the Kurdish language. For everything and for every condition of things, the Kurd has a proverb, and his proverbs serve as a code and as a rule of life. The entire Kurdish nature is possessed thereof; and the wisdom of the Kurds has seen and said everything since ages past. No less eloquent than philosophic, the Kurdish language is thoroughly poetic and its poesy embraces all branches of poetry and treats of entire nature." THEIR PAST AND PRESENT GREATNESS Martin Hartmann in " Funf Vartrage uber den Islam," Leipzig 1912, says:-" The day the Kurdish nation gets at its head the required man, the will and the power that it shall then put forth for co-operation in serving universal culture and civili sation, will gain for it the respect and the amazement of the entire world." In his preface to the Cherefname (History of the Kurds) published in 186c-187 5, at Peters burg, F. Charmoy, former professor of the Asiatic Institute of St. Petersburg and member of the Imperial Academy of Petersburg, says:-,, Among the people that have appeared successively on the stage of the world, there are some whose souvenir has been transmitted to the remotest posterity by remarkable monu ments which bear witness to their ancient grandeur. Such are the Egyptians, whose country is considered to have also been the cradle of philosophy. Others such as the Greeks and the Romans have so well deserved our admiration by their progress in art and science, and by the wisdom of their laws i<.. WAD I A, PH,N042483 DIAMOND MERCHANT, GRANT ROAD, BOMBAY,

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1933] THE KURDS 35 and their political institutions, that their names are associated with everyt,hing gre"1.t and heroic that history offers. "Then there are nations which have made themselves known by their devastating genius and by the ravages they have exercised in all the countries furrowed by their hordes thirsting for blood and eager for plunder : Such were the Huns under Attila and the Mongols or the Tartars who, under the conduct of their famous conquerors ChengizKhan and Baton, have left their vestiges stained with blood in the vast regions which they have overrun as conquerors. "Others finally, without having acquired this sad celebrity, are distinguished by their warlike genius and by the bravery of some of their great captains who have deserved the honour of gaining sovereigns for various states of Asia and Africa.. Such were the Kurds, whose name was rendered illustrious in the remotest antiquity by the fabulous exploits of Rustom, justly considered the Hercules of Persia, and by the later elevating stories of Saladin and his worthy brother Al Malek-al-Adel, which are connected with those of the European heroes of the .. Second Crusade, Phillip-Augustus, Richard the Lion-Hearted, Lusignan and many other warriors mentioned gloriously in the annals of Christendom. This same nation has again brought forth the generous Karim-Kha.n, who in the last half of the 18th century, was the founder of the dynasty of the Zends, and the Titus of Persia, and also several able historians and literary men, and among others the Iearne d Ibn-al Asir of Jezirah, the celebrated Abul Feda, prince Ayoubi of Rama equally distinguished as historian and geographer, in fine the elegant historiographer Idris-i-Bitlissi." GEOGRAPHY Physical:-Kurdistan is rather a mountainous country, although it also possesses vast plains. Kurdistan extends from the Persian province of Luristan to Kharput and to the confluence of the two branohes of the Euphrates for a length of 900 kilo-

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36 THE IRAN LEAG.UE QUARTEBLY [Oct. metres from South-East to North-West, and a width of 100 to 200 kilometres, all that great territory enclosed in 34 to 39 of latitude and 37 to 46 of longitude due East. The chief valleys of Kurdistan, Batmantchai of the river Bitlis, the two Zabs of Adhq,im and Shirwan, the mass of the Zagros and the Lake Van are as citadels to these historic and warlike populations.1 Nuthals in his Encyclopaedia, while treating of the geography of Kurdistan, says:-'' A sketch of plateaus and mountains situated in the rrranscaucasian territory and now : :elonging to tha '.rurks, the Persians and Russians, consisting of green plains and of high nnga3 of m Jua.t 1ins which are crossed by rivaro like Z'1b, B1tman-Sou and the Euphu~es would depict tba co:ia.try of the K•ir1 ~-Di.1rbe k ir is the gc.Ja.test town of KurJistctn within 19 ! miles of Aleppo. The rrigris is an important river of A~iatic TLirkey, which rises from the moaatains of Kudista'l and flows to the SouthE ast upto Di:1roakir, a1J.1 than.as tirn-; towi:1rds the East.'' The fron.tierg all,Jtted by S~ra,bJ to K11distan and traced on his geogrc1ph.ical chart in 6) B.C., are m ltd or les3 in conformity with those a.Bigned by the French Encyclopaedia. Agricultural:-The agricultural products of Kurdistan are :-Whea,t, barley, millet, m:tize, rioe, fl 1x:, tob1,cco, rye, sesamum, linseed, liquorice roots, gctllnuts, oaio:B, rice-fields-peas, opium, lentil, beans, and chick-pe1,s. Her garden products include almonds, figs, walnuts, berries, hazelnuts, olives, apples, pears, apricots, peaches, plums, cherries, wild cherries, pomegranates, grapes, mulberries and groats and all sorts of vegetables. Mineral:-Kurdistan is extremely rich in containing mines of all ores. Unhappily, the domination of the Turks has, to this day, prevented the working of these riches, as elsewhere she has stopped all initiative of progress and work. The mines which l See La Grande Encyclopeclie Fran~iee.

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1933] '!'HE KURDS are worked are henoe very rare and all this wealth remains buried in the ground. At Argani, there is a copper mine which is exploited by the Government. At Palou we find the bearing of brass, in the village of "Havo '' of the Kaza of Silvan and in "Har put" of the Kaza of J ezirah there is a bearing of coal, in the dependencies of Diarbekir gold and silver mines, in the Kaza of Seerd there is a mineral water spring containing sulphur which is oool in summer and hot in winter. We find petrol on the banks of the river Botan. Similarly we find in the Kaza of Seerd in the neighbour hood of Maden mines of iron, plated lead and ooal, and in the Kaza of Eruh gold mines. In the vioinity of the town of Van and in its dependencies we meet with very rich bearings of coal, plated and plain lead, copper, tin, borax, chalk-stone, plaster-quarry and petrol. In the neighbourhood of Erdjiche, J ulameriok and Bao he Kale are found sources of sulphurous mineral waiters and in the valley of Zab, cold water containing bicarbonate of soda. In the Kaza of Kigi we meet with iron mines, in that of Kemah coal, plated-lead and lithrage, in that of Keskin steel, and in that ~f Hinisse naphtha. The plains of Keskin, Kigi and Pessinle contain quarries of plaster, stones, chalk and lime. In the vicinity of Agri Dag and Erzindjan, there are several springs of mineral waters with the tinge of sulphur, and at its base other ohemioal substances not defined as yet. In Kian there are lead mines, in Tohemich Guezeo coal, and in Sandjak de Dersim mineral sources whose nature is not defined. Industrial and Economic :In spite of the destructiv"e work of the Turks, there re main some traces of the o]d industry of the country. Their principal products are :--woollen kilimes (a kind of carpets), tissues for curtains, cotton oloth for hosiery, cotton cloth, satin, velvet, tissues of pointed thread, car pets, several varieties of

PAGE 31

38 THE IRAN LEAGUE QUARTERLY [Oct. silk stuffs, chayak, woollen cloaks, sedjade ( prayer carpets), flax cloth, silk cloth, hosiery, etc. They work there on ebony, ivory, yellow amber, leather and silver in the manufacture of furniture, trinkets, light arti cles and jewellery. rrhey work on iron, steel and copper for the manufacture of tools or implements. The industries of peltry, saddlery and carpetry are in progress in Kurdistan and there are several tanneries, and a few factories of soap and dyes. At l\.fardine, they manufaoture a soap called Btone with the help of a kind of pistachio oil. Kurdistan has a fairly good scale of export trade. The chief products exported are :-wool, goat's hair, gall-nuts, manufactured silk, salted and smoked fish, cheese and various milk foods, butter and the skins of lambs, goats and oxen. Besides that Kurdistan exports every year a considerable number of beasts, reaching at times the figure of some millions of head, Kurdistan possesses :Wealth in the head of cattle and donMstio animals:-Lambs ........................ 13,478,'257 Goats ........................... 8,185,b99 Horses, mules, donkeys ... 2,595,148 Oxen, cows.................... 1,821,850 Population:-To determine the exact number of Kurds is a very difficult if not impossible task. rrhe statistics which we have as regards this are based on suppositions and approximate figures. It has not been possible to take any census, in con formity with the rules in practice in order to be able to have exact information. The French Government, in its" Livre Jaune" published in 189J, estimates the Kurds of Turkey to have been 3,012,879 in number.

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1933] THE XUBDB 39 In a " Statistic" which General Zelendji has published on the population of the Ottoman Empire, he estimates their number in Turkey to be 2,800,475. A Statistic published in 1919 by the rrurkish Government giving the number of inhabitants of Turkey on the 1st March 1914, has estimated the number of Kurds only for the Vilayets (administrative divisions) of Van, Bitlis, Mamouret-alAziz ancl Diarbekir to be 1,947,712; the Turkish Government regretted its inability to give the number of the inhabitants of the rest of Kurdistan as the attempted census in those regions could not be finished at the time. Mr. Vital-Ouinet, in his work '' Turquie d' Asie" edited in 1892, estimates the Kurdish population of the Vilayets of Van, Bitlis, Erzeroum, Diarbekir, Mamouret-alAziz and Sivas to consist of 1,928,550 inhabitants. It being beyond our means to take an individual census of the Kurds, we have tried to proceed with a census of the houses in the towns and villages, and of the tents among the tribes. Although Alexander Yaba in his work " Recueils de Notes et de Recits Kurdes," edited in St. Petersburg in 1860, says:-'' These tribes are counted by Khanes-which signify tents, families,-and every Khane corn prises 5 to '20 indivi duals-men, women and children "-yet we have adopted the method of multiplying by 10 the number which we have obtain ed by such census and we have arrived at the fo]Jowing result:-In Kurdistan occupied by t,he Turks ....••......... 3,987,960 In Kurdistan annexed to Syria .. . .. . .. .. . . ... . . .. .. 289,940 In Kurdistan annexed to Mesopotamia .. "' . . . . . . . 749,380 In Persian Kurdistan ................................... 3,300,000 Kurds living in the Armenian Republic.......... 60)000 8~387,280

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40 ~BE JEAN LEAGUE ~UAE~EELl [Oct. Not being able to make EVEn an appru:xin:aie edirrafe flf the number of Kurds settled in the countries of Europe, Africa, Asia and America, we are obligfd to ueglect tbeEe in the census taken by us. We estimate that the exact num hr of the gerernl popu]a tion of the whole of l{urdistan is nrnrJy 8,387,~EO, a few bun dreds more or less. A Commission presided over by Count Teleki, Prime Minister of Bunga1y, and charged by fbe League of Nations to make an enquiry into the questfon of the i:opuJation of Mosu], in his report published on the 16th Ju Jy 1925, estjmated the number of Kurds as follows:-In Turkey ..................•.............. In Persia ................................... . In Mesopotamia .......................... . In Syria and other countries ........... . 1,500,000 700,000 500,000 300,000 3,000,000 Language and Literature:-The Kurdish Jauguage irares its ongms from Samkrit, Medean (Avestan) and Pablavi languages. The great resem blance to the Persian and Armenian languages arises from the different sources of its origin. The Kurdish language is composed of four different dialects:-Kirmanji, Zaza, Ba ban and Ler. Kirmanji is the dialect which is the most in vogue. The Kurds possessed their own nationa~ characters which they used up to their conversion to Islam. These characters presented a very great resemblance to the old Armenian and Assyrian characters and were written from left to right. K. W A DI A, PH,N0-42483 DIAMOND MERCHANT, GRANT ROAD. BOMBAY,

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19331 THE KURDS 41 After being converted to Islam the Kurds have forsaken these oha.raoters and burnt all their old literature. The great diffioulty which the Arabio alphabet has pre sented for writing the Kurdish language has led to the intellect ual Kurds neglecting their own lang_uage and writing in other languages such as Persian, Arabic and Turkish. Still some of them have formed an exception and have still continued writing in the Kurdish language. Such were Ahmed Khani, Sharafudin-i-BitlisBi, Me11aiJeziri, Ali-Hariri, Faqui'i Tairan, Mella'i Bate, Sherif Khan, Ali Teremuski, Mella Yunis, Helgatini, Ismail and many others whose names we have forgotten. (To be continued.) ORIENTAL GOVERNMENT SECURITY LIFE ASSURANCE COMPANY Report and accounts of this pioneer and most flourishing Indian assurance company were lately published, and present further record of prosperous business. The total assurances in force amounted:to the colossal figure of Rs. 43,94,91,496, whioh includes last year's new assurances for Rs. 8,50,14,523. Claims pa.id last year by death amounted to Rs. 41,24,540 and those by maturity to Rs. 45,93,114. The former covered 1703 policies and 1382 deaths. The greatest toll was by diseases of the respiratory organs, followed by tuberculosis, fever and stomach and intestinal ailments. Thus the city's damp climate and luxurious life have been taking full penalty from the inhabitants without these showing any resistive methods of living. The Parsis seem to have specially suffered from diseases of the brain and the nervous system and debility and senile decay. This would show greater need for the Community attending to its :physical, SOQi-.I and econo:iio welfare.

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SOURCE OF MUSLIM THOUGHT PROF. TABER REZWI, M.A., PRESIDENCY COLLEGE' CALOUTTA [Our readers are not unacquainted with Prof. Rezwi 's talent and learning ano his :fair and clear views on all matters dealt with by him. It is a happy sign that dispassionate, fair and sound writers are daily increasing in the ranks of Islam.-Editor.) This essay has been suggested to me by a book, very recently published, on "Muslim Thought and its Source," in which the learned author has attempted to remove the idea of Islam's ever coming under foreign influence, especially Hellenic, so far as the formation of its chief thoughts is concerned.1 Here, I am not going to discuss anything in respect of the author's success, or otherwise, in his attempt. My sole idea is to put forward in the following pages, quite a different-if not n'ew-aspect of the origin and development of Islamic Schools of Thought. MusLIM ARABIA's DEEP RELATIONS WITH PERSIAN C1v1LIZATI0N Long before the Muslim Arabia's coming under the alleged influence of Hellenic culture, it had very deep relations with the neighbouring civilization of Persia, and as such the bulk of Islamic thoughts had their roots in Zoroastrianism. History says that Iraq as well as the entire land of Southern Arabia -especially the Province of Yemen-were under the sway of the Persians prior to the advent of IsJam. Even Hedjaz was on the verge of Persian subjugation. When the Prophet of Arabia was born, Yemen was being ruled over by a Persia:p. governor. It is even believed that the Prophet used to be proud of the fact that he got his birth during the reign :of Anushirwan the Just. Salman, the Persian, famous for his comparative study of Religion, was a close companion -of the Prophet in course of his g-reat mission, and used to be counted_ 1 ''-Muslim Thought and its Source,'' by Prof. S. Muzafferuddin, of Islalllia College, Calcutta-1933 ( pp. 168).

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1938] SOURCE OF MUSLIM THOUGHT 43 amongst the A.hl-e-Bait (kith and kin) of Muhammad. It is strange that Muslim scholars, generally, ignore this important element while discussing the origin of Islamic thoughts. There is no use in refuting the ideas of Steiner or Von Kremer, that Rationalistic theory of Islam originated under the Greek influence. Western scholars have themselves now proved that not only Islam, but even Judaism and Christian theology, have had the roots of some of their chief doctrines in the Zoroastrian culture and civilization. Muslim Arabia came in contact with Hellenism in quite a later period; while much before this, the Arabs had already come under the direct influence of the perfect neighbouring civilization of Persia. And thus we find that Islam . has possessed much more Zoro astrian parallels than any other religions on account of its having a wide and liberal fold.1 THE " DooTORS ,, OF !SLAM WERE PREDOMINANTLY PERSIAN It can never be denied that on account of the spread of Islam in its early days, new converts began to explain Quranio thoughts-in the light of their own ancestral beliefs; and the doctors of Islam tried to adjust and harmonise the dogmas of religion and the dictates of Reason, with the result that very soon a number oJ: sciences such as, philosophy, commentary, theology, jurisprudence, etc., were developed. But who were these " doctors " of Islam and where did they come from? If we take away the Persian Muslim element from the sphere of Islamic scholarship, then there will be left nothing appreciable in the Arabic literature, which knew very little except'' poetry'' before its coming into contact with the Persians.2 1 I am at present engaged in writing a comprehensive book especially on this subject and hope to bring into light very soon the " Parallel Thoughts in Islam and Zoroaetrianism. "' 2 I havErc:already dealt with_ this particular subject in detail, in my recently finished, but as yet unpublished, work "Pe,sia'a Services to Islam", in which it :has -hep. Jl._tternpt~d.. to remove _misapprehensions of some European writers....:...nota.bly among them, Darmesteter-w ho maintain that the '' Islam " of the Persian people il!I "anything but !Islam •'. It has been very succel!lsfully shown that whatever fame or uplift Islam achieved, it was simply due to the activities of the Persian Mtislime alone; and that Persian' Islam has been true to the spirit of the (turanic teachings:i all along.

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44 THE IRAN LEAGUE QttABTEBLY Tam OnTaonox DoOTRINE OF PREDESTINATION AND ITs IRRATIONAL CoNoOMITANTS [Oct. Shahristani (A.H. 548) in his renowned work on" Nations and their Faith,"1 obsel'ves that the question of the Freedom of human will was mainly responsible for the development of the various schools of Muslim thought, and two groups came into prominence for the first time. Of these, the Asha' rites, or the Orthodox Scholastics, thought that man was not free in hie will or action, i.e., everything was predestined; and that what ever good or evil happens in the world, is the '' work of God." 'rhis was, so to say, one of the chief traits of the pagan Arab mind. They even thought that God and His " words," i.e., the Quran, were co-eternal with the existence of God, or more clearly, "uncreated" object, which idea reflected on the very "Unity" of the holy Creator. Sometimes the Asha' rites went so far as to attribute human qualities to Godhead, and believed that God will be visible to human eyes on the Day of Resurrection.2 All these facts show that Arabia had not forgotten its old hea~ then beliefs even after its embracing Islam. The majority of the Muhammadans, even during such an advanced state of the world, are upholders of almost all the Asha' rite doctrines; and though the late Shams-ul-Ulema Shibli N omani tried his utmost to shake off this charge from the shoulders of the Muslim community, discussing all their " orthodox'' views in the light of Rationalism, yet he could not succeed.a While some other noteworthy writers being at a loss to find out any sound argument of defence, have put an end to the controversy, by saying that the Asha' rite views were_ suitable for the uneducated ~uslim mass, whose intellects and wisdom were not fit enough to understand the high principles of Faith, rationalistically. However, we cannot expect to find the roots of the .Asha' rit(} doctrines in. Zoroastrianism, on account of their irrationalities and imperfectness. 1 u Kitab-ul Milal-wa-Nahl,'' by Allama Shahristani. 2 The reader is ref erred to my " Par sis : A People of the Book,•' for. a detailed discussion in this connection. 3 Vide : " Ilmul-Kalam ,, and '' Al-Kalam •, by Mowlana Shibl~ _(!Jjgarh _ Editi~ns). J

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[9331 SOUROE OF MUSLIM THOUGHT 45 PEBBIAN INFLUENOE ON ScaooL OF MusLIM RATIONALISTS The second school of Islamic thought, i e., the M u'tazilites, or the Muslim Rationalists, on the other hand believed that man was quite free in his actions; he has to be guided by his own ret1sons; and that there was nothing like predestination ; else it would tell against the Justice of God, which they believed to be one of His chief attributes,-a thing totally ignored by the Asha' rites who thought that God was not bound to be Just ; He might, if he liked, reward the evil-doers or punish those who did good. The Mu'tazilites, for the above reason, called themselves A.hlat-Tawheed-wal-'.A.dl, or the partisans of Divine Unity and Justice. They also believed that the Quran was a "created" thing, and so not co-eternal with God. Such rationalistic ideas, as I shall discuss presently, are quite in keeping with the Zoroastrian tenets, and so we must not hesitate to say that the Mu'tazilite School of Islam actually sprung up under the influence of Persian culture.1 And .. this is the reason why the whole of Persia since the day of the Arab con quest, is the upholder of Mu'tazilite Islam.2 Let us examine it more critically and then come to a definite conclusion. The Mu'tazj,lite doctrines may be summed up briefly in the following :. God is one and only one'; His attributes are not apart4 from His Essence; He can_ never be visible to human eyes!i ; He is omniscient; omnipotent and everlasting8:; He is merciful and beneficent7 ; He is all-mighty and all-wiseij ; God is ever just and can never be cruel 9 ; He has given man liberty of 1 Zamakhshari (A.D. 1143), the ren0wned .Mu'tazilite, who wrote the "Kash ehaf '\ one of. the earliest and greatest commentaries of the Quran, in the light of Rationalism, was a Persian by birth and nationality. 2 See Prof, Browne's Literary History of Persia, Vol. I, p. 283, for detail. 3 Quran CXII-1. 4 Quran LV-26. 5 Quran Vl-H)3, 6 Quran XV-10; LV-26; Xll-6, 7 Quran LIX-22 . . 8 Quran XV-10; LIX-23. 9 Quran-lV-39; XXIII-60,

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THE IRAN LEAGUE QUARTERLY [Oct. action and held him responsible for the same1 ; man gets reward for his good actions, and punishment for evil deeds3 ; reason is the chief criterion of good and evil3 ; God does not impose any impossible task on human being4 ; He is free from defects and impurities5 ; He will never punish those who do good, or reward the evil-doers.0 COMPARISON WITH ZOROASTRIAN foEAB Now let us compare these with the Zoroastrian ideas given below; and the reader will then easily grasp the truth that Hellenic influence plays very little part in the development of the above school of Muslim Thought; rather practically every word of the Mu'tazilite views seems to be identical with Zoroastrianism. According to the holy Scriptures of the Parsis, God is the only Being, the Creator of Mankind and the whole Universe7 ; He is the Supreme, Mighty, and the Most Beneficent Being8 ; He is Wise, Powerful, Just, and Merciful 9 ; His attributes are numerous and are not accidents of His Being : rather they are His very Essence10 ; God is Omniscient, Omnipotent and Pe.rfect. Being11 ; He is invisible Spirit12 ; it is the Man's duty to remain firm on the Rig:ht Path of God and make himself ready to fight the devil who always misleads the simple creatures of God18 ; '' 0, True Light and True Spirit ! we pray Thee to grant us wisdom and knowledge ; good reason and good thought ; and power of _good action and success,14" 1 Quran XLI-46; Llll-40, 2 Quran Vl-161 ; XVII-14. 3 Quran II-164 ; XXX-24; XXl-24; XVI-65-67. 4 Quran II-285. 6 Quran IX-116; X-45; LIX--2!, 6 Qur?,n IV-39 ; Xlll-31; XVII-16; XX.XIl-20; XXIII-60. 7 Jas~a XII-I; L-11. 8 Yasna XLIIl-4; XLIV-7; XXVIIl-5, 9 Yashts-I, 7-8, 12-16. 10 Khordeh-Aveata, 11 Yasna XXVIIl-5; XXIX-6 i XXXI-8. 12 YasnaXXVIII-1. 13 Ys. XXX and Yi,. XX.XL 1_, MeherYasht, 33.'..

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1933] SOUROE OF MUSLIM THOUGHT FURTHER PERSIAN INFLUENOE 47 Two more Schools of Muslim Thought, as Shahristani informs us, had developed during the early days, side by side with the above two already described. These latter were the Schools of Muslim philosophy and Islamic mysticism. I need not discuss these in face of the fact that one of them, i.e., the philosophical school, was simply an offshoot of the Mu'tazilite group1 and thus it came under the direct influence of Persian culture ; while the other, the Mystic school of Islam, has already been dealt with by a talented writer of the present age, Dr. Sir Muhammad Eq bal, in one of his famous works on Persian Mysticism2 , and where the learned author bas proved tha~ the Muslim School of Mysticism actually developed under the influence of ancient Persian civilization. In conclusion, I might remind the reader that "Islam'' was never a new religion. The Prophet of Arabia and the holy Quran repeatedly declared that it was simply a reformation of the old creed, which had been propagated at different times, in different conntriea.3 And that " old creed '' was '' Whoever believes in God and the Last Day and does good1 they shall have their reward from the Lord, and there is no fear for them, nor shall they grieve.''4 In Muhammadanism we find many things that are originally claimed by Judaism or Christianity; and so it is never peculiar if we come across a lot of Zoroastrian ebhic3 and ideals among the teachings of the Prophet of Arabia. 1 See " Spirit of Islam'' by Right Hon'ble Syed ameer Ali, P.C. (Calcutta, 1902), p. 892. 2 Vide : •' Development of Metaphysics in Persia'' by Sir M. Eqbal, Ph.D. {London, L908). 3 Quran XVl-36, 4 Holy 4uran ll-62

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.. : .,:,. . OHARWAR . &AtlGALOltE

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ZARATHUSHTRA'S .MESSAGE TO THE ARY AN WORLD CRAOSH A. KAUL, JEWEL VALLEY, CALIFORNIA ' (THROUGH N. G. SANTOKE) In the name of Ormazd the All-Wise Lord, Greetings to all Mazdayasni Zarathustrians. THE NOBLE CREED The noble teachings of Zoroastrianism need be believed and accepted through its own indisputable precepts of Good Thought, Good Word and Good Deed, as demonstrated in the life of Ashoi or Righteousness. The powers of Spenta Mainyu and Angra Mainyu are ever operating throughout this creation in which we live at present, therefore it behoves us to devise ways and means to work properly and deal with this tremendous task of re-establishing the Mazdayasnian Law throughout the world that the Aryan majesty may be restored to its birth right. THE HOLY MISSION Distance is no obstacle in a conjoint labour in the service of the All-Highest Creator Ahura Mazda, but means must be found to carry on the work of spreading these teachings, therefore one or more Parsees should come to America to conduct a lecture tout, which will be of great value in providing the means that we may pursue our labour. That the Creator Ahura Mazda keep you all in health and happiness, to the end that the good work of Zarathushtra may grow apace, and its light may be made manifest to all Aryans, is and ever will be the sincere desire of me, your brother in the True Faith of Mazda.

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PERSIAN GOVERNMENT RULES FOR TRANSMITTING MONEY TO FOREIGN COUNTRIES The Persian Government had enacted tern porary laws for preventing export of gold leading to unfavourable exchange, and partially prohibited money going out to foreign lands. All these enactments have now been revoked and money can pass without and within the country as anywhere else under normal conditions. All people having, or intending to have, trad ing and business connections with Persia have received the news with satisfaction. l!ll!ll!ll!ll!ll!ll!ll!IOOl!ll!IOOOOl!IOOOOOO~OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOl!ll!ll!ll!ll!ll!ll!ll!ll!ll!ll!ll!ll!ll!ll!I~~ I!) oo m 00 Safest Investment which m oo m 00 N D m = ever epreciates l!I IS m oo m oo m = A LIFE POLICY oo m 1!1 OF m l!I m = THE GREAT EASTERN LIFE oo m oo ASSURANCE CO., LTD. m oo m (INCORPORATED IN S. S.) oo m oo For Particulars and Agency Terms m oo m l!I m l!I APPLY TO: m oo m l!I m = M. V. MERCHANT, l!I BRANCH MAN AGER, m l!I m = 50-52, CHURCH GATE STREET, BOMB A Y. l!I m ooOOOOl!ll!ll!ll!ll!ll!ll!ll!ll!ll!ll!ll!ll!IOOl!ll!ll!ll!ll!ll!ll!ll!ll!ll!IOOl!ll!ll!ll!ll!ll!ll!ll!ll!ll!ll!ll!IOOl!lm

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IMPRESSIONS OF A SUMMER JOURNEY IN KURDISTAN N. R. NAJIB, BAGHDAD BEAUTIES OF KURDISTAN AND THE SIMPLE AND VIRTUOUS LIFE OF !Ts PEOPLE Now that the West seems to have bade farewell to idealism and to have submerged into purely materialistic notions and ideals, and now that this almost anti-aesthetic wave of the Western world is about to penetrate into the poetic East, for one who still adores the glories of a quite, bright, and virtuous life of nature, our beautiful Kurdistan, with all its lofty moun tains, its attractive valleys, its forests and meadows, and its everohanging impressive and arresting scenery, is surely a second Eden. There alone under the shades of years-old oak trees and maples and on the summits of high mountains one can comfortably lead a peaceful life-a life far away from the destructive inventions and vicious conceptions of civilization, but nevertheless r1ch with productive and virtuous gifts of nature. There nature has, with marked generosity, bestowed upon the inhabitants all means and ways for living a simple and righteous life : fertile soil, pure and refreshing air, matchless sceneries, plentiful fruits, and the most important of all, a strong and vigorous will coupled with no less vigorous manly character. THE LOFTY TRADITIONS OF THE KuBDs AND How THEY LIVE UP TO THEM Once one enjoyed the picturesque sights and landscapes ol Kurdistan and once one observed the chivalrous deeds and beha viour of these desoendents of Dieooee, Cyaxares and Astyages,

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52 THE IRAN LEAGUE QUARTERLY [Oct one would no more wonder at the great number of poets produced, both in the past and in the present, by this talented and creative rnce, nor would one wonder at the sincere desire and zeal of the people for the preservation of the higher tradi tio~s, customs, and usages of their ancestors, many of which, together with the numerous heroic adventures of their fore fathers, are preserved in a great many beautiful epics still lis tened to with solemnity and esteem, The good rider, the good marksman, the good hunter are accorded no less honour and homage than are accorded to, say, a ruler. Hospitality is, of course, one of the most sacred and inviolable traditions among the Kurds. THEIR HIGH REGARD FOR THE GENTLER SEX Their respect for the fair sex in all aspects of life is very great indeed. The following instance will suffice to show the feelings of the Kurds towards women. Some thirty years ago:a Kurdish tribe, famed for their bravery all over Kurdistan, were compelled to pursue brigandage as the only way to earn a livelihood. Soon the whole country became a, scene of rob bery and hold-ups. No caravan could travel unless escorted by a military force, and even in some cases the fate of the pro tecting force was no better than that of the caravan. Once it so happened that the bandits held up a caravan which included, among others, a few ladies. The merchants being" conscious of the instinctive respect of Kurds towards the fair sex, began to hand over their money and other valuables to the ladies while the bandits watched their movements with indiffer ence. At last the bandit chief's patience oame to an end when he saw -that if things were allowed to go on like that thete would remain but little loot for them.to take. So he advanced towards the ladies and begged them respectfully to be a bit '' just" in the division and to receive no more from their male companions. Needless to say the ladies were allowed to keep what they had already been given by their merchant friends.

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1933] IMPRESSIONS OF A SUMMER JOURNEY IN KURDISTAN 53 PLACE-NAMES OF PRE-lsLAMio AoE One thing that deserves proper attention and study is, I believe, the pre-Islamic names. Besides many place-names which now appear to be of no clear meaning, there are some which are of great significance. For instance, there is a Kurdish clan called "Yez dan bekhshi" whose habitat is known as " Shemeran," w bile there are several villages with the name ''Wurmuzyar" which apparently is a corrupt form of "Hormuzd-yar". The large mountainous district of "Howraman" which is inhabited by a tribe called "Howrami" is of no less significance. These people themselves claim to be descen dents of " Behmen". They speak a dialect which ia parti cularly their own, the only other tribe in Kurdistan who speak this dialect being "Zendene" or "Zenkgene". There are besides many other Kurdish clans whose names end with the suffix "vend'' such as Hamavend, Seferevend, etc. In my opinion a methodical study of such place-names and proper names is very likely to lead to satisfactory results, at least so far as the historical and philological study of the Kur dish subjects is concerned. Before ending this part of my article I wish to say that I am inclined to believe in the existence of some relation, however vague, between the Kurdish word "Afret", i.e., woman, and Aphrodite, the ancient Greek goddess.* A DICTION.ARY OF OLD PERSIAN AND PAHLAVI TERMS While speaking of pre-Islamic place-names, I take the opportunity to say a few words about a manuscript dictionary of old Persian which recently I came across by chance. Our ances tors have surely written a great deal on language and litera ... ture, but most of such treasures have been either lost or shelved in corners through the neglect of the succeeding generaThis may rather be a form of the A vestan Frtta or .Afrtta, meaning "The adored one, or aarling.11.;......Editor,

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54 THE IRAN LEAGUE QUARTERLY [Oct. tions. The dictionary I refer to was written in the year 1016 A.H. by one Mohamed Qasim, son of Mohmed Kashani, known by the nickname of ''Serweri", and transcribed in the year 1025 by one Mohamed Baqir. It opens with an eulogy in verse of Ab-ul Muzaffar Abbas Shah, and comprises about 250 pages in leather binding. The definitions of disused and forgotten Persian and Pahlavi words are given in modern Persian, and in support of the correctness of the meanings the author has given quotations)rom the works of famous Persian poets. I doubt very much if any copies of this book were avail able now. It would surely help attempts for the purification of the Persian language of foreign elements if such valuable books were published. -----11 II AVESTA-NAJAVAHIRO I ( GEMS OF THE A VESTA.) ,,. I VOL. I & II (IN GUJARATI). Compiler-MR. FREDOON K. DADACHANJI, SoLICITOR, Price :-Rs. 3-8 for Vol. I and Rs. 3-12 for Vol. II. As. 8/reduction to Members of the Iran League and the Jashan Committee. V. P, P. As. 12/-extra. The books have been published by the-Seth Pestonjl narker R.eligious Literature Fund and are being sold at a nominal pri.ce. They cover 550 and 580 pages with illustrations and the Zoroastrian spiritual and religious philosophy culled from the entire Avesta, Further, the Gems gathered together in them are explained and compared with other religions and religious and moral literatur~, _and the greatness of Zoroastrianism and similarities of other rebg1one therewith are exhaustively set out, The books (pronounced by a noted Parsi Scholar : "the most excellent reference books ") throw a new light on the Zoroastrian and other religions and furnishes a precious treaimre to the writer, speaker, teacher, thinker and the religiously inclined, Apply :-THE SECRETARY, THE IRAN LEAGUE, Kamar Bldg., Cowasji Patel Street, FoRT, BOMBAY. ,_,._ __ _

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MA TOUR 1933 SOUTH INDIA ffAVE YO_ U EV.ER_ VISITE~ MADRAS-TRICHINOPOLI-TANJ-ORE MYSORE-BANGALORE & SHIMOGA FOR GARSOPP.A FALLS BY JEENA'S SPECIAL 23RD DECEMBE1R 1933 TO 2ND JANUARY 1934 .. CLASS RS. 400/FOR 2ND CLASS RS. 190/tl YOU GET:I. Rail accommodation. 2. Excellent. Catering. 3. Conveyances for si.ghtseeing. 4. Entrance Fees to sightseeing places. 5. The services of competent Guides etc. 6. Special. arrangements for Hindu Catering. For Reservat~ons . & details apply:Co. TRAVEL DEPARTMENT ' Gresham Bldg. 45, Esplanade Road, TEL. 22398. , BOMBAY.

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ANCIENT IRAN ITS CONTRIBUTION TO HUMAN PROGRESS P. P. BALSARA, M.A., LL.B. CHAPTER II IRAN AND INDIA INDIA AS A PROVINCE OF IRAN (Continued from p. 271, Vol. III, No. 4, Jime 1933.) That India was a province of the empire of Darius can be seen also from two documents deciphered by Prof. Herzfeld. These documents I found in the old town of Ramadan, West Persia, are on gold and silver tablets, each 7! inches square, and are inscribed in old Persian, Elamite and Babylonian languages. They read: "Darius, the Great King, King of Kfogs, the king of Countries, the son of Vishtaspa, the Achrnmenid, (Thus) saith Darius the King: This (is) the Empire I possess-from the Saka (Scythia on the North of Iran) that are beyond Sogdiana as far as the Kush (Ethiopia on the South-West), from the Hindu (India) as far as Sparda (on the North-West) which A.hura Mazda has granted unto me, Who is the greatest of Worshipped Deities. May Ahura M:azda protect me and my House.' 11 The invasion of Darius did not go further than the Punjab and Sindh, and therefore it is right to say that Darius was the master of only that portion of India which comprised the whole of the Indus regions.2 This conquered territory of India was by no means an unimportant part of the Empire of Darius. We are told by Herodotus: "The Indians, who are more numerous than any other nation with which we are acquainted, paid a tribute exceeding that of every other people, to wit, three hundred and sixty talents of gold-du;;t. This was the twentieth Satrapy, ''3 This tribute of three hundred and sixty talents of gold-dust in present money would amount to nearly fifteen lacs of rupees, and such a sum was of not a little value in those old days. Darius, pursuant to the Iranian spirit Vide, '' The Times of In
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56 THE IRAN LEAGUE QUARTERLY [Oct. of adventure, :finding that the Indian province of his empire was very fertile and that this fertility was largely due to the Indus which passed through his dominion, wished to know where the mouth of this river led to, and is consequently reported by Herodotus to have explored this river. He says: " Of the greater part of Asia Darius was the discoverer. Wishing to know where the Indus (which is the only river save one that produces crocodiles, i.e. the Nile) emptied itself into the sea, he sent a number of men, on whose truthfulness he could rely, and among them Scylax of Caryanda, to sail down the river, .... After this voyage was completed, Darius conquered the Indians and made use of the sea in those parts. "l PERSIAN INFLUENCES ON INDIA Tnus Darius not only conquered India but explored some parts of it with a view to further conquest. His province of India not simply gave him a large tribute but we are also told that as a result of this conquest there was a free interchange of ideas and practices among the Iranians and the Indians. Prof. Herzfeld has thrown some new light on the connections of India and Persia. On the tomb of Darius at Nakshi Rustam are seen three persons whom he identifies as Indians, because they are all nude except :for a loin cloth and a short turban and their weapon is a long broad sword, hanging by a strap from the shoulder. Since the climate of Iran would never permit such clothing, it is certain that these people were from the hot climate of India.2 This connection of India and Iran did not die with the death of Darius, but continued for many years. For example, when Xerxes, the successor of Darius, took his army for the conquest of Greece, there were many Indian soldiers in his army, besides tne Persians, the Medians, the Assyrians, the Arabs and the Parthians. These Indians 11 wore cotton dresses, and carried bows of cane, and arrows also of cane, with iron at the point. Such was the equipment of the Indians, and they marched under the command of Pharnazathres, the son of Artabates. "3 This connection furtner continued up to the Maurya times during which period, as it will be our task to show, India borrowed many things from Iran in .the spheres of architecture and society. The founder of the Maurya Dynasty whence we begin the true history of India was Chandragupta. He deposed and slew the last king of the Nanda Dynasty of Magadha and ascended the throne somewhere between 325-320 B.C. In this fight of Chandragupta and the last Nanda king in which 1 Herodotus, IV-44, Rawlinson, Herodotus, Vol. III, pp. 31, 32. 2 Vide, "Times of India," 23rd May, l 9.27, p. 10, a Herodotus, VII-65, Rawlinson, Herodotus, IV-5a•

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1933] ANCIENT IRAN : I~S CONTRll!UTION TO HUMAN PROGRESS fit the ~orqier w~s victorious, Chandragupta had the help of the Jrani~:Qs,. That the Iranians had a hand in the founding of the Maurya Dy,na~tYi1 althQugh very little, is proved by the famous ancient political Saskrit dr~ma calleq Mudra Rakshasha, the Signet of the ~inister, w~it.t.e11 sQmewhere about 5th to 7th century A.D. In the second act oi the play, Vishakhadatta, the author of the play, makes Raksha.sha, the minister of the last Nanda king of Magadha and an enemy of Chandragupta, talk with his servant and agent Vfradhagupta as un.der: Rak.-What news from Pushpapur? Vir.-I have much to tell, sir: where shall I commence? Rak.-With Chandragupta's entry in the city, Whatever my agents since have done, inform me. Vir.-You will remember, sir, when in close league United by Chanakya Parvateswara A.nd Chandragupta in alliance, led Their forces agafost our city--a wild multitude Of Sakas, Yavanas, and mountaineers, The fierce Kambojas, with the tribes who dwell Beyond the Western streams, and Persia's hosts, Poured on us like a deluge.I PERSIAN INFLUENCE CENTRED IN rrAXILA M:r. $. K. Hodivala, in his valuable work, Parsis of Ancient lndia, l:ives -qs ~qther proof of the fact that the Persians after ~he l:di~n ~p:pq~es~ qf p~rius had come to India and had settled as a separ~te ~atjan. lf~ shows us that in the Bhishma Parva 9f the Mahabharata, iu~ctiqp. IX, 64-67, which was written just after the times of Clu~ndra p~p.ta, !],ve a list of the several tribes that inhabit Bharatavar~ha, i.e., India, Tlv~ list includes the Yavanas (Greeks), Chinas, Kambojas {"~~bult~), M~e~hh~ trib~s, the Kaluthas, Hunas (Huns) and the P~:r~ikas. Th~~e J?~r~i}t~s aire the Persians, followers of Darius and the ancestors of IDoer l?ar~is. Although the Ir:lnians only came as far as tlie North of lndia they estAl>li~h~d su~h firm rule in India that it will not be th~t it was the same Iranian Empire that influenced so powerfully the Maurya Dyn~sty ~nd subsequent perioq.s of Indi~n history. During the Maurya Dynasty Iran had lost most ot its past glory due to its defeat by Alexander, but still it was capable of influencing India, 1 Wilson, Works of, Vol. XII, Selected Specimens of the Theatre of tb~ Hindus, Vol. 11, pp, l 7al 79.

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58 THE IRAN LEAGUE QUARTERLY [Oct. for reascns which we shall soon see. Prof. Rawlinson says on this point: " How this influence precise]y crept in, we are, in our ignorance of the histo1y of the Punjab at this period, unable to say. Was there a viceregal court at Taxila, where Sandrakottus had seen the stately Persian ceremonies in practice 1 Or did he merely assume Persian customs, as Alexander and the Syrian Seleukids assumed them, because Persia, even in decay, remained the greatest and most imposing empire known to the world at that time"1 We believe that both these causes combined to bring about this vast influence over India, for Taxila, which was ve1y much persianised, must surely have influenced Indian life, and the stately fabric of the Achremenian Dynasty, which was before the eyes of the Indian emperors, must have equally served to bring about Iranian influence over India. Taxila,2 Takf::btsila of the Sanskrit books, was a great seat of learning in the old days and it was annexed to the Persian Empire at the time of the conquest of India by Darius.3 It remafoed a Persian province until Alexander conquered it in 326 B.C., and therefore since it remained under Iranian authority for near]y two centuries there is evuy reason to hope that it must have been large]y influenced by Iran. AN ANCIENT PERSIAN TEMPLE At Taxila Sir John Marshall has discovered" a spacious temple dedicated to fire-worship",4 which is 158 feet ]ong and 85 feet wide.5 After careful survey he has come to the conclusion that the temple was built by the Iranians when they stayed jn Taxila, because "its plan is unlike that of any temple yet known in India, but its resemblance to the classical temples of Greece is striking";6 but with regard to the difficulty arisfog out of the tower standing in the midst of the temple Sir John Marshall had to discard the Greek origin of the temple and he finally concludes that "I infer from its presence, as well as from the entire absence of images that the temple belonged to the Zoroastrian religion''. 7 This tower attached to the temple was mainly meant for the priests to go up and recite their prayers in praise of the sun, the moon and the water which can be viewed best from a high and solitary place, and we see even today that the new 1 Rawlinson, Intercourse between India and Western World, p. 29. 2 I visited Taxila at the end of May 1929, on my return from Kashmir. 3 Marshal], Guide to Ta:xila, p. 20. 4 .Annl. Rpt. Archreological Surv., 1920-13, p, 5, 5 Ibid., p. 35, 6 :Marshall, A Guide to Taxila, p. 87. 7 Ibid., p. 90; vide my articles on this Temple in "Jame-Jamshed" of 14th Sep ~erQ.ber, 1929 and "The Hindu Illustrated Weeklt' of 12th July, 1931,

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1983] ANCIENT IRAN: ITS OONTRIBUTION TO BUMAN PROGRESS 59 Fire Temple of N avsari, which is the second biggest place of Parsi inhabi tance, has also a tower attached to it from which the priests can recite their prayers as they view the grand objects of nature, such as the sun, the moon and the water and raise their thoughts from nature to nature's God. The other point which is reminiscent of Persian occupation is equally striking. Strabo informs us that at the time of the viceroyalty of Bindusara, father of King Asoka, Taxila was noted for some strange and unusual customs. Among them was one of the sale of maidens in its public market by Indian parents who due to poverty were unable to marry their d1,qhters to anybody, and apparently came from the sur rounding country. This probably commenced when soldiers of the Persian army of occupation married Indian wives. The other custom, which is important for our purpose, was that the dead were not buried or cremated, but were, as was the Zoroastrian custom, left to be devoured by vultures.I INTRODUCTION OF THE KHA.ROSHTHI SCRIPT The last influence on the city of Taxila which the Achremenians exer .. cised was in respect of the Kharoshthi inscriptions. These Kharoshthi inscriptions, found at and round about Taxila, are taken by scholars to have been derived from the .Aramaic language used by the Achre menians and brought to India after their conquest of the country. Besides the two inscriptions of Asoka in Kharoshthi at Mansahra and Shahbazgarhi, in the North~ We3t Frontier Province,2 there are many to be found at Taxila and Sir John Mar.:ihall says that they confirm the view "that Kliaroshthi was derived at Taxila ( which was the chief city of the Kharoshthi district) from Aramaic, the latter having been introduced into the North~ West of India by the .Achremenids after their conquest of the country about 500 B.O. "3 The first man to suggest that the Aramaic was the official script of the Achremenians was Olermo nt Ganneau, and 1:iis view has been rightly or wrongly accepted by Europe an scholars. In any case the large number of Kharoshthi inscriptio ns discovered in the region show that the Kharoshthi was derived from the script which was introduced into India by the Persians. Dr. Bhandarkar4 also says that Asoka made use of two languages in inscribing his edicts-one of them being Brahmi and the other 1 Stra.bo, XV-6~, M1Crindle, Ancient India as described in Classical Literature, p. 69, 2 Smith, The Edicts of Asoka., P• xix. 3 Marshall, A Guide to Taxila, p. 76. 4 Bhandarkar, Asoka, p. 181, -

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60 THE ;IRAN LEAGUE Q"C'ARTERLY toot. .~+~i\~ -:{3":J -~--the Kharoshthi and this} last language was extinct in India after 400 A.D. That this is true can be seen from the fact that since the Kharoshthi inscription was derived from the Aramaic which was introduced by the Persians it was found to disappear with the decay of Persian power in India about 400 A.D. Nay, more, since the Brahmi language was purely an Indian language it was written from left to right, but since the Kharoshthi was derived from Persia it followed the rule of that country and was written from right to left. PERSIAN INFLUENCES IN THE MAURYA AGE Hence it is clear that the influence which Pe-rsia exercised over Taxil'a was great and it gradually was transmitted to the whole of India. in the days of Asoka and subsequently . .As regards the other point, it cannot be doubted that the-splendour and majesty of the Persian court, which is even today brought vividly to our mind by the ruins of Persepolis, must have had a great influence over India. Smith rightly says that "the imposing fabric of the Achre menian Empire evidently impressed the Indian mind, and several facts indicate the existence of a strong Persian infl.uen ce on the Indian ci vili zation of the Maurya age."1 Hence, as we shall see step by step, the palaces 1 Smith, Asoka, p. 140. ~ • • : t'HE PARSI STORES (Regd.) ! • • : JER BAG, BYCULLA-BOMBAY. : • • • • • :9 • O B J E C T S: To provide employment to unemployed • • • • Parsis and to supply to general public unadulterated • • Jr R • • finest Food stUJJS, viz., -ice, Dal, Ghee, Ury Fruits, • . ... • Condiments, Vinegar, Rose Water, Tea, Coffee, best • : Malabar Sandalwood, Singapore 'lncense, Himala: ! yan Agar; durable Cotton 'Goods for daily wear and : lt -Persia-n Hats, etc., sold at most favourable 1ate&. • • • : 'Once tried always satisfied. A trial order wHI posi ; : tively convince oustomers. : • • ~~~

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1933] ANOIENT IRAN : iTs OONTBIBU'f ION' TO iiuMAN PROGRESS 61 of Iranian kings, their manners and customs togetlier with several of their practices were copied by the Mauryans and their followers because the Iranian civilization was not a thing confined to its own limits, but a civilization which was suitable to be world-wide. It is necessary at this stage to explain why it was Iran alone, and that too when it had been shattered by the conquest of Alexander, that in fluenced India, and why not Greece also although Alexand,er had atrium phant march to India via Persia and became the master of India in 326 B.C. The exp]ana tion is found in the fact that Alexander barely stayed in India for nineteen months, and that period of his sovereignty over the Punjab was too short for any Greek influence to take deep roots, During that :short space of time India and Greece touched each other only on their fringes-they had not a deep connection. His short stay in In:dia coupled with his untimely death in Babylon in 323 B:C. shattered all his plans and within three years of his death no trace remained in India of Greek authority. Hence it was that in spite of his great military capacity and zealous efforts to influence India, Alexander was never successful in his aim and" India was not hellenized. ''1 Bis Mnqnest, though it occupies an important position in the history oi India, had ndt left much behind it in India and no Indian author makes any allusion to him or to his work. Not only are the Indian authors silen.t over the work of Alexander, but no building or monmnen t even is found in '.India to have been constructed on Greek model, chiefly because the period of Greek authority over India was very short. Even Megasthenes, 'himseM a Greek, who wrote an accurate account of his life at Pataliputra, mod-e:rn Patna, as an ambassador of the Greek King Seleucus Nikator of Western Asia, does not speak of any Greek influence on Indian political or sochd life. On the contrary, his book, supplemented by archreo1ogical evidence, shows us that "the Maurya gevernment managed its affairs after its own fashion in general accordance with Hindu tradition, borrowing something from Persia but nothing from Greece.' '2 In short, -although Alexander conquered India, Greece in no way benefitted India. Even ,before a.iid after the campaign of Alexander Greece did not know much o'f lndia, and what little information it got about it was received, as we have seen, from Persia. For example, Homer speaks of two races of -Ethiopians, the Western (or African) Ethiopians an.d the Eastern Ethiopians (or Indians), but he does not speak of the latter as Indians. He calls them Ethiopians merely because he has heard of them to be as black as the Ethiopians. Herodotus also, in later times, says that the Indians "have &lso all the 1 Smith, The Early History of India, p. 118. i Smith, '.Ch:e o.doi:d History of India, p. 14.0,

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THE lBAN LEAGUE QUARTERLY [Oct. B n e tint of s~dn, which: approaclie3 that of the E tliiopians. ''1 Thus, it must have been seen, Greece never succeeded in exercising her influence over Itldia, while Pclr3ia, even in her collapse, Wd.S able to infl.uence India due to its past splendour and authority. IRA.N's INFLUEN'OE ON INDIAN ARcHl TECTURE The influence of Iran over India will be treated by us in diffclrant grJt1ps, and firstly we propose to deal with the influence of Iran ovar Indian at~chitectura. a~~ll rds are wa.nting to take the starting point of Indian architecture further back than the reign of Asoka-263-226 B. C. Chandragupta was the founder of the Maurya Dynasty and from his time the true history of India begins, but since his reign was full of troubles for the possession of the kingdom of Magadha, we find no architectural work belonging to his reign. But when once his dynasty was secure on the throne his followers started the construction of several works of architecture which truly mark the beginning of architectural history of India. rrhe Maurya Mmpire first began to adopt Persian me thods in its architectural activity because it was influenced by Persia and because it was the first real Indian Empire, uniting several peoples under one king. In the first place it must be noted that although the archi tectural history of India begins with the date of Asoka we do not imply that there was no architectural work before that date. India did possess many palaces, temples and halls of assembly, but they were all made like the present Burmese buildings, of wood and not stone,2 and therefore we have no relics of these ancient monuments of wood amidst us today. Hence, for its want of lasting qualities the wooden architecture is not taken into great account, and the true history of architecture in India begins only with Asoka when the change from wood to stone was suggested by Persia.3 Hence, we are told by Megas thenes that before Asoka began any of his architectural work with stone, such as pillars or rock edicts, which he did on accou nt of Iranian influence, there was at Pataliputra. surrounding the city, "a wooden wall pierced with loop-lioles for the discharge of arrows."4 Thus, before the days of Asoka, Indian architects used wood for their superstructure and bricks for the foundations only, but when in Asoka's days India was working under the influences of Iran and of her famous pa laces at Persepolis we see a l Herodotus, Ill-101, Rawlinson, Herodotus, Il-408. 2 Fergusson, History of India and Eastern Architecture, Vol, I, P• 51. 3 Smith, History of Fine Art in India and Ceylon, p. 13; Smith, Oxford History of India, P• 111. 4 Megasthenes.1 XI-XXV, McCrindle, incient Indfa of Me6 astheneli, p. 66 •

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1938] ANCIENT IRAN: ITS OONTRIBUTION TO BUMAN PROGRESS 63 change from wood to stone and, further, we also see that the very moclels and methods of workrr.anship were derived from Iran by the Indians especially Asoka. PILLARS AND EDICTS OF AsoKA '.As r egarcls the architectural jnfluence of Iran over Indfa, the pillars and edi<:ts of '.A soka mmt occupy our nrf:t attention. It is well known that ' Asoka, v; bue full m me is 'A ~ukavardhana (Joy-focreasing), was to B odcJhiEm what Comtan6ne was to Christianity, and both :flouri~hed at a bout the same cHsta ce of tjme frcm the dea1h of the founders of their respective faiths. In order to promulgate the reHgi0n of Buddha, '.Asoka caused a series of Edicts e mbodyfog the doctrinfs of Buddhism to be e ngra, rd on rods jn various places in 1'.~orthern India and in Gujarat. In all, thirteen rock inscriptions are found which were med by Asoka for propagating the Dba1ma, the rr.cst impcrtant being those at Girnar, Dauli, K apurdigiri, J augaoa and KbaJsL1 Of these thirteen inscriptions, one at Mansahra and the other at SbahbazgarM, in North-West Frontier Provinces, have Kharoshthi inscriptions which, as we have already seen, indicate India on that side bejng entirely under IraTifan influence. But there are other facts to s~ow tbat these 10ck inscriptjons of Arnka were influenced by Iran. The very manner of propagating the Dharma by means of inscribing on rocks is a custom unknown to India, both before and since the days of Asoka, and therefore one naturally ponders over the fact why Arnka, alone in the whole history of Indfa, used such a method for promuJga'dng the religion of Buddha. A moment's reflection wrn at once clear the doubt, for we see the same method practised by Darius nearly two centuries ago in the powerful empire of J ran. Darius, the king of the mighty Achremenjan empire, was in the habit of inscribing on the mountain sides and the Behistun inscription of his is an example of it. That inscription, first deciphered by Sir Henry Rawlinson, contains nearly 1,000 lines cut in the face of a rock 1,700 feet high.~ Asoka, who, as viceroy of 'J1axila before being the king, was influenced by Iran, therefore did not fail to imitate this practice of the Iranian sovereigns of using mountain sides for his in scriptions.3 Furthermore, we notice that the very style of the inscriptions of Asoka is an exact imitation of that of Darius. Tne inscriptfons of Darius begin with the words: 'Thus saith Darius the king',4 and Asoka imitates him 1 Smith, Asoka, pp. 126ff. 2 Tolman, Guide to Old Persian Inscriptions, pp, 118ff . 3 Rawlinson, Intercourse between India and the Western World, P• 29. 4 Tolman, Gqide to Old Persian I nscriftionsi

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64 THE IRA'.N J;.EAGUE QUAaTERLY [@et. and Lif;l iJlseriptions too begin with, ''Thus saith ms Sacred and Gracious Majesty the I{ ing. :J W j1h ~t: eh c)u r pru,fs sd10Ja1s have agreed as to the aE'bt which :Arnka owed to Iran in regard to his practice of rock inscriptions, ano Ehanclinkar tco admits that this practice of Arnka was due to~ the ). cbtrmenhin conquest and aclmfoistratfon of North-West of Indhi.2 It is rightly said that this way of Asoka, of bavin.g iI1scriptions cut on rocks and imHating the style of Darius, js. not indigenous. Had it been indigenous it would have been repeated, but such pr~ctice i~ irnl~ted in India and the fact that it appears no more in other Indian inscriptions before or since shows that it was derived hom Ir~n where it was first introduced by Darius. I Smith, Asoka, PP• 149 ft. 2 Bhandarkar, Asoka, p, 9. ( To be conti~~ed.) SAVINGS BANK. Money saved Wisely in these days brings Happiness a11d when, spent Unwisely it brings overwhelming Debts, Worry, Urihappiness and Distress. Make therefore a regular saving by opening a Home Savings Safe Account with the CENTRAL_ BANK OF .INDIA, LIMITED, BOMBAY and earn interest on Daily Balances. Our Home Savings Safe will teach you and your family Thrift and Economy. 8. N. POOJIKHA.NA..W AL.A, Managing Director.

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POETS OF THE PAHLA VI REGIME BY DINSHAH J. IRANI, B.A., LL.B., S0L1C1TOR, HrnH CouRT, BOMBAY. Neshan-e Elmi, Teheran 1932. 98 Modern Persian Poets Over 400 Poems in Persian Over 200 Translated in English, including all big Poems 50 Illustrations covering in all 766 pages WI'l'H An Introduction to the Study of Persian Poetry FROM The A.vestan Times Till To-day, covering 235 pages in English and Persian. Price Hs. 18 -10-0 l'RINTEP AT THE FORT PRINTING PREsa, • FOHT, BOMIIAY ~

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Some of the Poets from t,..,_e Galaxy of Penian Poets i~ the Book. -i-ia. Poure-Davoud Aqa Ariib-e-Farebmand A9~ Aref

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No. I Poets ! Place ! 95 YAHIYA, Haji Mirza Ya h iy a Doulatabad Daulatabadi 96 YAHIYA VA'EZ, Mirza Yahiya Va'ez Qazvin Kaivani 97 I ZARREH / Kerman 98 i ZAIF, Ismail-e-Reza Quli \ Isfahan Dates [Poems and Tra~slations, with names I of Important Poems translated \ Pages B. 1241 Shamsi \ The Morn and The Night, p. 678-I 666A-689 1862 A.D. 680; and twenty-nine poems of l which seventeen translated I Died at Tehran \ Three poems I 690-693 1304 Shamsi I 1925 A.D. I B. 1296 A.H. 1 One poem 280 1878 A.D. B. 1325 A.H. I I One poem i 387 1907 A.D. > 'i:ti s UQ (D 0 ~-~s C"" (D 0 n 0 = ,.... (D = .... en

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A P~ge of index of Subjects. INDEX TO TRANSLATED POEMS. Pages ADVIC}E (Ethical and Soclal subjects)-To My Daughter Freedom Good Action Thy Destiny is Hands in Thy 2-4 96 96 ... 178B-178C FAMILY-Home Love for the Home In Memoriam On the Birth of a Son Two Persons with One Soul A Man of Good Repute An Ode 178D FORGIVENESS-An Ode The Worst of Sins (Plurality of Wives) Our Girls The Advice of a Pistachio ... A Poem An Advice The Sign of Greatness A Quatrain An Ode Use and Abuse of the Pen ... Forget Self Advice to Youngsters Enlightened Mind Wisdom and Ignorance Happiness Sting and Honey Useless Efforts The Safe Way Za.mestan Wailing, Till When? Be Pure The Nightingale and the Narcissua The Seed and the Fruit The Single Grey Hair Advice to Youths The Brick-bat Thrower EFFORT AND EXERTION"""'"' Preparation The Scythe and the Plough. Exert and Act 221-222 224-225 248-251 259-261 272-273 335 356 376-378 381 382-383 391-407 491 499-500 596 596 597 605 627 629-630 634-637 6515-657 663 664 666 673 675-676 684 77 603 Forgivance FIDELITY-Constancy Fidelity Constancy FUTURE-The Coming War HUMANITYServe Mankind Contest or Co-operation? ... The Candle-A Qua.train Service of Humanity Humanity Service KINDNESSA Quatrain Be Kind Kindness and J Ul!ltice LIFE-The Life of Men A Life worse than Dea.t.h ••• Mine and Thine The Eternal Question Life Earthly Paradise The Rose and the Thorn ... Lessening Vision The Full Moon. The New Life Page1 301-303 347-348 353-354 655-656 595 128-129 665 66-67 70 92D 321 433-434 554 589 48 117 489-490 72-73 78 94-95 133-134 348 594 672 675 686-687 687

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A Page of the Introduction. The modern poetry of Persia shows real originality, merit and humour, as attested by Browne, who mentions as the most notable among the poets Aref, Dakhaw (now known as Debkhuda), Ashraf and Bahar, who all grace the pages of the present volume with many others. Many of the modern poets possessed a classical training, and it is remarkable to note the employment by them of the classical mode and sty le in giving expression to original themes, the products of the modern age. The patriotio poems of Adib-ePishawari,. Aref's freshest poem which I received on the day of my departure from Hamadan,-Use and Abuse of the Pen, Bahar's Damawand, Badi-uz-Zaman's The Passing Show, Adib-us-Saltaneh's The Message of the Mountain, Pour-e Davoud's Amshaspandan, Falsafi's The Helpless Poor, Akbgar's The Coming War, N ezam-e-Vafa' s Robabieh, yosrngh-nd-Dowleh's Some Truths, Vahid's Bahar, are all instances on the point. In the same way, whilst Adib-e-Nisbapuri and others, like Golshan, can use the old matter and method in quite a classical way, on the other hand Eshqi and those of his way of thinking claim to be fettered by no such tradition. They give expression to their realistic thought in poetic forms of their own making, which according to them best express their thoughts, And after reading Eshqi' s Rastakhiz and The Ia.eal, no European reader, I am sure, would ever find fault with him for making the choice. Apart from the above, there is still one poet of exceptional merit, Irach Mirza, the realism in whose poems, reminds us of Zola and makes us regret indeed that death stopped him from completing his marvellous poem of Zohreh and Manucheher.

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A Page of the Text. ..:,;...;,> i. ~-..Jb J9 ~11 J J.i I ~?. ~a; lo.\:~; .;t: ~:j Na.isa.n ! Jl>.) .i J; I ) J> i.5 J"" ~.).:...) .;> IJ 0 thou, who dost dive in the ocean of nature, In search for the unique gem of Truth, Listen to these words, if thou acceptest them in the light of advice, That from this sea thou wilt secure nothing but the foam of bewilderment; And eventually this boundless deep will lure thee down towards itself. ) J;.; .. J 4:.:..,S o lf J;.. _;I ~'" J rl~ J J ) Y. Jt(;l:j cJ'Ai ) .;> J JA~ jJ Real knowledge and fruitful action have concealed themselves from the world ; Trade and capital have caused commotion in the world ; Harmful passions have shut the eyes against wisdom and prudence; ln 7place of love, low passions have made their repute in the world, And hence people have turned their back upon Religion, and face towards Money. ..:.-\ 4_j) 4 .. • ~,,..) j ul:::,-l> :_;\~I ~\ WJ 1>.;,,.. .;( ..fb t!..;l;.. r:.,. ~JJ~ ... \ 4:9 J~-Jl-.2il : J.:) c1 ~,,..) ~.., I w.;, 3l;. 1~ j\ J l.S., J t; So long as -the hand of greed has closed the eyes of justice, So long as the measure of our wants exceeds all limits, The face of moderation and contented living will be hidden . f.rom the world, The broom of tyranny will sweep clean the house of the hungry (poor) of all its belongings; And this helpless fellow will be compelled to be a thief for this reason.

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Some of the Poets from the Galaxy of Persian Poets in the Book. General Akhgar Aqa. AQ.rang

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S .a1ne of the Poets from the Galaxy of Persian Po~ts in the Book. Aqa Ebrat Aqa Iraj Mirza . Aqa. Bahar.

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ORDER FORM. HOSANG T. ANKLESARIA, THE FORT PRINTING PRESS, 1, PARSI BAZAR STREET, FORT, BOMBAY. Dear Sir, Please send me _____ cop of " PoETS OF THE PAHLAVI REGIME" by Mr. Dinshah J. Irani, Solicitor, per V. P. Post. Rs. 18/-for book. ,, 1/8 ,, :V.P.P. cost. ----------Rs. 19/8 Yours faithfully, Name _______ ----------------Address ____________________________ _ -----------

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REVIEWS AND NOTICES " SUKHANV ARAN-I-IRAN "* REVIEW BY D. J. IRANI, 80L101TOR The late Professor Edward Browne, than whom we oan find no better judge of Persian Literature, says in the last two volumes of. his monumental work, viz., the Literary History of Persis., that the Indians and the Turks could not produce Persian poetic or prose literature that may have the real Persian -flavour. He further says that for appreciating Persian Poetry too, we must rely more on the Persian tha.n on the Indian and the Turk, howevel' profound students of Persian the latter may be. This judgment of Professor Browne is right; for nobody oa.n realise better than we do how Persian pronunciation, at any rate, is murdered in India, and what taste some of our University Professors show whilst selecting text books for study in schools and colleges. It is only when we come in direct touch with Persian scholars and writers of repute that we realise how awfully Persian is being taught now .. a-days in many of our !chools md collegEB ,~and how we murder the la.ngua.ge in doing so. B.ut there are al ways exceptions to the rule, and suoh a, brilliant exoeption is Profe3sor .M. Ishaqu~, M.A.., B.Sc., Lecturer in Persian at the University in Calcutti, who has fost produced his beautiful book "Sukh~nia,ran-i-Iran" containing selections from poems of thirty-three Persian poets, oonta.ining well-written lives of the poets as well-u their photos. The book is entirely in Persian and is meant for the Persia.rtrea.ding public, a happy arrangement, for, the Reviewer's book on "The Poets of the Pahlavi Regime,'' in Persian and English1 which partially covers the same ground in Persian, has been also in the Press side by side, and meant mainly for the English.reading public, The selections contained in Prof. Ishaque's valuable book are well made and the book is taken out in a form, whioh with the wealth of its contents, makes it indispensable for every College and University "' Compiled by Prof. M. Ishaque of Calcutta University, (Oriental Pq.blish-ing House, Calcutta. Rs, 18-12 1India]; 26 shillings [Foreigul,)

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66 THE IRAN LEAGUE QUARTERLY . [Dot. in India to have more than one volume in its Iibra.ry. The book is very well printed on very good paper and is handsomely bound and has four hundred and twenty pages of some of the finest specimens of Modern Persian Poetry. I have no doubt in my mind that to every lover of Persian literature, the book will adorn his library, enrich his mind and regale his heart for a long time to come. Amongst the contents we find selections from those great sages Adib-e-Pishawari and Nishapuri. Iraj Mirza, the renowned literary prince, whose poems at times have the realization of Zola, is well represented; and so is our great friend and scholar of international fame Aga Pour-e Davoud whose poems are taken from his Pourandokht-N ameh, which the Reviewer had the happiness of translating and publishing six years ago. The renowRed poet Aref, the poet laureate Bahar, the patriot of many a :fight Deh-Khoda, and first-class men of letters like Rashid-e-Yassemi, Falsafi and many others have their gems well collected aud represented. The University of Calcutta deserves great credit for encouraging Professor Ishaque to go to Persia and make tbis collection ; but for that visit such a beautiful book could hardly have been published. I trust the Bombay University too would wake up from its lethargy and cease to give a stepdaughterly treatment to the Persian language. If Professors of our University are also given the opportunity of polishing up their knowledge of Persian, by coming in direct touch with Persians and Persian scholars in Persia itself, the students here will have the opportunity of learning Persian as it ought to be learned. The late Professor Edward Browne had noted in his book that there was origiuality and taste both of subject and treatment in Modern Persian Poetry. A striking exampl 8 of that is Eshqi, whose Rastakhiz the Reviewer had published with text and translation so far back as ten years ago. rrhis poem with several others are also to be found in this volume. With perfect confidence we can recommend this book to every. College in India and to every lover of Pesian literature. Professor Ishaque deserves to be congratulated by everyone of us. K. WAD I A, PH,NO 42483 DIAMOND MERCHANT, GRANT ROAD, BOMBAY.

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1953] REVIEWS AND NOTlOES "' " "' SUKHANVARAN-I DAURAN PAHLAVI OR THE POETS OF THE PAHLAVI REGIME* REVIEW BY SoHBAB J. BuLsAnA, M,A. lRAN's SouL PULSATES WITH POETRY The Soul of Iran pulsates with the poetic instinct, and that is the reason why Iran has produced more poets than any other country of the world. When Persia was a free nation all the varied emotions and fancies which arise in pure human genius had their fullest play in her poetic creation. But since the fall of the Sassanian dominion the people were so completely enthralled by foreign influences that her natural genius had not the free play it had before, and poetry was confined mainly to the portrayal of romantic history and didactic or mystical reflections and allegories, besides lowly and false panegyrics. In all this the noble instinct and fascinating soul of old Iran was much missing, and a bigoted and narrow spirit always prevailed with very few exceptions. THE NOBLE INSTINCT AND FASCINATING SOUL OF !RAN REVIVE With the liberation of the country under H. I. M. Reza Shah Pahlavi however, the old instinct and the old soul, began to assert themselves again and have been inspiring a huge number of modern poets in Iran. This led Mr. Dinshah Irani to attempt collecting works of modern poets; and it should not surprise one that within the short space of two years, his study was flooded with the works of some thousand present day poets ! Of these Mr. Irani has selected the poems of ninety-eight, and compiled them in the above work. GREAT VARIETY OF FASCINATING THEMES The revival and variety of proper poetic themes can well be seen from the subjects treated of in this great collection. These include "To My Daughter", "Your Fate is in Ynur Hands'', "Our Girls'', "Winter", " The Nightingale and the Narcissus'', "Admonitions to the Young Folk'', ''Effort", '' Love of the Home'', '' Forgiveness'', "Fidelity", "Humanity", 1 ' Public Service'', "Kindness", '' Life", "Paradise on Earth''," Moonlight''," Love", "Love and Wisdom'', "The Mother's Heart", "0 My Mother", "Search of Truth'', "Nature and Training'', " Damavand", " Nature's Beauties", "Springtide", • Compiled by Mr. Dinehah J. Irani (Fort Printing Preas, Bombay. Re. 18 [Iadja]; 1 [•orelp].)

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(68 TBB lBA:N LEAGUE QUARTERLY {Oct "Youth'', "Love of Country'', "Azerbaijan", "The Poor'', "Frailty of the World'', "The Amesha Spentas''," The Spring and the Good Religion'', "Parsi Ladies", "To Edward Browne'', "High Ideal", "Fear and Hope", ''Heaven and Hell'', etc. GREAT .MODERN LU?dlN ARIES This will show the variety of subjects seldom dealt with before. and would supply a fascinating reading for the fond student. The selection opens with a sweet poem of BA.noo Shahin, a poetess. Two other poetesses'• Jinnat" and " Nimtaj, BA.noo'' appear in the work. The patriotic "Akhgar", Prince Afsar, Au.rang, Iraj, Bahar, entertain us with variety of styles and themes. The divinely inspired verses of Ishqi and Pour-e Davoud thrill our soul, Yasemi the Nature wor shipper, Salar and Spenta, the learned Said-i-Nafisi and Are a.re few of the names which glow on the pages of the compilation. TaE SP1&1T OF SWEET SoNG THRILLED THE Co:u&rxl:i A~rn ];[ou~ oF ANCIENT IRAN This work's value is further enhanced by the learned il)t~og.1).!:l tion by Mr. Irani. The narrow view that Iran had no poetry worth its name before the coming of the Arabs is exploded entirely. As music at court and in private life always predominated in Iran from the earliest times, singers and poets could never be lacking in that ancient country. The Yasht literature of the .Avesta period has beautiful and varied poetic pieces. Songs and rhythmic compositions were common in Achmmenian times. That astounding genius, Mithridates the Great, the King of Pontus, had his court filled wit'h the best poetic talents of the world, and so had his great contemporar-i~s Orodes of Parthia and Arta.vadishtish of Armenia who was a, poet himself. THE HEAVENLY SoNG A;ND Mus1.c OF THE S_Asi;JJ.NJ..._;Ns A more authentic record exists of the glorious Sassa"Q.ian ~p99h, The Kar Nama has noted the fact of Ardashir having entert.~j_l}e~ himself with singing and music. As he was then with Artabanus, this also proves the existence of extensive song and music in the 4.rs_aQide period. Behramgore is credited with poetic talent. And th~ court~ of that great sovereign and of the magnificent Parviz were f~med lor their noble singers and musicians. The sacred rhythmic song has been preserved in the Pazand prayers and blessings whic'.b have come down to us from the Sassanian times.

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. H>S.8] BBVIEWS AND NOTIOEB 69 THE SWEET BlRD HAS LEFT THE CAGE AND SOARS .AND S1NGS HlGH Mr. Irani has also divided post-Sassanian poet;ry into seven s~ctions and treated these clearly and fully. He shows how the shackles that ha.d bound the soul of Iran for thirteen centuries are now snapped, and it having brokell out from their bondage, sings now sweeter and on more lofty heights. May this inspire higher and nobler instincts in the Per~ian people! RoozN1K TATARSKI: oR TARTAR ANNUAL, Vot. I While the Turks pfayed so important a part in south~ast Eu;rop~, ot~r Tartar races have influenced north.,.east Europe in a less~r degr~e. Still how considerable has been the influence even in the latter cas~ can well be seen from the voluDl.e that has been lying on ow r~view t~ble for some time past. In Russia, Lithuania and J?ol~:r;:,.d eq-g;ally as i_n the SoQthern :Balkan States (he rrartar race ha~ figured very prominently for many latter centuries. In the arIDies of Napoleon to_o tlwre were sever~l 'l'urkish a.nd Tartar 0.cers and men. Indeed tb, principal _role o_f these people had l;>eell military adventure, Q,~d _it w11tS in thi!3 tb.~t thei_r _sf3;rvict}s we.re valtwd anq :,:eqjs_itjoJJ,ed by the p~pple of easter:n EtJrQp_e. Th.is b.~~ led to thejr settl~pieut i_p. th~se l!;J,nds ; and there is c9nsid~r~ble T~rt~r p9pulation in :Russia and Poland at pres~nt. lbese have lar~~ly adopted the ways of life of the people among whom th~y have settled; but rx:u:LDy at the ~ame time have et11ck to the ;religion of their forefathers, ap.d are still greatly swayed b-y t_heir ~atio.~l insth1cte. They ~ve thus forr;n.ed at Vilp.a ip. Pol,:;Ld th.~ " Union for Cq.lture and Instruction of the Tartars in the Poli~lt Republic.'' The Cen-tral Council of this Union has formed an Editorur,l Committee f9_r bringing out the Tartar Annual in l?olish. The Chief Editor is Mr. Leon Kryez}uski of Vilna, as~isted by four emine1;1;t writers from Vilna, Slonim and Nowogredek. Among leading matters in the Annual are the following:-,, The Nationa,l Move:m.ent and the Tartars in Lithuania," rather a long article by o .. N~jman-Mirza.-.Kryczyuski; "The National :Problem of the Tartars in Poland,'' by Ayas Ishaki; a very in-te-restin:1 little essay on u The Statistics and the Geographical and Religious A.sso9a-tion of Isla,m,'' by W a~san-Girej Dzabagi ; 0 Islam andMixed :Marriages," by Alexandre Achmatowiez; and many others ef Tartar or T-urkish i11terest.

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70 THE . IBAN LEAGUE QUARTERLY [Oc_t. There a.re also reviews and notices of some valuable manuscripts. Among literary efforts are poems on "Reflexions'' and "On Death'' by Akret and St. Kryczyuski respectively. A number of good illustrations are found in the volume, mostly depicting the Tartars in military garb. These include some men in the famous legions of Napoleon. s. LE MoNDE ORIENTAL: VoLs. XXIV AND XXV Published in Uppsala in Sweden and edited by the learned H. S. Nyberg, this fournal's pages glow with erudite contributions by scholars from all countries of the world, and in languages of Europe and Asia. The latter volume is published in honour of Prof. K. V. Zettersteen, the journal's former Editor, on the occasion of his sixty .fifth birthday and bears testimony to the love and esteem of a long line of learned admirers whose signatures adorn the dedicatory epistle headed by the learned Nyberg. J arl Carpentier 's monogram on " Indra," opens the volume, and bristles with learning and critical acumen. The ever interesting Arthur Christensen contributes a fascinating little note in French on " Did there exist a Zarvanite Religion ? '' Sven Dedering offers a '' Comment on the Tradition regarding the 73 Sects" based on Islamic writings. Anton Fridrichsen writes a chapter of the early incidents of the Christian Church in Jerusalem. Ivar Rylander discusses whether Jesaja (Isaiah) was entitled to be called a Pror:het. Johannes Kolmodin attempts to identify the Imaginary Dr. Frundgruben of Morier's Haji Baba association with a real chaplain attached to the Swedish Embassy in Constantinople. Carl Johan Lamm discusses an Arabic i ... PARSIS: A PEOPLE OF THE BOOK, ,.~. J By Prof. REzw1, M.A. t 1 An interesting stndy of the Zoroastrian religion in the light t. j of Biblical and Quranic teachings. Highly spoken of by eminent ;t ~li scholars of India and Europe. To be had of the Manager, ft : (!) The Moslem Chronicle, 6, Hastings Street, Calcutta, and the. .. Iran League, at Kamar Bldg., Cawasji Patel Str., Fort, Bombay. ;: ~ ~ 6-1 Price Rs. 3 (Board), Rs. 2-8 (Paper). J~

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1933] REVIEWS AND NOTIO.l!lll 71 Inscription on a vase. Bernhard Lewin treats of a "Sunni Polemic against the Shias. Joh Lindblom examines the highly interesting Old Sinai Inscrip tion whicL takes so prominent a part in all discourses treating of the Origin of the Alphabet. Sven Linder deals with some delightfully simple Arabic songs. Oscar Lofgren writes a learned note on a work of Abu Mahrama. Axel Moberg's "Herodotus and Modern Reconstructions of the Tower of Ba.bel '' makes a fascinating reading. That the tower was really a lofty temple on the top of seven plinths symbolising the seven stages of the soul's advancement, is variously made clear here. And A. Moberg's restoration suggests a restoration of the Mausoleum of Cyrus the Great which no doubt copied in unsullied white marble the lofty concept of the great Babylonian temple. Em. Morbeck's contribution on Prophetic Claim is followed bv Nyberg's excellent note on ''An Iranian Word in the Book of Daniel''. Daniel is said to have been associated with the Iranian court and hence it would be natural that he knew the Iranian language also to some extent. The amount of learning Nyberg brings to bear on the word for its elucidation is great and praiseworthy. Hugo Ordenberg treats of a theme in Hebrew and is followed by Gunnar Olinder who deals with a family of the Arabian Kings of Kinda. Johs. Pedersen presents a learned study of a Gazal of the celebrated Al-Gazili. Nils Roden deals with an Ethiopic religious study, and Kasten Ronnow treats of the Verse of Sarparaj 1i in the Rigveda. J. 3trup offers notes on some interesting words in the Arabic text of the Thousand and One Nights. And Tor Andree closes the volume with his treatment of a them.3 rela.ting to Islamic and Christian religious fervour. This shows the great variety of the themes dealt with and the long list of writers of high rapute who have vied with one another in doing honottr to the learned Zettersteen, in this dedicatory volume. The previous volume e>f the" Le Monde Oriental" has appeared onlyrecently, some two years a'fter the memorial volume was published, and contains some equally interesting matter. Otto Spies describes three Arabic works on the biographies of the Sufis: (1) Hilyat al' .. auliya of Abu Nu'aim, (2) Safwat as-Safwa of Ibn Ga.uzI, and (3) Al-Muhtar fi manakib al'ahyar of Majdaddin b. al-Atir. K. Rama Pesharoti gives an interesting aooount of Shri Shanka.racha.rya 's life fro'.11 th9 tra.ii.tional narra.tive3. Mr. Pesharoti assigns this sa.ie a date

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'12. THE IRAN LEAGUE QOA:BT&BLY [Oct. between 788 and 820 A. D. asthe time of his birth. L, l\lseriant-z examines the Armenian studies of Henri Brenner. Brenner's principal work was an abridgment of the celebrated history of Moses of Khorena, at the end of which he gave the genealogies of the Arsaoide sovereigns of Persia and Armenia. Though an earlier work, this was not known to Whiston brother~,, the sons of the eminent English savant William Whiston, who had published in London in 1736 their La.ti.n translation of the history of Moses. Brenner had intended to publish the translation of the full text of Moses and also of the Geography attributed to him. K. V. Zettersteen adds in this volume his further instalment of the Italiano-Nubian Dictionary of Arcangelo Carradori which he edits, ad.ding most valuable notes. A n~mber of interesting reviews follow and close the volume. s. "CYRUS THE GREAT" Khan Saheb Dhunjibhoy Frarnji Dubash is a fond student of ancient Persian history. He has written on the subject, off and on, and some of these he ofters in a collected form in the above volume. The title of the book should not however mislead the reader, for Mr. Dubash-hasprefixed to the work a dissertation on the age of Zarathushtra, and added to it not only the history of the three great sue cessors of Cyrus, but also a oha.ptei' on Chosroe and Sh1rin ". The author has written his subjects with oare and in a way as to oreate interest; airt.d we have little doubt that a perusal of them by P&irsee youth will give tham happy and beneficial inspiration. Mr. Dubash has attempted to remedy the defects in Persian: His'tory owing to tha,t ha..vfo-g been written by Iran's adversa.ries with a.Ii their prejudices a,ga.ins:t her. It redounds to the glory of Ira.Ii thel notwithstanding this glaring disadvantage her annals present a brilliant pageant of oontinuous and incompa.ra-ble achievement . There is the need of more works being written in this vein, for, nothing bends the youth's minds more to virtue, valour and achievement than the glorious events of their past depicting them. s. STATiSTiQUE CdMMERdIALE DE LA PERSt This extremel-y useful document, comp:rising tables showinf l?ersi._,' s com.meroe with for-ei,n oountriea, has-been puolisbed by

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1938] REVIEWS AND NOT-IOU 18 the Persian Government lately. It covers the period froni. 23rd June, 1931, to 21st June, 1932. Persia has a de.finite and constant trade with twenty-four foreign countries, excluding those that trade casually with her. Some 28 articles are prohibited or import and include arms and am munition, metal, money, and opium. The total imports during the period were valued at 631,363,009 Rials and exports at 702,094,375. The value of total trade was thus 1,333,457,384 Rials, and of this a balance of 70,731,3 BiaJs was in Persia's favour. The leading countries trading with Persia are Russia, British India, rest of British Empire and tbe United States d .A me rice. Their total trade with Persia computes at 519,5,9; 197,469,f07; 138,303,555; 122,472,532; and 105,468,011 Rials 1 e~pccth-ely. E:xports to and imports from Soviet Russia almost balance with a comparatively small excess of over 17 million Rials in case of imports from her. But imports from Japan, France, Italy, Belgium and Czechoslovakia far exceed the exports to them. Whereas exports to Iraq, Turkey and Afghanistan far exceed imports from them. A comparative table of Persia's foreign trade during the last ten years shows a steady progress. Graph tables showing Import of Cotton Tissues, Sugar, Mineral Oils, Vehicles and Automobiles, and Tea, and leading articles of export are of extreme interest. Detailed tables follow including oue showing the exact number, makerR and power of automobile vehicles and lorries and trueks imported during the year, and others showing the imports and .exports of exact articles from the various countries. Tables of varioui.; imposts on imports and exports are given at the close, and also of the quantity of trade passing through the various centres of imposts in the Empire. Tables of number and kinds of ships plying in the Caspian Sea and the Persian Gulf and the Karun River and their ownership, tonnage and number of crew, supply very useful and interesting information. And so do the tables showing various passage fares between the several~ports charged by the Companies plying their ships between them. Aerial Services, Posts, Telegraphs, Telephones, Monopolies, etc., comprise nu~erous other matters dealt with in this extremely Useful and painstakingly prepared v,olumes. s.

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@ @~ TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF ADVERTISING. $ 0 ~p Advertisers entering into contracts with the "Iran League ~@ Quarterly" Committee do so only on the following terms and t conditions which they have read and agreed to:~@ 4 1. The contrac,ing p~rty unaertakea to use up the space I d.()~ contracted for within the stipulated period, or in the @\ ij event of failure to do so, agrees to pay for the space ~w not so used up. ~ ~VP 2. Pa)ments to be made in advance. ~w C!O~ 3. 'fhe Iran League Quarterly Committee reserve to themd.(J~ selves the right to refuse or suspend the publication ~@ v.O~ of any advertisement without assigning reasons for $ doing so. ~@ qO~ 'rhe following are the rates of advertisement in English and i~ Persian languages :-(size of page: 7!":x4f). .v. ,1;v ~OP 1. THE covER PAGEs~w @~ Contract rates: l page per insertion Rs. 10/d.rJ~ ~@ , ,, ,, ,, 15,_ ~w d.O~ fun ,, ,, ,, ao 1d.rJ~ Casual ,, l ,, ,, ,, 11/d.O~ 1 16/ ~ d.O~ ;ull ,, " ,, . ~w I 2. READING MATTERS" " " 321$ @~ English Section. Persian Section. d.(J~ Per insertion Per insertion ~Qp Contract rates: l page Rs. 4l Rs. 5 ~ ~Qp 1 ,, ,, 6 l ,. n ~w @~ full ,, ,, 13 ,, 14 ~ ~rw Casual H l " " 5 ,, 51 w @~ 1 71. g1 ~ ;ull " ,, -a-" ! ~rw d.O~ ,, ,, 15 ,, 16 Apply =-THE SECRETARY, ~w $ The Iran League, $ d.O~ Kamar Bldg., Cowasji Patel Street, ~ FORT-BOMBAY. ~w

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1933] REVIEWS AND NOTICES 75 IRAN IQTASADI This interesting little treatise is compiled by t,he learned Rahimzade Safavi, and treats of Iran of the classic.al period compris ing the AchfEmenian, Anmcide, and Sasanian dominions, their people, neighbours, administration, trade, civilization, products, manufactures, arts, coinage, etc. The writer has made a judicious use of such ancient writers as Herodotus, Plutarch, Strabo, Deodorus of Sicily, Arrian, TachuEl, Ammjanus Marcellinu1:1, Morns of Chorene, Polibius, Justin and Procopius, as well as modern writers like Gibbon, Sykee, Hua.rt, Morgan, Gobineau, Rawlinson and others. This booklet will be read with profound interest by the modern Persians. SEHAT-NEMAYI-IRAN REVUE SANITAlRE MENSUELLE DE PERSE The above review, edited by Dr. Mohamed Ali Toutia, is a new venture and treats of matter in which modern Persia has to learn a good deal. Its second number deals with such useful subjects as the treatment of syphilis, pneumonia, encouragement of gymnastics, longevity, etc., and offers an interesting note on the celebrated Avioenna. YAZIDI PRAYERS The Yazidis claim to have been Zoroastrians formerly, but circumstances have forced on them a new form of religion. This of course includes prayers, some of which are given in this little work. They are in that unnatural mixture of Persian and Arabic which characterises the prevailing speech of modern literate Persia and which murders the genius of both the Persian and Arabic languages. AKHTAR-I-T.ABNAK These are verses written in praise of H. I. M. Reza Shah Pahlavi and will appeal to loyal Persians. The Iraqi Home Medicine is a little work by Vartan Melkonian dealing with flowers, plants and roots, common ailments and their treatment, dentistry, midwifery, maternity and infant welfare, as praotised and found among the Iraqis. Aga Hisamzadeh Pazargad has written three little works dealing with modern Persian education in schools and will give the readers insight into it. His Sa1tud-i-V mzesh are an interesting collection of verses meant to inspire.Persia's. youth.with -high ideals and aims.

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THE ADVICE OF EMPEROR NOUSHIRV AN A POEM OF MOHANDES-E-DASTGARDI [TRANSLATED BY D. J. IRANI, SOLICITOR] I have heard that Noushirvan the Emperor of Iran made this testament at the time of his death. To the leaders and the elders and the mobeds he ordered thus :-When my soul departs from my body towards the Divine Abode, When I am no more, raise my throne and carry it to the audience-hall and make the following announcement: " 0 you, people of the anjurnan, gather together in this court and listen to t.his testament from the Lord of the Age." When the people a.re so gathered give t,hem this advice: " 0 men, step aside from the path of sins; Avoid all sins, desist from all ugly and evil actions, and like men of the good religion exert to do good. When the world with all its pleasant show is not stable, let not our heart be fettered with greed and avarice, for it is harmful to do so, Tell the gathered people, that this body is the same one which till yesterday, because of its glory and majesty, None approached within three steps from it, for none had the coura,ge to do so because of its awe-inspiring majesty. This is the body of that very personage who till yesterday, was exerting himself for the spread of Purity and Righteousness. Through him Truth and Righteousness found currency in the realm, through him the ways of Goodness and Purity were adopted by the world. Now look at this very personage to-day, none will touch him with his hand, lest it be defiled.

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1933] THE ADVIOE OF EMPEROR N0U9BIRVAN 77 None comes near that body to-day, lest he be infected by its decaying matter. This is the very body which if any one touches now, cannot render his prayers to the Ahn ighty fitly without ablutions. After such contamination none can mix with the good and the pious without first cleansing himself. Indeed this is the same body, which until yesterday did not give its hand to anyone because of its great majesty; Yet because of its decaying matter no person will al low now his hand to touch this decomposing body. Then O man l be good and righteous ; do good to the world and to humankind. In order ever to be staunch in your faith exert to be truthful, and be ever faithful to your pledge. Do not associate with the low and the mean ; prefer always to be in the company of the truth ul and the generous. rro the advice of your spiritual preceptor ever listen with all your heart and act accordingly. Be content with what the Lord has allotted to you; cut off your avaricious gaze from the possessions of others. Take heed and neglect not your duty of benevolence to meet the wants of poverty of the poor and the needy. Verily know that when you pass away from the world, your pomp and glory, grief and joy will all pass away too. O man I be ever on the alert, for this short life thus quickly passes away, The way is a long one before you, and there at the end; the Lord will justly weigh all your actions. i<. WAD I A, PM• NOt 42488, DIAMOND MERCHANT, GRANT ROAD, BOM8AY,

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18 THE IRAN LEAGUE QUARTERLY tact. Merit and goodness nobody will lend you there ; the warder there will not accept any bribe for your release. Beware O man: never give preference to this corruptible body of clay over the pure and beautiful soul. Be sure that except through righteous deeds bhe Bridge of Chinwat can never be crossed. At the head of the Bridge the angelic judges Meher and Rashnu will fairly observe your actions good and bad. If you wish to be angelic be one of the righteous, wound not the heart and soul of any one with your harsh words. For, in every one both good and evil oo-exist. Free of blemish and defeot is only the Lord. Think of the world more like a wayside inn from whenoe you have to depart without unpacking your kit. Aot well there and unpack the load, for, trouble and evil and harm will eventually be cast off. And thus also has been said that every one will think and meditate where this final abode is going to be. Let him think ' Whence have I come ? Why have I come here ? Who am I-thus fashioned ? Whence have I come and whither shall I go ? What is my duty and responsibility in thus world? ' You should be able to answer thus: 'I know this much that I have come from the Creator, from the Realm of Light, To dig out the roots of falsehood and evil, I have come from the one Lord to this world. And onoe again I shall return to the Lord, to my original abode, like a drop returning to the ocean. rrhe Lord of Truth and Righteousness wants this from me that I shall always exert and never remain ignorant and foolish.' Mohandes has versified the contents of the valued Admonitions of Anushiravan. As his object was simply to versify the context, the wise Will of course not find fault with this poem.

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($ ~ij\.. . t . r _,...;..1., k... ,=: ... ;I•: 'if"~I JI J C:,,=?-0 .i )' P .ARSIS-A PEOPLE OF THE BOOK (Translated into Persian from English by Prof. M. ' A. Mazendy] (Continued from the June issue) .,;\ o,)\.; ~t.:,\ r• ,~\ ~!J.~ ~ti.\:.O .1, 4) ~-::' "~ J! L..1. ~;t~ r u~" .J.tJ(-;A Jt . .; s.~l.H ...r; .... \ o.>.!).;(,);1.., ~;. .. _;.. ~\..,-\ ~!\ .:..!. \) I.;. ul:,.1 Ju:.<; f rl, '-:.,1.;, \ , A -'i) J4i 4; ~!l=!"' ~;bL~ tJ.r' .. \ ,.J*' .) J> j\ I.S.;f }:,; J o.!.5" J-' J :> .;.o-i ii_\ : .;! ~ (P J "-' J.ci l:> <.S \.J! ; I J .w;.. \""' \ ~ \ )J .. \ ~..,.. ~.:J..,:d; .,, ,J.;.;\ .. J t':i:r>uJ=:-(.$sl.;(: ... ~.).., .. (.$)\ J uJ i..\! 0.., .. \ t) J ~) J ""; J 1.::,; 41:_.o \; o: b "r; ""lti.t~ ;) J \; <~""'\Jl:.)\;\\~~,.,A}\;s:.~:'utll ~~!. ... u..\..:..;(':'.:L; J JI~'-"'}\!)\;\ i..\~ Jl.;.. t) 4} ; .... to.~ t1 0 \ .. j 0t .. 111 ; ;) t .. 1 .)..:.! t ... ; .;.!:.: ... ~.J_ .. ul:.o;.) J> \ .) , .) .;.. u l• \ ; ) \ .);\ " .J.:!.S J:! I; \ i..\> • .:.J I .J., .1:_.. ( i.\;,) J~ u.H;s:. •)\~ t.;b.o \! <.Si..\!i..\.D .. o.)\~ .. !i..\:'' . .P \)!\ f.SJ) LJ'.\ j\ ) o.) yJ .:., ~.;, t.... J ~~;;-..:..... J<;..> c\S::.ia \,) l.o ,) J! o .;=!'t.!..c .., • .;t1.:... tJ~ J' .., ., J~I i.!.-:>..;\ r;iL, '-"' J-~ 111aj1 c...aJt;s:. J),;) .,..=.: ... J _,bs:! j\ t i..\.!,~!\ c\~? o)., ... i ;\...!.:~ ,J.~\-l.!. J )~-! ':"'!\~ J .. i-r;ly:-u} ;)~; \ ->.; (;'i \ '-'> •J4 ;.) I; ,.:.J \ ..1, 4:sl~ ~\,; p, .; .... ~-.)""' ;) tS~ I u 1.,..,~ VA~;.) J..,.!.J ,'Y\ .... \ 4,} • .) J y-:,\ .i=:"" J .J.:f~i t~J ' of ~:oiri .. J p\~ .d~ ~I_,.;. Y V ~J ~lr, I; JJI ~\," ry\(.J1 -.i) J.) u) .,\~I J:.z,i; L~I.) VA .J_;.ll"':"~ J J~;I ,;-f., 1....:11: l)IJ) ;} .:.,':.Ji Jj "="'\:-f" .J..:-S tJ~J ( ~I ~.}) \ o \i' \ y CJ.).!. e.;i: ~) ":"'\~ J ..u\;JI .J:_(.,

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IRAN NAMA: VoL. II PROF. M. A. SausHTERY UNITED IRAN UNIFYING INFLUENCE OF LANGUAGE-continued CHOBASMIA .;,'..YJ y..)a.a )) )_,!,-::-9 o~i\y> OJ-:?-l~ ,j)_y> UJ,S\ Si)) (S\_yb Y :r) ,/ o)5 J.i i~ .... I o;J) )) J o..l.!i t9l /u\J~ij\.o O~)) J.;!..o) ..)._-... .,.!,, j)J;.. ~,. utkL ul .. ; J .,~ (.>)\! 4~~, ~-., _,. o ~.!, s-\.k .,-s:.~)1., s-~~ .;.. .... I '-'" )) (.> 1t~)Jt~ j I ~.,.:S\ ~::A)J-! \) \f\ c.:!l.!.;.. J} .~.!, Jj~ r~ • ...' ..).a" ;) J o~,F-tS\Jb .,;;-.!i j\ ~.!.~ .. ul.:.-SJ' tJ;~ J>I) J yl:S" ;-' J.,~~\ ul~;Y.I ol.o~" -1i) -'! J.,..,.'. r..:i--., t'J~-J ~I A:> J.r.;.f o;J) Lf I u\(~;.!,l! t ..).-~.,.:~.o 4-:J\.;l..\ 0,} 4f' 4.:-9Lzll J T ,..).i)_Y. uk.o.~ lfl ;) UJAI.} o)J) ''="'V' ul.oj ~b ~n\;\ JA'-' BACTRIANA AND ITS EVENTFUL HISTORY Jlt' 4~ u.,.:S\ ., .i.).!,~ ~y.,y.,;.? )) Jp' t, _ _,:;..4 f ;,-!,,!", Jl;=: , ) ,;.)..,.1 , S l.o ..JA:--( )' ..).~ ~J., ) l: .... .,, ) ) .... \ uL:...iW\ .. J!I_; .... \ :> JI ~j t:l.o ufl ;:> ;b •J-:-ti ~I .~ ~1., ul.!.>~ .;t.!i ul J.;.!, 4.!, .,( )) .... , ul..1.I rLo.; ~..,~ ., .;~ ; ~\;~ '":""""'I ..).;)-'4:' ";"'""'\ ~;~i ~l! l,r:.J.::i--\!., )J~ J_ . ..., ... lfl

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THE _ADVICE OF EMPEROR NOUSHIRVAN A PoEM BY MIRZA MoBSEIN MoBA NDFsE-DAsrnARDI. [Mirza Mohsein Mohandes was born at Dastgard in Ispahan in 1266 Shamsi. He is however a Bakhtiari by descent, and so has written some beautiful poems in the Luri dialect. Notwithstanding his great ta1ent he remains a tiller of the soil.] u\JJ~-(~11.,J~f.SJ-~juY:" S u\J.S c....'4 J i.)J • .1. '';Ji~,.,~ t:,L.j j\ i..\:?J::-i ~-' ~J ,:if'. L:5 j\ ,.}.~~ • .,..)( i.51 t u~.4-~.!, .l-! cl:i ;~ u~j ~ S J.) ~_..l.;~; ] -' .r _; ul!. J j\.,) j\ )J.r.~ ~-sulJ;.) >-:; f 4'. ,.l) ., ~!lr-;I t ul!. pi..\~ v" .l! u~j J s ..)!.i 4! u4~ ..)( .,1 jl Jl! ., "''1 J'.):, 64 if'.J> ~-.) J~ i..\:~ j ~. _;~r. '7J ..,-J -4~ i..\:l! 4_).;r .) 17 ul.) ;~ .t. .) J. J-c. <.5! ~I__,:; .:,\..'.. .) J .. J 01 ""'~J .. ., 0l(,). ., ul;.,.,,-! ~;S' I~ r:.!.l( J.) j:/li .J! i..\~ J j ) t<-., ~!" jl ..l.i) J-:.(; .,> o~ i..\.!.l~ ;\ ul.c-~-' ;;.'6 •J.f~ ul~ c!L .. ., .ii ., u-' ll!.:i. • i..\it.. r, ' .,; J.1~.) ~: ... •;1,../li t ~\ '-'") '1J: .. ,. (!U .. J~ I i.\.!.:-9 r:-'..1; J y,1 .,1 j' ft i..\~..,(! _;J..,.-\ &~I f ul ....

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!"'T' 1~ r\r\r.,1"":'TC;:~ crr1 r t: ,:-!' •\ '1'T I';)" ;sf f' s wt'! C\~ .,(' 1.,., J r jfi ' j s, 1•J r P (fc ~-:{ S .,ry ( ysi 1.-,.• \.)~ ' ,:r I i,4: r \ J j!':'P l!'f .i •r s' C ( f. i., !;f' { f-1( f f ~': :;., <~(' ... r1,...r .,....::,r:, r~'l ~y.-fiy, :E,sc( .r) ... "!:)'\~--::'~tT5"ri ,,c ,:<'iy, ., --o(l'r !~'1r., ~,c • ;r ,,,r ;"(' c 1H \(' .. .,.Jr( ( ,;f:,, -,:.<( \: ,., ,, ..::~( C n fie[ :5 C • !;l? .... ~.. .r CJ f ~t 'r :! )' wy .;.. :( \r"I f !;~r, 1,!ac\ :~ 'ltT <' (.iJ r.,, \.-:"c,r ":VI;.., ~fer lt-1 .... :-, .rcJ r .J.,.,.( :-. ~,,...-:T" • • 1 1 • • ;(' \ M" \ (\ .::< \( (.' .f{'""' * * s ., i' ';'J ( -c,•r !;\';'j f .~cf: ;'IC\S' \Pf ~( ( ~('• \(.' ,,.{$') .. ~(.' . {c 1'c!"c ,-=, r~-r• \~ ~(.' .J 1wriJ ( ,r . (r," er.., .. J'1rrr (1 r-fi

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THE IRAN LEAGUE EST, 1922, Aims and Objects. To renew anci continue the connection between the old land of Iran and Hind ; to continue and encoura,rn fraternal sentiment towards and interest and entbusiai:;m in the came of Persia; to confederate the Zoroastrian popula~ion in Peri-ia with a view to increase, to ameliora.t , e their condition and to stnve for their uplift ; to make r ... searches with r1fere11ce to their religion and ancient Parsi history ; to sti111uhtte commncial relations with Per~ia; to encourage Pal'sis to visit the old land, as businessmen or as travellers, for change of climate and health ; to ohtain and spread among Parsis and others, by mea_ns of literature, authl-'ntic information regarding the state of affairs in Persia;_ to secure the llympathy of the Imperial Persian Government aud the Persian subjects towarus the cause of Parsh; in relatiou to Persia. President : Sir Hormusji C. Adenvala, Kt., M.v.o., o.B.E, Vice-Presidents : D. J. Irani, Esq.1 BA., LL.B. l Solicitors. F. K. Dadac11anji. Esq., B.A., LL.B. The Hon. Sir H. M. Mehta, Kt. P. D. Marker, Esq. V. A. Taraporevala, Esq., F.R.I.B.A. Patrons: Sir Hormusji C.Adenvala, Kt.' M. v.o., O.B. F., Pirojsli aw R. Vakharia, Esq. Ruttonji F. Ginvala: Esq. Mrs. Dhunmai F. Arjani. Pes'1otanji LJ. j]arker, Bsq. S. R. Bomonji, Esq. The Hon. Sir H. M. :Mehta, Kt. Khan Bahadur R. Pestonji. Hon, Patron: H. H. Sir S. M. S. Aga Khan, o.c.1.E., o.c.s.1., o.c.v.o., K.c.1.E., &c. Secretary: Hon. Au'ditors: Kaikhosro A. Fitter, Esq. Messrs. D. A. D umasia & Co. Hon. Treasurer: Editor of the Quarterly: Phiroze S. Guzder, Esq. Sohrab J. Bulsav arEsq:-; -g;. I I ~-""'-..,,--.--A""-f Office : Kamar Bldg., Cowasji Patel Street, ~~rt, Bombay.

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, . ! ( HE~ VY REDUCTION In Chry~Ier-PLYMOUTH Car's Pri es. . In March l933t the prices of Chrysler-PLYMOUTH si x s e dan, / model "PC", 107 inch wheelbase with five wirewh e els was/ Rs. 5,250/-., P resent reduced price from Rs. 3,595L (A REDUCTION of Rs. 11655/ -j;) ,; Special sed a n, 108 " wheelbase with six wirewhe e ls on fender s . .. Rs. 3,775/,-:.:~t1~9;).,,Deluxe, 112'' wheelbase with six wirewheels on ~ :-~-. : ,-~i~-~ ~ > 1 ,.--: 'fe~ders ; free wheeling , automatic clutch Rs. 4,250/ -/ < i}tf} .. / :irncORD MOTOR TRAVELLING ON . i-;..\if','. ' ~. I , . ''i' ~ ~';:( .. Itt_~1: < Chrysler-PLYMOUTH Car . . .: :"'..-..; ~:~--..... ..::. .'-f' . •• , .• , ~:."'\ :._.;,' rl ~!'-~" t--. CALCO TA to LONDON and BACK Mr. Nicholas Boonin of Messrs. Bird & Co., Calcutta, / '. travelled on his two seater Chry.sler-PLYMOUTH. car ;and completed his home journey and returned to Calcutta in the ; record time of 35 : days covering 24,000 miles without being.'let . down even once. . ... I : Why not you buy . _ one at the present exceptionally lpw 1 price and see what Chrysler-PLYMOUTH does for you? . :_ /; :1 \~, ' \ l' ( { L Snle Age nts: / • i 1 -~MB .. L\.Y: CYCLE & MOTOR AGENCY LTD. ; 534, SANDHURST BRIDGE, 130:MBA Y, 7. .~ELEPHONEi ---_YCLOSTERS.1 ' Sa•anches: LAHORE & AHME~ABA~. 40585, / Edited by Sohra~ Janfshedji Bulsara, M.A:, published ~Y K~i~ho~hro Ardeshir Fitt f Becretary, the Iran League, at Kamar Bldg., Cowasji Patel St., Forl, Bombay, a t printed by Hosang T. Anklesaria, at the Fort Printing Press, 11 Parsi Bazar S Fort, Bombay. ' I I d