Touraj Daryaee - Profile on Academia.edu (original) (raw)
Books by Touraj Daryaee
Afshar Pub, 2013
This book is a collection of articles dealing with Cyrus the Great
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system,... more All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of the pulishers.
This book is a translation of the Middle Persian work on Chess and Backgammon
Cyrus the Great: An Ancient Iranian King, Afshar Publishers, 2013.
Excavating an Empire: Achaemenid Persia in Longue Durée, Mazda Publishers, Costa Mesa, 2014
World History, A Concise Thematic Analysis
The Explanation of Chess and Backgammon (Middel Persian Text)
Iranians on the Silk Road
Spirit of Wisdom – Essays in Memory of Ahmad Tafazzoli
Shahrestaniha i Eranshahr: A Middle Persian Text on Late Antique Geography, Epic and History
Scholars and Humanists: Letters of W.B. Henning & S.H. Taqizadeh
Sasanian Iran: Portrait of a Late Antique Empire
Sasanian Persia: The Rise and Fall of an Empire
The Oxford Handbook of Iranian History
The Oxford Handbook of Iranian History
Papers by Touraj Daryaee
Discourse, Power Issues, and Images: Transversal Studies on the Reigns of Yazdgird I and Wahram V, 2023
With the reign of Yazdgird I (399-420 ), there was new shi in the religio-political vision of ... more With the reign of Yazdgird I (399-420 ), there was new shi in the religio-political vision of Ērānšahr. is change was felt so strongly that it echoed in both the Xwadāy-nāmag tradition and the various religious inspired texts of the Zoroastrians, Jews and Christians. e twenty odd years of Yazdgird I's rule was a-typical compared to the previous period in terms of religious policies. is is especially true for its dealings with Christianity in the fih century , as this religion gained traction in Eurasia. Up to the beginning of the fih century , one could call the relations between the Kings and its imperial apparatus vis-à-vis the religious communities, outside of the Zoroastrian tradition, as a sort of 'Rough Tolerance.' 1 By rough tolerance it is meant that there was the existence of intermittent violence against these minority religions to keep them in check. Rough Tolerance allowed the Sasanian Empire to rule over a diverse group of people and religious communities. It made sure that these communities abide by the rulers set by the Zoroastrian empire to manage the Jewish, Christian and other religious communities within Ērānšahr. To understand this change in policy by Yazdgird in relation to the non-Zoroastrian community of his empire, more specifically the Jews and the Christians, we must briefly look at the dynamics of religious and imperial interaction. Yazdgird I vision of himself as a pacifist within his own realm is clear from the new legend which he adopted on his coins,
Das achaimenidisch persische Imperium, ed. J. Degan, Springer , 2025
This essay is a historiography of Achaemenid Studies
Afshar Pub, 2013
This book is a collection of articles dealing with Cyrus the Great
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system,... more All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of the pulishers.
This book is a translation of the Middle Persian work on Chess and Backgammon
Cyrus the Great: An Ancient Iranian King, Afshar Publishers, 2013.
Excavating an Empire: Achaemenid Persia in Longue Durée, Mazda Publishers, Costa Mesa, 2014
World History, A Concise Thematic Analysis
The Explanation of Chess and Backgammon (Middel Persian Text)
Iranians on the Silk Road
Spirit of Wisdom – Essays in Memory of Ahmad Tafazzoli
Shahrestaniha i Eranshahr: A Middle Persian Text on Late Antique Geography, Epic and History
Scholars and Humanists: Letters of W.B. Henning & S.H. Taqizadeh
Sasanian Iran: Portrait of a Late Antique Empire
Sasanian Persia: The Rise and Fall of an Empire
The Oxford Handbook of Iranian History
The Oxford Handbook of Iranian History
Discourse, Power Issues, and Images: Transversal Studies on the Reigns of Yazdgird I and Wahram V, 2023
With the reign of Yazdgird I (399-420 ), there was new shi in the religio-political vision of ... more With the reign of Yazdgird I (399-420 ), there was new shi in the religio-political vision of Ērānšahr. is change was felt so strongly that it echoed in both the Xwadāy-nāmag tradition and the various religious inspired texts of the Zoroastrians, Jews and Christians. e twenty odd years of Yazdgird I's rule was a-typical compared to the previous period in terms of religious policies. is is especially true for its dealings with Christianity in the fih century , as this religion gained traction in Eurasia. Up to the beginning of the fih century , one could call the relations between the Kings and its imperial apparatus vis-à-vis the religious communities, outside of the Zoroastrian tradition, as a sort of 'Rough Tolerance.' 1 By rough tolerance it is meant that there was the existence of intermittent violence against these minority religions to keep them in check. Rough Tolerance allowed the Sasanian Empire to rule over a diverse group of people and religious communities. It made sure that these communities abide by the rulers set by the Zoroastrian empire to manage the Jewish, Christian and other religious communities within Ērānšahr. To understand this change in policy by Yazdgird in relation to the non-Zoroastrian community of his empire, more specifically the Jews and the Christians, we must briefly look at the dynamics of religious and imperial interaction. Yazdgird I vision of himself as a pacifist within his own realm is clear from the new legend which he adopted on his coins,
Das achaimenidisch persische Imperium, ed. J. Degan, Springer , 2025
This essay is a historiography of Achaemenid Studies
Navigating the Worlds of History , 2024
این مقاله درباره کشاکشی است که درباره تاریخ ماد وجود دارد
ستوده نامه, 2005
Two notes on the Mythical Geography of Iranians
Brill’s Companion to War in the Ancient Iranian Empires , 2024
It is rather difficult to outline the development of Iranian fighting forces from the earliest li... more It is rather difficult to outline the development of Iranian fighting forces from the earliest literary and archaeological evidence to the coming of the Muslims on the Iranian plateau. However, we can attempt to contextualise specific periods where developments and changes took place, from the first millennium BCE to the seventh century CE. One can point to several specific phases in the development of the Iranian army in ancient times, with new tactics and new forces. The first phase of what can be termed a distinctive Iranian military force, and its specific technology and weapons, can be identified with the Indo-European Iranians.1 The Sintashta Culture is usually associated with the first signs of Iranian presence on the Russian steppes. What is striking is the importance of two-wheeled chariots, which were most probably used for movement and combat in this Indo-Iranian culture.2 There are large numbers of such chariots which were buried in this region, providing some of the earliest clues on the use of chariots in the third millennium BCE.3 Indo-Iranian poetics also provide us with some of the most complete descriptions of chariots, their parts, and their use in terms of racecourse competition and winning,4 as metaphorically used in the oldest stratum of Iranian poetic tradition in Yasna 30.10,5 where men achieve glory and imperishable fame.6 The chariot also appears metaphorically when the movement of the sun is likened to the ritual chariot race.7 In the Avestan hymn to Mithra (X.76), the chariot (raθa-) and charioteer (raθi-) are well attested, as in the reference to 'good horses and a good chariot-driver' .8 The term for 'warrior' in Indo-Iranian is derived from raθaēštā, which means 'one who stands on the chariot' .
Iranian Studies, 1998
This is a review of articles on the Sasanians in the Encyclopaedia Iranica till 1998
Deciphering the Illegible Festschrift in Honour of Dieter Weber, 2024
This essay discusses the place of the owl in the Zoroastrian tradition and argues that it was con... more This essay discusses the place of the owl in the Zoroastrian tradition and argues that it was considered a beneficent animal.
Navigating the World of History: Robert Rollinger Festschrfit, 2024
This paper discusses the maximalist-minimalist approach to the kingdom of the Medes, and argues t... more This paper discusses the maximalist-minimalist approach to the kingdom of the Medes, and argues that Scythian invasion impacted Median ideology and world-view
Shapur Shahbazi Memorial Volume, 2024
پزوهنده نامه باستان یادنامه دکتر ابوالفضل خطیبی, 2024
This articles discusses the reason why Tahmures is given knowledge of writing in the Iranian trad... more This articles discusses the reason why Tahmures is given knowledge of writing in the Iranian tradition
Religion in den Bergen: Sakrale Orte, Heiligtumer, Performanz, Mythos und Altagsleben, 2023
How did the story of Arash the Archer of the Aryas/Iranians impact Iranian historical tradition? ... more How did the story of Arash the Archer of the Aryas/Iranians impact Iranian historical tradition? Can we read Arash's shot from one mountain to another in other historical documents/inscriptions?
Electrum, 2002
This essay discusses the use of Avestan geographical concepts in royal propaganda in the Achaemen... more This essay discusses the use of Avestan geographical concepts in royal propaganda in the Achaemenid and the Sasanian period
The Cambridge History of Socialism, 2023
Sasanian Studies I, 2022
This essay proposes a new connection between the Sasanians and the past dynasties on the Iranian ... more This essay proposes a new connection between the Sasanians and the past dynasties on the Iranian Plateau
The World of Alexander in Persepective, 2022
This essay discusses the importance of Alexander's visit to the tome of Cyrus the Great
The End of Empires, 2022
In this essay, I look at some of the issues that caused the Sasanian Empire to lose its strength ... more In this essay, I look at some of the issues that caused the Sasanian Empire to lose its strength and stability in the face of the invaders from the south. In order to understand the structural weaknesses that appeared at the end of the Sasanian Empire, we should briefly view how such a large kingdom was able to maintain itself for more than four centuries, something that was never to be repeated by any other centralized power in the Near East, until the Ottoman Empire. The Sasanian Empire was known as Ērānšahr (Kingdom of the Iranians).
The Xwarrah and the Sēnmurv:: Zoroastrian Iconography on Seventh Century Copper Coinage
The Construction of the Past in Late Antique Persia
Historia, 2006
L’expansion de l’empire sassanide est souvent vue comme une renaissance de l’empire achemenide. N... more L’expansion de l’empire sassanide est souvent vue comme une renaissance de l’empire achemenide. Neanmoins, les inscriptions sassanides ne se placent pas dans le lignage achemenides, ce qui a conduit a penser que ceux-ci avaient ete oublies. L’A. revient sur cette position : plusieurs indices montrent que les Sassanides connaissaient le passe achemenide, mais, placant leur legitimite dans une historiographie religieuse avestique, ils ont prefere se situer dans le lignage de la dynastie Kayānide.
Persianate Contribution to the Study of Antiquity: E'temad Al-Saltaneh's Nativisation of the Qajars
Iran, 2016
This essay discusses the contribution of the Iranians to the understanding of their own past and ... more This essay discusses the contribution of the Iranians to the understanding of their own past and how the Qajars attempted to place themselves within the ancient history of their realm. The first Iranian archaeological excavations and study of monuments and history are analysed and it is concluded that the choice of the Arsacid empire as an ancestor of the Qajars was part of their efforts to become nativised and connected with Iran's distant past.
Vicino Oriente, 2019
This essay discusses several Iranian copper coins with Christian symbols and slogans in the conte... more This essay discusses several Iranian copper coins with Christian symbols and slogans in the context of the transition period from Sasanian to Islamic Iran in the 7 th century CE. It is suggested that these coins demonstrate the power of the local Christian community in the province of Pārs and their ability to mint these coins which were circulated in the local economy. It appears that the Christians were able to mint coins, either with the invasion of the Roman Emperor, Heraclius in the late 620s, or during the period of Arab Muslim conquest. While the first possibility would suggest the capability of the Christians to mint coins in a time of chaos in Ērānšahr, the latter choice suggests the working of the local Christian community with the conquerors in the province of Pārs.
This essay discusses the shifts brought on the Iranian Plateau by the founder of the Sasanian Emp... more This essay discusses the shifts brought on the Iranian Plateau by the founder of the Sasanian Empire, Ardaxšīr ī Pābagān, in the third century CE. I contend that these structural changes in rule, religion, physical boundaries, and political propaganda ushered in a new period in Iranian and Middle Eastern history that coincides with the period of Late Antiquity.
A Note on the 'Great King of Armenia
From Terror to Tactical Usage
The Parthian and Early Sasanian Empires, 2016
Abstracta Iranica, 2010
Ce document a été généré automatiquement le 26 septembre 2020. Tous droits réservés Thèmes : 6.1.... more Ce document a été généré automatiquement le 26 septembre 2020. Tous droits réservés Thèmes : 6.1. Zoroastrisme « Indo-European Elements in the Zoroastrian Apocalyptic Tradition ». The Clas...
Studia Litteraria, 2019
This paper discusses bees as noxious creatures in the Zoroastrian animal classification system an... more This paper discusses bees as noxious creatures in the Zoroastrian animal classification system and the problem of honey for consumption in the Iranian world. The mention of honey as the production of evil being not only appears in Zoroastrian literature, but also in early Persian histories where primordial king Tahmures is hand this beneficial product for use. The name of the demons in this Persian text associated with honey suggests a long tradition of association of honey with the daivas or fallen gods of the ancient Iranian world. Eventually, in the early Islamic period honey was allowed for use, but with certain restrictions.
Choice Reviews Online, 2014
The paucity of rivers in Persia has been noticed by many travellers in the country...'-Blanford 1... more The paucity of rivers in Persia has been noticed by many travellers in the country...'-Blanford 1873: 494 'Rivers, in such parts of their courses as have not actually been followed or surveyed, I have indicated by broken lines-; the number of which will illustrate the extent to which there is still need for the explorer's services'-Curzon 1892: 71 Potts 2 again, in memory of the late Shapur Shahbazi, an Achaemenid scholar of renown whose interests extended to all matters concerned with the Persian Empire.
Iranian Studies, 2016
The objective of this study was to determine the effects of different sources of fatty acids on t... more The objective of this study was to determine the effects of different sources of fatty acids on the performance and liver activity indices of Holstein cows during the transition period. Thirty-five cows were randomly assigned (from 21 days prepartum to 21 days postpartum) to 5 dietary treatments consisting of a diet containing palm oil (T1) as control, CLA fat supplement (T2), extruded flaxseed (T3), mixes of CLA fat supplement and extruded flaxseed(T4), and sesame oil and sesame meal (T5). The amounts of dry matter intake and milk yields were measured daily and milk composition was measured weekly. Blood samples were collected weekly to determine the concentration of plasma parameters. Feed intake, milk yields and milk composition were generally similar among treatments (P>0.05). Among blood parameters, the levels of urea and total protein affected by treatment in postpartum (P <0/05). The concentration of total protein in group T3 was higher than group T1. The urea concentration in group T5 was higher as compared with group T3. Amount of aspartate aminotransferase in prepartum had a significant tendency between treatments (P<0.1) and the highest amount was observed for group T1. The results of this study showed that CLA supplementation and extruded flaxseed increased total protein and reduced blood urea and has a beneficial effect on the health of the liver during the transition period.
Persia and the West: an archaeological investigation of the genesis of Archaemenid art
Choice Reviews Online, 2001
Preface The geography of the Persian Empire. Cyrus in Australia architecture sculpture the monume... more Preface The geography of the Persian Empire. Cyrus in Australia architecture sculpture the monumental arts, genesis and function otherarts.
Ethnic and Territorial Boundaries in Late Antique and Early Medieval Persia (Third to Tenth Century)
Frontiers in Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, 2005
1 Gherardo Gnoli, The Idea of Iran: An Essay on its Origin (Rome, 1989). Aman Allah Ghoreyī, Irā... more 1 Gherardo Gnoli, The Idea of Iran: An Essay on its Origin (Rome, 1989). Aman Allah Ghoreyī, Irān-Nāmak, Negareī now be Tārīx va nām-e Iran (Tehran, 1994), has discussed the same issue in a more general manner. In 1994, the second biannual conference of ...
Quaternary Science Reviews, 2015
We present a high-resolution (sub-decadal to centennial), multi-proxy reconstruction of aeolian i... more We present a high-resolution (sub-decadal to centennial), multi-proxy reconstruction of aeolian input and changes in palaeohydrological conditions based on a 13,000 yr record from Neor Lake's peripheral peat in NW Iran. Variations in relative abundances of refractory (Al, Zr, Ti, and Si), redox sensitive (Fe) and mobile (K and Rb) elements, total organic carbon (TOC), δ 13 C TOC , compound-specific leaf wax hydrogen isotopes (δD), carbon accumulation rates and dust fluxes presented here fill a large gap in the existing terrestrial paleoclimate records from the interior of West Asia. Our results suggest that a transition occurred from dry and dusty conditions during the Younger Dryas (YD) to a relatively wetter period with higher carbon accumulation rates and low aeolian input during the early Holocene (9,000-6000 yr BP). This period was followed by relatively drier and dustier conditions during middle to late Holocene, which is consistent with orbital changes in insolation that affected much of the northern hemisphere. Numerous episodes of high aeolian input spanning a few decades to millennia are prevalent during the middle to late Holocene. Wavelet analysis of variations in Ti abundances as a proxy for aeolian input revealed notable periodicities at 230, 320, and 470 years with significant periodicities centered around 820, 1,550, and 3,110 years over the last 13,000 years. Comparison with palaeoclimate archives from West Asia, the North Atlantic and African lakes point to a teleconnection between North Atlantic climate and the interior of West Asia during the last glacial termination and the Holocene epoch. We further assessed the potential role of abrupt climate change on early human societies by comparing our record of palaeoclimate variability with historical, geological and archaeological archives from this region. The terrestrial record from this study confirms previous evidence from marine sediments of the Arabian Sea that suggested climate change influenced the 3 termination of the Akkadian empire. In addition, nearly all observed episodes of enhanced dust deposition during the middle to late Holocene coincided with times of drought, famine, and power transitions across the Iranian Plateau, Mesopotamia and the eastern Mediterranean region. These findings indicate that while socioeconomic factors are traditionally considered to shape ancient human societies in this region, the influence of abrupt climate change should not be underestimated.
Zoroastrianism under Islamic Rule
The Wiley Blackwell Companion to Zoroastrianism, 2015
Pomegranate: The International Journal of Pagan Studies, 2012
Holocene Abrupt Climate Change Over NW Iran: The Hand That Rocked The Cradle Of Civilization?
ABSTRACT Human civilizations around the globe have been influenced by abrupt climate change throu... more ABSTRACT Human civilizations around the globe have been influenced by abrupt climate change throughout the Holocene. The paucity of high-resolution palaeoclimate data from the &quot;Cradle of Civilization&quot; in West Asia, however, has limited our ability to evaluate the potential role of Holocene climate variability on early societies. We present a high-resolution, multi-proxy reconstruction of aeolian input and palaeoenvironmental conditions based on a 13-kyr record of ombrotrophic (rain fed) peat from Neor Lake in Northwest Iran. Variations in relative abundances of major and trace elements, total organic carbon (TOC), stable carbon isotopes of TOC (δ 13 C TOC) and compound-specific leaf wax hydrogen isotope (δD) compositions suggest dry and dusty conditions prevailed during the Younger Dryas, and a substantial increase in atmospheric dust loading and decrease in moisture availability occurred between the early and late Holocene. In addition, variations in radiogenic Sr-Nd-Hf isotopic composition and REE anomalies in samples from Neor peat core indicate significant shifts occurred in source contributions of eolian material to the study area between the Younger Dryas, early and late Holocene. Time-series analysis of aeolian input to NE Iran reveals periodicities at 540, 1050 and 2940 years that correspond with solar variability and internal climate feedbacks identified in other records of Holocene climate change from the northern hemisphere. Transitions in major Mesopotamian and Persian civilizations, including the collapse of the Akkadian empire at 4,200 yr BP, the fall of the Ur III empire at 3,955 yr BP, the fall of Elam empire at 2,500 yr BP and the demise of the Achaemenids around 2,280 BP overlap with major dust events from this study. Several other episodes of enhanced atmospheric dust, however, are not reflected in historical or archaeological accounts of the late Holocene. This indicates either abrupt climate change was not the sole driver of societal changes in the region, or that historical records of these events are incomplete.
The Oxford Handbook of Iranian History
... The Safavids in Iranian History (1501???1722), 285 Kathryn Babayan 13. The Afghan Interlude a... more ... The Safavids in Iranian History (1501???1722), 285 Kathryn Babayan 13. The Afghan Interlude and the Zand and Afshar Dynasties (1722???95), 306 Kamran ScotAghaie 14. ... Kamran Aghaie received his PhD in history from the University of California, Los Angeles. ...
Journal of Persianate Studies, 2010
Journal of Persianate Studies, 2013
This essay discusses the impact of xwēdōdah or consanguine marriages, sanctioned by the Zoroastri... more This essay discusses the impact of xwēdōdah or consanguine marriages, sanctioned by the Zoroastrian tradition on the population during a time of religious dialogue, and proselytizing in Ērānšahr (600-800 CE). I believe that advocacy for such a type of marriage was intensified in particular periods in Iranian history, namely the third century, when the Manichaeans challenged Zoroastrianism; and more importantly in the 6th century when Christianity became a major threat; and finally in the eighth and the ninth centuries when state support for Zoroastrianism had collapsed and the Muslims were gaining numbers and becoming the new elite. It is asserted here that xwēdōdah had a practical purpose, which was to keep wealth within the family and the community at a time when conversion threatened the survival of Zoroastrianism.
This is my Medieval Persia syllabus
مارلیک
مصاحبه ایی درباره ایرانشهر
یلدا، شب چلّه و آذرجشن زرتشتی کهنترین یادکرد نام یلدا را میتوان در کتاب «آثارالباقیه» بیرونی ... more یلدا، شب چلّه و آذرجشن زرتشتی
کهنترین یادکرد نام یلدا را میتوان در کتاب «آثارالباقیه» بیرونی از سده چهارم و پنجم هجری یافت که یلدا یا «میلاد مسیح» را به نقل از مسیحیان خوارزم، از جشنهای مشترک مسیحیان ملکایی، یعقوبی و نسطوری و زمان آن را بیست و پنجم دسامبر میداند
Archaeology, 2008
An interview about the Darband Wall from late antiquity