Arya (Iran)

Arya was a name used by people in Iran long ago, even before Islam. Iranians called themselves Arya, meaning they were part of a special group. This name was linked to their family roots, language, and the god they worshipped named Ahura Mazda.

At that time, being Arya also meant belonging to a place called Eran Shahr, which means "Aryas' land." Arya was different from Anarya, a word for places and people who were not part of their group.

Later, after Islam came to Iran, people stopped using Arya much. But during a time called the Iranian Renaissance, the name Eran returned, referring to a larger area known as Greater Iran. Today, the word Iranian comes from Eran, which itself came from the older name Arya.

Origin and delineation of the term

See also: Aryan and Indo-Iranians

The word Arya, used by ancient Iranian people, likely comes from an older language called Proto-Iranian. People in Ancient India also used this word in their sacred writings called the Vedas.

The Proto-Indo-Iranian people were travelers who lived in the wide grasslands of Eurasia during the Middle Bronze Age. Over time, these groups split into different cultures. Some moved into India and became known as Indo-Aryans, while others moved into areas we now call Greater Iran. In Greater Iran, the Arya developed their own special identity. Their sacred book, the Avesta, tells stories of their beginning, their kings, and their belief in a supreme being named Ahura Mazda. These stories helped them feel united as a group.

Avestan period

See also: Avestan period

The Avesta, a collection of important writings for Zoroastrianism, is our main source for learning about old Iran. The places mentioned in the Avesta show that the Aryas lived in the eastern parts of Greater Iran. Scholars believe the Avesta was written over many centuries, mostly before the 5th century BCE, because it does not mention the Persians or Medes.

The Avesta uses the word Arya to describe the people. It appears in many forms, such as airyia (singular) and airyas (plural). One important place name is Airyanem Vaejah, meaning "the Arya expanse." Another name, Aryoshayana, refers to areas around northern Afghanistan and Tajikistan. The Avesta also talks about the lands of the Aryas and their neighbors, like the Turyas from beyond the Oxus river.

The Avesta tells stories of the Aryas and their enemies, the Turyas. These tales became important in later Iranian books and helped shape Iranian identity. The hero Kavi Xosrau is remembered for defeating a Turyan king with the help of the Aryas. These stories are also found in famous Iranian epics like the Shahnameh.

Achaemenid period

During the Achaemenid Empire, the name Arya was first written down. Kings like Darius the Great and Xerxes I used this name in their writings. These writings showed that Arya meant more than just a name; it was linked to language, family ties, and religion.

One important writing by Darius, called the Behistun inscription, called the Old Persian language "Arya." It also talked about the important god Ahura Mazda. Darius and Xerxes called themselves "Arya" to show their family history and cultural roots. Historians like Herodotus mentioned that an old name for the Medes was Arioi, meaning Aryas.

Hellenistic and Parthian period

See also: Ariana

When the Achaemenid Empire ended, Alexander the Great took over, and Greater Iran became part of the Hellenistic world. This helped Greek writers learn more about these lands. A Greek scholar named Eratosthenes wrote about these places. The historian Strabo mentioned this work in his own book Geographica. They talked about a place called Ariana, home to the Aryas, covering much of eastern Greater Iran.

Later, the Parthian period began when the Iranian Parthians took control. They brought back some Iranian traditions and mixed in Greek culture. During this time, the name Arya was still used, especially in a place called Bactria, to refer to the Bactrian language. This shows that the name Arya stayed important for describing Iranian languages.

Sassanian period

See also: Iran (word)

During the Sassanian period, Iranian culture and religion became very strong. Important leaders and religious figures helped shape this time. The word Arya was used in many ways, showing links between leaders and religion.

Arya was often used with another term, Mazdayasna, showing how politics and religion worked together. Later, Arya became part of names like Eran and Eran Shahr, which meant "king of kings of the Aryas" and "king of kings of the dominion of the Aryas." Over time, these words changed from being linked to people to being seen as place names.

Islamic period

See also: Shu'ubiyya and Iranian Intermezzo

After the Islamic conquest of Iran, people stopped using the word Arya and its related forms. This may have happened because these words were thought to be linked to the old Zoroastrian religion.

In the 9th century, Iranian people felt new pride, and local leaders took power. Words like Eran and Eran Shahr became popular again, but they were used to describe places, not people. The Persian word irâni (meaning "Iranian") came from the word irân ("Iran"). This Persian word replaced Arya and became the name for Iranian people, influencing the English word "Iranian" and similar words in other languages.

Modern period

See also: Iranian nationalism

In modern times, Iran started to look more at its history before Islam. This happened as Iranian nationalism grew. In 1935, Reza Shah, who started the Pahlavi dynasty, changed the country's name in international letters from Persia to Iran. Later, his son Mohammad Reza Pahlavi used the title Aryamehr (meaning "light of the Arya" in Persian). This brought back the old name Arya after many years since the Sassanian period.