Iranian History/Bibliography

Ancient Iran

Ancient pre-historic Iran

Ariai, A., and C. Thibault, 1975-77 "Nouvelles precisions à propos de l'outillage paleolithique ancient sur galets du Khorassan (Iran)," Paleorient 3, Pp. 101-8.

Biglari, F. and Shidrang, S. 2006 The Lower Paleolithic Occupation of Iran, Near Eastern Archaeology 69(3–4): 160-168

Biglari, F.2007 The Lower and Middle Paleolithic Occupations of Iran: A Brief Review, In Iran, Fragments from Paradise, pp.31-39, Instituto Nacional de Antropologia e Historia, Mexico City

Smith, P. 1986. Paleolithic archaeology in Iran (The American Institute of Iranian Studies Monograph 1). Philadelphia (PA): The University Museum

1. CHN report: Zayandeh Rood Civilization Linked to Marvdasht and Sialk, 30 August 2005
2. CHN report: Jiroft Inscription, Oldest Evidence of Written Language, 12 January 2006
3. CHN report: Sialk Ziggurat, the Oldest in the World, Iranian Archeologist". Accessed Jan 30, 2007. Link: [2]

The Achaemenids

The Medes and the Early Achaemenids

1. The Seven Great Monarchies of the Ancient Eastern World by George Rawlinson, M.A., Volume 2.
2. History of Zoroastrianism by Maneckji Nusservanji Dhalla, Oxford University Press, New York, 1938.
3. The Zend-Avesta Part I The Vendidad, Translated by James Darmesteter, Sacred Books of the East, Volume 4, Oxford University Press, 1880.
4. The Gospel of Zarathushtra by Duncan Greenlees, World Gospel Series
5. A. Kuhrt "The Cyrus Cylinder and Achaemenid imperial policy" in Journal of Studies of the Old Testament 25 pp. 83-97; R.J. van der Spek, "Did Cyrus the Great introduce a new policy towards subdued nations? Cyrus in Assyrian perspective" in Persica 10 pp. 273-285; British Museum, The Cyrus Cylinder. The most recent translation, based on the collation by Hanspeter Schaudig, can be found here.

The Era of the Three Dariuses

1. The Sculptures and Inscriptions of Darius the Great, E.A.Wallis Budge, Longmans and Co, 1907.
2. The Seven Great Monarchies of the Ancient Eastern World by George Rawlinson, M.A., Volume 2, The Fourth Monarchy -- Persia.

The Seleucids

1. The Seven Great Monarchies of the Ancient Eastern World by George Rawlinson, M.A., Volume 3, The Sixth Monarchy - Parthia.
2. The Seleucids By Józef Wolski, Polska Akademia Umiejętności, 1999.
3. The House of Seleucus By Edwyn Robert Bevan, 1902.
4. Judas Maccabaeus: The Jewish Struggle Against the Seleucids By Bezalel Bar-Kochva, 1989.
5. Persia II: From the Seleucids to the Sassanids By Vladimir Grigor'evich Lukonin, James Hogarth, 1971.
6. The End of the Seleucids By Alfred Raymond Bellinger, 1949.

The Parthians

The Early Parthians

1. The Seven Great Monarchies of the Ancient Eastern World by George Rawlinson, M.A., Volume 3, The Sixth Monarchy - Parthia.

The Later Parthians

1. The Seven Great Monarchies of the Ancient Eastern World by George Rawlinson, M.A., Volume 3, The Sixth Monarchy - Parthia.
2. India's Parthian colony: On the origin of the Pallava empire of Dravidia, Article by Dr. Samar Abbas, May 14, 2003,The Iranian

The Sassanians

The Early Sassanians

1. The Seven Great Monarchies of the Ancient Eastern World by George Rawlinson, M.A., Volume 3, The Seventh Monarchy -- The Sassanian or New Persian Empire
2. Karnamik-i-Ardashir or The Records of Ardashir from The Sacred Books and Early Literature of the East by Charles F. Horne, (New York: Parke, Austin, & Lipscomb, 1917), Vol. VII: Ancient Persia, pp. 225-253.
3. An Introduction to Manichaeism by Prods Oktor Skjaervo.
4. Richard Frye, The Heritage of Persia.

The Middle Sassanian Period 379-488 AD

1. The Seven Great Monarchies of the Ancient Eastern World by George Rawlinson, M.A., Volume 3, The Seventh Monarchy -- The Sassanian or New Persian Empire
2. Tales of the Punjab by Flora Annie Steel
3. The Mysteries of Mithra by Franz Cumont, Translated from the second revised French edition by Thomas J.McCormack, Chicago,Open Court[1903]
4. The Historical Interaction between the Buddhist and Islamic Cultures before the Mongol Empire by Alexander Berzin, 1996

Qobad I and the Two Khusros

1. The Seven Great Monarchies of the Ancient Eastern World by George Rawlinson, M.A., Volume 3, The Seventh Monarchy -- The Sassanian or New Persian Empire
2. The Reforms of Chosroes Anushirvan ('Of the Immortal Soul'), Excerpted from The History of Ancient Iran by Richard Nelson Frye.

Downfall of the Sassanian Empire

1. The Seven Great Monarchies of the Ancient Eastern World by George Rawlinson, M.A., Volume 3, The Seventh Monarchy -- The Sassanian or New Persian Empire
2. Causes of the Downfall of the Sassanian Empire, Article by Rashid Shahmardan from Vohuman.org.
3. An Historical and Descriptive Account of Persia from the Earliest Ages to the Present Time by James B. Fraser, Esq., Published by Oliver & Boyd, Edinburgh and Simpkin & Marshall, London, 1834.

Last Remnants of Sassanid Rule

1. Pirooz in China:Defeated Persian army takes refuge, Article by Frank Wong, August 11, 2000, The Iranian.

The Advent of Islam

The Islamic Conquest of Iran

1. Biography of Salman Al farsi. from Naqshbandhi Sufi website Naqshbandi.Org.
2. A.I. Akram, The Sword of Allah: Khalid bin al-Waleed, His Life and Campaigns, Nat. Publishing. House, Rawalpindi (1970) ISBN 0-7101-0104-X.
3. The Seven Great Monarchies of the Ancient Eastern World by George Rawlinson, M.A., Volume 3, The Seventh Monarchy -- The Sassanian or New Persian Empire
4. An Historical and Descriptive Account of Persia from the Earliest Ages to the Present Time by James B. Fraser, Esq., Published by Oliver & Boyd, Edinburgh and Simpkin & Marshall, London, 1834.

The Umayyad Caliphate

1. G.R. Hawting, The first dynasty of Islam: the Umayyad caliphate, AD 661-750 (London, 2000), 4.

The Age of Literary Accomplishments

1. The Gospel of Zarathushtra by Duncan Greenlees, Theosophical Publishing House, Adyar, Madras.
2. An Historical and Descriptive Account of Persia from the Earliest Ages to the Present Time by James B. Fraser, Esq., Published by Oliver & Boyd, Edinburgh and Simpkin & Marshall, London, 1834.
3. Pahlavi Texts, Part I: (SBE 5) The Bundahis, Bahman Yast and Shayâst Lâ-Shâyast, E.W.West, 1880.
4. Pahlavi Texts, Part II (SBE 18) The Dâdistân-î Dînîk and the Epistles of Mânûskîhar, E.W.West, 1882.
5. Pahlavi Texts, Part III (SBE 24) Dînâ-î Maînôg-î Khirad, Sikand-gûmânîk Vigâr, and the Sad Dar, E.W.West, 1885.
6. Pahlavi Texts, Part IV (SBE 37) Contents of the Nasks, E.W.West, 1892.
7. Pahlavi Texts, Part V (SBE 47) Marvels of Zoroastrianism, E.W.West, 1897.

Modern Iran

Ayatollah Khomeini and the Islamic Revolution

1. History of Iran, From Iran Chamber website.

Wikipedia Articles

• History of Iran
• Zayendeh Rud civilization
• Jiroft civilization
• Teppe Sialk