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| Iranian Persians trace their linguistic roots to the ancient ] ] who arrived circa 2000-1500 BCE. Starting around 550 BCE, from the province of ], the ] spread their language and culture to other parts of the ] through conquest and assimilated local Aryan and ] groups over time. This process of assimilation continued in the face of ], ], ] and ] invasions and continued right up to Islamic times.<ref name="Iran in Iranica"> Encyclopedia Iranica (July 25, 2005) (retrieved ] ])</ref> Numerous dialects and regional identities emerged over time and Persian speakers tended to identify themselves mostly based on the geographical location and not by 'ethnicity' in the modern Western sense. | Iranian Persians trace their linguistic roots to the ancient ] ] who arrived circa 2000-1500 BCE. Starting around 550 BCE, from the province of ], the ] spread their language and culture to other parts of the ] through conquest and assimilated local Aryan and ] groups over time. This process of assimilation continued in the face of ], ], ] and ] invasions and continued right up to Islamic times.<ref name="Iran in Iranica"> Encyclopedia Iranica (July 25, 2005) (retrieved ] ])</ref> Numerous dialects and regional identities emerged over time and Persian speakers tended to identify themselves mostly based on the geographical location and not by 'ethnicity' in the modern Western sense. | ||
| Persian-speakers, even under ], have shown a strong predilection towards urbanization and ]. Exiled communities in the ] and Europe have continued to maintain close ties with their families in Iran and are a source of Western influence. In addition, with the break-up of the former ], Persian speakers have also begun to foster closer cultural ties with closely related groups in the Caucasus including the ] and ] as well as ] in ], ] and ]. | Persian-speakers, even under ], have shown a strong predilection towards urbanization and ]. Exiled communities in the ] and Europe have continued to maintain close ties with their families in Iran and are a source of Western influence. In addition, with the break-up of the former ], Persian speakers have also begun to foster closer cultural ties with closely related groups in the Caucasus including the ] and ] as well as ] in ] and ]. | ||
| ===Related groups=== | ===Related groups=== | ||
Revision as of 08:22, 5 September 2008
This article is about the Persian speaking people, an ethnolinguistic group found mainly in Iran. For Central Asian Persian speakers, see Tajiks and Hazaras. For more information about Persians see Persian peoples and Persian empire. Ethnic group| Total population | |
|---|---|
| Approximately 55 million (including related/subgroups) 45 million to 60 million total Iranian population | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
 Iran | 50 million Including subgroups inside Iran |
| 1,186,140 | |
 United States | 800,000 |
 Turkey | 400,000 |
 UAE | 227,000 |
 United Kingdom | 130,000 |
 Canada | 121,505 (2006 Census) |
 Germany | 110,000 |
 Israel | 40,000 (125,000 to 250,000 arePersian Jews) |
 Qatar | 73,000 |
 France | 62,000 |
 Kuwait | 60,000 |
 Sweden | 60,000 |
 Russia | 50,242 |
 Philippines and  South Korea | 50,000 |
 Syria | 50,000 |
 Bahrain | 48,000Cite error: A <ref> tag is missing the closing </ref> (see the help page). |
 Greece | 20,000 |
 Australia | 18,000 |
 Denmark | 10,000 |
 Belgium | 6,000 |
 Norway | 6,000 |
 Italy | 5,910 |
 Finland | 2,000 |
| Languages | |
| Persian (Western dialect, in addition to regional varieties) | |
| Religion | |
| Predominately Shi'a Muslim, and small minorities of Sunni Muslims, Bahá'ís, Christians, Jews, and Zoroastrians. | |
The Persian speakers (local names: فارسیزبانان IPA: [fɒːrˈsi-zæbɒːnɒːn] or پارسیزبانان ); of Iran are a supra-ethnic group comprised of numerous regional peoples who speak the Persian language dialects and varieties. Iranian Persian speakers are also found in expatriate communities in bordering countries as well as the Persian Gulf states. Additionally, many expatriates reside overseas in North America (where many refer to themselves as ethnic 'Persians' or Iranians and Europe. Iranian Persians are typically characterized by their usage of the Persian language as their mother tongue and a common culture.
Iranian Persians trace their linguistic roots to the ancient Indo-European Aryans who arrived circa 2000-1500 BCE. Starting around 550 BCE, from the province of Fars, the ancient Persians spread their language and culture to other parts of the Iranian plateau through conquest and assimilated local Aryan and non-Aryan groups over time. This process of assimilation continued in the face of Greek, Arab, Mongol and Turkic invasions and continued right up to Islamic times. Numerous dialects and regional identities emerged over time and Persian speakers tended to identify themselves mostly based on the geographical location and not by 'ethnicity' in the modern Western sense.
Persian-speakers, even under theocratic governments, have shown a strong predilection towards urbanization and modernity. Exiled communities in the United States and Europe have continued to maintain close ties with their families in Iran and are a source of Western influence. In addition, with the break-up of the former Soviet Union, Persian speakers have also begun to foster closer cultural ties with closely related groups in the Caucasus including the Tats and Talysh as well as Central Asian Persian speaking people in Tajikistan and Afghanistan.
Related groups
Main articles: Tajiks, Farsiwan, Kizilbash, and Hazara peoplePersian speakers can also be found outside Iran and include the Tajiks and Farsiwan of Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Xinjiang province of China and Northern Pakistan. The Tajiks are descendents of various Iranian peoples, as well as numerous invaders. Tajiks and their cousins the Farsiwan have a particular affinity with Persian speakers in neighboring Khorasan due to historical interaction some stemming from the Islamic period.
Other smaller groups include the Qizilbash of Afghanistan and Pakistan who are related to the Farsiwan and Azerbaijanis. In the Caucasus, the Tats are concentrated in Azerbaijan, Armenia, and Russian Dagestan and their origins are traced to Sassanid merchants who settled in the region. In addition, the Hazara and Aimaq are ethnic groups of partial Persianized Mongol and Turkic origin.
History
See also: Persian people, Persian Empire, and History of IranThe Persian speakers are descendents of the Aryan (Indo-Iranian) tribes that began migrating from Central Asia into what is now Iran in the second millennium BC. The Persian language and other Iranian tongues emerged as these Aryan tribes split up into two major groups, the Persians and the Medes, and intermarried with peoples indigenous to the Iranian plateau such as the Elamites.
The ancient Persians from the province of Pars became the rulers of a large empire under the Achaemenid dynasty (Hakhamaneshiyan) in the sixth century BC, reuniting with the tribes and other provinces of the ancient Iranian plateau and forming the Persian Empire. Over the centuries Persia was ruled by various dynasties; some of them were ethnic Iranians including the Achaemenids, Parthians (Ashkanian), Sassanids (Sassanian), Buwayhids and Samanids, and some of them were not, such as the Seleucids, Ummayyads, Abbasids, and Seljuk Turks.
Language
Main article: Persian languageThe Persian language is one of the world's oldest languages still in use today, and is known to have one of the most powerful literary traditions, with formidable Persian poets like Ferdowsi, Hafez, Khayyam, Attar, Saadi, Nezami, Roudaki, Rumi and Sanai. By native speakers as well as in Urdu, Bengali, Turkish, Arabic and other neighboring languages, it is called Fārsī, and additionally Dari or Tajiki in the eastern parts of Greater Iran.
Persian is part of the Iranian sub-section of the Indo-Iranian branch of the Indo-European family of languages. Persian is a Western Dialect, and its speakers form the marjority in Iran. The Eastern speakers, also called Dari or Tajiki, form majorities in Tajikistan, and Afghanistan, and a large minority in Uzbekistan. Smaller groups of Persian-speakers are found in Pakistan, western China (Xinjiang), as well as in the UAE, Bahrain, Iraq, Kuwait, Oman and Azerbaijan.
Religion
Most Persian speakers in Iran are Shia Muslims, while some communities of Shia Sufis also exist. There is also a sizeable number of Sunni Muslims. Historically, some of the greatest Sunni Muslim scholars were Persian speakers or had Persian descent, including Abu Dawood, Al Muslim, Hakim al-Nishaburi,Salman the Persian, Al-Tabarani, Ghazali, Imam Bukhari, Tirmidhi, Al-Nasa'i and Abu Hanifa, amongst many others. There are also smaller communities of Zoroastrians, Christians, Jews, and Bahá'ís. Bahá'ís are the largest non-Muslim religious minority in the country. There are also Persian speakers who are atheist and agnostic. Also see religious minorities in Iran.
See also
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References
- ^ CIA - The World Factbook - Iran
- Country Briefings Economist.com, "Factsheet". Retrieved 2007-12-20.
{{cite web}}: Check|url=value (help) - American FactFinder
- ^ The Persian Diaspora
- Travel Video Television News - Iranians investing heavily in Dubai
- ^ Ethnologue report for language code:pes
- 2006 Canadian Census
- wo.org/Disporia.htm Iranian World Outreach - Iranian -speaking people outside of Iran
- The Persian Diaspora, List of Persians and Farsi Speaking Peoples living outside of Iran, Worldwide Outreach to Persians, Outreach to Muslims around the Globe
- 2054.0 Australian Census Analytic Program: Australians' Ancestries (2001 (Corrigendum))
- http://www.caritasroma.it/Prima%20pagina/Download/Dossier2006/scheda%20di%20sintesi%202006.pdf
- http://www.aljazeera.com/me.asp?service_ID=12883
- Lands of Iran Encyclopedia Iranica (July 25, 2005) (retrieved 3 March 2008)
- Iran :: Ethnic groups - Britannica Online Encyclopedia
- Stearns, Peter N. (ed.). Encyclopedia of World History (6th ed.). The Houghton Mifflin Company/Bartleby.com.
The Medes and the Persians, c.1500-559
- Bahman Firuzmandi "Mad, Hakhamanishi, Ashkani, Sasani" pp. 20
- Iran. The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition. 2001-05
- Bahman Firuzmandi "Mad, Hakhamanishi, Ashkani, Sasani" pp. 12-19
- BBC News - Afghan poll's ethnic battleground
- Federation Internationale des Ligues des Droits de L'Homme (2003-08). "Discrimination against religious minorities in IRAN" (PDF). fidh.org. Retrieved 2006-10-04.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=(help)
External links
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