The ancestors of the Persians were a group of people called the Aryans. The name Aryan means Lords, or Noblemen, and it is the Old Persian root of the word Iran.
N.B. Cyrus the Great knew 2500 years ago that religion is Stronger than the State.
On 21 March 1935, Reza Shah the Great issued a decree asking foreign delegates to use the term Iran in formal correspondence in accordance with the fact that Persia was a term used for a country identified as Iran in the Persian language. It has however contributed more to the Iranian people than others, particularly its language. Opponents claimed that this act brought cultural damage to the country and separated Iran from its past in the West (see Iran naming dispute). The name Iran means “Land of the Aryans”.
Members of the Persian intelligentsia were not happy with this decree, seeing a pro-Nazi motive behind it.[4] After Dr. Hjalmar Schacht, the Nazi Economics minister, commented on the Aryan origin of Persians, Reza Shah's ambassador in Germany encouraged him to issue the above-mentioned decree, asking all foreign delegates to use the word "Iran" as used by Iranians inside the Iran (meaning "Land of the Aryans") instead of "Persia" in formal correspondence.[5]
As the New York Times explained at the time,
"At the suggestion of the Persian Legation in Berlin, the Tehran government, on the Persian New Year, March 21, 1935, substituted Iran for Persia as the official name of the country. In its decision it was influenced by the Nazi revival of interest in the various Aryan races, cradled in ancient Persia. As the Ministry of Foreign Affairs set forth in its memorandum on the subject, 'Perse', the French designation of Persia, connoted the weakness and tottering independence of the country in the nineteenth century, when it was the chessboard of European imperialistic rivalry. 'Iran', by contrast, conjured up memories of the vigour and splendour of its historic past."[6]
A few years later some Persian scholars also protested to the government that changing the name of the country in Western languages had separated the country from its past and its culture.
To avoid confusion between the two neighboring countries: Iran and Iraq, which were both involved in WWII and occupied by the Allies, Winston Churchill requested from the Iranian Government during the Teheran Conference for the old and distinct name "Persia to be used by the United Nations [i.e., the Allies] for the duration of the common War." His request was approved immediately by the Iranian Foreign Ministry. The American side, however, continued using "Iran" as it had at the time little involvement in Iraq to cause any such confusion.
In 1949 Mohammad Reza Shah announced that both "Persia" and "Iran" could officially be used interchangeably.[7][8] Nowadays both terms are common; "Persia" mostly for historical and cultural texts, "Iran" mostly for political texts.
In August 1941, the Allied powers Britain and the Soviet Union occupied Iran by a massive air, land, and naval assault subsequently forcing Reza Shah to abdicate in favour of his son (see also Persian Corridor).
The Shah received with disbelief, as a personal humiliation and defeat, news that fifteen Iranian divisions had surrendered without much resistance. Some of his troops dispersed and went home, while others were locked up in their barracks by the Allies.
The British left the Shah a face-saving way out:[49]
“ Would His Highness kindly abdicate in favour of his son, the heir to the throne? We have a high opinion of him and will ensure his position. But His Highness should not think there is any other solution. ”
The invasion was allegedly in fear that Reza Shah was about to align his petroleum-rich country with Nazi Germany during the war: However, Reza Shah's earlier Declaration of Neutrality and refusal to allow Iranian territory to be used to train, supply, and act as a transport corridor to ship arms to Russia for its war effort against Germany, was the strongest motive for the allied invasion of Iran. Because of its importance in the allied victory, Iran was subsequently called "The Bridge of Victory" by Winston Churchill.[50]
The Shah's son, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, officially replaced his father on the throne on September 16, 1941. Reza Shah was soon forced into exile by the British forces to British territories, first to Mauritius, then to Durban thence Johannesburg, South Africa, where he died on July 26, 1944, of heart ailment from which he had been complaining for many years. (His personal doctor had boosted the King's morale in exile by telling him that he was suffering from chronic indigestion and not heart ailment. He lived on a diet of plain rice and boiled chicken in the last years of his life) He was sixty-six years old at the time of his death.
What are you waiting for a Catalyzer, 12th Imam, US, UK, EU, Russia or China to do the job that were meant to do Ourselves in order to Free the land of the Cyrus the Great ?
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Cyrus The Great
by Ardeshir Ariana on Sat Jun 27, 2009 06:23 AM PDTCYRUS (Gr. Klipos; Pers. Kuru-sh; Babyl. Kurash; Hebr. Koresh), the Latinized form of a Persian name borne by two prominent members of the Achaemenid house.
With respect, I don't give a
by Manoucher Avaznia on Mon Jun 08, 2009 11:22 PM PDTWith respect, I don't give a fluke what others have called my homeland: Iran. Iran is the word derived from the word "Araan" that is Kurdish (the first Aryan people who established a central goverment in the Plateau of Iran). The word mean "fire's" that was the place where people used to respect fire. Historcally, it is is a known fact that Iranians have respected and worshipped fire for a long time before the coming of Islam, There were many places with important fireplaces in the land of the Iranians of which three locations are notable: Aazagoshamansb in Fars (near Estakhr by the Naghshe Rostam)), Aazarbarzeen Mehr in Khoraasaan (perhaps in Neishaboor); and another Aazarfranghbagh in Aazabaayeejaan (Sheez near Salmaas). We are all Iranians weather Pesian or not. We have always been Iranians and will remain Iranians however not within the present political frameworkd of Iran. Persian is a great language and official language of Iranians; not the only languange, and it is one of the great means to consolidate our common political and cultural heritage as Iranians as it is its religion and way of government. This has historic applications and implications. Let's be Iranians as we are; not Persians as others want to imply and divide us into numerous rival enthic entities in order to seek their interests.