The Iranian speaking people inhabited a large area which included a large swath of the Silk Road. Bactrians, Khwarzaminans, Sakas, Sogdians, Parthians and Persians were among the most important of these Iranians who traded and transported goods from China and India to the Eastern Mediterranean. They were also responsible for the spread of such religions as Zoroastrianism, Nestorian Christianity, Buddhism, Manichaeism and Islam throughout Asia. This book provides an overview of the Iranians and their contribution to the development of a vibrant trade and religious life in the first millennium BCE and the First Millennium CE.

Iranians on the Silk Road

History

Touraj, Daryaee

Khodadad, Rezakhani

Matteo Compareti

Ancient Civilizations

Afshar Publishing

<p>On the Explanation of Chess and Backgammon "W&#x12B;z&#x101;ri&scaron;n &#x12B; &#x10C;atrang ud Nihi&scaron;n N&#x113;w-Ardax&scaron;&#x12B;r" is a Middle Persian text concerned with the earliest story of the invention and rules of the games of chess and backgammon in the sixth century CE, during the rule of the great Sasanian king of kings, Khusro I (531-579 CE). These games along with polo and the hunt were part of princely or courtly education in ancient Iran which continued till the modern times. From Sasanian Iran these games made their way to Spain via the Muslims in the medieval period, and chess and backgammon have now become popular around the world.</p>

On the Explanation of Chess and Backgammon (Persian Text Series of Late Antiquity, 1)

The Shahnameh is Iran's national epic. It is a compendium of Iranian myths, legends, and history. Unlike other Indo-European epics, it is not about a war, like the Iliad, or an individual, like the Odyssey, Beowulf, or the Ramayana. The central character of the Shahnameh is Iran, which it glorifies both as subject and hero. Unlike other classical Indo-European epics, the Shahnameh is not in a dead language. It is intelligible to every speaker of Persian in Iran, Afghanistan, and Central Asia.  Following a brief survey of Iranian history from its beginning in the 7th century B.C. to Ferdowsi s time in the 11th century, this book provides a history of the poem and a biography of its author. It offers an explanation of the Shahnameh as a national icon and considers the implications of the poem for the present political tensions that mark Iran's relationship with the West.

Iran's Epic and America's Empire

Mahmoud Omidsalar

Middle East

<p>Cyrus is among the most impressive characters in the ancient world. From the Old Testament to Xenophon's Cyropaedia, ancient texts have made him to an example of tolerance and just kingship. Hailing from a small principality in southwest Iran, he rapidly rose to power, creating a world empire. The five articles included here, along with the English and Persian translation of his cylinder, provide a scholarly and readable exposition of one of the great figures of antiquity. Cyrus the Great's political career, monuments, religious practices and literary remains are all discussed in this concise and informative book.</p>

Cyrus the Great: An Ancient Iranian King

Pierre Briant

Irving Finkel

Ali Mousavi

Shahrokh Razmjou

Matthew W. Stolper

David Stronach

Speak Only of the Moon

Jalāl Al-dīn Rūmī

E.D. Blodgett

Manijeh Mannani

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Books by Afshar Publishing