Religion‌ and‌ Government‌ in‌ Sasanian‌ Era:‌ Introduction‌ to‌ Zarathustra’s‌ Political‌ Theology

The idea of Iran as a religious, cultural, and ethnic reality goes back as far as the end of the 6th century B.C.E. As a political idea, we first catch sight of it in the twenties of the 3rd century C.E. as an essential feature of Sasanian propaganda. Although, up until the end of the Parthian perio...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Mostafa Ensafi, Shoja Ahmadvand
Format: Article
Language:fas
Published: Shahid Beheshti University 2019-11-01
Series:رهیافتهای سیاسی و بین المللی
Subjects:
Online Access:https://piaj.sbu.ac.ir/article_99861_2b92a41aca633e8392a97cbd2d7a3c68.pdf
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1849763141098930176
author Mostafa Ensafi
Shoja Ahmadvand,
author_facet Mostafa Ensafi
Shoja Ahmadvand,
author_sort Mostafa Ensafi
collection DOAJ
description The idea of Iran as a religious, cultural, and ethnic reality goes back as far as the end of the 6th century B.C.E. As a political idea, we first catch sight of it in the twenties of the 3rd century C.E. as an essential feature of Sasanian propaganda. Although, up until the end of the Parthian period, Iranian identity had an ethnic, linguistic, and religious value, it did not yet have a political import. The idea of an “Iranian” empire or kingdom is a purely Sasanian one. Third-century Iran was shaken by a conflict between universalism and nationalism that was most clearly manifest in the religious and cultural sphere. The outcome of this conflict is well known: the traditionalistic and nationalistic impulses gained the upper hand, and Manichean universalism succumbed to the nationalism of the Zoroastrian Magi. Iranian identity, which up to that point had been essentially of a cultural and religious nature, assumed a definite political value, placing Persia and the Persians at the center of the Ērān-šahr, in other words, at the center of a state based on the twin powers of throne and altar and sustained by an antiquarian and archaizing ideology.
format Article
id doaj-art-ba640bc0819f4416a8afcfaff00f4f54
institution DOAJ
issn 1735-739X
2645-4386
language fas
publishDate 2019-11-01
publisher Shahid Beheshti University
record_format Article
series رهیافتهای سیاسی و بین المللی
spelling doaj-art-ba640bc0819f4416a8afcfaff00f4f542025-08-20T03:05:30ZfasShahid Beheshti Universityرهیافتهای سیاسی و بین المللی1735-739X2645-43862019-11-01111345710.29252/piaj.2019.9986199861Religion‌ and‌ Government‌ in‌ Sasanian‌ Era:‌ Introduction‌ to‌ Zarathustra’s‌ Political‌ TheologyMostafa Ensafi0Shoja Ahmadvand,1Allameh Tabatabayi UniversityAllameh Tabatabayi UniversityThe idea of Iran as a religious, cultural, and ethnic reality goes back as far as the end of the 6th century B.C.E. As a political idea, we first catch sight of it in the twenties of the 3rd century C.E. as an essential feature of Sasanian propaganda. Although, up until the end of the Parthian period, Iranian identity had an ethnic, linguistic, and religious value, it did not yet have a political import. The idea of an “Iranian” empire or kingdom is a purely Sasanian one. Third-century Iran was shaken by a conflict between universalism and nationalism that was most clearly manifest in the religious and cultural sphere. The outcome of this conflict is well known: the traditionalistic and nationalistic impulses gained the upper hand, and Manichean universalism succumbed to the nationalism of the Zoroastrian Magi. Iranian identity, which up to that point had been essentially of a cultural and religious nature, assumed a definite political value, placing Persia and the Persians at the center of the Ērān-šahr, in other words, at the center of a state based on the twin powers of throne and altar and sustained by an antiquarian and archaizing ideology.https://piaj.sbu.ac.ir/article_99861_2b92a41aca633e8392a97cbd2d7a3c68.pdfpolitical thoughtsasanianzoroastrianismpolitical theologyhegemony
spellingShingle Mostafa Ensafi
Shoja Ahmadvand,
Religion‌ and‌ Government‌ in‌ Sasanian‌ Era:‌ Introduction‌ to‌ Zarathustra’s‌ Political‌ Theology
رهیافتهای سیاسی و بین المللی
political thought
sasanian
zoroastrianism
political theology
hegemony
title Religion‌ and‌ Government‌ in‌ Sasanian‌ Era:‌ Introduction‌ to‌ Zarathustra’s‌ Political‌ Theology
title_full Religion‌ and‌ Government‌ in‌ Sasanian‌ Era:‌ Introduction‌ to‌ Zarathustra’s‌ Political‌ Theology
title_fullStr Religion‌ and‌ Government‌ in‌ Sasanian‌ Era:‌ Introduction‌ to‌ Zarathustra’s‌ Political‌ Theology
title_full_unstemmed Religion‌ and‌ Government‌ in‌ Sasanian‌ Era:‌ Introduction‌ to‌ Zarathustra’s‌ Political‌ Theology
title_short Religion‌ and‌ Government‌ in‌ Sasanian‌ Era:‌ Introduction‌ to‌ Zarathustra’s‌ Political‌ Theology
title_sort religion‌ and‌ government‌ in‌ sasanian‌ era ‌ introduction‌ to‌ zarathustra s‌ political‌ theology
topic political thought
sasanian
zoroastrianism
political theology
hegemony
url https://piaj.sbu.ac.ir/article_99861_2b92a41aca633e8392a97cbd2d7a3c68.pdf
work_keys_str_mv AT mostafaensafi religionandgovernmentinsasanianeraintroductiontozarathustraspoliticaltheology
AT shojaahmadvand religionandgovernmentinsasanianeraintroductiontozarathustraspoliticaltheology