Māzandarān Province

Infobox Iran Province
province_name = Mâzandarân
ostan_name = مازندران
مازرون
loc_

capital = Sari
latd = 36.5656
longd = 53.0588
pop = 2,920,657 [Iranian 2006 Census Website [http://www.sci.org.ir/portal/faces/public/census85/census85.natayej/census85.informationfile] (in Persian)]
pop_year = 2006
pop_density = 123.2
area = 23,701
sub_provinces = 16
languages= Tapurian (Gileki/Mazenderani)
Persian [http://www.tc.columbia.edu/students/sie/LCEjr05/pdfs/Borjian.pdf] Maryam Borjian - "Bilingualism in Mazandaran: Peaceful Coexistence With Persian.]

Mazandaran Based on Maz or Mazan Term: Mazandarani: مازرون Māzerūn, Persian: مازندران, _ru. Мазендириновская.
Based on Tapur Term: English: Tapuria, Arabic: Tabaristan, from Persian: Taparistan, itself from Pahlavi: Tapuristan
Mazandarani:Tapurana.(not prevalent)
Ancient Greek: Hyrcania comed from Local name Vergana (Persian Gorgan), Caspia from local name Kaspi, See Caspian Sea.
Avestan: Hverkana, and Verna.
Firdawsi called the Caspian region Gilan, so people refer to Caspian provinces as Gilan.
Note: It was also known as Al-Jannat by the Arabs, meaning paradise, during the 7-8th centuries. In the early 20th century, Reza Shah connected northern Elbourz to the southern slopes by constructing 7 new roads and railways, the provinces of Mazandaran and Gilan became known as Shomal by the Persians (meaning the North in arabic) but Mazandaranis object this nonsense term.] is a Caspian province in the north of Iran [Keddie, N. R.; 1968; The Iranian villages before and after land reform. Journal of Contemporary History, 3(3), 69-78.] . Located on the Southern coast of the Caspian Sea, it is bordered clockwise by Golestan, Semnan and Tehran provinces (together forming Greater Mazandaran, separated from Mazandaran respectively in 1997, 1976 and 1960 [Gwillim Law, Statoids website. [http://www.statoids.com/uir.html "Provinces of Iran"] . Retrieved on 28 August 2007; see also Provinces of Iran] ). The provinces of Qazvin and Gilan lie to the west. It is one of the most densely populated provinces in Iran [Statistical Centre, Government of Iran. See: [http://www.sci.org.ir/Englishold/SEL/F1/S1_4S.htm "General Characteristics of Ostans according to their administrative divisions at the end of 1383 (2005 CE)"] , [http://www.sci.org.ir/Englishold/SEL/j-shvro-84.htm "Population estimation by urban and rural areas, 2005"] ] and has diverse natural resources, such as large reservoirs of Caspian oil & natural gas [http://www.umz.ac.ir/en/about_mazandaran.asp University of Mazanderan] ] . The province's four largest counties are Sari, Behshahr, Babol, Amol, and Qaemshahr (All situated on the Mid-East)Census Results, 2006: Sari: 490.830, Babel: 464.535, Amel: 343.747, Shahi: 293.721.
[http://www.sci.org.ir/portal/faces/public/census85/census85.natayej/census85.informationfile Iranian 2006 Census Website, Information File] (in Persian)] . Found as province in 1937. Mazanderan was the 2nd modern province just after Gilan.
Its diverse nature and climate include plains, prairies, forests and jungles [Springer Netherlands; July 10, 2005; [http://www.springerlink.com/content/k433071013p53335/ Contributions to the knowledge of the useful plants and plant raw materials of Iran] ; ISSN 0921-9668 ] ranges from the sandy beaches to the rugged and snowcapped Elburz sierra [ [http://www.aftab.ir/english/iran/mpr.php Mazandaran, Geography & History] ] with the highest peak & volcano throughout Middle-East and Western Asia, Mount Damavand [http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-9032241/Elburz-Mountains "Encyclopedia Britannica", Entry for Elburz] ] which at the narrowest point (Nowshahr County) narrows to 5 miles and culminates less than 2 thousand meters from the coast.
A major producer of farmed fish in Iran and the neighbor regions [http://www.briancoad.com/Introduction/caspianseabasin.htm Freshwater Fishes of Iran] ; Revised: 12 July 2007] , Mazandaran is the leading economic base of agriculture & dish productions [http://www.britannica.com/ebc/article-9051626 "Encyclopedia Britannica", Entry for Mazandaran] ] , but also relies on the Tourism industry, as many tourists enjoy visiting the area. [ [http://www.irexpert.ir/Webforms/News/NewNewsDetail.aspx?EvID=20462] (Persian)] . The area also leads in biotechnology and civil engineering.
With the rich history , its human habitation of the area dates back at least 75,000 years. [ [http://www.iranmania.com/News/ArticleView/Default.asp?NewsCode=44503&NewsKind=Current%20Affairs Mazandaran setting up Iran's first cave museum] ; London; Saturday, July 22, 2006 by IranMania] [ [http://www.iran-daily.com/1385/2717/html/focus.htm IRAN Daily Caspian Region] ] . Recent excavations in Goher Tippe provide proof that the area has been urbanized for more than 5 thousand years of civilization, and this area is one of the most important historical sites of Iran [ [http://www.parthia.com/parthia_news_2005.htm#Jar_Burial Parthia News] , 2005, November 6.] and has played an important role in cultural flourishing and urban development of the region [ [http://www.payvand.com/news/07/aug/1067.html Payvand, 400 Historical Sites Discovered within 7 Days in Mazandaran] ] . Mazandaran was part of the ancient Hyrcanian Kingdom [http://depts.washington.edu/silkroad/texts/chardin/chardin.htm Chardin ] ] and former Kingdom of Tapuria [http://www.iranchamber.com/provinces/26_mazandaran/26_mazandaran.php Iran Chamber Society, Provinces of Iran:Province of Mazandaran] ] [http://www.iranian.ws/7000-3.htm] . Indigenous people of the region are ethnic Mazanderanis (Tapurians) [ [http://www.chnpress.com/tourism/Attractions/Mazandaran/ CHN Page for Mazandaran] ] , speaking a Caspian language which most resembles Gilaki and Sangiseri.

History

::"See Also:History of Tapuria"

Pre Islamic History

The region is known to have been populated from early antiquity, and Mazandaran has changed hands among various dynasties from early in its history. There are several fortresses remaining from Parthian and Sassanid times, and many older cemeteries scattered throughout the province. During this era, Mazandaran was part of Hyrcania Province which was one of important provinces.

With the advent of the Sassanid dynasty, the King of Mazandaran (Tabaristan and Padashkhwargar) was GushnaspMinorsky, V.; Vasmer, R. "Mazandaran" Encyclopaedia of Islam. Edited by: P. Bearman , Th. Bianquis , C.E. Bosworth , E. van Donzel and W.P. Heinrichs. Brill, 2007. Brill Online.] , whose ancestors had reigned in the area (under the Parthian empire) since the time of Alexandar. In 529-536 Mazandarn was ruled by Sassanid prince Kawus son of Kawadh. Anushirawan, the Sassanid king, put in his place Zarmihr, who claimed his ancestry from the legendary blacksmith Kaveh. This dynasty ruled till 645 A.D., when Gil Gawbara (a descendant of the Sassanid king Jamasp and a son of Piruz) joined Mazandaran to Gilan. These families had descendants who ruled during the Islamic period.

Post Islamic History

During the post-Islamic period the local dynasties fall into three classes: 1. local families of pre-Islamic origin, 2. the ʿAlid sayyid s, and 3. local families of secondary importance.

The Bawandids who claimed descent from Kawus provided three dynasties. The first dynasty (665-1007) was overthrown on the conquest of Tabaristan by the Ziyarid Kabus b. Wushmgir. The second dynasty reigned from 466/1073 to 606/1210 when Mazandaran was conquered by 'Ala al-Din Muhammad Khwarzamshah. The third ruled from 635/1237 to 750/1349 as vassals of the Mongols. The last representative of the Bawandids was killed by Afrasiyab Chulawi.

The Karinids claimed descent from Karin, brother of Zarmihr who was the pre-Islamic ruler under the Sassanids. Their last representative Mazyar was put to death in 224/839.

The Paduspanids claimed descent from the Dabyuids of Gilan (their eponym was the son of Gīl Gawbāra). They came to the front about 40/660 and during the rule of the ʿAlids were their vassals. Later, they were vassals of the Buyids and Bawandids, who deposed them in 586/1190. The dynasty, restored in 606/1209-10, survived till the time of Timur; one of its branches (that of Kawus the son of Kayumarth) reigned till 975/1567 and the other (that of Iskandar the son of Kayumarth) till 984/1574.

In 662 CE, ten years after the death of Yazdegerd III the last Sassanian Emperor, a large Muslim army under the command of Hassan ibn Ali (Imam Hassan, the second Shi'a Imam) invaded Tabarestan (Mazandaran as it was then called) Fact|date=September 2007 only to be severely beaten, suffering heavy losses to the forces of the Zoroastrian princes of the Dabboyid house. For the next two hundred years, Tabaristan maintained an existence independent of the Umayyad Caliphate which supplanted the Persian Empire in the early seventh century, with independent Zoroastrian houses like the Bavand and Karen fighting an effective guerilla warfare against Islam. A short-lived Alid Shiite state collapsed before the subsequent take-over by the Ziyarid princes. Mazandaran, unlike much of the rest of the Iranian Plateau maintained a Zoroastrian majority until the 12th century, thanks to its isolation and hardy population which fought against the Caliph's armies for centuries.

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thumb|left|The_resort_of_National_Iranian_Oil_Company,_near_Mahmoodabad.

During the Abbasid caliphate of Abou Jafar Al-Mansur, Tabaristan witnessed a wave of popular revolt. Ultimately, Vandad Hormoz established an independent dynasty in Tabaristan in 783Fact|date=February 2008. In 1034, Soltan Mahmoud Ghaznavi entered Tabarestan via Gorgan followed by the invasion of Soltan Mohammad Kharazmshah in 1209. Thereafter, the Mongols governed the region and finally were overthrown by the Timurid Dynasty. After the dissolution of the feudal government of Tabaristan, Mazandaran was incorporated into modern Persian Empire by Shah Abbas I in 1596. In the Safavid era Mazandaran was settled by Georgian migrants, whose descendants still live across Mazandaran. Still many towns, villages and neighbourhoods in Mazandaran bear the name "Gorji" (i.e. Georgian) in them, although most of the Georgians are already assimilated into the mainstream Mazandaranis. The history of Georgian settlement is described by Eskandar Beyg Monshi, the author of the 17th century Tarikh-e Alam-Ara-ye Abbasi, in addition many foreigners e.g. Chardin, and Della Valle, have written about their encounters with the Georgian Mazandaranis.

Before the reign of Nadir Shah, the province was briefly occupied by Russians in the aftermath of the Russo-Persian War, 1722-1723 and peacefully returned to Persia in 1735.

Geography and Population

Geography

Mazandaran is located on the Southern coast of Caspian Sea, it is bordered clockwise by Golestan, Semnan and Tehran provinces [Gwillim Law, Statoids website. [http://www.statoids.com/uir.html "Provinces of Iran"] . Retrieved on 2007-August-28. ; See Also: Provinces of Iran] ). Province also lies Qazvin and Gilan to the west. Mazandaran province is geographically divided into two parts: the coastal plains, and the mountainous areas. The Alborz Mountain Range surrounds the coastal strip and plains of the Caspian Sea like a huge barrier.

There is often snowfall during most of the seasons in the Alborz regions, which run parallel to the Caspian Sea's southern coast, dividing the province into many isolated valleys. The province enjoys a moderate, semitropical climate with an average temperature of 25 °C in summer and about 8 °C in winter. Although snow may fall heavily in the mountains in winter, it rarely falls around sea lines.

Population

The population of the province has been steadily growing during the last 50 years. The following table shows the approximate province population, excluding the Golestan province, which has separated as an independent province in 1998 [http://www.ostan-mz.ir/] .

The population is of Iranian stock with a large admixture of Turkic tribes (esp. the Turkomen), a sizable Armenian minority and Russian immigrants, mainly from former Soviet republics of Georgia (country), Turkmenistan and Azerbaijan. Mazandaran is still famous for its Arab or Turkomen horses brought over there.

Administrative Divisions

The province covers an area of 46,656 km². According to the census of 1996, the population of the province was 2,602,008 of which 45.89% were registered as urban dwellers, 54.1% villagers, and remaining were non-residents. Sari is the capital city of the province.

Mazandaran is divided into 15 shahrestans (approximately equal to counties). All the shahrestans are named after their administrative center, except Savadkooh. The following map shows the respective positions of the shahrestans.

Transportation

Roads

Mazandaran is connected to the capital of Iran, Tehran, through three transit roads of "Haraz" (Amol-Rudehen), "Kandovan" (Chalus-Karaj), and "Firouzkouh" (Qaem Shahr-Firouzkouh).

Airports

Dasht-e Naz Airport, serving the capital Sari, Noshahr Airport, and Ramsar Airport are the domestic airports that connect the province to the other parts of the country. There are some Hajj flights from Dasht-e Naz Airport as well.

Railway

Mazandaran is served by the North Railway Dept. of the Iranian Railways. The department connects the province to Tehran to the south and Gorgan to the east. The cities of Sari, Qaemshahr, and Pol Sefid are major stations of the department.

Culture

The culture of Mazandaran is closely related to that of neighboring Gilan (or Guilan) and similarities between the two are abundant. The peoples of the two provinces are largely secular or irreligious, and consequently women have had greater social freedom and independence than their Persian cousins. (Reference: "The Soviet Socialist Republic of Iran, 1920-1921: Birth of the Trauma" by Cosroe Chaqueri.)

The cuisine of the province is very rich in seafood due to its location by the Caspian Sea, and rice is present in virtually every meal. Indeed, the rest of Iran was introduced to rice through Gilan and Mazandaran. Before the 1800s, Persians, Kurds, and other Iranian ethnic groups used bread rather than rice as an accompaniment to their meals, though bread remains a prominent staple among them. While bread remains very popular among those groups, in Gilan and Mazandaran, rice remains the choice staple of the indigenous inhabitants.

Language

Mazanderani or "Tabarian" (Avestan:"Vernan"Fact|date=September 2007, Pahlavi:"Tapari"] ) is Northwestern Iranian language. Various Mazandarani's dialects exist which are spoken in Mazandaran province and the neighbour province Golestan such as Mazanderani, and Gorgani. Also, Qadikolahi (Ghadikolahi) and Palani may be dialects. Mazandarani mostly resemble Gilaki. Today, Mazandaranis also use Persian (Western Persian). The educated can communicate and read Persian wellGordon, R.G., Jr. (2005). Ethnologue: Languages of the World, 15th edition. (Dallas, TX: SIL International). Online version http://www.ethnologue.com ] .

In Literature

A region called Mazandaran is mentioned frequently in Persian epic Shahnameh, it is an area in north of Iran which is mostly inhabited by Div (demons). The legendary Iranian Shah Kaykavoos as well as the Iranian hero Rostam each take turn to go to Mazandaran in order to battle the demons.

A famous verse from Shahnameh is when Zal tells Kai Kavoos:

شنیدم یکی نو سخن بس گران ..........که شه دارد آهنگ مازندران

"I heard troubling news that the king is planning to go to Mazandaran"

However, this Mazandaran is not considered identical to the modern province of Mazandaran, and is instead a land to the west of Iran. The current province was simply considered a part of Tabaristan; the name Mazandaran is a later development, perhaps based upon local terminology [ [http://www.iranchamber.com/geography/articles/ancient_iran_geographical_position_shahnameh.php Iran Chamber Society: Geography of Iran: Ancient Iran’s Geographical Position in Shah-Nameh ] ] .

ignificant natives of Mazandaran

:"See Also List of Mazandaranis."Mazandaran has been home to many significant Iranian figures. These range from scholars and poets to politicians and actors. Perhaps the most notable Mazandaranian figure is Reza Shah Pahlavi who was born in Alasht, Savad Kooh, Mazandaran in 1877. Reza Pahlavi became the Iranian Shah from 1925 until 1941, when he was forced to relinquish his throne to his son.

Notable Mazandaranian poets include the modernist poet Nima Yooshij, the great late contemporary poet of Iran who was born in Yush, Mazandaran.

Mírzá `Abbás Núrí, father of Mirzá Husayan-Alí Núrí, known as Bahá'u'lláh, founder of the Bahá'í Faith, is a native of Núr (Noor) in Mazandaran.

"Interesting note: Being formerly part of the kingdom of Taparia or Tabaristan, two famous 9th-century Mazandarani scholars are from Mazandaran, both commonly called "al-Tabari" (An Arabic term meaning simply "from Taparia")."

Mazandaran today

Economy

Rice, grain, fruits, cotton, tea, tobacco, sugarcane, and silk are produced in the lowland strip along the Caspian shore. Oil wealth has stimulated industries in food processing, cement, textiles, cotton, and fishing (caviar).

Suitable environmental conditions, pleasant and moderate climate, beautiful natural landscapes, and proximity to Tehran, have led the province to be one of the main recreational and tourism areas of Iran.

Iran's Cultural Heritage Organization lists close to 630 sites of historical and cultural significance, hence a wealth of tourist attractions.

Colleges and universities

# Babol University of Medical Sciences
# [http://www.mazums.ac.ir/ Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences]
# University of Mazandaran
# [http://www.bust.ac.ir/ Behshahr University of Science and Technology]
# Islamic Azad University of Mazanderan ( [http://www.iausari.ac.ir/ Sari] , [http://www.iaubs.ac.ir/ Behshahr] ,Ghaemshahr, Babol, Amol, Chalus, Shahsawar, [http://www.iauneka.ac.ir/ Neka] )
# Imam Khomeini University for Naval Sciences
# [http://www.shomal.ac.ir Shomal University] Amol
# M.I.T. (Mazanderan Institute of Technology)

ee also

* Mazandarani people
* Maziar

References

External links

* [http://www.ostan-mz.ir/ Official website of Mazandaran Governorship]
* [http://www.iccim.org/english/Iran/mazandaran/ ICCIM's page on Mazandaran]
* [http://www.mazandaranmiras.ir/ Mazandaran Cultural Heritage Organization]
* [http://www.alihessami.com/photos/?view=mazandaran Mazandaran Tourism palaces]
* [http://www.mazandaranmet.ir/ Official website of Mazandaran Meteorology Organization]
* A Mazandarani folk-song sung by Shusha Guppy in the 1970s: [http://www.iranian.com/ram/Shusha/15.ram "Darling Dareyne"] .