Located in the Straits of Hormuz, the island of Qeshm has had a tumultuous history. Qeshm: The Hi... more Located in the Straits of Hormuz, the island of Qeshm has had a tumultuous history. Qeshm: The History of a Persian Gulf Island is the first serious, book-length study of the island’s history.
From the fourteenth century onward, the island was an important dependency of the Kingdom of Hormuz, often providing drinking water to Hormuz. The island remained critical as a source of water and foodstuffs for the Portuguese, beginning in the early-sixteenth century. Throughout the seventeenth century, Qeshm remained a bone of contention between Portugal, the Dutch and the English East India Companies. Later, it was a coveted tile in the mosaic of Persian Gulf domination aspired to by the Soltans of Oman, despite the pretensions of the Qajar court. The natural resources of Qeshm include salt, the purest in the Persian Gulf, naphtha, and firewood. From Nader Shah’s naval ambitions to the commercial competition of the early-twentieth century, Qeshm features in innumerable mini-crises, both local and international. In 1935 the British abandoned their coaling station on the island at the insistence of Reza Shah.
Qeshm’s history stands in stark contrast to the popular image of this staid, somewhat sleepy island. This book, brilliantly researched by two of the foremost scholars of Iranian history, is essential reading for anyone interested in a region whose strategic, political, economic and financial importance continues to grow.
Foreword xi The Island 1 Description 1 Name 4 Earthquakes 6 Population and Settlements 9 The Towns 15 Brukht 16 Laft 17 Qeshm Town 23 Basidu 29 The Economy 51 Trade 56 Natural Resources 74 Salt 74 Sulfur and Red Oxide 82 Sponges 85 Oil Drilling 86 Banishment or Internal Exile 92 History and Administration 95 Earliest history 95 Hormuz Kingdom 102 Qeshm Debacle and Fall of Hormuz (1621) 107 Safavid Period 115 Attack on Qeshm 118 Gulf Arabs Rivalry 124 Portuguese intermezzo 132 EIC and Afghan troubles 137 Afsharid Period 143 Banu Ma`in, Molla Ali Shah and Qawasem Fighting Over Qeshm 155 Zand Period 177 The Persian-Omani Conflict 182 Omani Period 187 The Omani claim to Qeshm 205 Omani rule challenged 215 Qajar Period 222 Pahlavi Period 233 Modern Institutions 235 Customs 235 Police 241 Gendarmerie 243 Education 244 PTT 244 Medical Situation 245 The Basidu Affair 249 Appendix I 279 Earthquake on Qeshm 1884 279 Appendix II 291 Biography of Mo`in al-Tojjar 291 Appendix III 295 Report on the salt caves and mines and trade in salt 295 Appendix Iv 299 Diary of a Journey through the Districts of Minow, Shamil, and Kow Gunow During the Month of August, 1873 299 Bibliography 321 Index 347
Originally delivered as the Biennial Ehsan Yarshater Lectures, Aspects of Kinship in Ancient Iran... more Originally delivered as the Biennial Ehsan Yarshater Lectures, Aspects of Kinship in Ancient Iran is an exploration of kinship in the archaeological and historical record of Iran’s most ancient civilizations. D. T. Potts brings together history, archaeology, and social anthropology to provide an overview of what we can know about the kith and kinship ties in Iran, from prehistory to Elamite, Achaemenid, and Sasanian times. In so doing, he sheds light on the rich body of evidence that exists for kin relations in Iran, a topic that has too often been ignored in the study of the ancient world.
As a class, portraits of Persians who travelled to the West during the Safavid and early Qajar pe... more As a class, portraits of Persians who travelled to the West during the Safavid and early Qajar period (early 17th-early 19th century) have received little attention. This book brings together, for the first time, twenty-nine images — drawings, paintings, etchings, lithographs and even a silhouette — of Persians, done in Boston, Geneva, London, Paris, Prague, Saratoga Springs, St. Petersburg, Vienna and Washington DC, between 1601 and 1842. Some of the subjects were high-ranking individuals who were members of the élite class while others were from modest backgrounds. All were on a mission of one sort or another and portraiture, in the days before photography, commemorated their visits to distant capitals, offering us a rare glimpse at the dress, accoutrements and regalia worn by these visitors to foreign lands. Subjects of fascination for both contemporary artists and a well-informed public, intrigued by all things Persian and able to follow the movements of these travellers in the European and American press, the sitters in these works left an indelible mark in the consciousness of Western observers, only a few of whom ever journeyed themselves to the Land of the Lion and the Sun.
D.T. Potts is Professor of Ancient Near Eastern Archaeology and History at the Institute for the Study of the Ancient World, New York University. His lifelong fascination with and love of Iranian history and archaeology began with his first visit to Iran in 1973 and has led him to work on a wide range of topics ranging in time from prehistory to the modern era. He is the author of The Archaeology of Elam: Formation and Transformation of an Ancient Iranian State (Cambridge, 1999, 2nd ed. 2016) and Nomadism in Iran: From Antiquity to the Modern Era (Oxford, 2014). He was also the editor of The Oxford Handbook of Ancient Iran (Oxford, 2013) and Agreeable News from Persia: Iran in the Colonial and early Republican American Press, 1712-1848 (Springer, 2022).
The island of Khark was an important link in Persian Gulf navigation, supplying passing ships wit... more The island of Khark was an important link in Persian Gulf navigation, supplying passing ships with water, victuals, and pilots for ships sailing to and from Basra. This was why the Arabs called Khark “the Mother of Skippers” (Umm al-Rubbaniyan). Through the ages, Khark has also been a place of pilgrimage: in Sasanian times, due to the presence of an early Christian church and monastery, and in Islamic times, because of the presence of the tomb of Mohammad al-Hanafiyya. In the eighteenth century, the Dutch made the island their center of trade in the Persian Gulf, and by the nineteenth century the island was dubbed “the most important strategic point in the Persian Gulf,” reason why the British occupied it twice. Although by 1900 the island had lost its strategic importance, it acquired it again after the 1950s, when the National Iranian Oil Company decided to make Khark its main terminal for the export of crude oil. Later, chemical factories were added to the island’s economic make-up. As a result, Khark’s name is now better known around the world than it was ever previously, but the history has remained untold. This book tells the whole story, from the early archeological evidence and the Islamic and Safavid periods, to the Dutch projects in the eighteenth century and the British in the nineteenth century. And in the end, how the traditional way of life ended and industrialization began.
Located in the Straits of Hormuz, the island of Qeshm has had a tumultuous history. Qeshm: The Hi... more Located in the Straits of Hormuz, the island of Qeshm has had a tumultuous history. Qeshm: The History of a Persian Gulf Island is the first serious, book-length study of the island’s history.
From the fourteenth century onward, the island was an important dependency of the Kingdom of Hormuz, often providing drinking water to Hormuz. The island remained critical as a source of water and foodstuffs for the Portuguese, beginning in the early-sixteenth century. Throughout the seventeenth century, Qeshm remained a bone of contention between Portugal, the Dutch and the English East India Companies. Later, it was a coveted tile in the mosaic of Persian Gulf domination aspired to by the Soltans of Oman, despite the pretensions of the Qajar court. The natural resources of Qeshm include salt, the purest in the Persian Gulf, naphtha, and firewood. From Nader Shah’s naval ambitions to the commercial competition of the early-twentieth century, Qeshm features in innumerable mini-crises, both local and international. In 1935 the British abandoned their coaling station on the island at the insistence of Reza Shah.
Qeshm’s history stands in stark contrast to the popular image of this staid, somewhat sleepy island. This book, brilliantly researched by two of the foremost scholars of Iranian history, is essential reading for anyone interested in a region whose strategic, political, economic and financial importance continues to grow.
Foreword xi The Island 1 Description 1 Name 4 Earthquakes 6 Population and Settlements 9 The Towns 15 Brukht 16 Laft 17 Qeshm Town 23 Basidu 29 The Economy 51 Trade 56 Natural Resources 74 Salt 74 Sulfur and Red Oxide 82 Sponges 85 Oil Drilling 86 Banishment or Internal Exile 92 History and Administration 95 Earliest history 95 Hormuz Kingdom 102 Qeshm Debacle and Fall of Hormuz (1621) 107 Safavid Period 115 Attack on Qeshm 118 Gulf Arabs Rivalry 124 Portuguese intermezzo 132 EIC and Afghan troubles 137 Afsharid Period 143 Banu Ma`in, Molla Ali Shah and Qawasem Fighting Over Qeshm 155 Zand Period 177 The Persian-Omani Conflict 182 Omani Period 187 The Omani claim to Qeshm 205 Omani rule challenged 215 Qajar Period 222 Pahlavi Period 233 Modern Institutions 235 Customs 235 Police 241 Gendarmerie 243 Education 244 PTT 244 Medical Situation 245 The Basidu Affair 249 Appendix I 279 Earthquake on Qeshm 1884 279 Appendix II 291 Biography of Mo`in al-Tojjar 291 Appendix III 295 Report on the salt caves and mines and trade in salt 295 Appendix Iv 299 Diary of a Journey through the Districts of Minow, Shamil, and Kow Gunow During the Month of August, 1873 299 Bibliography 321 Index 347
Originally delivered as the Biennial Ehsan Yarshater Lectures, Aspects of Kinship in Ancient Iran... more Originally delivered as the Biennial Ehsan Yarshater Lectures, Aspects of Kinship in Ancient Iran is an exploration of kinship in the archaeological and historical record of Iran’s most ancient civilizations. D. T. Potts brings together history, archaeology, and social anthropology to provide an overview of what we can know about the kith and kinship ties in Iran, from prehistory to Elamite, Achaemenid, and Sasanian times. In so doing, he sheds light on the rich body of evidence that exists for kin relations in Iran, a topic that has too often been ignored in the study of the ancient world.
As a class, portraits of Persians who travelled to the West during the Safavid and early Qajar pe... more As a class, portraits of Persians who travelled to the West during the Safavid and early Qajar period (early 17th-early 19th century) have received little attention. This book brings together, for the first time, twenty-nine images — drawings, paintings, etchings, lithographs and even a silhouette — of Persians, done in Boston, Geneva, London, Paris, Prague, Saratoga Springs, St. Petersburg, Vienna and Washington DC, between 1601 and 1842. Some of the subjects were high-ranking individuals who were members of the élite class while others were from modest backgrounds. All were on a mission of one sort or another and portraiture, in the days before photography, commemorated their visits to distant capitals, offering us a rare glimpse at the dress, accoutrements and regalia worn by these visitors to foreign lands. Subjects of fascination for both contemporary artists and a well-informed public, intrigued by all things Persian and able to follow the movements of these travellers in the European and American press, the sitters in these works left an indelible mark in the consciousness of Western observers, only a few of whom ever journeyed themselves to the Land of the Lion and the Sun.
D.T. Potts is Professor of Ancient Near Eastern Archaeology and History at the Institute for the Study of the Ancient World, New York University. His lifelong fascination with and love of Iranian history and archaeology began with his first visit to Iran in 1973 and has led him to work on a wide range of topics ranging in time from prehistory to the modern era. He is the author of The Archaeology of Elam: Formation and Transformation of an Ancient Iranian State (Cambridge, 1999, 2nd ed. 2016) and Nomadism in Iran: From Antiquity to the Modern Era (Oxford, 2014). He was also the editor of The Oxford Handbook of Ancient Iran (Oxford, 2013) and Agreeable News from Persia: Iran in the Colonial and early Republican American Press, 1712-1848 (Springer, 2022).
The island of Khark was an important link in Persian Gulf navigation, supplying passing ships wit... more The island of Khark was an important link in Persian Gulf navigation, supplying passing ships with water, victuals, and pilots for ships sailing to and from Basra. This was why the Arabs called Khark “the Mother of Skippers” (Umm al-Rubbaniyan). Through the ages, Khark has also been a place of pilgrimage: in Sasanian times, due to the presence of an early Christian church and monastery, and in Islamic times, because of the presence of the tomb of Mohammad al-Hanafiyya. In the eighteenth century, the Dutch made the island their center of trade in the Persian Gulf, and by the nineteenth century the island was dubbed “the most important strategic point in the Persian Gulf,” reason why the British occupied it twice. Although by 1900 the island had lost its strategic importance, it acquired it again after the 1950s, when the National Iranian Oil Company decided to make Khark its main terminal for the export of crude oil. Later, chemical factories were added to the island’s economic make-up. As a result, Khark’s name is now better known around the world than it was ever previously, but the history has remained untold. This book tells the whole story, from the early archeological evidence and the Islamic and Safavid periods, to the Dutch projects in the eighteenth century and the British in the nineteenth century. And in the end, how the traditional way of life ended and industrialization began.
Travel in the ancient world involved a host of arrangements and intelligence that often go unmen... more Travel in the ancient world involved a host of arrangements and intelligence that often go unmentioned in ancient sources. How did individuals, groups and armies, plot their itineraries and arrive safely at their destinations? The Persepolis Fortification Archive, which dates to the period from 509 to 493 BC, contains references to a class of guides identified by the Achaemenid Elamite term barrišdama, who were charged with escorting select individuals and large groups on journeys, some of which were over hundreds of kilometers. This institution shares certain traits with that of the mihmāndār in later Iranian history, while differing in many respects. The present study examines these two institutions, noting points of commonality and difference. Because much more is known about the social and economic context of the mihmāndār, a study of it is instructive in posing questions that may be relevant to a better understanding of the much earlier office of the barrišdama.
The present article republishes a forgotten, eyewitness account of a canal built by the Gilaki ru... more The present article republishes a forgotten, eyewitness account of a canal built by the Gilaki ruler, Hedayatollah Khan, c. 1776. Written by the German physician Julius Cäsar Häntzsche, who was shown the remains of the canal in 1855, the account sheds light on the career of a contemporary of Karim Khan Zand and Agha Mohammad Khan, and on the environment of the southwestern Caspian region, particularly the Anzali lagoon.
While a great deal of time and effort has been spent on the identification of those human and div... more While a great deal of time and effort has been spent on the identification of those human and divine actors featured on the Sasanian reliefs and silver vessels, much energy has also been expended on understanding the realia illustrated. Many interpretations of the so-called 'tassels' (Ger. Quasten, Pferdequasten, Puscheln, Troddeln; Fr. glands, houppes) shown suspended by chains, usually below, alongside or above a horse's haunches, have been suggested. The purpose of this short note is to re-visit the topic and to suggest a viable interpretation which, although mooted in the past, has never been fully articulated.
A Sasanian silver plate displaying a seated king flanked by six attendants is unique in showing a... more A Sasanian silver plate displaying a seated king flanked by six attendants is unique in showing a gable-like structure with what appear to be turned or worked wooden elements. Originally interpreted as a 'ciborium-like throne,' i.e. a throne with a canopy suspended above it, the structure may instead represent the entrance to a tent. Sasanian royal tents are discussed in light of later Timurid, Safavid and Qajar royal tents of great sumptuousness and it is suggested that these may provide a better analogy for the structure shown on the silver plate than a canopy.
Peering into the hearts and minds those living four thousand years ago is an impossible task. How... more Peering into the hearts and minds those living four thousand years ago is an impossible task. However, when it comes to the worship of the Mesopotamian goddess Inanna, it seems clear to be, quite literally, a labour of love and fear.
Previously recognized by the Horticultural Society of London for his contributions to botany thro... more Previously recognized by the Horticultural Society of London for his contributions to botany through the provision of seeds, his donation to the American society, representing approximately thirty ornamental and economically useful plants, has previously gone unrecognized. Here, Willock's donation is considered in light of the international exchange of seeds and botanical data that linked scientific societies around the world. The specific cultivars sent to America are examined in the context of early nineteenth-century agriculture and the growth of scientific institutions in the young republic. The flora of Iran was poorly known in the West when Willock made his donation, and although not a botanist by training like others who followed him, he made a significant contribution which, by expanding his scientific generosity beyond the confines of Britain to New York, greatly increased the world's awareness of Iranian cultivars and ornamental plants.
In the early fifth century BC rations of bread and wine were issued to small numbers of horses at... more In the early fifth century BC rations of bread and wine were issued to small numbers of horses at Persepolis, the Achaemenid Persian capital located in what is today the southwest Iranian province of Fars. Although considered puzzling by many students of ancient Persian history, ample evidence exists in the historical and equine veterinary literature of mediaeval through early twentieth century date attesting to the widespread practice of giving bread and wine to horses for both nutritional and therapeutic reasons. This evidence is reviewed in order to contextualize the Persepolis evidence within the broader framework of equine management across space and time.
Two weeks before Christmas, 1804, Osip (Hovsep) Vassilovitz arrived in Constantinople with a lett... more Two weeks before Christmas, 1804, Osip (Hovsep) Vassilovitz arrived in Constantinople with a letter for Napoleon from Fath 'Ali Shah. Pierre Ruffin, first dragoman at the French embassy, translated it into French and Marshal Brune, the outgoing French ambassador to the Porte, personally carried it to Paris. Upon reading the Shah's solicitations-he wanted not only an alliance but also officers and technicians to train his armed forces so that they would be more effective against their Russian adversaries in what is now referred to as the First Russo-Persian War-Napoleon determined to send two envoys, Pierre Amédée Jaubert and Antoine-Alexandre Romieu, to Tehran. His intent was not to establish diplomatic relations but to reconnoitre the strengths and weaknesses of the Qajar state with a view to mounting a campaign, via Iran, against British-held parts of India and enlisting Iran's aid as an ally. The missions undertaken by Jaubert and Romieu were but a prelude to the more important and extensive embassy led by General Claude-Mathieu de Gardane (1766-1818) in 1807 to the Court of Fath 'Ali Shah. 1 In order to evade British spies and consular authorities Jaubert and Romieu were sent to Constantinople by different routes and from there departed separately for Tehran, bearing identical copies of a letter from Napoleon to Fath 'Ali Shah. Whereas Jaubert was waylaid and imprisoned in eastern Turkey for about eight months, Romieu succeeded in reaching Tehran. After delivering Napoleon's letter and some sumptuous gifts, Romieu departed on October 13 th , 1805, but died shortly after leaving Tehran. He had been ill for some time, and his death was immediately deemed suspect.
Dr. Daniel T. Potts, a professor of Near Eastern Archaeology at the Institute for the Study of th... more Dr. Daniel T. Potts, a professor of Near Eastern Archaeology at the Institute for the Study of the Ancient World - NYU, joins Lexie to discuss his path from anthropology into Near Eastern Archaeology, a brief history of the Elamites, distinguishing Elamites from Assyrians, and the difficulties for future research or excavations in Iran due to the current political situation.
As a class, portraits of Persians who travelled to the West during the Safavid and early Qajar pe... more As a class, portraits of Persians who travelled to the West during the Safavid and early Qajar period (early 17th-early 19th century) have received little attention. This lecture brings together a set of images — drawings, paintings, etchings, lithographs and even a silhouette — of Persians, done in Boston, Geneva, London, Paris, Prague, Saratoga Springs, St. Petersburg, Vienna and Washington DC, between 1601 and 1842. Some of the subjects were high-ranking individuals who were members of the élite class while others were from modest backgrounds. All were on a mission of one sort or another and portraiture, in the days before photography, commemorated their visits to distant capitals, offering us a rare glimpse at the dress, accoutrements and regalia worn by these visitors to foreign lands. Subjects of fascination for both contemporary artists and a well-informed public, intrigued by all things Persian and able to follow the movements of these travelers in the European and American press, the sitters in these works left an indelible mark in the consciousness of Western observers, only a few of whom ever journeyed themselves to the Land of the Lion and the Sun.
Contrary to what most people imagine, 18th and early 19th century newspapers carried a considerab... more Contrary to what most people imagine, 18th and early 19th century newspapers carried a considerable amount of news reports about contemporary events in Iran. In this talk early American newspapers will be surveyed, showing that the demise of the Safavid dynasty, the rise and progress of Nader Shah, successive wars with the Ottomans, the civil strife that led to the emergence of the Zand and Qajar dynasties, the First and Second Russo-Persian Wars, the power struggle following Fath ‘Ali Shah’s death and the activities of American missionaries at Urmia, were all covered in detail. Additionally, articles dealing with non-political Persian topics were published. The transmission of news from Iran, eastern Turkey and the Caucasus was effected via ships’ captains who carried European newspapers to America, a situation that meant news events were reported months after they occurred, and contradictory reports were commonplace. All of this changed with the introduction of the telegraph.
About the speaker: D.T. Potts is Professor of Ancient Near Eastern Archaeology and History at the Institute for the Study of the Ancient World, New York University. His lifelong fascination with and love of Iranian history and archaeology began with his first visit to Iran in 1973 and has led him to work on a wide range of topics ranging in time from prehistory to the modern era. His most recent books are Persia Portrayed: Envoys to the West, 1600-1842 (Mage, 2022), A Nook in the Temple of Fame: French Military Officers in Persian Service, 1806-1827 (Mage, 2023) and Agreeable News from Persia: Iran in the Colonial and early Republican American Press, 1712-1848 (Springer, 2022). He received his AB (1975) and PhD (1980) at Harvard, and is a Consulting Editor for the Encyclopaedia Iranica, a Corresponding Member of the German Archaeological Institute and ISMEO (Associazione Internazionale di Studi sul Mediterraneo e l’Oriente) and a Corresponding Fellow of the British Academy.
Most ancient historians and archaeologists who have written on the subject of Greeks in Seleucid ... more Most ancient historians and archaeologists who have written on the subject of Greeks in Seleucid and Arsacid Iran have reduced it to a dichotomy, with some scholars, usually those with a background in Classics, Classical archaeology and ancient history, emphasizing the role of Hellenism east of the Tigris, and others, more often than not Near Eastern specialists and Iranologists, downplaying its contributions. Leaving to one side the much debated ‘clash of civilizations’ embodied in Alexander the Great’s conquest of the Achaemenid Persian Empire, and the vast body of literature it has spawned, the position taken in this year’s Lauritsen Lecture is rather different and emphasizes two points: first, even though they never occupied large tracts of territory and their poleis were isolates in an alien world that were eventually engulfed by the cultures in which they were embedded, the epigraphically attested Greek enclaves in Iran were very significant where they were present, far more so than the absolute size of these groups would suggest; and second, if we focus on the content of the Greek inscriptions from Iran, rather than their modest number, we find undeniable evidence of Greek institutions on Iranian soil that cannot be ignored. Moreover, some of those institutions survived well into the Arsacid period when another ‘clash of civilizations’, this time involving the Arsacid dynasty and its Seleucid and later Roman opponents, would tend to make one assume that an anti-Greek bias would have superseded any residual affinity for Greek institutions. These factors suggest that the Greek-Iranian relationship was neither as shallow nor as unilaterally hostile as scholars of earlier generations may have imagined. It will be argued that both the broad brush of ‘Hellenism in the East’, and the often overtly nationalist Iranian rhetoric of Greek insignificance in the period following the fall of the Achaemenid empire and the rise of Ardashir I and his Sasanian dynasty, are far too blunt in their approach to what was not a clash of civilizations but an exercise in symbiosis and cultural borrowing.
Stable isotope analysis has been particularly useful in the exploration of lived experiences in p... more Stable isotope analysis has been particularly useful in the exploration of lived experiences in past cultures. To date, however, no studies have used biogeochemical data to assist with differential diagnosis, and from this, to improve reconstructions of life courses. Here, strontium, oxygen, and carbon isotope values from the teeth of a young (18-20 year old) female with paraplegia from Bronze Age Tell Abraq (UAE) were used to reexamine a previously indeterminate diagnosis of a progressive neuromuscular disorder. First (87Sr/86Sr=0.70865; 18O=1.6‰; 13C=-13.2‰) and third (87Sr/86Sr = 0.70862; 18O=1.6‰; 13C=-13.0‰) molar isotope values were considerably different from local individuals interred in the communal tomb, indicating that her childhood residence differed from those who grew up at Tell Abraq. These data also suggested that she migrated there after 15 years of age but before her death at 18-20 years old. Given this information, a previously conducted differential diagnosis unable to differentiate between cerebral palsy and poliomyelitis was reevaluated. Her newly-identified residential mobility made it unlikely that she suffered from cerebral palsy, which would have made long distance travel problematic; instead, she likely contracted poliomyelitis in her late teens upon moving to this more densely populated settlement. Due to large quantities of nonlocal goods recovered from the tomb, we also explore exogamous marriage practices and trade relations that may have placed this young woman at increased risk for developing a progressive neuromuscular disease. These results illustrate how isotopes can be used to give unique insight into paleopathological investigations as well as past lived experiences.
Studies of Mesopotamia's relations with Iran in the earlier periods tend to focus on Iran as a so... more Studies of Mesopotamia's relations with Iran in the earlier periods tend to focus on Iran as a source of raw materials (metals, stones), and on the political relationship between various Mesopotamian and Elamite dynasties. During the first millennium the situation is somewhat different. We hear much less about raw materials from Iran that reached Mesopotamia and far more about the military campaigns undertaken by the Assyrian kings and their armies in northwestern and central-western Iran in the ninth and eight centuries BC and against southwestern Iran in the seventh century BC. Information about other forms of interaction is much scarcer in the sources though it is clear, from the analysis of archaeological finds in western Iran, that Assyria's influence went beyond military domination. From the late sixth century, for about two centuries, Iran and Mesopotamia were joined under the umbrella of the Achaemenid Persian empire and this necessarily altered their relationship, imposing a period of peace and increased security on the region. This was interrupted by the wars of the Successors following Alexander's conquest of Western and Central Asia, though most of Iran and Mesopotamia initially fell under Seleucid control. Gradually, the Iranian satrapies asserted and achieved their independence and eventually Media, Hyrcania, Parthia and Persis became separated from the Mesopotamian-based eastern Seleucids. Following an anarchic period in the second century BC the unity that had prevailed in Achaemenid times was largely restored with the rise of the Arsacid dynasty which, after conquering southwestern Iran and subduing the Elamites (Elymaeans), established its power base at the old Seleucid capital of Seleucia-on-the-Tigris in northern Babylonia.
JONDISHAPOUR Journal (Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz), 2020
[English]: Translation of one of the most important and valuable articles of Professor Potts into... more [English]: Translation of one of the most important and valuable articles of Professor Potts into Persian for use by Persian language researchers. . [Persian]: ترجمه یکی از مقالات مهم و ارزشمند پروفسور پاتس به زبان فارسی برای استفاده پژوهشگران فارسی زبان. . [English title]: Elamites and Kassites in the Persian Gulf. . [Persian title]: ایران ساسانی و مرزهای شمال شرقی آن: جنگ، دفاع و روابط دیپلماتیک.
Research In History Journal (Ferdowsi University of Mashhad), 2020
[English]: Translation of one of the most important and valuable articles of Professor Potts into... more [English]: Translation of one of the most important and valuable articles of Professor Potts into Persian for use by Persian language researchers. . [Persian]: ترجمه یکی از مقالات مهم و ارزشمند پروفسور پاتس به زبان فارسی برای استفاده پژوهشگران فارسی زبان. . [English title]: Elamites and Kassites in the Persian Gulf. . [Persian title]: ایلامی ها و کاسی ها در خلیج فارس.
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Books by D.T. Potts
From the fourteenth century onward, the island was an important dependency of the Kingdom of Hormuz, often providing drinking water to Hormuz. The island remained critical as a source of water and foodstuffs for the Portuguese, beginning in the early-sixteenth century. Throughout the seventeenth century, Qeshm remained a bone of contention between Portugal, the Dutch and the English East India Companies. Later, it was a coveted tile in the mosaic of Persian Gulf domination aspired to by the Soltans of Oman, despite the pretensions of the Qajar court. The natural resources of Qeshm include salt, the purest in the Persian Gulf, naphtha, and firewood. From Nader Shah’s naval ambitions to the commercial competition of the early-twentieth century, Qeshm features in innumerable mini-crises, both local and international. In 1935 the British abandoned their coaling station on the island at the insistence of Reza Shah.
Qeshm’s history stands in stark contrast to the popular image of this staid, somewhat sleepy island. This book, brilliantly researched by two of the foremost scholars of Iranian history, is essential reading for anyone interested in a region whose strategic, political, economic and financial importance continues to grow.
Foreword xi
The Island 1 Description 1 Name 4 Earthquakes 6
Population and Settlements 9 The Towns 15 Brukht 16 Laft 17 Qeshm Town 23 Basidu 29
The Economy 51 Trade 56
Natural Resources 74 Salt 74 Sulfur and Red Oxide 82 Sponges 85 Oil Drilling 86 Banishment or Internal Exile 92
History and Administration 95 Earliest history 95 Hormuz Kingdom 102 Qeshm Debacle and Fall of Hormuz (1621) 107
Safavid Period 115 Attack on Qeshm 118 Gulf Arabs Rivalry 124 Portuguese intermezzo 132 EIC and Afghan troubles 137
Afsharid Period 143 Banu Ma`in, Molla Ali Shah and Qawasem Fighting Over Qeshm
155 Zand Period 177 The Persian-Omani Conflict 182
Omani Period 187 The Omani claim to Qeshm 205 Omani rule challenged 215
Qajar Period 222
Pahlavi Period 233
Modern Institutions 235 Customs 235 Police 241 Gendarmerie 243 Education 244 PTT 244 Medical Situation 245 The Basidu Affair 249
Appendix I 279 Earthquake on Qeshm 1884 279
Appendix II 291 Biography of Mo`in al-Tojjar 291
Appendix III 295 Report on the salt caves and mines and trade in salt 295
Appendix Iv 299 Diary of a Journey through the Districts of Minow, Shamil, and Kow Gunow During the Month of August, 1873 299
Bibliography 321
Index 347
D.T. Potts is Professor of Ancient Near Eastern Archaeology and History at the Institute for the Study of the Ancient World, New York University. His lifelong fascination with and love of Iranian history and archaeology began with his first visit to Iran in 1973 and has led him to work on a wide range of topics ranging in time from prehistory to the modern era. He is the author of The Archaeology of Elam: Formation and Transformation of an Ancient Iranian State (Cambridge, 1999, 2nd ed. 2016) and Nomadism in Iran: From Antiquity to the Modern Era (Oxford, 2014). He was also the editor of The Oxford Handbook of Ancient Iran (Oxford, 2013) and Agreeable News from Persia: Iran in the Colonial and early Republican American Press, 1712-1848 (Springer, 2022).
In the eighteenth century, the Dutch made the island their center of trade in the Persian Gulf, and by the nineteenth century the island was dubbed “the most important strategic point in the Persian Gulf,” reason why the British occupied it twice. Although by 1900 the island had lost its strategic importance, it acquired it again after the 1950s, when the National Iranian Oil Company decided to make Khark its main terminal for the export of crude oil. Later, chemical factories were added to the island’s economic make-up. As a result, Khark’s name is now better known around the world than it was ever previously, but the history has remained untold. This book tells the whole story, from the early archeological evidence and the Islamic and Safavid periods, to the Dutch projects in the eighteenth century and the British in the nineteenth century. And in the end, how the traditional way of life ended and industrialization began.
From the fourteenth century onward, the island was an important dependency of the Kingdom of Hormuz, often providing drinking water to Hormuz. The island remained critical as a source of water and foodstuffs for the Portuguese, beginning in the early-sixteenth century. Throughout the seventeenth century, Qeshm remained a bone of contention between Portugal, the Dutch and the English East India Companies. Later, it was a coveted tile in the mosaic of Persian Gulf domination aspired to by the Soltans of Oman, despite the pretensions of the Qajar court. The natural resources of Qeshm include salt, the purest in the Persian Gulf, naphtha, and firewood. From Nader Shah’s naval ambitions to the commercial competition of the early-twentieth century, Qeshm features in innumerable mini-crises, both local and international. In 1935 the British abandoned their coaling station on the island at the insistence of Reza Shah.
Qeshm’s history stands in stark contrast to the popular image of this staid, somewhat sleepy island. This book, brilliantly researched by two of the foremost scholars of Iranian history, is essential reading for anyone interested in a region whose strategic, political, economic and financial importance continues to grow.
Foreword xi
The Island 1 Description 1 Name 4 Earthquakes 6
Population and Settlements 9 The Towns 15 Brukht 16 Laft 17 Qeshm Town 23 Basidu 29
The Economy 51 Trade 56
Natural Resources 74 Salt 74 Sulfur and Red Oxide 82 Sponges 85 Oil Drilling 86 Banishment or Internal Exile 92
History and Administration 95 Earliest history 95 Hormuz Kingdom 102 Qeshm Debacle and Fall of Hormuz (1621) 107
Safavid Period 115 Attack on Qeshm 118 Gulf Arabs Rivalry 124 Portuguese intermezzo 132 EIC and Afghan troubles 137
Afsharid Period 143 Banu Ma`in, Molla Ali Shah and Qawasem Fighting Over Qeshm
155 Zand Period 177 The Persian-Omani Conflict 182
Omani Period 187 The Omani claim to Qeshm 205 Omani rule challenged 215
Qajar Period 222
Pahlavi Period 233
Modern Institutions 235 Customs 235 Police 241 Gendarmerie 243 Education 244 PTT 244 Medical Situation 245 The Basidu Affair 249
Appendix I 279 Earthquake on Qeshm 1884 279
Appendix II 291 Biography of Mo`in al-Tojjar 291
Appendix III 295 Report on the salt caves and mines and trade in salt 295
Appendix Iv 299 Diary of a Journey through the Districts of Minow, Shamil, and Kow Gunow During the Month of August, 1873 299
Bibliography 321
Index 347
D.T. Potts is Professor of Ancient Near Eastern Archaeology and History at the Institute for the Study of the Ancient World, New York University. His lifelong fascination with and love of Iranian history and archaeology began with his first visit to Iran in 1973 and has led him to work on a wide range of topics ranging in time from prehistory to the modern era. He is the author of The Archaeology of Elam: Formation and Transformation of an Ancient Iranian State (Cambridge, 1999, 2nd ed. 2016) and Nomadism in Iran: From Antiquity to the Modern Era (Oxford, 2014). He was also the editor of The Oxford Handbook of Ancient Iran (Oxford, 2013) and Agreeable News from Persia: Iran in the Colonial and early Republican American Press, 1712-1848 (Springer, 2022).
In the eighteenth century, the Dutch made the island their center of trade in the Persian Gulf, and by the nineteenth century the island was dubbed “the most important strategic point in the Persian Gulf,” reason why the British occupied it twice. Although by 1900 the island had lost its strategic importance, it acquired it again after the 1950s, when the National Iranian Oil Company decided to make Khark its main terminal for the export of crude oil. Later, chemical factories were added to the island’s economic make-up. As a result, Khark’s name is now better known around the world than it was ever previously, but the history has remained untold. This book tells the whole story, from the early archeological evidence and the Islamic and Safavid periods, to the Dutch projects in the eighteenth century and the British in the nineteenth century. And in the end, how the traditional way of life ended and industrialization began.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1GLvcScS4hE
About the speaker:
D.T. Potts is Professor of Ancient Near Eastern Archaeology and History at the Institute for the Study of the Ancient World, New York University. His lifelong fascination with and love of Iranian history and archaeology began with his first visit to Iran in 1973 and has led him to work on a wide range of topics ranging in time from prehistory to the modern era. His most recent books are Persia Portrayed: Envoys to the West, 1600-1842 (Mage, 2022), A Nook in the Temple of Fame: French Military Officers in Persian Service, 1806-1827 (Mage, 2023) and Agreeable News from Persia: Iran in the Colonial and early Republican American Press, 1712-1848 (Springer, 2022). He received his AB (1975) and PhD (1980) at Harvard, and is a Consulting Editor for the Encyclopaedia Iranica, a Corresponding Member of the German Archaeological Institute and ISMEO (Associazione Internazionale di Studi sul Mediterraneo e l’Oriente) and a Corresponding Fellow of the British Academy.
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[Persian]: ترجمه یکی از مقالات مهم و ارزشمند پروفسور پاتس به زبان فارسی برای استفاده پژوهشگران فارسی زبان.
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[English title]: Elamites and Kassites in the Persian Gulf.
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[Persian title]: ایران ساسانی و مرزهای شمال شرقی آن: جنگ، دفاع و روابط دیپلماتیک.
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[Persian]: ترجمه یکی از مقالات مهم و ارزشمند پروفسور پاتس به زبان فارسی برای استفاده پژوهشگران فارسی زبان.
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[English title]: Elamites and Kassites in the Persian Gulf.
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[Persian title]: ایلامی ها و کاسی ها در خلیج فارس.