Why not Pan-Turkism?

Greater Iran (in Persian: ایران بزرگ pron: Iran-e Bozorg, also ایران‌زم 40;ن pron: Iran-zameen) is a term for the entire region where Iranian languages were once or are today spoken, as well as areas that were part of Persia and/or the Persian Empire. The Encyclopedia Iranica uses the term Iranian Cultural Continent [1], and other names such as Greater Persia or Persian cultural continent have also been used, especially in Afghanistan and Tajikistan.

Traditionally, and until recent times, ethnicity has never been a defining separating criteria in these regions. In the words of Richard Nelson Frye:

"Many times I have emphasized that the present peoples of central Asia, whether Iranian or Turkic speaking, have one culture, one religion, one set of social values and traditions with only language separating them."

Only in modern times did western colonial intervention and ethnicity tend to become a dividing force between the provinces of Greater Iran. But "Greater Iran" was more of a cultural super-state, rather than a political one to begin with.

Obviously, "Greater Iran" has had no fixed boundaries, nor even a fixed definition. While some sources specifically define Greater Iran to include the current republics of Iran, Afghanistan, Republic of Azerbaijan, and Central Asian Republics [2], other sources such as Richard Nelson Frye give a more broader definition and define it to have included "much of the Caucasus, Afghanistan, and Central Asia, with cultural influences extending to China, India, and the semitic speaking world." According to Frye, "Iran means all lands and peoples where Iranian languages were and are spoken, and where in the past, multi-faceted Iranian cultures existed." (p.xi, Gretaer Iran).

In the work Nuzhat al-Qolub (نزهه القلوب, the medieval geographer Hamdollah Mostowfi writes:

چند شهر است اندر ایران مرتفع تر از همه
Some cities of Iran are better than the rest,
بهتر و سازنده تر از خوشی آب و هوا
these have pleasant and compromising weather,
گنجه پر گنج در اران صفاهان در عراق
The wealthy Ganjeh of Arran, and Isfahan as well,
در خراسان مرو و طوس در روم باشد اقسرا
Merv and Tus in Khorasan, and Konya (Aqsara) too.

Provinces of Greater Iran (Persia)

Central Asia

"Khwarazm is one of the regions of Iran-zameen, and is the home of the ancient Iranians, Airyanem Vaejah, according to the ancient book of the Avesta." (Homayoun, p.111)

Tajikistan

The national anthem in Tajikistan, "Surudi Milli", attests to the Perso-Tajik identity, which has seen a large revival, after the breakup of the USSR. Their language is almost identical to that spoken in Afghanistan and Iran, and their cities have Persian names, e.g. Dushanbe, Isfara (Esfarayen), and Kolyab ([4]).

Some experts even argue that Tajiks are culturally closer to the Persian original root, as the Iranians to the west have mingled and mixed with the Arabs over the years.

Afghanistan

Afghans take pride in being close descendants of the Aryans, or to be more precise: Ariana - the Greek pronunciation of the ancient Avestan Airyanem Vaejah or the Sanskrit "Aryavarta", Land of the Aryans. Today this Old-Persian, and Avestan expression is preserved in the name of the Afghan national airline, Ariana Airlines. The term 'Ariana Afghanistan' is still popular amongst many people in the country.

Afghanistan was part of Greater Khorasan, and hence was recognized with the name Khorasan (along with regions centered around Merv and Neishabur), which in Pahlavi means "The Eastern Land" (خاور زمین in Persian). (Dehkhoda dictionary, p8457)

Afghanistan is where Balkh is located, home of Rumi, Khajeh Abdollah Ansari, and where many other notables in Persian literature came from. The Dari language of Afghanistan, is a closely related dialect of the Persian language. It is widely spoken in Afghanistan.

At the latest, Nasereddin Shah lost control of Herat to the British in 1857.

ززابل به کابل رسید آن زمان
From Zabul he arrived to Kabul
گرازان و خندان و دل شادمان
Strutting, happy, and mirthful
---Ferdowsi in Shahnama

Turkmenistan

Home of the Parthian Empire (Nysa). Merv is also where the half-Persian caliph al-Mamun moved his capital to, inorder to move the center of the caliphate away from Arab speaking lands. The city of Eshgh Abad is yet another Persian word meaning "city of love", and like Iran, Afghanistan, and Uzbekistan, it was once part of Airyanem Vaejah.

Uzbekistan

The famous cities of Afrasiab, Bukhara, Samarkand, are located here. Many experts point to these cities as the birthplace of modern Persian language. The Samanids, who claimed inheritance to the Sassanids, had their capital built here.

ای بخارا شاد باش و دیر زی
Oh Bukhara! Joy to you and live long!
شاه زی تو میهمان آید همی
Your King comes to you in ceremony.
---Rudaki

Western China

The Xinjiang regions of China harbored a Persian population and culture. (See p443 of E.I. for Persian settlements in southwestern China) and also see Iran-China relations for more links on the historical ties.

Kurdish regions

The Kurdish regions in Iraq and Turkey are entwined with the culture and history of that of the rest of Greater Iran. The Kurds and Lurs of Iran are spread out through many provinces, and are thought to also be closely descended from the Aryan tribes of antiquity. Ardashir I of Persia was born from a Kurdish mother of the Shabankareh tribe of Fars Province.

Northwest Pakistan

Many remains of Persian architecture still remain in these areas ((e.g.)), and up to 1 million "Eastern Farsi" speakers still exist.[5]

The scholar Muhammad Iqbal of Lahore is considered a heavyweight of contemporary Persian literature.

These regions however are more considered as Persianate lands, rather than directly being associated with Greater Iran.

Parts of the Caucasus region

Sassanid remains can be seen up far north as "Darband", now in southern Russia (the words Daghestan and darband are both Persian). These parts were mostly annexed by Imperial Russia over the course of the 18th and 19th centuries. yet even today, most of these regions continue to retain their Greater Persian identity, as can be seen in their traditions and customs (e.g. Norouz). For a discussion see Encyclopedia Iranica's "Caucasus Iran" article, p.84-96.

Azerbaijan

Separated from Iran in the mid-1800s, by virtue of the Gulistan Treaty and Turkmanchai treaty. The city of Baku (Bād-kubeh) is another city with an originally Persian name. The word Azerbaijan itself is from the Persian "Azar-Padegan" (Atropatan).

Despite the annexation of this area by Imperial Russia, the main part of Azerbaijan remians inside the modern day Iran.

گزیده هر چه در ایران بزرگان
زآذربایگ&a mp;# 1575;ن و ری و گرگان

All the nobles and greats of Iran,
Choose from Azarbaijan, Ray, and Gorgan.
--Vis o Ramin

Armenia

Armenia was a province of Greater Persia since the times of the Achaemenid empire. See p.417-483 of Encyclopedia Iranica for a lengthy discussion on this topic. (see also here). Iran continues to have a sizeable Armenian minority.

Nakhichevan

Early in antiquity, Narseh of Persia is known to have had fortifications built here. In later times, some of Persia's literary and intellectual figures from the Qajar period have hailed from this region. Also separated from Greater-Iran/Persia in the mid-1800s, by virtue of the Gulistan Treaty and Turkmanchai treaty.

که تا جایگه یافتی نخچوان
Oh Nakhchivan, respect youve attained,
بدین شاه شد بخت پیرت جوان
With this King in luck youll remain.
---Nizami

Georgia and Ossetia

Georgia, or "Gorjestan" was a Persian Province during Sassanid times (particularly starting with Hormozd IV). During the Safavid era, Georgia became so culturally intertwined with Iran that they almost repalced the Qezelbash in the Safavid courts. Persian language was even the official administrative language of Georgia in the time of Shah Tahmasb, and Allah-verdi Khan, whom the famous landmark of 33 pol in Isfahan is named after, was among the Georgian elite that were involved in the Safavid government. Georgia was again a direct province of Persia from 1629 until 1762 when the Russian influence arrived.

The aforementioned is especially true of "Eastern Georgia". Eastern Georgia historically was attached to the south for support, as opposed to Western Georgia, which looked for help to the North. The city of "Teflis" (now Tbilisi) was Persianized for quite some time. The Qajarid Abbas Mirza spent much time there.

In the end, Persia was unable to challenge Russia in Georgia, and officially gave up claim to Georgia according to the text of the Gulistan Treaty and Turkmanchai treaty. Today, Georgia continues to be Europeanized.

For a lengthy discussion, see Encyclopedia Iranica's reference on Gorjestan: [6]

Modern-Day Iraq

This is what used to be the western part of Greater Iran. At times, it also included what is today eastern Iraq, as it is where the Sassanid capital was located (Ctesiphon). There are still cities in contemporary Iraq where the Persian names of the city are still retained. e.g. al-Anbar. Even after Iraq was Arabized, the Persian presence was still quite recognizeable and dominant at times, as many of Shia's saints are buried in Najaf and Karbala. At the latest, the Safavids lost control of these areas to the Ottoman Empire