What is the Difference Between a Persian and an Iranian?
- Written By: Diane Goettel
- Edited By: Bronwyn Harris
- Last Modified Date: 18 May 2013
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2003-2013 Conjecture Corporation
There is a great deal of history behind the country name of Iran, and there has also been much debate over whether the country should be called “Iran” or “Persia.” As a result, there has been a continuing debate over whether the residents of the countries should be called “Iranian” or “Persian.”
Starting in 600 B.C., Greek politicians called the land within Cyrus the Great’s empire “Persis.” This name was derived from the word “Pars," which was the name of the people over whom Cyrus the Great ruled. This group of people lived on the land that now exists as the province of Fars in Iran.
“Persis,” over the many hundreds of years, was turned into “Persia.” This remained as the official name for the country of Iran until 1935. People within the country, however, have called it “Iran” (and its residents “Iranian”) since the period of Sassanid rule, which lasted from 226 A.D. to 651 A.D. During the period, many individuals with Aryan features lived within the area. “Iran,” in fact, means “land of the Aryans.”
Despite some resistance from residents of the country, “Persia” renamed itself “Iran” in 1935. When this change took place, all citizens were to consider themselves Iranian and to incorporate the new name into their common and official speech and documents.
Many scholars deeply protested these changes, however, and in 1959, convinced the government that the terms “Persia” and “Iran” should be used interchangeably. In today’s language, the words are one and the same, although it is quite helpful to understand the history behind these terms.
Books printed between 1935 and 1959 are unlikely to include the term “Persian,” as “Iranian” was the only accepted term for residents of the country during those years. Texts printed prior to 1935, however, will typically only use the term “Persian.”
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hmirwaisi
Post 14 |
"Iranian" vs. "Persian." To understand these questions, please read: "Vashti: Queen of the Ancient Medes: (Airyanem Civilization); "Esther: Mystery Queen of the Medes" (Airyanem Civilization); "Unified Kurdish Language: The Language of Zoroaster and Darius the Great" and "The Return of the Medes."
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anon335011
Post 13 |
Persian is an ethnicity. Around 65 percent of Iran is ethnically Persian, though most Iranians are persified and consider themselves Persian whether ethnically Persian or not. Persians also aren't only from Iran, but also from Northern Afghanistan, Tajikistan, and comprise around 20-30 percent of these Arab Persian gulf states such as Kuwait, UAW, Qatar and Bahrain. |
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hmirwaisi
Post 12 |
There are zero differences between Persian and Iranian. The region speaks only one language, which is really called “Aryan” language. Please see the document by King of Kings, Darius the Great. After Alexander the Great conquered the “Airyanem Vaejah (Aryan Land)”, the Greek Empire was trying to change the region language, religion, culture, history and heritage of people. Alexander the Great had a secret agreement with Jewish leaders to destroy the united Aryan people. Both Greek and Jewish scholars used Persian tribe to accomplish that. The Medes tribes, Persian tribes and other tribes were part of the Aryan people with the same language and religion, too. Since the Greeks took over to our time, Greek, Jewish, Arab, Turkish and western scholars have used Persian instead of Aryan to divide the Aryan people of the region. Unfortunately, there are plenty of traitors among Aryan people (Persians, Kurds and others) to do the dirty jobs for the powers above. Otherwise, we are a people with the same blood and same language. too. To understand what I wrote above, please read books about the revival of “Airyanem Civilization” series starting with “Vashti: Vashti Queen of the Ancient Medes-Part I.” |
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anon317679
Post 10 |
They cannot be Persians until they regain their own culture. Real Persians are in now in India who worship in agyari. They were saved because they left the nation before forced conversion. They came to India and asked shelter on the basis that their god of fire and the Indian god are the same god of fire. So they were given shelter and were saved. |
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anon311165
Post 9 |
I'm sure that most people use the term legitimately, but no doubt that some "Persians" use it because it sounds more exotic. |
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anon308128
Post 8 |
Persians consist 60 percent of Iran population. The rest are Kurds 10 percent, Lurs, Arabs, Baluch, Gilaki, and Turk each one under 5 percent. |
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anon240617
Post 7 |
Only 5 percent to 10 percent of Iranians are Persians. The rest are non-Persians/non-Aryans such as turks, kurds, arabs, afghans etc. Most Persians live in Tehran and very few abroad. There is a sistinct difference. Different race, culture, language and features. |
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anon158825
Post 5 |
Iran was always Iran to Iranians, through melina's and you can find proof of this fact in many old books and poems. Pars or Part were the people who reside in today's province of Fers, which was the capital of the Iranian Empire under the rule of Cyrus the Great. Therefore Greeks called them persians and called the land Persia and eventually this was transferred to the English. However, in recent years Iranians migrated for the first time, and learned that other nations' average joes are so ignorant about Iran and usually consider them as an Arab so they start to use the term Persian as an indication of their nationality, just to separate themselves from Arab nations. By the way #1 can't be more wrong. --an Iranian |
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anon79538
Post 3 |
#1 is so incorrect! support of the islamic revolution has nothing to do with those who call themselves "iranian" vs. "persian" |
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anon38036
Post 2 |
I dont understand the country where I was born must have only one name but why some stupid or maybe ignorant person or people changed my country's name. I really dont know if i am from persia(persian) or Iran(iranian) why? I perefer persia that i die for it from shomal Rasht, but in some way i have something to say Persis is only Pars. persia is whole country. as we can see in persia map and iran is a lion of persia. this makes sense and i believe it. |
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anon34497
Post 1 |
this is absolutely ridiculous! being a "persian" is markedly different from being an "iranian." those that supported the iranian islamic revolution in the late 1970's and forward are considered iranians. the persians are those that were born under the regime of the old shah pahlavi and take no credit for the current regime in charge. |
