A country called Persia is no longer on the map. Why was the name of the country changed when this happened? Who called the country Persia? Why is it called today Iran? By considering aspects of history, one can confidently answer these and other questions.
After all, Stalingrad and Leningrad are also not on the map. But the Leningrad region exists. Renaming happens regularly, they make their own confusion, however, the reasons each time are individual.
Iran and Persia - what name is ancient?
Initially, the country was not called Persia, the name was given by the ancient Greeks, who were guided by the names of the tribes that existed on the coast of the Persian Gulf - as we call it today. One of the mentioned nationalities bore a self-name Parsi, hence the name that was familiar to many in the old eastern tales. Parsi, or Parsuash, really existed in this territory, but they were not the only ones. But those people who turned out to be Persians, initially called themselves differently, and the territory from ancient times had the self-name Iran, which could be translated as "the country of the Aryans."
Despite the fact that the ancient Greeks were accurate in most scientific matters, including geographical, they had good reason not to stand on ceremony with the Persians, because serious military conflicts arose with them.It was thanks to the Greeks that the name Persia spread throughout the entire civilized world at that time, has survived to the present day. Ancient Byzantium, the heiress of Eastern Rome, and then Europe, successfully adopted this name.
When and how did the name change?
The name "Iran" has become relevant since 1935, it was then that there was an official change of one name to another. However, the concept of "Persian" is still preserved - both in Russian and in most European. Everyone remembers Persian carpets, they love Persian cats. Such riches are hardly suitable for the concept of "Iranian", such a phrase will cut the ear.
Why did you change the name?
Replacing the name Persia with Iran turned out to be quite natural, because the locals of the times of the ancient Hellenes were by no means Parsi, but Aryans - That's what they called themselves. The Parses did not live in this, but in neighboring areas. The oldest name of Iran, or rather, the self-name given by the locals, was written as “Aryānām”, which translates as “Aryan land”. In later times, the locals referred to it as “Erānšahr”, because by the 3rd century BC, some changes had taken place in the dialect of the people living here. Even later, the lands along the Persian Gulf were called "Eran", and further - "Iran", as they are commonly called today.
The question regarding the last renaming, or rather, the transformation of Persia into Iran, is based on several assumptions. The main one is the initiative of the Iranian envoy, who worked in Germany in a diplomatic mission.The trends of that time did not pass by his attention, he decided that Iran would sound proud, emphasizing the Aryan roots of the inhabitants of this country. As a result, in 1935 the state was really renamed.
As usual, the innovation did not suit everyone - almost immediately there were minds opposing such an approach. As a result, in 1959, Shah Mohammed Reza Pahlavi made a statement that both options were relevant. Since then, in international relations, the country could be called both Iran and Persia.
Over the years, the relevance of the old name began to fade, in the news bulletins, messages published in European countries, they began to actively use the laconic name Iran. Today, not every person can confidently say whether it is true that Persia and Iran are one and the same country.
Thus, the renaming of the state took place as part of an attempt to eliminate historical injustice, most likely under the influence of beliefs that were relevant not in the country itself, but in Germany. At present, the name Iran has become generally accepted, the old name appears mainly in legends and tales, as well as in the names of goods traditionally exported from this country.
