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Azari or the Ancient Language of Azerbaijan

Azari or the Ancient Language of Azerbaijan (Persian: آذری یا زبان باستان آذربایجان, romanized: Âzari yâ Zabân-e Bâstân-e Âzarbâyjân) is a treatise written by the Iranian scholar Ahmad Kasravi in 1925, about the history of the Azeri language. This book has been approved by orientalists. In this book, Kasravi, using numerous documents and manuscripts, argues that the Old Azeri language (also known as "Azeri" or "Azari") should not be categorized as a member of the Turkic languages, but as an Iranian language, a descendant of the Median language.[1]

Azari or the Ancient Language of Azerbaijan
AuthorAhmad Kasravi
CountryIran
LanguagePersian
GenreNon-fiction, history
Published1925
Preceded byZabân-e Pâk 
Followed byUprising of Sheikh Mohammad Khiabani 

This treatise, which was Kasravi's first serious work,[2] was very influential worldwide[3] and led to a new theory in Iran about the existence of Iranian roots in the Azeri language.[4]

In the words of the Encyclopædia Iranica:[5]

This book enjoyed worldwide scholarly success. The publication of this work can also be considered an affirmation of the indestructible bond of Turkophone Iranians to Iran. Investigating the linguistic relationship of the Iranians of the past was just as much an assertion of their linguistic unity in the future as a means of demonstrating that every Iranian rejoiced in the same, continuous identity.

Concept edit

Kasravi's motivation for writing the work was political. He published the work in a period of raging controversy between papers based in Iran, Istanbul (i.e. Turkey) and Baku (i.e. Azerbaijan SSR) on the Origin of the Azerbaijanis. Kasravi, after studying both arguments, concluded that the claims of the Turkish journalists were unfounded and non-academic, and the replies of the Iranian journalists were not "founded in a knowledge of history".[6]

In this book, Kasravi first proposed the theory that the language of the region of Azerbaijan in northwestern Iran was a language of the Iranian language family until a few centuries before the Turkic domination in this region. According to historical evidence, he named this language Azeri.[7] This book made Kasravi famous in Iranian studies circles and he became a member of scientific circles abroad. The first edition of the book, and consequently the processing of theory, was based only on historical contexts. Later, Kasravi studied linguistics and in later editions of the book, he also dealt with this theory according to its linguistic foundations.[8]

Kasravi's research motivated researchers to search for the remains of that historical language in different parts of Azerbaijan and find other examples of this language. Iranica adds:[9]

This book was to echo resoundingly among scholars. Nonetheless, it has not been uncontroversial since. Quite aside from the scientific interest of the work, on the political level its publication could be considered an assertion of the irrevocable commitment of Turkish speakers within Iran to Iran. The enthusiastic reception of this book by the intelligentsia of the period clearly shows how any discussion that in any way questioned national unity had galled them. This unity was, theoretically, based in the linguistic unity of all Iranians. If this unity was called into question by reality, it was necessary to search the past to justify its realization in the present. This is how Kasravi contributed to a historiography of national import with the mission of bolstering the ongoing, highly dynamic process of identity construction

Kasravi's historical monuments have been recognized by other scholars.[10] Vladimir Minorsky says about Kasravi: "Kasravi has the spirit of an honest historian. He is meticulous in detail and in presentation"[10]

Legacy edit

The treatise Azari or the Ancient Language of Azerbaijan started a new wave in historiography and linguistics in Iran.[11] Since the publication of this treatise, various researches based on this book have been done for the etymology of Azeri language. Later, foreign and Iranian professors, linguists, and orientalists wrote articles in support of the Azeri treatise.[12]

References edit

  1. ^ Manafzadeh, Ali Reżā (2012). "KASRAVI, AḤMAD i. LIFE AND WORK". In Yarshater, Ehsan (ed.). Encyclopædia Iranica, Volume XVI/1: Kashan–Kašši , Abu ʿAmr Mohammad. London and New York: Routledge & Kegan Paul. pp. 87–92. ISBN 978-1-934283-33-2. He shows that the word āẕari found in most books of medieval history, especially those from the first centuries of Islam, is the name of the old language of Azerbaijan that was related to the Iranian languages and was a descendant of the language of the Medes with no relationship to Turkish.
  2. ^ Katouzian, Homa. "Ahmad Kasravi On Literature". Foundation for Iranian Studies. 20.
  3. ^ Manafzadeh, Ali Reżā (2012). "KASRAVI, AḤMAD i. LIFE AND WORK". In Yarshater, Ehsan (ed.). Encyclopædia Iranica, Volume XVI/1: Kashan–Kašši , Abu ʿAmr Mohammad. London and New York: Routledge & Kegan Paul. pp. 87–92. ISBN 978-1-934283-33-2.
  4. ^ Fathi, Asghar (1986). "Kasravi's Views on Writers and Journalists: A Study in the Sociology of Modernization". Iranian Studies. 19 (2): 167–182. doi:10.1080/00210868608701674. ISSN 0021-0862. JSTOR 4310526.
  5. ^ Manafzadeh, Ali Reżā (2012). "KASRAVI, AḤMAD i. LIFE AND WORK". In Yarshater, Ehsan (ed.). Encyclopædia Iranica, Volume XVI/1: Kashan–Kašši , Abu ʿAmr Mohammad. London and New York: Routledge & Kegan Paul. pp. 87–92. ISBN 978-1-934283-33-2.
  6. ^ Manafzadeh, Alireza (2012). "KASRAVI, AḤMAD iii. AS HISTORIAN". In Yarshater, Ehsan (ed.). Encyclopædia Iranica, Volume XVI/1: Kashan–Kašši , Abu ʿAmr Mohammad. London and New York: Routledge & Kegan Paul. pp. 94–97. ISBN 978-1-934283-33-2.
  7. ^ Kasravi, p. 7
  8. ^ Aziz, Talei Qare Qashqai (March 21, 2007). "The effect of Turkic migration on the change and evolution of the language of the Azerbaijani people". Al-Zahra Journal of Humanities (in Persian). 17 (65): 93–123.
  9. ^ Manafzadeh, Alireza (2012). "KASRAVI, AḤMAD iii. AS HISTORIAN". In Yarshater, Ehsan (ed.). Encyclopædia Iranica, Volume XVI/1: Kashan–Kašši , Abu ʿAmr Mohammad. London and New York: Routledge & Kegan Paul. pp. 94–97. ISBN 978-1-934283-33-2.
  10. ^ a b Singh, Nagendra Kr; Samiuddin, Abida (2003). Encyclopaedic Historiography of the Muslim World. Global Vision Publishing House. ISBN 978-81-87746-54-6.
  11. ^ Ramyar, Minoo (1969). Sayyed Ahmad Kasravi historian, language reformer and thinker (Masters thesis). Durham University.
  12. ^ "کوشش‌های کسروی در پیراستن زبان فارسی". BBC News فارسی (in Persian). 2012-03-10. Retrieved 2020-12-23.
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