Alien Lohrasp versus the Iranian Sagzi;A Review on the Concept of “Iranians” in the Hemistich of “I Will Ggive the realm to Iranians”

Using the sources from the Islamic era and an analytic-descriptive research method, the author seeks to illuminate what Esfandiyar means by the term “Iranians” in the hemistich of “I shall give the realm to Iranians”, while complaining about his father, Goshtasb, to his mother. Many researchers of the Shahnameh (The Book of Kings) have raised this question whether Iran was not already in the hands of Iranians, so Esfandiyar would plan to take it back from his father and bring at their disposal? The research findings show that during the era of Kay Khosrow, Heroes considered Lohrasp, the grandfather of Esfandiyar, as an alien of ignoble origin,as he was a mandaeist (there are some inferences to this in The Shahnameh, while some other sources directly refer to his mandaeism), and he had close relations with such foreigners as Nebuchadnezzar II. In the hemistich quoted above, Esfandiyar intends to raise this subject to his father. Thus, “Iranians” in his words means Heroes of Sistan because the Parthians, of whom the dynasty of Zal and Gudarz are descendants, called their homeland and the surroundings “Iran-Shahr”. In the light of evidences, Sistan can be considered in connection with the expanse of Iranians (Iran-wīj)