The Oldest Homeland of Persians in Iran:A Survey of Viewpoints

Although the term “Pars” applied to the land in southern Iran from Achaemenid Period, according to linguistic studies on Assyrian documents, before the above-menthioned period, several areas in Iran were called Pars, or other variants of it (Parsua, Parsuaš, and Parsumaš). These areas included around of Urmia Lake, Kirmānshāh, and Elam. Even according to these studies the term Parth, the ancient name for Khurāsān, is another variation of the same origin which means “boundary” or “side”. As it is revealed through historical documents, the term Parsua is used in Assyrian documents first in 9th century B.C. and later in Assyrian inscriptions of that era, was called a subdued land. The first term for historical Parsua is pinpointed in descriptions of Assyrian invasions to Northern Zagros and along with it we witness mentioning of places around north western Iran. Despite arguments about the original land of Parsua, in most of these studies it is mentioned that the present day southern Azerbaijan or northern Kurdistan was one of the first residential places of Persians in Iran.