The Name Iran through History

The familiar statement that Persia became Iran in 1935 needs qualification. Historian Yann Richard describes a decision by Reza Shah directing foreign chancelleries—the offices responsible for diplomatic correspondence—to use Iran instead of Persia. The instruction changed international official usage; it did not introduce an unfamiliar name to the country's own historical vocabulary. Richard interprets the decision as part of a deliberate change in how the country presented itself abroad. s2

The distinction matters when reading older books and maps. A foreign-language work using Persia may concern the same country that later publications call Iran. Its terminology reflects the conventions of its author and period. The naming decision alone therefore cannot explain changes in the country's government, borders, or population. s2

The clearest early evidence comes from the Sasanian dynasty. Linguist D. N. MacKenzie identifies Ērān in the titles of its founder, Ardashir I, on a relief at Naqsh-e Rostam in Fars and on his coins. The underlying word initially referred to Iranians as a people. MacKenzie explains its derivation from an older Iranian plural form; the historical term sometimes translated as Aryan must be understood in that ancient linguistic context. s1

Under Ardashir's son Shapur I, Ērānšahr appears in a royal inscription. MacKenzie distinguishes this designation for the empire from Ērān as a designation for its people, while showing that the shorter word also acquired geographical meaning early. He cautions that the compound Ērānšahr is not attested in the Old Persian inscriptions of the earlier Achaemenid dynasty. s1

Later Middle Persian books preserved these terms, and early New Persian writing used forms including Ērānšahr and shahr-e Ērān. Their geographical meanings were not fixed: MacKenzie traces changes in the territory described and records Iran and Iranzamin as broader designations for the land of Iranians. Historical uses consequently need to be read in their own textual setting rather than plotted automatically onto today's borders. s1

The country's name should also be distinguished from the name of a language. The Library of Congress identifies Persian as an Iranian branch language of the Indo-European family and notes the regional names Farsi, Dari, and Tajiki. Its account describes a literary tradition extending across Iran, Central Asia, and South Asia. Calling the country Iran therefore does not require replacing Persian as the English language name, nor does Persian literature fit exclusively within the boundaries of the modern state. s3