Iran
ASURA ARE THE OLDEST OF THE GODS AND ARE THE TRUE GODS. GATHAS ARE THE OLDEST HYMNS PART OF YASNA OF THE AVESTA WRITTEN BY ZARATHUSHTRA PROPHET OF ASSURA MAZDA. ASHA IS TRUTH, AND RTA IS FALSEHOOD. MITRA IS THE PROTECTOR OF BOTH ASHA AND RTA. ZARATHUSHTRA MEANS GOLDEN SHINING STAR, GOLDEN SHINING DOUBLE STAR, OR GOLDEN SIRIUS. MAGI THE PRIESTS OF ZARATHUSHTRA CONSIDER SIRIUS THE ABODE OF GOD. DATE OF ZARATHUSHTRA IS BETWEEN 6000BC TO 600 BC. HE WAS THE FIRST REFORMER OF INDO-IRANIAN POLYTHEISM TO MONOTHEISM WHICH SPREAD TO BABYLON, ASSYRIA, JUDEA, ANATOLIA, ETC..
A SPRITUAL FIRE LIVES IN THE SOUL TRANSENDS TO IMMORTALITY. LIGHT(ASHA) AND FIRE (AGNI) OF EARLY ARYAN RELIGION WAS KEPT. VEDIC ARYANS A BRANCH OF INDO -IRANIAN FROM CENTRAL ASIA PROBABLY FROM CASPIAN-VOLGA OR ALTAI. CELTS, GAULS, MEDES WENT WEST. THE INDO-EUROPEAN MIGRATIONS TOOK MILLENIA IN VARIOUS STAGES. CELTS AND GAULS REACH ALPINE IN 1000 TO 800 BC. HITTITE AND MITTANI IN TURKEY 1800 TO 2000 BC. PROTO-INDO-IRANIAN WERE FROM INDO-ARYAN ARE PART OF SINTASHTA(2100-1800BC) AND ANDRONOVO(1800-1400 BC). DNA UPDATES MAY GO BACK TO 10000BC. OLDEST FOUND ARYAN INSCRIPTIONS FROM NORTH SYRIA IN HITTITE/MITANNI RECORDS ORIGINATED IN MEDIA (CASPIAN). VEDIC GODS ARE RECORDED IN EGYPTIAN TREATIES. MITTANI ARYANS WERE KURU LIKE KURU-ACHEMENIANS AND KURU OF MAHABHARATA. ANGIRAS AND BHRIGGU CHANGED VIEWS AND SIDES OFTEN. MAIN ENEMY OF ZARATHRUSHTRA ARE THE ANGRAS (VEDIC ANGIRASAS) WHO WORSHIP DEVAS (DEIFIED MEN) AND ARE RITUAL TO THE EXTENT OF BEING BLIND AND DEAF TO RIGHTEOUS REASON. THE AVESTA AND RIG VEDA PEOPLES ARE THE SAME PEOPLE AT ONE TIME IN HISTORY AND FOLLOWED VEDIC RELIGION. BHRIGGU WAS ONCE CALLED GURU OF ASURA (TERM USED FOR IRANIAN ARYAN). BHRIGGU WAS A PREMIER SAGE AND ASTROLOGIST. HE LEFT THE IRANIAN GROUP WENT TO GUJARAT. H AND S SWITCH BETWEEN AVESTA AND RIG VEDA THUS HINDU ARE THOSE OTHER SIDE OF SINDHU RIVER. RIG VEDA BELITTLES IKSHVAKU CLAN SUN WORSHIPPERS MENTIONING IT ONCE AS HELPING THE PURU. MAY HAVE HAD MATRIMONIAL TIES. RAMAYANA IS IKSHVAKU. MAHABHARATA IS PURU. MAGI A TRIBE OF MEDIA ARE THE FIRE-KEEPERS MAKING INCANTATIONS PERFORM DUTIES OF THE ATHRAVEN BEARERS AND KEEPERS OF THE SPIRITUAL FLAME. THEY BECAME ASTRONOMERS, HEALTHCARE, AND SOCIAL PROBLEM SOLVERS. FIRE IS THE SYMBOL OF ZARATHUSHTRA. ACHEMENIAN EMPIRE EXPANDED TO ANATOLIA AND LATER ROMAN EMPIRE. ATHARVAVEDA IS LIKE A BOOK OF MAGIC TO CURE SICKNESS AND RID DEMONS. MANI ROSE FROM ZARATHUSHTRA IN SASSANIAN PERIOD. CLAIMS HE A DISCIPLE OF JESUS. ZARATHUSHTRA CREED: CURSE THE DEVAS...REJECT THE DEVAS AUTHORITY... JAINISM WAS THE OLDEST PRE-VEDIC OF INDIA BUT MAHAVIRA CAME FROM VEDIC CULTURE. JAINS AROSE FROM SHAMAN TRADITION OF INDIA DATES TO INDUS VALLEY CIVILIZATION...
Early Vedic Schism-Indo-Iranian Split and Rise of Zoroastrianism
present-day Hindus worship the devas as gods and the asuras as demons, while in present-day Zoroastrianism this dichotomy is reversed. Rig Veda mentions that asuras were "older Gods". While Zoroaster in Gathas suggest them as true gods... The language of the Gathas (the oldest hymns of the Zoroastrian collection of texts known as the Avesta) and the language of the Rig Veda were so similar...
Yama (in the Vedas) or Yima (in the Avesta) is a name common to both religious systems. Yama/Yima was born from Vishswat/Vivanghat. In both religions he is a judge of livings and a king of a hell or heaven depending on which religion one follows. “Rta” in Veda is the cosmic order of the universe, Asha is the falsehood, while in the Avesta, “Asha” is literally 'truth' and foundation of order of universe, while “Rta” is the falsehood. In both religion, Mitra or Mithra (Sun) is the protector of both, “Rta” and “Asha”... It is mind boggling to see the similarities but in reverse order and that can be only attributed to priest driven schism....
Zoroaster himself was a mysterious figure in the history, there is not much written about him. He was an Indo-Iranian prophet, who advocated a new religion opposite to Vedic belief. He was assumed to be born in Northern Iran of ancient median empire near Caspian sea. Iranian version of his teachings was written down long after his death through preserved memories... Diodorus states that Zarathushtra/Zoroaster was an Arian/Aryan and a native of east Iran. Like Buddha and Mahavira, Zarathustra should be considered as first Indo-Iranian reformer or prophet of early Vedic religion. He therefore belongs to the same category as Buddha and Mahavira, whose reformist teachings were written down long after their death through preserved oral (memorized) traditions of the teaching...
Zarathustra’s hymns are called the “Gathas”. The Gathas are a part of the “Yasna”, a book of the Zarathustra scriptures, the Avesta. The Indians developed many Vedas and Puranas as their texts after rig Veda. Rig Veda is one of the ancient text not only for Indians but entire Indo-Europeans. A similar tradition is found in India’s Vedic religions of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism. The oral recital of hymns followed memorializing and passing down all the hymns in totality to next generation of teachers. The canonical texts for Jainism and Buddhism were written after almost one thousand year from the death of prophets. Same thing happened in Zarathustranism.... Undoubtedly, one must assume that some part of original teaching was reinterpreted, lost or changed the way scribe understood and interpreted the meaning of archaic languages. One must assume that Indo-Iranian Aryans had no writing scripts in earlier ages but had spoken languages...
The right spelling of the name from Avestan literature is "Zarathustra". It is an
archaic form of Old Persian language from Avestan Gathas (Indian-Katha). Zarathustra were spread in the different regions from Baltic area to Anatolia.... “Golden shining star” was one of the meanings. "Zar" or “Zara” means "Gold" in Old Persian (The world “Jari” or “Zari” originated in Surat city of Gujarat derives from this Persian root word that once was heavily populated by the Parsee community of Iran, who settled in the area after brutal conquest by Islamic hordes of Arabs and Turks. "-Ustra" comes from "ush-(Sanskrit-Usha)" (shining), and "Stra" (means the star).... Some scholars say, however that "-tu-" in "- tushtra" means "two" and it makes the name "The golden shining double star", or "The Golden Sirius", as "-tushtra" and "tishtrya"/"tishtar" can be the same words, and the Sirius is indeed the double star. It can be understood in context that he was born near ancient Bactria (near BMAC) complex as specified in the scripture, that was a highway for ancient silk road, connecting Mesopotamia to east and the camels were used as the main transport.... Magis who were the followers of Zarathustra consider star Sirius as the place for the abode of God...
Zarathustra date of the birth is assumed to be all over the map as proposed by different scholars and they vary from 1000 BC to 600 BC. The traditional date of 6th Century BC originated in the period immediately following Alexander the Great’s conquest of the Achaemenids Empire in 330 BC.... Zoroastrian priesthood (Magis),... concluded that Zoroaster must have lived 258 years before Alexander... the prophet goes back much further in the history.... Pliny the Elder (23-79 CE) quotes Eudoxus of Cnidus (365 BC) and Aristotle ( 350 BC) as placing Zoroaster 6000 years before the death of Plato (347 BC) or 6365 BC. Pliny also quotes Hermippus (250 BC) as placing Zoroaster 5000 years before the Trojan war (1200 BC) or around 6200 BC. Diogenes Laertius (230 CE) states that according to Xanthus of Lydia ( 450 BC), Zoroaster lived 6000 years before the Persian king Xerxes invaded Greece (480 BC) or about 6480 BC. Yet another non-Greek source Lactantius (240-320 CE), a Latin speaking native of North Africa, states that ancient King Vishtasp (Hystaspes) reigned long before the founding of Rome (750 BC?). Zoroaster lived during King Vishtasp's reign. It is most likely that Zaruashtra lived between 15th through 10th century BC. Diogenes Laërtius placed the date of the prophet around six hundred years before Xerxes I, around 1200 BC. He based his estimates based on the records of other Greeks like Xanthus, Eudoxus, Aristotle and Hermippus. However, Diogenes also confirms Hermodorus's belief that Zoroaster lived five thousand years before the Trojan War, which would mean he lived around 6200 BC. The 10th century Byzantine document provides a date of "500 years before Plato" that will place him in the late 10th century BC, while Pliny the Elder cited Eudoxus, who also placed Zoroaster’s death six thousand years before Plato, that will equate to 6300 BC.”...
Zaruashtra was the first reformer of old Indo-Iranian religions for persuading Indo-Iranians from polytheism to monotheism. Abraham and his religion of Judaism and Islam followed Zaruashtra’s lead: “There is one God and only one God”, said Zaruashtra. Zarushtraism, Mazdeism and Magianism, are ancient religious philosophies of Persians (Iranians) that spread to ancient Babylon, Assyria, Judea and Anatolia. Zoroastrianism became the dominant world religion during the Persian empires (559 BC to 651 AD) and was thus remain the most powerful western world’s religion prior to Christianity. It had a major influence on other religions of the east. His religion is still alive in Iran and India with Parsee community. It was once the state religion of the Achaemenids, Parthian, and Sassanian empires of Persia until Islam destroyed it. Like Jainism and Buddhism, Zoroastrianism was founded as a protest movement of opposing rituals of worshipping of numerous Indo-Iranian deities and series of accompanying rituals. Zoroastrianism is one of the earliest monotheistic faith, that believed in a concept of one creator- cosmic God (Known as Ahura Mazda)....
An enlightened mind would allow a person to make a fundamental choice in the nature of their spirit: between a bright, positive, constructive, beneficent spirit that seeks wisdom called “spenta Mainyu”, and a dark, negative, destructive, harmful spirit that wishes to remain ignorant called “Angra Mainyu”. In Jainism and Buddhism both, “Mainyu” can be equated to “Karma” or “deeds”. Zaruashtra further believed that the basic choice in spirit would lead to a person choosing the path of “Asha” (principled, honest, beneficent, ordered, lawful living like shining brightness), or “Druj” (unprincipled, dishonest, harmful, chaotic, unlawful living and living by the lie - deceiving and deluding others). A collective choosing of the path of “Asha” would lead to a better life for all and a realization of the best existence possible for all of God’s creation. The good deeds will reignite the “Mainyu Athra” – a perpetual spiritual fire that would live in human souls, transcending into immortality. Thus the light (Asha) and Fire (Agni) of early Aryan religion were kept in his teachings. Buddha also kept Devas and other Vedic concepts in his teachings while Jainism did not....
The word “Kavi” in Sanskrit means scholar, intelligent, wise seer, prophet and sage consistent with seven Vedic Rishis who composed various parts of the Rig Veda... Avestan scripture also uses “Kavi” or “kauui” to describe those who composed the hymns. Considered in Avestan context, King Vishtasp belongs to “Kianian” (“Kavi-Sanskrit) dynasty of ancient Iran. He was admirer and follower of his contemporary Sage Zaruashtra. King Vishtasp was the hero of the Avesta, the sacred texts of Zoroastrianism, and mentioned in the Shahnamah, Iran's national epic.... In Yasna 28, Zoroaster appeals to mighty Ahur Mazda for several blessings, including the power to vanquish the foes of Vishtasp and himself. The Gathas celebrates and characterizes Vishtasp as the "patron of Zoroaster and the establisher of the first Zoroastrian community."King Vishtasp, a Kayanian king of Media and Bakhdhi/Balkh (ancient Bactria) listed in the Zoroastrian Achaemenians kings’ edicts....
The “Kavi” (Poet) Firdausi tells us in his epic of the “Shahnamah” or Book of Kings, that during an audience with the king Vishtasp, Zarathustra said to Vishtasp: "Look upon the heavens and the earth. God, Ahura Mazda, created them not with dust and water. Look upon the fire and behold therein how they were created. If you acknowledge God's work, then acknowledge God to be your Lord and Creator (Ahur Mazda).” ... The fire (Agni) is recognized by the humans as the life savior for them and therefore it was a divinity.
In the Gathas, Vishtasp is repeatedly referred to as a “kavi”, which is etymologically a term for a mantic seer, or poet-priest. “Mantic means the power of prophesy as exercised by Vedic Rishis and Persian Magis....
The Kurgan, Arkaim, Sintashta and BMAC archeological cultures suggests to us, the Vedic Aryans were a branch of the Indo-Iranians group from the Central Asia; and these Indo-Iranians were themselves a branch of the Indo-Europeans of South Russia, most probably from Caspian-Volga or Altai region. With the westward migration, the Indo-Europeans became the people of central Asian steppe, stretching to southern Russia. The earliest climate (before 10,000 BC) was thought to be warm as per environmental historians and “not- icy” as described later in Avestan text. One branch of these Indo-Europeans, the Celts, Gauls, Medes went west during massive climate shift (mini Ice age). Indo-Iranians migrated towards the first south west and then to south east and settled down in Central Asia in and around Baltic region (Black sea), Caspian sea and then moved south near BMAC complex (Sur and Amu Darya).
All these Indo-European migration took millennia to take place in various stages. The Gauls and Celts did not appear near Alpine region until 1000 to 800 BC. Hittite and Mittani established themselves in Turkey around 1800 to 2000 BC. Later, one branch of these IndoIranians due to religious differences migrated southeastwards into the northwestern parts of India; and thus commenced the story of the Aryans cultures and languages of India. To add to this clarification, the Proto-Indo-Iranians, from which the Indo-Aryans developed, are identified with the Sintashta culture (2100–1800 BC), and the Andronovo culture which flourished in Central Asian steppe around 1800–1400 BC. This area is large and covers the Aral Sea, present-day Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan to Altai region of Russia. Some of these dates are approximate due to calendar changes throughout the history. DNA research keep placing the date further back in the history. So, like Zoroaster, it may go back to over 10,000 BC....
we know from the beginning of recorded history that invades and migrant came through Afghanistan through various mountain passes and India’s demography and population mix and genetics supports the present steppe theories.... Talageri maintains that “The Bhriggu (one of the 10 families of Vedic Rishis, associated in the Rigveda with the enemy Anu tribe to the west, and in the Avesta with the Iranians) are exclusively credited in a variety of ways (directly and mythically) with the introduction of Soma to the Vedic Aryans.” Soma was opium like plant. He continues with his additional observation: “Vedic Aryans (the Purus)...
The oldest inscriptions of Aryan group (Old Indic) is found in northern Syria in Hittite/Mittani records, who thought to have initially originated from Ektaban, ancient Media (HamadanCaspian sea area). They split off early from Median group and headed west to Armenia and Anatolia (Present Turkey). The western group worshipped the same original Rig Vedic Gods. The treaty with Egyptian Pharaohs records the invocation of the Vedic gods. The religious practices depicted in the Rigveda and those depicted in the Avesta, the central religious text of Zoroastrianism, also show similarities in addition to language. Some of the later references to the Sarasvati in the Rigveda refer to the Ghaggar-Hakra River of North India, while the Afghan river Haraxvaiti/Harahvati (Iranian) Helmand is equated in Sanskrit as “Sarasvati “and may have been referred in earlier part of Rig Veda. Therefore, some expert regards that as early Rigvedic river Sarasvati. The Rigveda does not explicitly refer to an external homeland or to an Aryan migration but Avesta does. Later Vedic and Puranic texts do affirm the movement into the Gangetic plains. When this explained in proper context the Aryan goddess Sarasvati moved with the Vedic people as they migrated. It probably started with Oxus River near Bactria and then Harahvati in Helmand Province of Afghanistan to Sarasvati in SindhPunjab....
Mittani group of Aryans as described in Hittite cuneiform were “Kuru” like Kuru-Achemenians and Kuru of Mahabharata. One of the letters to Egyptian king Pharaoh is shown below from king “Tushratta”, the word “Tushratta” literally equates to Sanskrit “Dasharatha”, more likely an epithet for a military commander of 10 war chariots....
Later Vedic texts enumerated them and called them “Saptarishi” or seven sages (Sanskrit dvigu meaning "seven sages"). Earlier list of the Seven Rishis is given by Jaiminya Brahmana 2.218-221, “Agastya, Atri, Bharadwaja, Gautam, Jamadagni, Vashista and Visvamitra”. Brihadaranyaka Upanisad 2.2.6 gives a slightly different version: Gautama, Bharadvaja, Visvamitra, Jamadagni, Vashista, Kashyapa, Atri and Bhriggu.” Here we have Agastya dropped and Bhriggu included. This list varies and now we have eight not seven Rishis. The later Gopatha Brahmana 1.2.8 has nine, “Vashista, Visvamitra, Jamadagni, Gautama, Bharadwaja, Gungu, Agastya, Bhriggu and Kashyapa.”...
Indo-Iranian group combined had ten Rishis. Two of them at different times must have switched sides and therefore they were omitted and later included. Athravan who composed fourth Veda is not included in any one of the list so he must have stayed with Iranian (Persian) group. We can conclude then that up to first four Vedas, Indo- Iranian Aryans were either together as a group with no religious schism and had brotherly relations.
Angiras or “Angiras” is a one of ten Indo-Iranian Aryan Rishis (or sages) who, along with sage Athravan were credited for composing most of the fourth Veda called “Atharvaveda”. They were mentioned in the other three Vedas. Under Indo-Iranian mythology, Prajapati were created by Brahama, cosmic creator. Brahma needed helpers, who can monitor his creation and be held responsible. Therefore he created ten Prajapatis that included some of the Rishis. Prajapatis were ruler of the people. They were “Marichi, Atri, Angirasa, Pulaha, Pulasthya, Krathu, Vasishtha, Prachethasa, Bhriggu, Narada.” So, the list varies even for ten. We can conclude that the variation of the list depended on Indo- Iranian Aryan’s state of relationship at different time in the history....
the schism of Polytheism and monotheism that developed during Zaruashtra’s time probably had something to do with the variation of names in the different list of Rishi. Angiras and Bhriggu changed their Views as well as Sides more than one times and therefore Vedic scriptures accounts for seven to nine as shown above, while Avestan picking up two or three for short period of time, while keeping one Athravan to their side...
The Iranian “Angra” and Greek “Angelos” are names of celestial beings that confirm the Lord Brahma’s proclamation that Rishis were celestial creation with great power. (Angra Mainyu described in Iranian Gatha as bad one) and the Iranian “Athravan” and Greek “Phleguai” are names for fire (Agni)-priests. In the Rigveda, Agni is sometimes referred to as Angiras or as a descendant of sage Angiras (RV 1.1). In the Rigveda, Indra drives out cows, from where they had been imprisoned by either a demon (Vala) or multiple demons (Panis) and gifts them to the Angirasas (RV 3.31, 10.108). Mandala 6 of the Rigveda is attributed to a family of Angirasas. The main priestly enemies of the Zarathustra & his followers are the Angras (Vedic Angirases) who are condemned throughout the Avesta right down from the Gathas of Zarathustra. The Angirasas were that section of the Athravan tribe that split from the Ahura tradition & took up worship of multiple Devas (Deified Men, elevated to Godly heights, most likely warriors). So, we can conclude that Angirases and Athravan were related to each others. They were the composers of the early portions of the Rig Veda and Atherveda. The Gathas & Avesta refer to the Angirases (from which the term Angra Mainyu- the evil force may have been derived), as enemy priests & their two branches, the Usiks (Vedic Usijs/Ausijas) mentioned in Ys 44.20 and Gaotemas (Gautama), both of whom originated in and dominated the early Period of the Rig Veda compositions. The Angirasas are mentioned by Zarathustra himself in the Gathas ( Ys48.10 ) & designated as karapan (a derogatory word used in reference to enemy priests, who are extremely ritual oriented to the extent of being blind & deaf to righteous intelligent reasoning & judgment) & in whose hymns alone we find references to the conflict between Vedantists and Zarathushits. Thus Avestan equivalent of Sanskrit Gautama appears to be Gaotemas and not Gomta....
“Now we all know the Avesta is the scripture of Zoroastrianism and Zoroaster or Zarathustra is their Prophet. The Avesta in its Gathas and Vendidad has striking references to Rigvedic people. But how come these people got related to the Vedic people in India?” The answer is obvious they were one and the same people at one time in the history and followed Vedic religions.... As we have seen through the history of Indo Aryans and epic tales that schisms and religious divide were common cultural elements of Indo-Iranian Aryans.... . In Zoroastrianism, Devas became evils while in Vedic religion Devas were good elements. Conversely, Ahur Mazda of Zoroasterism became the good God of creation while Brahama remained a good God of creation in Vedas while “Ahura”–(Vedic Asura) became the bad element for Vedic people. The religious characters in a theology become exactly opposite. Vedic religion maintained their Polytheism while Zoroasterism adopted monotheism as far as the concept of cosmic creation and supreme God of the universe was concerned, it never changed. The concept of Trinity as explained earlier was specifically Indo-Vedic phenomenon. Early Vedic creator of the universe was Brahma. After migrating to India where integration of multi-ethnic aborigine’s Gods and religions to Vedic mainstream became a necessity for governances.... Bhriggu was once called guru of Asura (term used for Iranian Aryan)...
Bhriggu was one of the premier Sage and the first compiler of predictive astrology, and the author of Bhriggu Samhita, an astrological (Jyotish) constructed in earlier history. As per Skanda Purana, Bhriggu migrated to Bhriggukutchha, (Khambatt) on the banks of Narmada River in Gujarat after leaving the Iranian group. The Polytheist religious theology as practiced by Pre-Vedic Aryans... “Many great sages had gathered at the bank of river Sarasvati (Which Sarasvati? River Oxus of central Asia?) to participate in Maha “yagna” (Yojna-Iranian) that was convened. Maharishi Bhriggu was preeminent Rishi at that time in the history and was present along with others. All the great Rishis and sages could not decide that out of the Trinity of Gods, Lords Vishnu, Brahma and Shiva, who is pre-eminent and to whom should they offer Pradhanta (Master) of that yagna. With the consent of all the great sages there, it was decided that Maharishi Bhriggu will test and decide, who the most pre-eminent God was. Bhriggu undertook this risky mission of testing God. On reaching “Brahmalok” (heaven or abode of Brahma), Bhriggu displayed utter disrespect to Lord Brahma for sole purpose of this test. Lord Brahma got angry and wanted to punish Bhriggu but Goddess and consort of Brahma, Sarasvati intervened to spare Bhriggu from angry wrath of Brahma. Seeing this outrage of Lord Brahma towards him, Maharishi Bhriggu cursed Lord Brahma back that no one will worship Brahma in Kaliyuga. Bhriggu was famous for his anger along with his courage”... The splitting difference was selecting Polytheism over monotheism. Bhriggu may have compromised with other Rishis or changed his mind and opted out of excluding Brahma (creator of universe) in preference of Trinity (just limiting to three). The other great sages probably followed Bhriggu and remained followers of Brahma (except Athravan group).... “Now we all know the Avesta is the scripture of Zoroastrianism and Zoroaster or Zarathustra is their Prophet. The Avesta in its Gathas and Vendidad has striking references to Rigvedic people. But how come these people got related to the Vedic people in India?” The answer is obvious they were one and the same people at one time in the history and followed Vedic religions....
Another element to this schism was the battle of the “Varsagriha” (referred in the hymn I.100) and it is identified by many Zoroastrian scholars as a battle between the Iranians and Indians, during the lifetime of Zarathustra.... “H” and “S” switch between Avesta and Rigveda. Therefore Indians are being referred as “Hindu” meaning those living on other side of Sindhu River....
As a guiding reference, Rig Veda shows very little concern regarding Ikshvaku clan, although it was the most important and longest surviving dynasty among Indo-Aryans. Rigveda mentions it once because of the assistance given by Ikshvaku kings to Puru dynasty of kings. Rig Vedic “Trksis” was a branch of Ikshvaku clans. The word Ikshvaku appears once under hymn Sun (X.60.4), since they were sun worshipper. The branch of Ikshvaku- Trksis appears on two occasions (VIII.22.7). So, their connection to Rig Vedic main tribes were loose and may be connected by matrimonial relationship. India’s two epic literatures: Ramayana and Mahabharata also reflect this dispersion. Ramayana is Ikshvaku clan’s Epic tale devoid of featuring any other Vedic tribes as if other clans did not exist, particularly Purus or Bharatas. Mahabharata is a predominantly a tale of Purus clan. Both may belong to different time zones of the history. I cited this difference in my previous article posted on Academia, when I stated that Ramayana is more popular in Tamil speaking area, while Mahabharata is more popular in North during a discussion showing Elamite and Tamil connection. Some of the Avestan hymns reflect the bitterness of Zarathustra. Vishtasp became Zarathustra’s royal patron and is credited with the installation of the first ever burning of fire called the “Burzin Meher”....
Strabo recalls : “Magi” as “Pyraethi or fire-keepers. He goes on to state, they make incantations (hymns) for about an hour, holding before the fire their bundle of rods and wearing round their heads high turbans of felt, which reach down their cheeks far enough to cover their lips.” Herodotus is more accurate and agrees with above statement by saying “The magi were one of six Median groups - a tribe that specialized in hereditary priestly duties and who assumed the duties of the Athravan.” He does not indicate or probably know that Athravan was one of the Vedic Rishi who composed the fourth Veda -Atharvaveda. Besides the role Magis played in ceremonies and rituals they expanded their role into the astronomy, health healing, (just like physicians) and social problem solvers (like legal judges). Atash (Fire) Ahur Mazda-Relief from Persepolis Fire temple in Yazd (Iran) K. E. Eduljee wrote: “Zarathustra is sometimes referred to as an Athravan in Zoroastrian religious texts. In any event, Zarathustra used fire as the central symbol of his teachings, and the Athravan and Magi became Zoroastrian priests. In doing so they became bearers and keepers of the Zoroastrian spiritual flame as well. They immersed themselves in the quest for wisdom grounded in goodness.” With expansion of Achemenians Empire, Zoroasterism with Magi priests spread beyond Persian border to Anatolia and later to Roman Empire....
As one scholar summarized correctly about Atherveda:”The Atharvaveda is sometimes called the "Veda of magical formulas", (an epithet not accepted by all scholars). The Samhita layer of the text likely represents a developing knowledge from 2nd millennium BC, resulting in the tradition of Magico-religious rites to address superstitious anxiety, spells to remove maladies believed to be caused by demons, and use of the herbs- and nature-derived potions as medicine.” It can be safely assumed that Atharvaveda was a starting point to develop Ayurveda that is now in practiced in India.”...
Atharva-Veda Book -1 as translated by Maurice Bloomfield is full of hymns to cure illnesses caused by demons that appear like encyclopedia of medicines with mantra. The book one is entirely devoted to “CHARMS TO CURE DISEASES AND POSSESSION BY DEMONS OF DISEASE (BHAISHAGYKNI).”...
Zoroasterism redefined certain principles of Atharvaveda and turned into monotheism of Ahur Mazda, while curative instruments of mantra were kept intact by Magi priests. After Zaruashtra’s death, Magi priest temporarily abandoned monotheism and reverted to Atharvaveda tradition until the rise of Achemenians who embraced monotheism of Zarathustra, particularly Darius-1, who pushed it harder than Cyrus the great.
Manichaeism: Manichaeism that arose from Zoroasterism became a major religion during Sassanian period. The religion was founded by the Iranian prophet Mani, Manichaeus or Manes; (216–276 AD). Manichaeism taught an elaborate dualistic cosmology describing the struggle between good, spiritual world of light, and an evil, material world of darkness. Through an ongoing process which takes place in human history, light is gradually removed from the world of matter and returned to the world of light, whence it came. Partly his belief was refinement of Zoroasterism while incorporating local Gnostic tradition of Middle East. Manichaeism became very successful and spread far through the Aramaic-Syriac speaking regions, including Nazarene tradition of Judaism. Manichaean churches and scriptures existed as far east as China and as far west as the Roman Empire during Sassanian period. Some experts believe that once it became a rival religion to the Christianity to replace Greco-Roman paganism. Some Historians also recorded that Mani declared himself to be an "apostle of Jesus Christ". Manichaean tradition is also recorded to have claimed that Mani was the reincarnation of different religious figures. (Like Buddha, Krishna, Zoroaster, and Jesus)....
YASNA 12 - The Zoroastrian Creed. (Translated by Joseph Peterson)
These are the hymns assumed to have been composed by Zarathustra himself for his followers and recanted by his Athravan priests. 1. I curse the Daevas. (Deva like Indra and others).... 4. I reject the authority of the Daevas, the wicked, no-good, lawless, evil-knowing, the most druj-like of beings, the foulest of beings, the most damaging of beings. I reject the Daevas and their comrades, I reject the demons (yatu) and their comrades; I reject any who harm beings. I reject them with my thoughts, words, and deeds. I reject them publicly. Even as I reject the head (authorities), so too do I reject the hostile followers of the druj....
7. As the belief of the waters, the belief of the plants, the belief of the well-made (Original) Cow; as the belief of Ahura Mazda who created the cow and the Asha-endowed Man; as the belief of Zarathustra, the belief of Kavi Vishtasp, the belief of both Frashaostra and Jamaspa;(Jamshed) as the belief of each of the Saoshyants (saviors) -- fulfilling destiny and Asha-endowed --so I am a Mazda-worshipper of this belief and teaching...
When Mahavira, Buddha and other religious reformers rebelled against the established Brahmanism of India, they probably were inspired by the teachings of Zaruashtra. To avoid outright hostilities and war, they may have chosen atheism over monotheism to avoid the wrath of Brahmanism. Atheism is not a disbelief in the existence of Gods or a denial of the existence of Gods but it certainly is lack of belief in Gods, simply saying that I don’t know, if God exist or not, while monotheism is the confirmation of existence of one God. ...
Jainism was the oldest pre-Vedic tradition of India but Mahavira (24th Tirthankara) came from Vedic culture and he like Buddha realized the endless rituals was not the answer to the salvation of Saul. A comparative analysis shows that there were many similarities of Ideas and teachings among Buddhism, Jainism and Zarushtraism.... Jainism arose from ancient Shramanic tradition of India that dates to Indus Valley civilization....
Below is comparative analysis provided when compared against each other and Zarathustranism. It is also important to note that the sky burial practice was observed by all these ancient religions. Zarathustra’s followers and Tibetan Buddhism still observes that belief. Jainism abandoned that practice during beginning of Common Era on the premise that dead and devoured bodies left to carrion birds on the hilltop invites killing of other “Jivas”, like small insects, bacteria life form etc. Jainism regards this practice as a part of violence. Hinduism and Jainism and some sects of Buddhism switched to cremation. The ancient belief that unless the flash is removed from the body, the Saul cannot ascend to heaven is not prevailing accepted belief. We know that Buddha himself went through sky burial ritual as per the records, his bone was stored in stupa and later during Asoka’s time the bones were distributed as Buddha’s relic. Jainism does not speak about the details of Mahavira’s death and what mortuary method was used. See in reference section, my article on sky burial practice. ....
A 10,000 BC WOMAN FOUND IN GANJ DAREH, ZAGROS, IRAN IS GENETICALLY SIMILAR TO CHG BUT DISTINCT FROM NEOLITHIC ANATOLIAN. SHE WAS X mtDNA HG PROBABLY X2. HER ADMIXTURE WAS CHG OF WEST GEORGIA, WITH SOME AFFINITY FROM MODERN SOUTH CENTRAL ASIAN, AND ANCIENT YAMNAYA AND AFANASIEVO. SHE HAD LITTLE INPUT INTO LATER EUROPEAN POPULATIONS COMPARED TO HER NORTHERN NEIGHBORS. SHE HAD BLACK HAIR, AND BROWN EYES, AND ONE VARIANT OF LIGHT SKIN. IT IS POSSIBLE SHE GOT SOME GENES FROM NEAR EAST FARMERS MIGRATING EAST THRU TURKMENISTAN 6,000 BC THEN TO THE INDUS VALLEY....
The genetics of an early Neolithic pastoralist from the Zagros, Iran
www.nature.com/articles/srep31326
an early Neolithic woman from Ganj Dareh, in the Zagros Mountains of Iran, a site with early evidence for an economy based on goat herding, ca. 10,000 BP. We show that Western Iran was inhabited by a population genetically most similar to hunter-gatherers from the Caucasus, but distinct from the Neolithic Anatolian people... Caucasus Hunter Gatherers (Kotias and Satsurblia) share the most drift with GD13a... The site has been directly dated to 9650–9950 cal BP...
The mitochondrion of GD13a was assigned to haplogroup X, most likely to the subhaplogroup X2, which has been associated with an early expansion from the Near East and has been found in early Neolithic samples from Anatolia, Hungary and Germany... GD13a did not cluster with any other early Neolithic individual from Eurasia in any of the analyses. ADMIXTURE and outgroup f3 statistics identified Caucasus Hunter-Gatherers of Western Georgia, just north of the Zagros mountains, as the group genetically most similar to GD13a, whilst PCA also revealed some affinity with modern Central South Asian populations such as Balochi, Makrani and Brahui. Also genetically close to GD13a were ancient samples from Steppe populations (Yamanya & Afanasievo) that were part of one or more Bronze age migrations into Europe, as well as early Bronze age cultures in that continent (Corded Ware), in line with previous relationships observed for the Caucasus Hunter-Gatherers... A large number of Western Eurasian samples (both modern and ancient) showed significant excess genetic affinity to the Caucasus Hunter-Gatherers, whilst none did with GD13a. Overall, these results point to GD13a having little direct genetic input into later European populations compared to its northern neighbours...
The phenotypic attributes of GD13a are similar to the neighbouring Anatolian early farmers and Caucasus Hunter-Gatherers. Based on diagnostic SNPs, she had dark, black hair and brown eyes. She lacked the derived variant (rs16891982) of the SLC45A2 gene associated with light skin pigmentation but likely had at least one copy of the derived SLC24A5 allele (rs1426654) associated with the same trait. The derived SLC24A5 variant has been found in both Neolithic farmer and Caucasus Hunter-Gatherer groups suggesting that it was already at appreciable frequency before these populations diverged. Finally, she did not have the most common European variant of the LCT gene (rs4988235) associated with the ability to digest raw milk, consistent with the later emergence of this adaptation. It is possible that farmers related to GD13a contributed to the eastern diffusion of agriculture from the Near East that reached Turkmenistan by the 6th millennium BP, and continued further east to the Indus Valley. However, detecting such a contribution is complicated by a later influx from Steppe populations with Caucasus Hunter-Gatherer ancestry during the Bronze Age...
WERE KASSITES AND ELAMITES DESCENDANTS OF ATLANTIS WHO MIGRATE EASTWARD FROM ATLANTIS IN THE WEST EUROPE ATLANTIC SETTLING IN VARIOUS REGIONS OF THE WORLD. THEY THEN DO A BACK MIGRATION TO THE WEST AFTER REACHING INDUS AND FURTHER EAST. THIS ARTICLE CONCENTRATES ON INDO-IRAN OF PRE-ARYAN AND ARYAN TIMES WHERE THESE PEOPLE ARE CONNECTED TO HATTI, HURRIAN, LUVI, PRE GREEK ANATOLIA AND MINOANS OF CRETE, SUMERIANS, ETRUSCANS, INDUS, LURISTAN, NOT TO MENTION THE CENTRAL AND EAST ASIAN AS WELL AS WEST EUROPE ESPECIALLY IRLAND. MOST PROBABLY R1b PALEOLITHIC WEST EUROPEAN FOUNDING BASE FROM THE K2 LINEAGE. ELAMITES GENETICALLY RELATED TO SUMERIAN AND DRAVIDIAN FROM THE INDUS VALLEY MIGRATE TO ELAM IN 3500BC. ALTHOUGH HOMO ERECTUS WAS THE EARLIEST HUMAN FOUND IN SOUTH ASIA MODERN MAN SETTLES THERE 12000YA. INDUS CULTURE PICKS UP BETWEEN 6000BC AND 2000BC THRIVING BETWEEN 2500 AND 1900BC. PRIOR TO 3000BC PEOPLE OF IRAQ, SOUTH IRAN, AND NW INDIA WERE FROM THE SAME REGION UNTIL 2000BC TO 1500BC ARYANS INVADE. INDIANS AND IRANIANS WERE ONE FAMILY BEFORE INDO-ARYAN CIVILIZATION AND LIVED IN CENTRAL ASIA OF OXUS VALLEY.
2ND MILLENIUM SIMILAR LANGUAGE, MYTHS, TRADITIONS, AND SOCIAL BETWEEN INDO, IRAN, GREEK, ROMAN, CELT, GERMAN, AND SLAV. INDO AND IRAN LIVED TOGETHER AFTER SEPARATING FROM THEIR WEST KINSMEN. THE REASON ARYANS MIGRATE AWAY FROM THIER ORIGINAL HOME LAND WAS A HUGE FLOOD. PERSIANS WERE CALLED PARSHAVAS, AND PARASIKAS FROM WHICH PARSI DERIVES. INDIA IS GREEK PRONOUNCED HINDIA. FROM THE RIVER INDUS, HINDU, SINDHU. IRAN IS ARYA, THE NOBLE. IRLAND IS EIRE, AIRE MEANS NOBLE. ARYAVARTA IS SACRED LAND BETWEEN HIMALAYA AND VINDHYA MOUNTAINS EXTENDING FROM THE EAST TO WESTERN SEA. THE NOBLE ONES ARE FAITHFUL TO THEIR LAND. AZERBAIJAN IS ANCIENT WORD ARYANAM VAJAH MEANS POWER OF THE ARYANS. ZOROAUSIRIAN PRIESTS WERE CALLED MAGI, MAGOI, MAGA WORSHIP OF SUN GOD AS KEEPERS OF THE FIRE. TRADE BETWEEN INDUS AND EUPHRATES IS ANCIENT TO BUDDHIST TIMES AND PHOENICIANS IN INDIA IN 975BC. THERE IS CLEAR EVIDENCE THAT THE KASSITES WERE FROM ATLANTIS WHO HAD HOMELANDS FROM IRLAND ALL THE WAY TO INDIA AND FURTHER EAST AND NORTH TO SIBERIA. THEIR POWERS WAXED AND WANED IN THE CIVILIZATIONS THEY SETTLED FROM SINCE PALEOLITHIC TIMES...
Chapter II Indo-Iranian relationship in Pre–Aryan and Aryan periods
2.2 Iranian native people
The earliest of evidences of a civilization in Iran comes from the southern Caspian region, in present day province of Gilan... This area seems to have been inhabited by the same people who were settled in eastern Anatolia, Proto-Hattians and Hurrians of later Urartu kingdom. The similarity of art works seems to suggest close connections with the Kassites of Luristan who later became one of the two dominant civilizations of pre-Aryan era....
Kassites: The origin of the Kassites is not known, but their material life suggests close connections to the civilisations of Hurrians and Hattis and even to the Luvian and other pre-Greek cultures of Anatolia and Minoans of Crete. The bronze work of the Kassites is very famous and is used to establish links between the Sumerians, Monoans, Etruscans, and Dravidian civilization of the Indus Valley/Mohenjo-daro... no strong evidence to suggest Indo-European roots of the Kassite. Other local inhabitants of Luristan and the rest of the southwest Iran, Lullubis and Gutians, also do not show any Indo-Iranian characteristics.... 1595 B.C. , a united Kassite and Gutian force, under the command of Agum-Kak-Reme, attacked Babylon following the Hittite withdrawal, this time successfully, and ruled for about three hundred years, until 1180B.C...The Kassites also extended their dominance to the Elamite kingdom of southwest Iran and put an end to the Old Elamite kingdom. They extended their lands to the borders of Egypt on one side, and as far north as the Urartu territory in Caucasus and Anatolia. Their last king, Anllil-nadin-akhe, was defeated by the Elamite king and was taken prisoner to Susa where he died in 1180 B.C., putting an end to the Kassite power in Mesopotamia. The remaining of the Kassite tribes, who had managed to keep their own identity, retreated back to the high mountains of Luristan, where they eventually became part of the strong kingdoms of Elam and eventually the Persian Empire....
Elam... 4th millennium B.C., evidence of Elamite settlement in the plains of Khuz (northern Persian Gulf) exists. Researches done on the Elamite skeletons show their racial closeness to the Sumerians and Dravidians of Indus Valley, while their language, at least in its latest form, shows very little connections with these cultures....We might assume that Elamites arrived in their homeland, most likely via the sea from southern Indus Valley region, around 3500 B.C....When the ancestors of Elamites arrived, they settled in that area under the rule of the Sumerian kingdom of Ur.... Elamites initially attacked and destroyed Ur, and later invaded Babylonia around 2,000 B.C. and founded the Larsa dynasty. By that time, they were already the masters of Uruk, Isin, and Babylon...was soon ran over by the rising Median and Persian powers....the sciences and knowledge of Elam and Mesopotamia, mathematics and astronomy, were transmitted to the Persian Empire by the Elamite scribes who made their language one of the three official languages of the empire....
Other Civilisations...To the north of the Kassites, there lived a group of people called Hurrians who were probably the native inhabitants of the southern Caucasus. They spoke a language unrelated to all other languages around them, and they seem to have spread quickly around the landscape in the second millennium B.C. Their area of influence stretched westwards to the Van Lake area and made them neighbours of the Hatti and later the Hittite Kingdom. Around the 1400 B.C., a group of Hurrian people formed a kingdom called the Mitanni in the areas of modern Kurdistan and eastern Turkey.... the ruling class of the Mitanni kingdom were from an Indo-European and specifically Indo-Aryan background.... Urartu, another Hurrian nation... The later Armenian kingdoms claimed descent from the Urartans, and the name of the great mountain of Armenia, Mount Ararat, comes from the name of the Urartu people. This civilisation ceased to exist sometimes before the rise of the Median kingdom in the southern borders of their territory ( 650 B.C.), but it left lasting influences, especially in architecture, on the kingdom of the Medes....
2.3 Indian native people...
Indus Valley Civilization ( or the Harappa Culture as it has been more recently named ) in 2500 B.C..... Homo erectus... 200,000 to 500,000 years ago. The fossils are believed to be the earliest human remains found in South Asia... Modern humans seem to have settled the subcontinent towards the end of the last Ice Age about 12,000 years ago....By 5100 B.C., people in the Indus Valley were farming... Late Neolithic cultures sprang up in the Indus Valley region between 6000 and 2000 B.C. , and in southern India between 2800 and 1200 B.C....Indus Valley Civilization (or, the Harappan Civilization), which thrived between 2500 and 1900 B.C....
2.4 Indo– Iranian relationship in pre-Aryan and Aryan period...
It is believed that before 3000-2000 B.C., the inhabitants of modern Iraq and southern Iran as also the people of west and North West India came from the same region. Later, around 1500 B.C. Aryan tribes from north invaded and defeated these people and marched further to south Asia.... There was trade between the coast of southern Iran and India through the Persian Gulf and the Arabian Sea.... It is believed that Indians and Iranians belonged to one single family before the beginning of the Indo-Aryan civilisation and lived together with a common language for many centuries in pasturelands of Oxus valley in Central Asia (Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan). This common habitat was either around the upper reaches of the Tigris where the Zob meets it or in the vast doab of the rivers Vahvi-Datiya and Ranha (the Oxus and Jaxertes).
The first Aryan migration into India and Iran took place around 2000 B.C. In Iran, as in India, the impact of the Aryans was to prove ineffaceable and founded a long enduring tradition. These people brought with them their patrilinear system, their worship of sky gods, their horses and chariots. In the second millennium B.C. there was close agreement between the language and mythology, religious traditions and social institutions of Indians and Iranians on the one hand and those of the Greeks, Romans, Celts, Germans and Slavs on the other. For a considerable period after their separation from their western kinsmen, the Indians and Iranians are believed to have lived together.
The scriptures Vedas (of the Indian Aryans) and the Avesta (of the Iranians) both agree on the cause, which led to the migration of the Aryans from their original homeland (called Airyana Vaejo in Avesta). In the Vedic account, it is a flood of water that is referred to and in the Avestan account it is a flood of snow and frost. The “praleya” signifying snow or frost is derived from “pralaya” or deluge in Sanskrit by Panini. That there was a huge flood in pre-historic times in some parts of the then known world is proved by Semitic sources which seem to have borrowed their account from Aryan sources. The name of the person who escaped this disaster is Noah, according to them (more correctly Nuh as in Arabic which is a contracted form of Manuh, nominative form of Manu). In both Indian and Iranian versions, he is the son of the same person –Vivasvat or Vivanghat. According to the tradition of the Vendidad, the ancestors of the Iranians lived in 15 other countries turn by turn. One of these was Haptahindu, i.e. Saptasindhu, the cradle land of Indo-Aryan civilization. Indian or Indo-Iranian groups who worshiped the Vedic deities were found in and to the north of Syria in the middle of the second millennium B.C....
India is mentioned in the Avesta and there is some description of north India in it. In the Rig Veda there are references to Persia – the Persians who were called Parshavas and later Parasikas, from which the modern word Parsi is derived. The Parthians were referred to as Parthavas. Old Persian language was a member of the Indic branch of the Indo-European languages. Related to it was Zend of Avestan, the language of the earliest Zoroastrian text, which was later, divided into two distinct branches – Indic and Iranic.... India is a Greek word written ‘India in the Greek alphabet and pronounced Hindia. It comes from Hindos ‘the river Indus’ from the old Persian Hindu, the Persian pronunciation of the Sanskrit Sindhu. Similarly, the name Iran is related to Sanskrit Arya (noble). The ancient Persian also used the name ‘Arya’ and the word survives in the word ‘Iran’. Iranians are one of three peoples of the world who have called their countries ‘Land of Nobility’ or ‘The Noble Land’. Iran is the Avesta word airya ‘noble’ with the toponymic suffix –an, denoting a geographical area. The name of Ireland is Eire in Irish language and aire means ‘noble’ in Irish. Aryavarta is the sacred land bounded on the north and south by the Himalaya and Vindhya mountains, and extending from the eastern to the western sea. The name Iran and Aryavarta are close relatives and denote the abode of the excellent ones, the noble and respectable people, those faithful to their land. The Persian speaking Azerbaijan is the ancient word aryanam vajah ‘the power of the Aryans’, which celebrates the emerging sway of the Iranians in the second or third millennium B.C....
The Samba-purana relates that Samba, the son of Krishna, had been afflicted with leprosy and was restored to health by the grace of Sun god whose worship was performed by Iranian priests called Maga. The Maga priests were the famous Magoi or Magi –Zoroastrian priests who spread the worship of fire and Sun and erected temples at Taxila and Multan.... Commerce between the mouth of the Indus and the Persian Gulf was unbroken down to the Buddhist times. There is evidence of trade between the Phoenicians of the Levant and western India as early as 975 B.C. Trade between the Indus Valley and the Euphrates seems to be very ancient.
CURRENT IRAN IS A MIX 15 ETHNIC GROUPS OF MAINLY NONHOMOGENEOUS J2a SUBCLADES EXPANDING WESTWARD POST GLACIAL AND NEOLITHIC. STEPPE HERDERS MIGRATE INTO IRAN PROTO-IRANIANS FROM THE STEPPES ENTER IN THE 5TH AND 4TH MILLENIUM BP. OTHER TRIBES SETTLE IN THE EAST AS FAR AS NW INDIA. 6TH CENTURY BC CYRUS THE GREAT FOUNDS THE ACHAEMENID EMPIRE FROM IRAN TO LYBIA TO ANATOLIA AND MACEDONIA.
2ND CENTURY BC PARTHIANS EXTEND FROM EUPHRATES TO AFGHANISTAN. IT WAS ON SILK ROAD CONNECTED ROME AND CHINA. SASSANID EMPIRE WAS NEXT FOLLOWED BY ARABS, MONGOLS, AND OTTOMAN TURKS. THE 637 AC MUSLIM INVASION REPLACED THE ZOROASSURIAN RELIGION. THE ZANZIBAR SLAVE TRADE BROUGHT IN NIGGER SLAVES INTO IRAN. THE 15 MAIN PATERNAL HAPLOGROUPS ARE B,C,D,E,F,G,H,I,J,L,N,O,Q,R, AND T. THE MAJORITY ARE J (31.4%), R (29.1%), G (11.8%) and E (9.2%). J2-M172 (23%) AND J1-M267 (10%). R1 IS MAINLY R1a-M198 AND R1b-M269. R2 IS R2-M124 (3%). R1b-M269 HIGHEST IN THE ASSYRIANS, TEHRAN AND AZERBAIJAN GHARBIs, AND ARMENIANS IN TEHRAN AND LORESTAN. ALL THE M269 BELONG TO R1b-L23 EXCEPT FOR 5 CHROMOSOMES FROM R1b-M269* AND 3 FROM R1b-M412.
G2a-P15 IS MOST FREQUENT G HG AT 9%. E HAPLOGROUP IS MAINLY E1-M123 (4%) FOUND IN KURDS, AND E1b-M78 (3%) IN LORESTAN. E1b-V13 AND E1b-V22 IN ZOROAUSURIANS OF YAZD.
LATE GLACIAL DISPERSALS FROM THE MID EAST DIVERGED DEEP ROOTED LINEAGES F-M89* (MAIN ANCESTRAL EURO-ASIATIC HGs), AND IJ-M429* OBSERVED IN IRAN PLATEAU. THE MID EAST IJ HAPLOGROUP SPLITS AS J IN ARABIA, AND I IN THE BALKENS WHERE IT EXPANDS INTO EUROPE IN THE MESOLITHIC. K ROAMED CAUCASUS TO CHINA. K2/R1b LINEAGE IS THE FIRST SURVIVING MODERN MAN IN EUROPE DURING PALEOLITHIC. R1a IS MOSTLY MID ASIA/EAST EUROPE. R1b LINEAGE RANGED FROM WEST EUROPE TO SIBERIA SINCE PALEOLITHIC. R1b-M269 WERE THE EASTERN BRANCH OF R1b WERE STEPPE HERDERS.
IN IRAN TODAY ARE 5 MAIN CLUSTERS: EAST AFRICA (E HG), NORTH AFRICAN (J1 HG), NEAR EAST ARAB (J1 HG), EUROPEAN (I, R1a, R1b HGs), AND SOUTH ASIAN (g, R2, L HGs).
NATURAL BOUNDARIES HELPED TO SEGREGATE THE GROUPS WITH J AT 2 SIDES OF THE ZAGROS, M267 IRAQ AND SAUDI ARABS AND M172 IRAN PLATEAU, ANATOLIA, AND SOUTH EUROPE. R1a-M198 IS RARE WEST SIDE OF ZAGROS. R1b-L23 FREQUENT IN NW IRAN TO LORESTAN....
Ancient Migratory Events in the Middle East:
New Clues from the Y-Chromosome Variation of Modern Iranians
https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0041252
At present, the Iranian population is characterized by an extraordinary mix of different ethnic groups speaking a variety of Indo-Iranian, Semitic and Turkic languages... In this survey 938 Iranian male DNAs belonging to 15 ethnic groups from 14 Iranian provinces were analyzed for 84 Y-chromosome biallelic markers and 10 STRs. The results show an autochthonous but non-homogeneous ancient background mainly composed by J2a sub-clades with different external contributions. The hylogeography of the main haplogroups allowed identifying post-glacial and Neolithic expansions toward western Eurasia but also recent movements towards the Iranian region from western Eurasia (R1b-L23), Central Asia (Q-M25), Asia Minor (J2a-M92) and southern Mesopotamia (J1-Page08)....
Proto-Iranian language first emerged following the separation of the Indo-Iranian branch from the Indo-European language family. Proto-Iranians tribes from Central Asian steppes arrived in the Iranian plateau in the fifth and fourth millennium BP, settled as nomads and further separated in different groups. By the third millennium BP, Cimmerians, Sarmatians and Alans populated the steppes North of the Black Sea, while Medes, Persians, Bactrians and Parthians occupied the western part of the Iranian plateau. Other tribes began to settle on the eastern edge, as far East as on the mountainous frontier of north-western Indian subcontinent and into the area which is now Baluchistan. The nowadays Iranian territory had been occupied by Medes (Maad) in the central and north-western regions, Persians (Paars) in the south-western region and by Parthians (Parthav) in the north-eastern and eastern regions of the country. In the 6th century BC Cyrus the Great founded the Achaemenid Empire (the first Persian Empire), which started in South Iran and spread from Libya to Anatolia and Macedonia, encompassing an extraordinary ethno-cultural diversity. This widespread empire collapsed after two centuries (towards the end of the 4th century BC) on account of Alexander the Great. In the 2nd century BC, north-eastern Persia was invaded by the Parthians who founded an empire extending from the Euphrates to Afghanistan. Because of its location on the Silk Road, connecting the Roman Empire and the Han Dynasty in China, it quickly became a centre of trade and commerce. The Parthians were succeeded by the Sassanid Empire, one of the most important and influential historical periods of Persia. Afterwards Iran was invaded by several populations such as the Arabs, Mongols and Ottoman Turks. The Muslim conquest of Persia in 637 AC led to the introduction of Islam, with the consequent decline of the Zoroastrian religion, which still survives in some communities in different part of Iran, especially in Tehran and Yazd. This continuous invasion of populations with different origin and culture created an interesting mix of different ethnic groups speaking a variety of Indo-Iranian, Semitic and Turkic languages and encompassing Arabs, Armenians, Assyrians, Azeris, Baluchs, Bandaris, Gilaks, Kurds, Lurs, Mazandarani, Persians, Qeshm people, Turkmens, Zoroastrians and a group of so-called Afro-Iranians, which might be the result of the slave trade with Zanzibar....
Arab-speakers in Iran are mainly scattered along the Persian Gulf coast. The main unifying feature of this group is a Semitic language, ‘‘the Arabic’’, originated in the Arabian Desert... their presence in Iran is due to the process of Islamization of Persia started in the 7th century that led to the decline of the Zoroastrian religion... a continuous influx of Arab-speaking immigrants into the province from the 16th to the 19th century.
Armenians are descendants of people with Armenian origin....once part of the Hittite Empire. With the conquest of Alexander the Great, Armenia became part of the Macedonian Empire coming into contact with European civilization. Armenians arrived into Iran in 1600 as captives and the present-day community is a Christian minority of no more than 100,000 individuals who mostly live in Tehran and the Jolfa district of Isfahan.
Assyrians are Semitic people speaking Aramaic dialects and represent the second Christian community in Iran. They live mainly in Azerbaijan Gharbi...the Assyrian Empire (911–608 BC) they played an important role controlling much of the western part of the Iranian country (including Media, Persia, Elam and Gutium). Their ancestors are among the oldest Middle Eastern groups with origin in the Fertile Crescent and the principal promoters of the development of Mesopotamian civilization....With the fall of the Assyrian Empire in 539 BC and the coming into power of the Persians, Assyrians remained in north-western Iran for many thousands of years where, as Armenians, for their religious and cultural traditions, had little intermixture with the other groups: Assyrians and Armenians are thus good representatives of ancient Middle Eastern populations.
Azeris are mainly Shi’a Muslims and are the largest ethnic group in Iran after the Persians. The name ‘‘Azeri’’ is a Turkified form of ‘‘Azari’’ and the latter is derived from the Old Iranian name for the region of Azerbaijan in North-West Iran. The Azari people likely derive from ancient Iranic tribes, such as the Medians in Iranian Azerbaijan....
Baluchis live in Sistan and Baluchestan (a province of South-East Iran) but also in Afghanistan, Oman and Pakistan. They are Sunni Muslims...likely descendant of ancient Median and Persian tribes coming from the Caspian Sea and first settled in northern Persia.
Gilaks and Mazandarani, also called Caspian people, are closely related. They live in North Iran although they are thought to have originated from the South Caucasus....
Kurds are considered an ethnic group since the medieval period. The prehistory of the Kurds is poorly known, but their ancestors seem to have inhabited the same inhospitable mountainous region for millennia remaining relatively unmixed with the invaders. The records of the early empires of Mesopotamia contain frequent references to mountain tribes with names resembling ‘‘Kurd’’...
Lurs are one of the major Iranian ethnic groups inhabiting along the central and southern parts of the Zagros Mountains. Their origin might go back to the time before the migration of Indo-Europeans to Iran when other groups called Elamites and Kassites were living there. The Kassites are said to be the native people of Lorestan and their language was neither Semitic nor Indo-European and differed from the Elamite. The modern Lurs, like the Kurds, are a mixture of these aboriginal groups and invading Indo-Iranians from which it is thought they separated. Until the 20th century, the majority of Lurs were nomadic herders....
Persian identity refers to the Indo-European Aryans who arrived in Iran about 4 thousand years ago (kya). Originally they were nomadic, pastoral people inhabiting the western Iranian plateau...Ancient Persian people were firstly characterized by the Zoroastrianism....
Turkmen came from the Altai Mountains in the 7th century AC, through the Siberian steppes. They now live in Golestan and are different from the other ethnic groups in appearance, language and culture.
Zoroastrians are the oldest religious community in Iran; in fact the first followers have been the proto-Indo-Iranians. With the Islamic invasions they were persecuted and now exist as a minority in Iran...
Structure of the Y-chromosome gene pool in Iran:
65 different Y-chromosome lineages. They belong to 15 main haplogroups (B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, J, L, N, O, Q, R and T) the most frequent of which are J (31.4%), R (29.1%), G (11.8%) and E (9.2%)... Iranian population is characterized by very high haplogroup diversity...
Haplogroup J is predominant in Iran where both its subclades, J2-M172 and J1-M267, are observed... J1-M267 does not exceed 10% in the majority of the Iranian samples examined, with higher values only in Fars (11.4%), Zoroastrians from Yazd (11.7%), Gilan (12.5%), Assyrians from Azerbaijan (17.9%) and Khuzestan (33.4%).... J2-M172 is the main Iranian haplogroup (22.5%), almost entirely (92.9%) represented by J2a-M410 sub-clades.... J2a-M530 shows high frequencies in the Zoroastrians of Yazd (17.6%) and Tehran (15.4%), and in the Persians of Yazd (17.0%). J2a-M47 reaches frequencies higher than 5% in the Zoroastrians of Yazd (8.8%), in Mazandaran, Khuzestan and Fars (,7%), while it is absent in the Assyrians of Azerbaijan Gharbi and Tehran, in Sistan Baluchestan and in Hormozgan (except for the Qeshm group). J2a-M92 was observed in Sistan Baluchestan (12.5%) while the paragroup J2a-M67* was observed mainly in the Armenians of Tehran (8.8%). J2a-M68, previously reported in the neighbouring Iraqi population, was not observed in Iran. As for the paragroups, J2a-M410* represents 2.8% of the total sample with,7% of frequency in Khuzestan, Mazandaran and Khorasan, whereas J2a-Page55*, observed at 6.6% in central Anatolia, accounts for 4.8% of the Iranian sample. J2-M172*, recently described in the neighbouring Iraqi Marsh Arabs (3.5%), characterizes one subject from Khuzestan (1.8%)...
Haplogroup R in Iran is mainly represented by the R1 sub-lineages R1a-M198 and R1b-M269, whereas R2-M124 was observed only in 2.8% of the total sample. All the R1a Y chromosomes belong to the M198* paragroup with frequencies ranging from 0% to 25%. Indeed neither the ‘‘European’’ M458 nor the ‘‘Pakistani’’ M434 have been observed in our samples. Haplogroup R1b-M269 shows its highest frequency in the Assyrians (29.2%, averaged on Tehran and Azerbaijan Gharbi groups). High values are also observed in the Armenians from Tehran and in Lorestan (both with ,24%). With the exception of five chromosomes belonging to the paragroup R1b-M269* and three chromosomes clustering in the ‘‘European’’ sub-haplogroup R1b-M412, all the M269 Y chromosomes belong to the R1b-L23 clade.
Haplogroup G is observed in this survey as G1-M285 and G2a-P15. G1-M285, previously described in the Iranian population, accounts only for 1.8% of the present Iranian sample. G2a-P15 is the most frequent sub-clade characterizing 9.1% of the total sample, with incidences ranging from 0% in Sistan Baluchestan to 19.3% in the Arabs of Khuzestan. Interestingly, the majority (74.7%) of the G2a-P15 Y chromosomes belong to the paragroups G2a-P15* and G2a-P303*.
Haplogroup E in Iran is mainly represented by the E1-M123 (3.7%) and E1b-M78 (3.0%) branches. The first is almost entirely characterized by its sub-lineage M34 and reaches its highest incidence (13.6%) in Kurdistan. The second is present as E1b-M78* in Lorestan (9.8%) and E1b-V13 (5.9%) and E1b-V22 (2.9%) in the Zoroastrians of Yazd. It is worth noting the presence of individuals carrying African-specific haplogroups (three belonging to E2-M75 and 17 to E1b-M2) in South-East Iran (Hormozgan and Sistan Baluchestan), whereas the North-East African E1b-M81 is not observed....
evidences of Late Glacial dispersals from the Middle East are provided by the large number of deep rooting lineages (rare elsewhere), from which diverged different branches that underwent Neolithic expansions. Accordingly, Y chromosomes F-M89* and IJ-M429* were observed in the Iranian plateau: the first represents the ancestral state of the main Euro-Asiatic haplogroups while the second probably moved toward southeast Europe sometime before the Last Glacial Maximum where it differentiated into the ‘‘western Eurasian’’ haplogroup I. Similarly, basal lineages of the ‘‘Middle Eastern’’ haplogroup J (J1-M267* and different J2a lineages: J2-M172*, J2a-M410* and J2a-Page55*) and of haplogroups G (G2-P287*, G2-P15* and G2-P303*) and R (R1b-M269*) were also observed. Their frequency and variance distributions suggest a Mesolithic Middle Eastern origin/presence of these Y chromosomes supporting the role of the Middle East as a genetic reservoir for Late Glacial expansions and subsequent Neolithic dispersals southwards and westwards into South-East Europe.
J1-M267* shows high variance in the Middle Eastern region including Eastern Turkey, North-West Iraq, and North-West Iran (Gilan – Mazandaran, Table S2), where probably originated 26.3 +/- 8.2 kya and then migrated westwards up to the Balkans...This cluster harbours also virtually all the M267* Marsh Arab Y chromosomes supporting the previously proposed origin in northern Mesopotamia for the Iraqi Marsh Arabs... J2a-M530 is the most informative as for ancient dispersal events from the Iranian region. This lineage probably originated in Iran where it displays its highest frequency and variance in Yazd and Mazandaran.... The high variance observed in the Italian Peninsula is probably the result of stratifications of subsequent migrations and/or of the presence of sub-lineages not yet identified.... Another lineage potentially informative in revealing pre-Neolithic dispersals from the Middle East towards Europe is J2a-M67*.... Expansion events are clearly identified in the Levant and the Anatolia/Caucasus/southern Balkan regions from where the M67* spread towards southern Europe. Differently, no sign of J2a-M67* expansion is registered in other areas at high variance such as Iran (15.864.0 kya), Cyprus (14.864.0 kya), Central Italy (13.264.2 kya) and Crete (12.964.5 kya)where the majority of the observed haplotypes are rare and occupy a peripheral position in the network. Thus, while the high M67* variance in Central Italy is likely due to a stratification of seaborne migrations of Middle Eastern/Asia Minor peoples, the diversification observed in Iran and the Aegean Islands can be explained by a first Near Eastern, and possibly Anatolian, diffusion of the lineage followed by a Levantine expansion.
Haplogroup R1a and the diffusion of Indo-European languages. The diffusion of the Iranian branch of Indo-European languages whose origin is generally attributed to a western Asian region which includes Anatolia, the South Caucasus and the North Pontic-Caspian area; has been linked by numerous authors to the R1a haplogroup dispersal.
However, in spite of the recent dissection of this haplogroup, none of the identified sub-branches support a patrilineal gene flow from western Eurasia through southern Asia ascribable to the diffusion of Indo-European languages. Accordingly, the present analysis of the Iranian R1a Y-chromosomes does not provide useful information to disentangle this issue....
Recent gene flows from neighbouring populations:
Traces of recent gene flows from Arab countries and Anatolia are revealed in the Iranian Y-chromosome gene pool by the presence of the well resolved sub-haplogroups J1-Page08 and J2-M92, respectively. The ‘‘Arab’’ J1-Page08, likely originated in the region at the border between south-eastern Turkey and North Iraq, underwent an important Neolithic expansion in the southern countries of the Middle East and represents the most important haplogroup in the modern populations of the Arabian Peninsula and North Africa. This lineage is observed at an averaged frequency of 6% in Iran, reaching a value in the Khuzestan Arabs (31.6%, Table 1), which is comparable to that observed in the neighbouring Iraqi population. J2a-M92 is a well-defined J2a-M67 sub-lineage, with a distribution restricted to Asia Minor, the Balkans and the north-eastern Mediterranean coasts. Frequency and variance maps make plausible an origin in north-western Turkey, where the highest variance is registered, and a subsequent migration to the Balkans and then to the Italian Peninsula. In Iran it is sporadically observed with the only exception of Sistan Baluchestan where it reaches an incidence of 12.5%. According to the age estimate (1.361.3 kya, Table S7) of the microsatellite variation associated to J2a-M92, its presence in Iran is ascribable to recent gene flow...
Although accounting only for 25% of the total variance, the first two components separate populations according to their geographic and ethnic origin and define five main clusters: East-African, North-African and Near Eastern Arab, European, Near Eastern and South Asian.
The 1stPC clearly distinguishes the East African groups (showing a high frequency of haplogroup E) from all the others which distribute longitudinally along the axis with a wide overlapping between European and Arab peoples and between Near Eastern and South Asian groups. The 2nd PC separates the North-African and Near Eastern Arabs (characterized by the highest frequency of haplogroup J1) from Europeans (characterized by haplogroups I, R1a and R1b) and the Near Easterners from the South Asians (due to the distribution of haplogroups G, R2 and L). Iranian groups do not cluster all together...
Conclusions:
Iranian samples from 14 Iranian provinces and belonging to 15 different ethnic groups.... Frequency and variance distributions of the main haplogroups together with the network analyses and age estimates were suggestive of pre-agricultural expansions from the Iranian plateau toward Europe via Caucasus/Turkey (J2-M410*, J2-PAGE55*, J2-M530, and R1b-M269*) as well as more recent movements into the Iranian region from Asia Minor/Caucasus (J1-M267*, J2-M92), Central Asia (Q-M25), southern Mesopotamia (J1-Page08) and from West Eurasia (R1b-L23 and probably part of R1a-M198*).... Different factors could have contributed to the observed Iranian population heterogeneity, in particular the presence of important geographic barriers such as the Zagros and Alborz Mountain ranges and the two arid areas... have limited gene flows from neighbouring regions and free movements of internal peoples, starting from the first peopling of this area. Their effects emerge from the distribution of all main Iranian Y-chromosome lineages and, in particular, from those of the two autochthonous Middle Eastern haplogroup J branches, J1-M267 and J2-M172 which display opposite distribution at the two sides of the Zagros Mountains, with the first prevalent in Iraq and Saudi Arabian Arab populations, and the second in the Iranian plateau, Anatolia and southern Europe. The Zagros Mountains represent a boundary also for the distributions of haplogroup R1a-M198. Although a further dissection of this Euro-Asiatic haplogroup is necessary to understand the population source of the Iranian R1a chromosomes, this haplogroup is less frequent in the western side of this mountain range. As for the distribution of haplogroup R1b-L23 (xM412), it is frequent in the north-western area of the country, whereas its incidence rapidly declines southwards from Lorestan. Differently, higher levels of heterogeneity are revealed in entrance or transit areas such as, for example, those observed in the populations living around the Caspian Sea, a situation that could be ascribed to population movements from and to Europe.
The overall scenario seems to indicate an autochthonous non-homogeneous ancient Y-chromosome gene pool, mainly composed by J2a sub-clades that was further shaped and enriched by the arrival of different populations during and after the Neolithic period. Western Eurasian contribution (mainly represented by R1b-L23, and at a lesser extent, by haplogroup sub-lineages I-M423 and J2-M241) is frequent in North-West Iran; Central Asian contribution (due to haplogroups H-M69, O-M175, Q-M242 and R2-M124) has its highest frequency in Khorasan, the easternmost province of the country. A clear African component is observed in Hormozgan where noteworthy is the presence of the sub-Saharan haplogroup E-M2 in the Afro-Iranian ethnic group....