Table of Contents

• AMA

  M. Boyce

  a minor Zoroastrian divinity, the hypostasis of strength, who appears in the Avestan hymn to Vərəθraγna (Yt. 14).

• AʿMĀ

  I. Abbas

  7th-8th century poet from Azerbaijan who wrote in Arabic.

• AMAHRASPAND

  Cross-Reference

  See AMƎŠA SPƎNTA.

• AMAL AL-ĀMEL

  J. van Ess

  biographical dictionary of Shiʿite (Etnāʿašarī) scholars originating from the Jabal ʿĀmel in south Lebanon, composed by Moḥammad b. Ḥasan b. ʿAlī Mašḡarī, known as Ḥorr-e ʿĀmelī (1033-1104/1624-1693).

• ʿAMALA

  P. Oberling

  (literally: workers, retainers), the retinue of a tribal chief, and the name of a number of tribes.

• AMĀMA

  Abu’l-Qāsem Tafażżolī

  (also ʿAmāma), a village in the Lavāsān district at a distance of 39 km north of Tehran, located in a mountainous area 2,230 m above sea level.

• ʿAMĀMA

  H. Algar

  (or ʿAMMĀMA, Arabic ʿEMĀMA), the turban. Imbued with symbolic significance, the turban was once the almost universal headgear of adult male Muslims. 

• AMĀN-E AFḠĀN

  I. V. Pourhadi

  newspaper of Afghanistan during the reign of King Amānallāh (1337-48/1919-29). 

• AMĀNALLĀH

  L. B. Poullada

  (1892-1961), ruler of Afghanistan (1919-29), first with the title of amir and from 1926 on with that of shah.  

• AMĀNAT

  M. Baqir

  12th/18th century poet in Persian who imitated the style of his teacher, Mīrzā ʿAbd-al-Qāder Bīdel.

• AMĀNAT KHAN ŠĪRĀZĪ

  W. E. Begley

  When Shah Jahān’s wife Momtāz Maḥall died in childbirth (17 Ḏu’l-qaʿda 1040/17 June 1631), ʿAbd-al-Ḥaqq was appointed to select the Koranic passages and design the calligraphy for her tomb. One year later, the emperor honored him with the title Amānat Khan and promoted him to the manṣab rank of 900.

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• AMĀNI

  Fabrizio Speziale

  pen name of Amān-Allāh Khan, Ḵān-e Zamān, an Indo-Muslim physician and author of works on medicine (d. 1637).

• ʿAMʿAQ BOḴARĀʾĪ

  J. Matīnī

  Having attained a degree of literary prowess in his home of Bokhara he went to the Qarakhanid court in Samarkand in 460/1068.

• ĀMĀR

  Cross-Reference

  See DEMOGRAPHY.

• AMAR NĀTH

  B. Ahmad

  Persian writer and poet of the Punjab under the Sikhs (1822-67).

• ʿAMĀRA MARVAZĪ

  J. Matīnī

  Persian poet of the late Samanid/early Ghaznavid periods.

• AMARANTH

  Cross-Reference

  See BOSTĀNAFRŪZ.

• ĀMĀRGAR

  D. N. MacKenzie, M. L. Chaumont

  a Middle and New Persian word designating a person holding a particular administrative post.

• AʿMAŠ, ABŪ MOḤAMMAD

  E. Kohlberg

  SOLAYMĀN B. MEḤRĀN ASADĪ (in some sources, erroneously, Azdī) KĀHELĪ KŪFĪ, 1st-2nd/7th-8th century Shiʿite scholar, traditionist, and Koran reader.

• AMASYA, PEACE OF

  M. Köhbach

  (8 Raǰab 962/29 May 1555), treaty signed between Iran and the Ottomans and observed for some twenty years.

• AMATUNI

  C. Toumanoff

  Armenian dynastic house, known historically after the 4th century CE.

• AMAZONS

  A. Sh. Shahbazi

  designation of a fabulous race of female warriors in Greek beliefs, writings, and art, fancifully explained as a-mazos (breastless or full-breasted).

• AMAZONS IN THE IRANIAN WORLD

  Adrienne Mayor

  Women warriors who gloried in fighting, hunting, and exercised sexual freedom in Persian literature and Iranian history and culture.

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• ĀMED

  Cross-Reference

  See AMIDA.

• ĀMEDĪ

  E. Kohlberg

  6th/12th century traditionist.

• ʿĀMEL

  C. E. Bosworth

  the holder of an administrative office in the pre-modern Islamic world.

• ʿĀMELĪ EṢFAHĀNĪ

  Cross-Reference

  See AḤMAD ʿALAWĪ.

• ʿĀMELĪ EṢFAHĀNĪ, ABU’L-ḤASAN

  H. Corbin

  Shiʿite theologian and author (d. Najaf, 1138/1726). 

• ʿĀMELĪ, ʿABD-AL-MONʿEM

  Cross-Reference

  See ʿABD-AL-MONʿEM ʿĀMELĪ.

• ʿĀMELĪ, BAHĀʾ-AL-DĪN

  Cross-Reference

  See BAHĀʾ-AL-DĪN ʿĀMELĪ.

• AMƎRƎTĀT

  Cross-Reference

  See AMURDĀD.

• ʿĀMERĪ NĪŠĀPŪRĪ

  H. Corbin

  (d. 381/992), important philosopher from Khorasan between Fārābī and Avicenna. 

• AMƎŠA SPƎNTA

  M. Boyce

  an Avestan term for beneficent divinity, meaning literally “Holy/Bounteous Immortal” (Pahl. Amešāspand, [A]mahraspand).

• AMESTRIS

  R. Schmitt

  no. 4. Niece of of Darius III, d. ca. 280 BCE. She was married to the Macedonian general Craterus, then to the tyrant Dionysius in Bithynia, and to Lysimachus, king of Thrace, before ruling alone in Paphlagonia.

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• ʿAMĪD, ABŪ ʿABDALLĀH

  C. E. Bosworth

  known as Kolah (said to be an opprobrious term), secretary and official in northern Persia and Transoxania during the 4th/10th century.

• ʿAMĪD-AL-DĪN ASʿAD

  Cross-Reference

  See ABZARĪ.

• ʿAMĪD-AL-DĪN SANĀMĪ

  M. U. Memon

  Persian poet of India, panegyrist of Nāṣer-al-dīn Maḥmūd (r. 644-64/1246-66) and perhaps of Ḡīāṯ-al-dīn Balban (7th/13th century).

• ʿAMĪD-AL-MOLK

  Cross-Reference

  See ABŪ BAKR QOHESTĀNĪ.

• ʿAMĪD-AL-MOLK ABŪ ḠĀNEM

  Cross-Reference

  See ABZARĪ.

• AMIDA

  D. Sellwood and EIr

  Pers. Āmed (modern Dīārbakr), town situated on a plateau dominating the west bank of the upper Tigris.

• AMĪN AḤMAD RĀZĪ

  M. U. Memon

  better known as AMĪN RĀZĪ, 10th-11th/16th-17th century author of the Haft eqlīm, a famous geographical and biographical encyclopedia.

• AMĪN BALYĀNĪ

  Cross-Reference

  See BALYĀNĪ, AMĪN-AL-DĪN.

• AMĪN ḤAŻRAT

  J. Calmard

  eldest son of Āqā Ebrāhīm Amīn-al-solṭān who succeeded his father as Head of the royal pantry (ābdār-bašī), which allowed him to accompany Nāṣer-al-dīn Shah in all his travels in Iran and abroad.

• AMĪN ḤOŻŪR

  J. Calmard

  (Trustee in Presence), an official title under Nāṣer-al-dīn Shah whose successive administrative reorganizations after 1858 led to a multiplication of offices, particularly in the royal household.

• AMĪN ḴALWAT

  F. Gaffary

  (Trustee of the Shah’s private household or court), an office and title in the late Qajar period held by members of the Ḡaffārī family.

• AMĪN LAŠKAR

  J. Calmard

  (Trustee of the Army), Qajar title held by Mīrzā ʿEnāyatallāh and Mīrzā Qahramān under Nāṣer-al-dīn Shah.

• AMĪN LAŠKAR, MĪRZĀ QAHRAMĀN

  A. Amanat

  (1244-1310/1828-92), a middle rank Qajar official during the rule of Nāṣer-al-dīn Shah.

• AMĪN, ḤĀJJĪ

  M. Momen

  name given successively to two Bahaʾis who were trustees of the Bahaʾi system of religious taxation, the Ḥoqūq Allāh.

• AMĪN-AL-DAWLA, ʿABDALLĀH KHAN

  A. Amanat

  ṢADR EṢFAHĀNĪ (1779-1847), chief revenue accountant and later prime minister under Fatḥ-ʿAlī Shah (1797-1834).

• AMĪN-AL-DAWLA, ʿALĪ EBRĀHĪM KHAN

  Cross-Reference

  See ʿALĪ EBRĀHĪM KHAN.

• AMĪN-AL-DAWLA, FARROḴ KHAN ḠAFFĀRĪ

  F. Gaffary

  (1227-88/1812-71), a high ranking Qajar official.

• AMĪN-AL-DAWLA, MĪRZĀ ʿALĪ KHAN

  H. F. Farmayan

  (1844-1904), high ranking official in the service of the Qajar king Nāṣer-al-dīn Shah (r. 1848-96) and grand vizier under Moẓaffar-al-dīn Shah (r. 1896-1907).

• AMĪN-AL-DAWLA, MOḤAMMAD-ḤOSAYN KHAN

  Cross-Reference

  See MOḤAMMAD-ḤOSAYN KHAN (forthcoming).

• AMĪN-AL-DAWLA, MOḤAMMAD-ṢĀDEQ KHAN

  Cross-Reference

  See MOḤAMMAD-ṢĀDEQ KHAN MOSTAWFĪ (forthcoming).

• AMĪN-AL-DAWLA, MOḤSEN KHAN

  Cross-Reference

  MOʿĪN-AL-MOLK. See MOḤSEN KHAN.

• AMĪN-AL-MOLK

  Cross-Reference

  See PĀŠĀ KHAN.

• AMĪN-AL-MOLK, MĪRZĀ ESMĀʿĪL

  A. Amanat

  (1867-98), a high-ranking official towards the end of Nāṣer-al-dīn Shah’s reign.

• AMĪN-AL-SOLṬĀN, ʿALĪ-AṢḠAR KHAN

  Cross-Reference

  See ATĀBAK-E AʿẒAM.

• AMĪN-AL-SOLṬĀN, ĀQĀ EBRĀHĪM

  A. Amanat

  (d. 1300/1882-83), influential court minister of Nāṣer-al-dīn Shah and father of ʿAlī-Aṣḡar Khan Amīn-al-solṭān.

• AMĪN-AL-ŻARB, ḤĀJJ MOḤAMMAD-ḤASAN

  A. Enayat

  (AMĪN-AL-ŻARB), custodian of the state mint under Nāṣer-al-dīn Shah, regarded as the most successful Iranian entrepreneur of his time (1253-1316/1837-98).

• AMĪN-AL-ŻARB, ḤAJJ MOḤAMMAD-ḤOSAYN

  A. Enayat

  (1289-1351/1872-1932), Persian businessman and vice-president of the first Maǰles. 

• AMĪN-E ELĀHĪ

  Cross-Reference

  See ARDAKĀNĪ, ABU’L-ḤASAN.

• AMĪN-E ŠŪRĀ

  Cross-Reference

  See PĀŠĀ KHAN.

• AMĪNĀ

  A. Netzer

  pen name of BENYĀMĪN B. MĪŠĀʾĪL KĀŠĀNĪ, an outstanding Jewish poet of Iran.

• AMĪNA AQDAS

  G. Nashat

  or AMĪN-E AQDAS (d. 1311/1893), one of Nāṣer-al-dīn Shah’s most powerful wives.  

• AMĪNĀ QAZVĪNĪ

  Hameed ud-Din

  also known as MĪRZĀ AMĪNA or AMĪNA-YE MONŠĪ, Mughal historian and poet of Shah Jahān’s reign.

• AMĪNĪ, SHAIKH ʿABD-AL-ḤOSAYN

  H. Algar

  also known as ʿAllāma-ye Amīnī (1320-90/1902-70), Shiʿite scholar and author of the encyclopedic al-Ḡadīr fi’l-ketāb wa’l-sonna wa’l-adab.

• AMĪNJĪ

  I. Poonawala

  eminent Ṭayyebī Ismaʿili jurist from Ahmadabad in India (d. 1567).

• AMĪR

  C. E. Bosworth

  “commander, governor, prince” in Arabic. The term seems to be basically Islamic; although it does not occur in the Koran, we do find there the related concept of the “holders of authority.”

• AMĪR ARSALĀN

  W. L. Hanaway, Jr.

  a prose romance of the genre dāstānhā-ye ʿammīāna, “popular tales,” composed by Mīrzā Moḥammad ʿAlī Naqīb-al-mamālek, the chief storyteller of Nāṣer-al-dīn Shah (r. 1848-96).

• AMĪR AṢLĀN KHAN

  Cross-Reference

  See MAJD-AL-DAWLA.

• AMĪR BAHĀDOR, ḤOSAYN PĀŠĀ KHAN

  Cross-Reference

  See BAHĀDOR JANG, AMIR.

• AMĪR ḤARAS

  C. E. Bosworth

  (AMĪR-E ḤARAS) “commander of the guard,” the official at the court of the ʿAbbasid caliphs and at certain of its provincial successor states who was directly responsible for policing the palace and for carrying out the caliph’s wishes.

• AMĪR ḤASAN DEHLAVĪ

  Cross-Reference

  See INDIA xiv. Persian Literature in India.

• AMIR KABIR PUBLISHERS

  EIr

  Major Persian publishing house active from 1949 to 1979.

• AMĪR KABĪR, MĪRZĀ TAQĪ KHAN

  H. Algar

  (1222-68/1807-52),  also known by the titles of Atābak and Amīr-e Neẓām; chief minister to Nāṣer-al-dīn Shah for the first four years of his reign and one of the most capable and innovative figures to appear in the whole Qajar period.

• AMĪR ḴORD

  K. A. Nizami

  Indo-Muslim author of the Sīar al-awlīāʾ  (8th/14th century).

• AMĪR ḴOSROW DEHLAVĪ

  A. Schimmel

  (651-725/1253-1325), the “Parrot of India,” the greatest Persian-writing poet of medieval India.

• AMĪR LAŠKAR

  J. Calmard

  (AMĪR-E LAŠKAR) military rank equivalent to general granted during Reżā Khan’s rise to power.

• AMĪR MOFAḴḴAM BAḴTĪĀRĪ

  Cross-Reference

  See BAḴTĪĀRĪ.

• AMĪR MOḤAMMAD AFŻAL KHAN

  Cross-Reference

  See AFŻAL KHAN.

• AMĪR NEẒĀM

  A. Amanat

  (AMĪR-E NEẒĀM), the holder of the military and administrative office of emārat-e neẓām in the Qajar period.

• AMĪR NEẒĀM GARRŪSĪ

  A. Amanat

  known also as Sālār-e Laškar (1236-1317/1820-1900), officer, diplomat, statesman, and literary figure of the Qajar period. 

• AMĪR NEẒĀM, MOḤAMMAD-RAḤĪM KHAN

  Cross-reference

  (d. 1299/1882), notable of the Qajar tribe and holder of high offices under Nāṣer-al-dīn Shah. See ʿALĀʾ-DAWLA.

• AMĪR PĀDEŠĀH

  Cross-Reference

  See MOḤAMMAD AMĪR B. MAḤMŪD.

• AMIR PĀZVĀRI

  Habib Borjian and Maryam Borjian

  semi-legendary poet of Māzandarān.

• AMĪR ŠAHĪD

  Cross-Reference

  (AMĪR-E ŠAHĪD). See ABŪ NAṢR AḤMAD.

• AMĪR SAYYED ʿALĪ

  Cross-Reference

  See ʿALĪ AL-AʿLĀ.

• AMĪR TŪMĀN

  J. Calmard

  (AMĪR-E TŪMĀN) commander of 10,000 men, a military rank originally used by the Il-khanids in the 7th/13th century.

• AMĪR-AL-MOʾMENĪN

  Cross-Reference

  See ʿALĪ B. ABĪ ṬĀLEB.

• AMĪR-AL-OMARĀʾ

  C. E. Bosworth, R. M. Savory

  literally, “commander of commanders,” hence “supreme commander,” a military title found from the early 4th/10th century onwards, first in Iraq and then in the Iranian lands.

• AMIR-AʿLAM

  Bāqer ʿĀqeli

  (1861-1961), University professor, representative and deputy speaker of the Majles, Dean of the Faculty of Medicine, senator, minister, and responsible for passing of the Health Protection and Smallpox Vaccination Act of 1910 and the Medical Practice Act of 1911.

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• AMIR-ṬAHMĀSEBI, ʿAbd-Allāh

  Bāqer ʿĀqeli

  Amir-Ṭahmāsebi disarmed the tribes in Azerbaijan and restored security particularly in areas around Ardebil, Ahar and Mešgin-šahr, where the Šāhsavan tribes had exercised their arbitrary and oppressive rule unchecked for years.

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• AMĪRAK BALʿAMĪ

  Dj. Khaleghi-Motlagh

  name given to ABŪ ʿALĪ MOḤAMMAD, vizier of the Samanids.

• AMĪRAK BAYHAQĪ

  C. E. Bosworth

  (d. 448/1056), intelligence officer in Khorasan under the early Ghaznavids.

• AMĪRAK ṬŪSĪ

  Dj. Khaleghi-Motlagh

  4th/10th century notable of the ʿAbd-al-Razzāqī family of Ṭūs.

• AMIRDOVLATʿ AMASIATSʿI

  Avedis K. Sanjian

  (b. Amasya ca. 1420/25; d. Bursa, 1496), Armenian physician at the Ottoman court and author of Angitats Anpet, an encyclopedic polyglot in six languages including Persian.

• AMIRI, YUSOF

  ANDRÁS BODROGLIGETI

  Persian-Chaghatay poet of the first half of the 15th century. 

• AMĪRḴĪZĪ, ESMĀʿĪL

  Ī. Afshar

  Iranian man of letters, poet, and political activist, born in the Amīrḵīz quarter of Tabrīz in December 1877.

• AMITĀYUS

  R. E. Emmerick

  Sanskrit name of one of the transcendental Buddhas, the so-called Dhyāni-Buddhas, of later Buddhism.