Arya (Iran)

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Arya was an endonym used by various Iranian peoples during the pre-Islamic history of Iran. In contrast to cognates of Arya used by the Vedic people and Iranic steppe nomads, the term is commonly translated using the modern ethnonym Iranian. During Old Iranian times, the term was connected with one's lineage, with speaking an Iranian language and with the worship of Ahura Mazda. Being an Arya, therefore, had ethnic, linguistic and religious aspects. During the Middle Iranian period, it also acquired a political aspect through the concept of Ērānšahr (lit. 'Aryas' dominion, Aryas' realm'). Arya was also contrasted with Anārya (Avestan: 𐬀𐬥𐬀𐬌𐬭𐬌𐬌𐬀, romanized: anairiia, Middle Persian: 𐭠𐭭𐭩𐭥, romanized: anēr, New Persian: اَنیر, نیر, romanized: anēr, nēr), denoting non-Iranian lands and peoples. After the Islamic conquest of Iran, the ethnonym fell out of use, but the term Ērān experienced a revival during the Iranian Renaissance, now as a toponym for Greater Iran. The modern ethnonym Iranian...

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