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Iranian Azerbaijanis

Ali Khamenei  • Shahriar  • Shariatmadari  • Farah Pahlavi • Mehdi Bazargan Samad Behrangi  • Ahmad Kasravi  • Mir-Hossein Mousavi
Total population
11.8–19.4 million Approximately between 16–25% of Iran's population
Regions with significant populations
Iran 11.8–19.4 million [1]
Languages
Azerbaijani Persian as second language
Religion
Predominately Shi'a Islam; Minorities practice Sunni Islam, Bahai, and Zoroastrianism
Related ethnic groups
Azerbaijani people, Iranian people,[2][3] other Turkic people

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Iranian Azerbaijanis also known as Iranian Azeris, Iranian Turks, Azeri Turks^[4][5][6] or Persian Azerbaijanis,^[7][8] are Iranians of Azerbaijani ethnicity. Iranian Azeris are mainly found in the northwest provinces of East Azerbaijan, Ardabil, Zanjan, West Azerbaijan,^{[9][10][11][12][13]} and in smaller numbers, in other provinces such as Kurdistan, Qazvin, Hamadan, Gilan and Markazi. Iranian Azerbaijanis also constitute a significant minority in Tehran, Karaj and other regions.^[3][14][3]

Background[link]

Origins[link]

According to the scholar of historical geography, Xavier de Planhol: “Azeri material culture, a result of this multi-secular symbiosis, is thus a subtle combination of indigenous elements and nomadic contributions…. It is a Turkish language learned and spoken by Iranian peasants”.^[15] According to Richard Frye:"The Turkish speakers of Azerbaijan (q.v.) are mainly descended from the earlier Iranian speakers, several pockets of whom still exist in the region.".^[16] According to Olivier Roy: "The mass of the Oghuz Turkic tribes who crossed the Amu Darya towards the west left the Iranian plateau, which remained Persian, and established themselves more to the west, in Anatolia. Here they divided into Ottomans, who were Sunni and settled, and Turkmens, who were nomads and in part Shiite (or, rather, Alevi). The latter were to keep the name “Turkmen”for a long time: from the 13th century onwards they “Turkised”the Iranian populations of Azerbaijan (who spoke west Iranian languages such as Tat, which is still found in residual forms), thus creating a new identity based on Shiism and the use of Turkish. These are the people today known as Azeris.".^[17] According to Rybakov: "Speaking of the Azerbaijan culture originating at that time, in the XIV-XV cc., one must bear in mind, first of all, literature and other parts of culture organically connected with the language. As for the material culture, it remained traditional even after the Turkicization of the local population. However, the presence of a massive layer of Iranians that took part in the formation of the Azerbaijani ethnos, have imposed its imprint, primarily on the lexicon of the Azerbaijani language which contains a great number of Iranian and Arabic words. The latter entered both the Azerbaijani and the Turkish language mainly through the Iranian intermediary. Having become independent, the Azerbaijani culture retained close connections with the Iranian and Arab cultures. They were reinforced by common religion and common cultural-historical traditions.”.^[2]

The Iranian origins of the Azeris^{[citation needed]} likely derive from ancient Iranic tribes, such as the Medes in Iranian Azerbaijan, and Scythian invaders who arrived during the eighth century BCE. It is believed that the Medes mixed with an indigenous population, the Caucasian Mannai, a Northeast Caucasian group related to the Urartians.^[18] Ancient written accounts, such as one written by Arab historian Abu al-Hasan Ali ibn al-Husayn al-Masudi (896–956), attest to an Iranian presence in the region:

Scholars see cultural similarities between modern Persians and Azeris as evidence of an ancient Iranian influence.^[20] Archaeological evidence indicates that the Iranian religion of Zoroastrianism was prominent throughout the Caucasus before Christianity and Islam and that the influence of various Persian Empires added to the Iranian character of the area.^[21] It has also been hypothesized that the population of Iranian Azerbaijan was predominantly Persian-speaking before the Oghuz arrived. This claim is supported by the many figures of Persian literature, such as Qatran Tabrizi, Shams Tabrizi, Nezami, and Khaghani, who wrote in Persian prior to and during the Oghuz migration, as well as by Strabo, Al-Istakhri, and Al-Masudi, who all describe the language of the region as Persian. The claim is mentioned by other medieval historians, such as Al-Muqaddasi.^[22] Other common Perso-Azeribaijani features include Iranian place names such as Tabriz^[23] and the name Azerbaijan itself.

Various sources such as Encyclopaedia Iranica explain how, "The Turkish speakers of Azerbaijan (q.v.) are mainly descended from the earlier Iranian speakers, several pockets of whom still exist in the region."^[16] The modern presence of the Iranian Talysh and Tats in Azerbaijan is further evidence of the former Iranian character of the region.^[24][25] As a precursor to these modern groups, the ancient Azaris are also hypothesized as ancestors of the modern Azeris.

History[link]

Constitutional Revolution[link]

Iranian Azerbaijanis played a major role in the constitutional revolution and figuresSattar Khan, Shaykh Mahmud Khiyabani and Baqer Khan were instrumental for its success. Tabriz was also one of the founding citites for the call for the constitutional revolution.

Role of Iranian Azeri intellectuals in modern Iranian Nationalism[link]

On the eve of World War I, pan-Turkist propaganda focused on the Turkic-speaking lands of Iran, Caucusus and Central Asia.^[26] The ultimate purpose was to persuade these populations to secede from the larger political entities to which they belonged and join the new pan-Turkic homeland.^[26] It was the latter appeal to Iranian Azerbaijanis, which, contrary to Pan-Turkist intentions, caused a small group of Azerbaijani intellectuals to become the strongest advocates of the territorial integrity of Iran.^[26] After the constitutional revolution in Iran, a romantic nationalism was adopted by Azerbaijani Democrats as a reaction to the pan-Turkist irredentist policies threatening Iran’s territorial integrity.^[26] It was during this period that Iranism and linguistic homogenization policies were proposed as a defensive nature against all others.^[26] Contrary to what one might expect, foremost among innovating this defensive nationalism were Iranian Azerbaijanis.^[26] They viewed that assuring the territorial integrity of the country was the first step in building a society based on law and a modern state.^[26] Through this framework, their political loyalty outweighed their ethnic and regional affiliations.^[26] The adoption of these integrationist policies paved the way for the emergence of the titular ethnic group’s cultural nationalism.^[26]

WWII and Soviet intervention[link]

In 1945, Soviet troops moved into Iranian Azerbaijan and a short lived Soviet-backed puppet^[27] regime by the name of "Azerbaijan People's Government" was founded through direct order of the Soviet leadership.^[28] The regime was led by Mir Jafar Pishevari. However, the Soviet soon realized their idea was premature, the mass of population did not support separatism;^[29] under largely Western pressure, the Soviet troops withdrew which resulted in the quick collapse of their client^[27] state.

Islamic republic era and today[link]

However with the advent of the Iranian Revolution in 1979, emphasis shifted away from nationalism as the new government highlighted religion as the main unifying factor. Within the Islamic Revolutionary government there emerged an Azeri nationalist faction led by Ayatollah Kazem Shariatmadari, who advocated greater regional autonomy and wanted the constitution to be revised to include secularists and opposition parties; this was denied.^[30] Other Azerbaijanis played an important rule in the revolution including Mir-Hossein Mousavi, Sadeq Khalkhali, and Ali Khamenei.

Ethnic status in Iran[link]

Sattar Khan, Iranian Azerbaijani, was a key figure in the Iranian Constitutional Revolution and is held in great esteem by many Iranians.

Generally, Azeris in Iran were regarded as "a well integrated linguistic minority" by academics prior to Iran's Islamic Revolution.^[31][32] Despite friction, Azeris in Iran came to be well represented at all levels of, "political, military, and intellectual hierarchies, as well as the religious hierarchy.".^[33] In addition, the current Supreme Leader of Iran, Ali Khamenei, is half Azerbaijani.^[34] In contrast to the claims of de-facto discrimination of some Azeris in Iran, the government claims that its policy in the past 30 years has been one of pan-Islamism, which is based on a common Islamic religion of which diverse ethnic groups may be part, and which does not favor or repress any particular ethnicity, including the Persian majority.^[35] Persian language is thus merely used as the lingua franca of the country, which helps maintain Iran's traditional centralized model of government. More recently, the Azeri language and culture starts being taught and studied at university level in Iran, and there appears to exist publications of books, newspapers and apparently, regional radio broadcasts too in the language.^[36]

Furthermore, Article 15 of Iran's constitution reads:

"The use of regional and tribal languages in the press and mass media, as well as for teaching of their literature in schools, is allowed in addition to Persian."^[37]

According to Professor. Nikki R. Keddie of UCLA: One can purchase newspapers, books, music tapes, and videos in Azerbaijani Turkish and Kurdish, and there are radio and television stations in ethnic areas that broadcast news and entertainment programs in even more languages.^[38]

Azeri nationalism has oscillated since the Islamic revolution and recently escalated into riots over the publication in May 2006 of a cartoon that many Azeris found offensive.^[39][40] The cartoon was drawn by Mana Neyestani, an ethnic Azeri, who was fired along with his editor as a result of the controversy.^[41][42]

Despite sporadic problems, Azeris are an intrinsic community within Iran.^[43] Currently, the living conditions of Azeris in Iran closely resemble that of Persians:

Azeris in Iran are in high positions of authority with the Azeri Ayatollah Ali Khamenei currently sitting as the Supreme Leader. Azeris in Iran remain quite conservative in comparison to most Azeris in the Republic of Azerbaijan. Nonetheless, since the Republic of Azerbaijan's independence in 1991, there has been renewed interest and contact between Azeris on both sides of the border. Andrew Burke writes:

According to Bulent Gokay:

Richard Thomas, Roger East, and Alan John Day state:

According Michael P. Croissant:

Iranian Azerbaijan has seen some anti-government protests by Iranian Azeris in recent years, most notably in 2003, 2006, and 2007. In cities across northern Iran in mid-February 2007, tens of thousands of ethnic Azeris marched in observance of International Mother Language Day, although it's been said that the subtext was a protest against what the marchers perceive to be "the systematic, state-sponsored suppression of their heritage and language".^[48]

While Iranian Azeris may seek greater cultural rights, few Iranian Azeris display separatist tendencies. Extensive reporting by Afshin Molavi, an Iranian Azeri scholar, in the three major Azeri provinces of Iran, as well as among Iranian Azeris in Tehran, found that irredentist or unificationist sentiment was not widely held among Iranian Azeris. Few people framed their genuine political, social and economic frustration – feelings that are shared by the majority of Iranians – within an ethnic context.^[49]

According to another Iranian Azeri scholar Dr. Hassan Javadi – a Tabriz-born, Cambridge-educated scholar of Azerbaijani literature and professor of Persian, Azerbaijani and English literature at George Washington University – Iranian Azeris have more important matters on their mind than cultural rights. "Iran’s Azeri community, like the rest of the country, is engaged in the movement for reform and democracy," Javadi told the Central Asia Caucasus Institute crowd, adding that separatist groups represent "fringe thinking." He also told EurasiaNet: "I get no sense that these cultural issues outweigh national ones, nor do I have any sense that there is widespread talk of secession."^[49]

See also[link]

• Azerbaijan (Iran)
• Iran
• List of Azerbaijanis
• Persian people
• Azerbaijani people
• Iranian origin of the Azerbaijanis
• Demographics of Iran

Notes and references[link]

Constructs such as ibid., loc. cit. and idem are discouraged by Wikipedia's style guide for footnotes, as they are easily broken. Please improve this article by replacing them with named references (quick guide), or an abbreviated title. (July 2010)

v t e Ethnic groups in Iran Major [4] Persians 61%  · Azerbaijanis 16%  · Kurds 10%  · Lors 6% Minor [5] Arabs 2%  · Balochs 2% · Turkmens 2%  · Others (Tats · Armenians · Georgians · Jews · Assyrians · Mandaeans · Kazakhs) 1%