The Cambridge History of Iran, Volume 3, Part 2: The Seleucid, Parthian and Sasanid Periods

The third volume, published in two parts, is an account of every aspect of Iranian civilisation from the death of Alexander in 323 BC to the advent of Islam in the seventh century AD. This complex period, of major importance in Iranian history and extending for almost a thousand years, encompasses the reigns of the Seleucid, the Parthian, the Kushan and Sasanian dynasties. As additions to the general objectives of these volumes, Professor Yarshater has included in this volume chapters on the institutional, administrative, legal, numismatic, linguistic and literary aspects of the period; and he further develops the scope of the volume by including studies of Iran's interaction with neighbouring societies, of Iran's mythical and legendary history, and of Iranian settlements outside the geographical boundaries of Iran and Afghanistan. This volume is the most comprehensive study published of this very important period of Iran's history. Back Page......Page 1 The Cambridge History of Iran......Page 2 Title Page......Page 5 ISBN 0521246938......Page 6 BOARD OF EDITORS......Page 7 PART 6: RELIGIOUS HISTORY......Page 9 PART 8: LANGUAGES AND LITERATURE......Page 10 PART 9: BIBLIOGRAPHY......Page 11 PLATES......Page 13 LINE DRAWINGS (with page links)......Page 21 MAPS (with page links)......Page 23 PART V INSTITUTIONS......Page 25 18 IRANIAN SOCIETY AND LAW......Page 27 19 POLITICAL, SOCIAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE INSTITUTIONS, TAXES AND TRADE......Page 81 20 GEOGRAPHICAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE DIVISIONS: SETTLEMENTS AND ECONOMY......Page 147 21(a) TIME-RECKONING......Page 178 21(b) IRANIAN FESTIVALS......Page 192 PART VI RELIGIOUS HISTORY......Page 217 22 DEVELOPMENT OF RELIGIOUS THOUGHT......Page 219 23 ZOROASTRIAN RELIGION......Page 266 24 JEWS IN IRAN......Page 309 25 CHRISTIANS IN IRAN......Page 324 26 BUDDHISM AMONG IRANIAN PEOPLES......Page 349 27(a) MANICHAEISM AND ITS IRANIAN BACKGROUND......Page 365 27(b) MAZDAKISM......Page 391 PART VII ART HISTORY......Page 425 28 PARTHIAN ART......Page 427 29(a) SASANIAN ART......Page 455 29(b) SASANIAN SILVER......Page 513 30 THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE ARTS IN TRANSOXIANA......Page 530 ‘The map which appears here in the printed edition has been removed for ease of use and now appears as an additional resource on the chapter overview page’.......Page 532 PART VIII SCRIPT, LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE......Page 549 31 PARTHIAN WRITINGS AND LITERATURE......Page 551 32(a) ZOROASTRIAN PAHLAVI WRITINGS......Page 566 32(b) THE MANICHAEAN MIDDLE PERSIAN WRITINGS......Page 596 32(c) MIDDLE PERSIAN INSCRIPTIONS......Page 605 33 SOGDIAN LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE......Page 616 34 KHOTANESE SAKA LITERATURE......Page 630 35 KHWARAZMIAN LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE......Page 644 36 BACTRIAN LITERATURE......Page 650 PART IX BIBLIOGRAPHY......Page 659 37 SOURCES OF PARTHIAN AND SASANIAN HISTORY......Page 661 BIBLIOGRAPHY......Page 684 Plates 49-80......Page 797 Plates 121-148......Page 845 Plates 105-120......Page 829 Index (missing)......Page 873 Cover Page 1 The Cambridge History of Iran 2 Title Page 5 ISBN 0521246938 6 BOARD OF EDITORS 7 CONTENTS (with page links) 9 PART 5: INSTITUTIONS 9 PART 6: RELIGIOUS HISTORY 9 PART 7: ART HISTORY 10 PART 8: LANGUAGES AND LITERATURE 10 PART 9: BIBLIOGRAPHY 11 PLATES 13 LINE DRAWINGS (with page links) 21 MAPS (with page links) 23 PART V INSTITUTIONS 25 18 IRANIAN SOCIETY AND LAW 27 19 POLITICAL, SOCIAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE INSTITUTIONS, TAXES AND TRADE 81 20 GEOGRAPHICAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE DIVISIONS: SETTLEMENTS AND ECONOMY 147 21(a) TIME-RECKONING 178 21(b) IRANIAN FESTIVALS 192 PART VI RELIGIOUS HISTORY 217 22 DEVELOPMENT OF RELIGIOUS THOUGHT 219 23 ZOROASTRIAN RELIGION 266 24 JEWS IN IRAN 309 25 CHRISTIANS IN IRAN 324 26 BUDDHISM AMONG IRANIAN PEOPLES 349 27(a) MANICHAEISM AND ITS IRANIAN BACKGROUND 365 27(b) MAZDAKISM 391 PART VII ART HISTORY 425 28 PARTHIAN ART 427 29(a) SASANIAN ART 455 29(b) SASANIAN SILVER 513 30 THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE ARTS IN TRANSOXIANA 530 ‘The map which appears here in the printed edition has been removed for ease of use and now appears as an additional resource on the chapter overview page’. 532 PART VIII SCRIPT, LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE 549 31 PARTHIAN WRITINGS AND LITERATURE 551 32(a) ZOROASTRIAN PAHLAVI WRITINGS 566 32(b) THE MANICHAEAN MIDDLE PERSIAN WRITINGS 596 32(c) MIDDLE PERSIAN INSCRIPTIONS 605 33 SOGDIAN LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE 616 34 KHOTANESE SAKA LITERATURE 630 35 KHWARAZMIAN LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE 644 36 BACTRIAN LITERATURE 650 PART IX BIBLIOGRAPHY 659 37 SOURCES OF PARTHIAN AND SASANIAN HISTORY 661 BIBLIOGRAPHY 684 Plates 49-80 797 missing Plates 81-104 845 Plates 105-120 829 Plates 121-148 845 Index (missing) 873 Index of Greek Words (missing) 1 Back Page 1 V. 1. The Land Of Iran / Edited By W. B. Fisher -- V. 2. The Median And Achaemenian Periods / Edited By Ilya Gershevitch -- V. 3. The Seleucid, Parthian, And Sasanian Periods / Edited By Ehsan Yarshater (2 Pts.) -- V. 4. The Period From The Arab Invasion To The Saljuqs / Edited By R. N. Frye -- V. 5. The Saljuq And Mongol Periods / Edited By J. A. Boyle -- V. 6. The Timurid And Safavid Periods / Edited By Peter Jackson And Laurence Lockhart --v. 7. From Nadir Shah To The Islamic Republic / Edited By Peter Avery, Gavin Hambly, And Charles Melville. Includes Bibliographical References And Indexes. The Cambridge History of Iran is an eight-volume survey of Iranian history and culture, and its contribution to the civilisation of the world. All aspect of the religious, philosophical, political, economic, scientific and artistic elements in Iranian civilisation are studies, with some emphasis on geographical and ecological factors which have contributed to that civilisation's special character. -- From publisher's description For the questions dealt with in this chapter the available sources are markedly uneven in quality: evidence for the Parthian period is extremely meagre and fragmentary when compared with the information provided by the written sources of the Sasanian period. Surveys Iranian history and culture and its contribution to the civilization of the world. Covers religious, philosophical, political, economic, scientific and artistic elements in Iranian civilization