Varzesh-e Bastani

Varzesh-e Bastani

Also known as	Varzesh-e Bastani varzeš-e bāstnī ورزش باستانی
Focus	Wrestling
Country of origin	Iran
Olympic sport	No

Varzesh-e Bastani (varzeš-e bāstānī ورزش باستانی, Persian for "ancient sport"^{[citation needed]}, also known as Varzesh-e Pahlavani, or varzeš-e zurxane'i ورزش زورخانه‌ای) is a traditional style of folk wrestling practiced in Iran.

Varzesh-e Bastani combines elements of the pre-Islamic Iranian culture with the spirituality of Sufism. It places emphasis on spiritual and moral purity, participants being expected to be truthful, and good tempered and only then strong in body.

The principles of unpretentiousness are exemplified by a verse recited at many meetings: "Learn modesty, if you desire knowledge. A highland would never be irrigated by river." (Kanz ol-Haghayegh)

History

Modern Varzesh-e Bastani as practiced today emerges in the 19th century, during the reign of the Qajar king Nassar al-Din Shah (1848–1896). Performances inspired by Persian mythology were held at the Shah's court every 21 March (the Iranian new year). The sport declined following the rise of the Pahlavi dynasty in the 1920s and the subsequent modernisation campaigns of Reza Shah, who saw the sport as a relic of Qajarite ritual.

Reza Shah's son Mohammad Reza Pahlavi attempted to revive the tradition and practiced it himself, and during his reign, the last national competitions were held. Following the Iranian Revolution of 1979, the tradition has lost some of its popularity.

In recent years, the sport appears to be gaining popularity in the countries adjacent to Iran, including Iraq and Afghanistan.

The Zurkhaneh

Main article: Zurkhaneh

The traditional gymnasium in which the Varzesh-e Bastani is practiced is known as the Zurkhaneh or Zourkhaneh (Persian: زورخانه), literally "house of strength". These 'houses of strength' are covered structures with a single opening in the ceiling, with a sunken octagonal or circular pit in the center (gaud).Around the gaud is a section for the audience, one for the musicians, and one for the athletes.

Rituals and practice

The Pahlevani and Zoorkhanei rituals *
Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity
Country	Iran
Reference	378
Region **	Asia and Australasia
Inscription history
Inscription	2010
* Name as inscribed by UNESCO ** Region as classified by UNESCO

The Varzesh-e Bastani rituals mimic the rituals and traditions of Sufi orders, as evidenced by terminology like murshed "master" (beating the drum and reciting poetry), pish kesvat "leader", taj "crown" or faqr "poverty". The ethics involved are also similar to Sufi ideals, emphasizing purity of heart. Every session begins with pious praise of prophet and his family. In less religion-oriented Zurkhanehs, these elements are replaced by the recital of stories from Iranian mythology, such as those of the Shahnameh, which in the opinion of many other Zurkhanehs can negate the true spiritual goal of Varzesh-e Bastani.^{[citation needed]}

The main part of a Varzesh-e Bastani session is dedicated to gymnastics or calisthenics, notably using a pair of wooden clubs (mil) and metal shields (sang), and bow-shaped iron weights ('kaman). The exercises also involve acrobatics like Sufi whirling and juggling. The sessions end with submission wrestling known as the Koshti Pahlavani.

Ranks and grades

The lowest rank is that of nowcheh or novice, followed by the nowkhasteh or advanced student, and finally the pahlavan or champion. There are several champion grades:

• Pahlavan-e Pahlavanan, "Pahlavan of Pahlavans" which included court-sponsored sportsmen.
• Pahlavan-e Zoorgar, the master wrestlers or strong men.
• Pahlavn-e Keshvar, the acclaimed pahlavans including many of Iran's wrestlers at World and Olympic events (such as Gholamreza Takhti), but also winners of the pahlavani bazoo band armlet.
• Pahlevan-e Bozorg or Bozorg Pahlavan, literally "High-" or "Grand Pahlavan", approximately equivalent to the Grand Master in Far-East Asian martial arts. This title was only accorded to very few pahlavans, such as Pourya-ye Vali (c. 1300) and Haj Seyyed Hasan Razaz (1853–1941, also known as Pahlavan Shoja'at).
• Jahan Pahlavan, "World Pahlavan", the highest rank of Pahlavani in the Iranian army before the Arab invasion. A title given to Rostam, the legendary Pahlavan of Ferdowsi's Shahnameh. The contemporary Gholamreza Takhti is another Pahlavan who is given this title.

Gholamreza Takhti

Mirza Hashem Akbarian Tefaghi, Moblsaz

Renowned Pahlavans include:

• Early Period (before 1450):
  • Abu Moslem-e Khorasani
  • Ya'ghoub-e Laith-e Saffari
  • Babak Khorramdin
  • Asad Kermani
  • Abdul Razagh Bashtini
  • Shirdel Kohneh-Savar
  • Mahmoud Khwarazmi (Pahlavan-e Bozorg), was known as Pouriya-ye Vali
  • Mohammad Abol-seyyed Abol-Kheyr
  • Mahmoud Malani
  • Darvish Mohammad Khorassani

• Middle Period (1450-1795):
  • Mirza Beyk-e Kashani
  • Beyk-e Khorassani
  • Hossein Kord Shabestari
  • Mir Baqer
  • Jalal Yazdi
  • Kabir-e Esfahani (Pahlavan-e Bozorg)
  • Kalb-Ali Aqa Jar

• Modern period (after 1795):
  • Haj Seyyed Hasan Razzaz (Pahlavan-e Bozorg), also known as Pahlavan Shoja'at.
  • Ali-Asghar Yazdi
  • Haj Reza-Qoli Tehrani
  • Mohammad Mazar Yazdi
  • Shaban Siyah Qomi
  • Ebrahim Hallaj Yazdi (Pahlavan-e Bozorg) also known as Yazdi Bozorg
  • Akbar Khorassani
  • Abol-Qassem Qomi
  • Hossein Golzar-e Kermanshahi
  • Sadeq-e Qomi
  • Mirza Hashem Akbarian Tefaghi, Moblsaz Esfahani
  • Yazdi Kuchak (last official Pahlavan of Iran)
  • Aziz Khan Rahmani/Kurdistani also known by Sanandaji (Gold Medal in 1945)

See also

• Indian clubs
• Pehlwani

References

• Abassi, Mehdi (1984). Tarikh-e Koshtigari dar Iran (The History of Wrestling in Iran). Tehran
• Beizai, Hossein Parto (1967). Tarikh-e Varzesh-e Bastani (Zoorkhaneh). Tehran
• Luijendijk, D.H., 2006, History and Techniques of the Ancient Martial Art of Iran, Paladin Press, 2006 ISBN 9781581605143.

External links

• http://www.pahlavani.com/ website by Hooshyar F. Naraghi (Sportestan Publishing, Inc., 1996-2003)
• Nekoogar, Farzad (1996). Traditional Iranian Martial Arts (Varzesh-e Pahlavani)