Khuzestan province: Difference between revisions

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Khuzestan first enters recorded history as part of the [[Elamite Empire]]. It is then ruled, successively, by:
Khuzestan first enters recorded history as part of the [[Elamite Empire]]. It is then ruled, successively, by:


* [[538 BCE]] to [[331 BCE]] Persian [[Achmaenid]] dynasty
* [[538 BC]] to [[331 BC]] Persian [[Achmaenid]] dynasty
* [[305 BCE]] to [[60 BCE]] Hellenistic [[Seleucid]] dynasty
* [[305 BC]] to [[60 BC]] Hellenistic [[Seleucid]] dynasty
* [[60 BCE]] to [[224 CE]] [[Parthian]] empire
* [[60 BC]] to AD [[224]] [[Parthian]] empire
* [[224 CE]] to [[642]] Persian [[Sassanian]] dynasty
* [[224]] to [[642]] Persian [[Sassanian]] dynasty
* [[642]] to [[1258]] [[Arab]] [[caliph]]s and their deputies
* [[642]] to [[1258]] [[Arab]] [[caliph]]s and their deputies
* [[1219]] to [[1335]] various [[Mongol]] invasions
* [[1219]] to [[1335]] various [[Mongol]] invasions
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Dates may differ from usual dynastic dates; these are, as nearly as can be determined, the relevant dates for the area now known as Khuzestan.
Dates may differ from usual dynastic dates; these are, as nearly as can be determined, the relevant dates for the area now known as Khuzestan.


Under the caliphs, Khuzestan was a rich and populous province, known for its culture and learning. It was depopulated and reduced to beggary by the savagery of the Mongol invasions of the 13th century CE. It did not begin to recover until the late 19th and early 20th centuries, when commerce revived and oil was discovered.
Under the caliphs, Khuzestan was a rich and populous province, known for its culture and learning. It was depopulated and reduced to beggary by the savagery of the Mongol invasions of the 13th century. It did not begin to recover until the late 19th and early 20th centuries, when commerce revived and oil was discovered.


According to the Encyclopedia Iranica, under the Safavids and the Qajars Khuzestan was known as Arabestan or Arabistan -- presumably because many of its then inhabitants spoke Arabic or were Arabs. However, the current Iranian government does not acknowledge that the province ever had such a name.
According to the Encyclopedia Iranica, under the Safavids and the Qajars Khuzestan was known as Arabestan or Arabistan -- presumably because many of its then inhabitants spoke Arabic or were Arabs. However, the current Iranian government does not acknowledge that the province ever had such a name.

Revision as of 07:26, 23 May 2005

Khuzestan and Iran

Introduction

Stepped domes like this are characteristic of the traditional architecture of Khuzestan province. This is the shrine of Imamzadeh Hamzeh, located between Mah-shahr and Hendijan.

Khuzestan is one of the thirty provinces of Iran. It is located in the south-west of the country, where it borders Iraq and the Persian Gulf. It is known for its oil industry. The capital is the city of Ahvaz.

Geography and demographics

Khuzestan is 63,238 sq. km in area. It comprises plains and marshlands to the east of the Tigris-Euphrates delta, and extends up into the foothills and peaks of the neighboring Zagros mountain range. It is watered by the the Karun, Karkheh and Jarahi rivers. The Karun, at 850 km. long, is Iran's largest river. It is navigable as far as the capital city of Ahvaz, which facilitates commerce.

Other major cities include:

The climate of Khuzestan is generally hot and humid, particularly in the south.

According to the 1996 census, the province had an estimated population of 3.7 million people, of which approximately 62.5% lived in urban areas and 36.5% in rural areas. The remaining 1% were transients.

Khuzestan is inhabited by ethnic Persians (Persian-speaking), Arabs (some of whom speak Arabic, some of whom speak only Persian), and nomadic groups like the Bakhtiaris and the Lur. There are no reliable statistics as to the exact proportion of each ethnicity or language community. The Iranian government has not collected such statistics for some time. The CIA World Factbook estimates that 3% of Iran's 68,017,860 citizens are Arabs, which would put the Arab population at 2,040,540, of whom the majority live in Khuzestan. There is clearly a sizable Arab population in Khuzestan; estimates range from 30 to 60% of the population. The question of minority numbers is politically charged; see Ethnic politics of Khuzestan for further discussion.

Government

Khuzestan has eighteen representatives in Iran's parliament, The Majles, and six representatives in the Assembly of Experts.

Economy

The massive Karun-3 dam, recently inaugurated.

Khuzestan is the center of Iran's oil industry, and much of its heavy manufacturing. Dams like the Karun 3 and 4, and the Karkheh Dam feed the national electricity grid, and serve the petrochemical and steel industries. [[Image:Fulad-ahvaz.jpg|thumb|right|Fulad-ahvaz steel plant, in Ahvaz

Khuzestan produces much of the wealth of the country. It was once one of the most Westernized and wealthy areas of Iran. However, it was heavily damaged during the Iran-Iraq war and much of the damage is yet to be repaired. Many Khuzestanis complain that their oil money benefits the rest of the country, but does not benefit them.

Shipping

The Karun is the only navigable river in Iran. Large ships can sail up the Karun as far as Shushtar. As noted in the Ahvaz article, at the end of the 19th century the river was dredged and a railroad was built. This greatly facilitated trade and later, the growth of the oil industry. The first oil wells, in the Naftoon oil field, were supplied from the upstream town of Masjed Soleiman.

Agriculture and fisheries

Khuzestan's well-watered, rich, delta soil supports a thriving agricultural industry. The province produces wheat, barley, oil seed, rice, eucalyptus, medical herbs, dates, citrus, olives, and sugar cane. Khuzestan is also known for its riverine and Persian Gulf fisheries.

Universities

History of Khuzestan

[[Image:Choghazanbil2.jpg|thumb|right|The ziggurat of Choqa Zanbil, built by the ancient Elamites.

See main article, History of Khuzestan

Khuzestan first enters recorded history as part of the Elamite Empire. It is then ruled, successively, by:

Dates may differ from usual dynastic dates; these are, as nearly as can be determined, the relevant dates for the area now known as Khuzestan.

Under the caliphs, Khuzestan was a rich and populous province, known for its culture and learning. It was depopulated and reduced to beggary by the savagery of the Mongol invasions of the 13th century. It did not begin to recover until the late 19th and early 20th centuries, when commerce revived and oil was discovered.

According to the Encyclopedia Iranica, under the Safavids and the Qajars Khuzestan was known as Arabestan or Arabistan -- presumably because many of its then inhabitants spoke Arabic or were Arabs. However, the current Iranian government does not acknowledge that the province ever had such a name.

The province seems to have enjoyed some autonomy under the Abide Emirate. Reza Shah re-established central government control in 1925. According to this source [1], in 1936 the province was renamed Khuzestan, which seems to have been an older name for the area. Since the Iranian government does not acknowledge the older name, it does not mention the renaming in its provincial website [2].

There has been a great deal of migration from other parts of Iran into Khuzestan.

From 1980 through 1986, Khuzestan was the main arena of the horrific Iran-Iraq war. The Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein invaded the province, hoping that the new government of Iran would be too weak and distracted to resist him. In addition, he believed that he would be received with joy by the Arab inhabitants. He was wrong on both counts and was repulsed, albeit with great loss of life and damage to the province (as well as to other areas of Iran targeted by his missles).

The province has yet to recover from the war. Widespread war damage remains.

Notable sites of Khuzestan

Iran's National Heritage Organization lists many sites of historical and cultural significance in Khuzestan province, including:

File:Shush-castle.jpg
L'Acropole de Suse, Susa, Iran.
  • Choqa Zanbil, a city of the Elamite Empire. Today's visitors can see the remains of a large five-story temple built in honor of Anishushinak, the protective deity of the city of Susa.
  • Shushtar, one of the oldest fortress cities in Iran, known as the "City of Forty Elders" in the local dialect. The renowned Friday Mosque of Shushtar was built by Abbasid Caliphs.
  • Izeh, or Izaj, contains the singular Kharezad Bridge, erected on pillars of cast lead.
  • Masjed Soleiman, the winter quarters of the nomadic Bakhtiari tribe. It holds the remains of the ancient Zoroastrian temples of Sarmasjed and Bard-neshondeh.
  • Abadan, home to a shrine that some say is the tomb of the Hebrew prophet Elias,.

Notable Khuzestanis

Many scientists, philosophers, and poets have come from Khuzestan, including


See also

External links

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