I extend my heartfelt respects to the late Dr. Abolfazl Khatibi, whose insightful explanations first inspired me to write this article. I am also deeply grateful to the esteemed Dr. Jalaleddin Kazzazi for reviewing the Shahnameh-related section and providing invaluable guidance. Additionally, I sincerely thank my dear friend, Arash Behdad, a researcher of epic literature, who, despite not knowing me personally, placed his trust in me and generously shared the results of his research.
The historical interpretation of the name “Iran” as a political concept, along with the definition of its geopolitical, historical, and cultural boundaries, remains one of the most frequently debated topics in contemporary analytical historiography. In recent years, the spread of questionable and sometimes fundamentally misleading narratives in cyberspace—alongside the publication of antagonistic content targeting Iran’s name, historical background, and territorial integrity—has effectively turned social media into a battleground.
Meanwhile, some writers and public figures, motivated by various philosophical and political perspectives, have put forward claims and questions about the origins of Iran’s name, its identity, and the nature of the Iranian nation-state, further intensifying this ongoing digital conflict.
In exploring the origins of Iran’s name, its geographical boundaries, cultural identity, and the history of the Persian language, scholars like Jalal Khaleghi Motlagh, Mashallah Ajoudani, Fereydoun Majlesi, and Pirouz Mojtahedzadeh have written extensively. Given their contributions, simply compiling their views to persuade those who refuse to acknowledge Iran as a historical reality may seem unnecessary.
However, consolidating scholarly research and historical evidence into a unified study can help clarify Iran’s enduring identity—one that, despite invasions and upheavals, has never faced an irreversible rupture. By presenting a structured account of Iran’s historical name and territorial boundaries, this work aims to assist researchers and engage readers more effectively. Ideally, skeptics and deniers will find their questions answered here. If they persist in their doubts, they might as well live this topic and turn their attention elsewhere.
The idea for this list-article on Iran’s name and borders first emerged after encountering unscientific, sensationalist, and sometimes offensive content online. However, it took a more serious turn following remarks by Morad Farhadpour, a writer and translator, and Mohsen Namjoo, a musician, on Iran’s history.
In a recent video, Farhadpour offered a rushed account of Iran’s past, claiming: “After 400 years of Sassanian rule—which we don’t even know what came of it—we had the Islamic classical era, followed by a thousand years of Turkic rule… meaning Iran never really existed.” He further stated: “One of my elderly relatives didn’t even know what Iran was until recently.” His comments were widely embraced by Pan-Turk nationalists and circulated on social media.
Similarly, Mohsen Namjoo, stepping beyond his field, asserted: “Hafez never identified himself as Iranian,” a statement that delighted separatists and Iran’s detractors.
Some opponents of Iran’s historical identity cite old texts to claim that Iran was not recognized as a country in ancient times and that its people were referred to as Ajams or Fars. They argue that “Reza Shah changed Persia’s name to Iran,” suggesting the term only gained political significance in his era. They also claim historical documents never mentioned Iran, as provinces were separately referred to as mamlekat (realm) or keshvar (country), such as Mamlekat-e Fars or Mamlekat-e Iraq.
Another common misconception, often promoted by some Afghan nationals on social media, concerns the geographical boundaries of Iran. While they do not outright deny the name Iran, they refer to selected excerpts from Ferdowsi’s Shahnameh and Strabo’s Geography, claiming that “Iran” or “Ariana” historically referred only to the area that is now Afghanistan and did not include modern Iran. A notable example of this argument is found in Reza Mohammadi’s article “Shahnameh’s Cities on Today’s Map”, published on BBC Persian (May 19, 2011).
In this article, Mohammadi lists cities from present-day Afghanistan, such as Gharjistan, Taleqan, Faryab, Balkh, Andarab, Bamiyan, and Badakhshan, and concludes that the term Iran historically referred only to parts of northern Afghanistan, as well as some regions in Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, with no connection to present-day Iran.
Another social media user, going by the initials B.J., who presents himself as a researcher while making offensive and sometimes disrespectful statements, claims that Iran is merely a geographical plateau (similar to the Anatolian or Pamir Plateaus), and that the concept of Iran as a nation-state is meaningless and fabricated. From his social media posts, it appears that, under the guise of a cultural activist with higher education, he has been holding lectures—possibly supported by certain so-called cultural institutions in a neighboring country—aimed at undermining Iran’s history, language, culture, and identity. He repeatedly emphasizes: “The name Iran has no connection to modern concepts like the nation-state.”
It is unfortunate that even some patriotic but overly simplistic users, when confronted with such claims, have occasionally fallen into doubt and, at times, unknowingly shared misleading historical interpretations. One example of this is a flawed text circulating on social media, which presents a day as the “Iran Naming Day” by Reza Shah and traces the origin of the name Iran to the word “Aran” from six hundred years ago. It is clear that this text, filled with inaccuracies and false information, was created and spread with a patriotic façade and ulterior motives. It is surprising that some of our fellow countrymen, who intended only to promote Iranian culture and patriotism, unknowingly shared this content, passing it along to others with congratulatory messages.
While historiography, as a branch of the humanities, typically carries a lower degree of certainty compared to other sciences, always leaving room for doubt, reinterpretation, and new perspectives, it is believed that few countries in the world possess as many historical documents to define their identity as Iran does.
Undoubtedly, the number of historical documents that refer to the name Iran and clearly define its geographical boundaries is far greater than what is presented in this list-article. If necessary, additional sections will be added in the future.
This article is divided into five sections, each of which will be published as a separate article on the esteemed Amordad website. At the end of each article, a link to the available PDF file is provided, through which interested readers can access the original list-article.
Section 1: Historical Documents Before Islam
Section 2: Historical Documents After Islam Until the Mongol Era
Section 3: The Name and Boundaries of Iran in the Shahnameh and Literary Works
Section 4: The Revival of the Name Iran in Governmental and Historical Documents from the Mongol Era to the Qajar Period
Section 5: Existing Documents from Other Countries
It is important to note that the existing documents are much more extensive than what is presented in this list, and the compilation will be expanded, if necessary, in the future.
