The country called Persia is no longer on the map. Despite the fact that there is still the Persian Gulf, other place names bearing a similar name. Why was the name of the country changed when this happened? Who called the country Persia?
Why is it called Iran today?
Iran and Persia - what is the oldest name?
Initially, the country was not called Persia, the name was assigned by the ancient Greeks, who were guided by the names of the tribes that existed on the coast of the Persian Gulf - as we call it today. One of the mentioned nationalities bore the self-name Parsis, hence the name familiar to many according to old oriental tales. The Parsis, or Parsuash, did indeed exist in this territory, but they were not the only ones. But those people who ended up as Persians initially called themselves differently, and the territory from ancient times had the self-name Iran, which could be translated as “the country of the Aryans”.
Despite the fact that the ancient Greeks were distinguished by their accuracy in most scientific issues, including geographical ones, they had good reasons not to stand on ceremony with the Persians, because serious military conflicts arose with them. It was thanks to the Greeks that the name Persia spread throughout the entire civilized world at that time, and has survived to this day. Ancient Byzantium, the heiress of Eastern Rome, and then Europe, successfully adopted this name.
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When and how did the name change take place?
The name "Iran" has become relevant since 1935, it was then that the official change of one name to another took place. However, the concept of "Persian" is still preserved - both in Russian and in most European ones. Everyone remembers Persian carpets, they love Persian cats. Under the concept of "Iranian" such wealth is difficult to fit, such a phrase will cut your ear.
Why did you change the name?
The replacement of the name Persia with Iran turned out to be quite natural, because the locals of the time of the ancient Hellenes were by no means Parsis, but Aryans - that is how they called themselves. The Parsis did not live in this, but in the neighboring areas. The most ancient name for Iran, or rather, the self-name given by the locals, was written as "Aryānām", which translates as "Aryan land". In later times, the locals referred to it as "Erānšahr", because by the 3rd century BC, there were some changes in the dialect of the people living here. Even later, the lands along the Persian Gulf were called "Eran", and further - "Iran", as they are called today.
The question regarding the latest renaming, or rather the transformation of Persia into Iran, is based on several assumptions. The main one is the initiative of the Iranian ambassador, who worked in Germany. The trends of that time did not pass by his attention, he decided that Iran would sound proudly, emphasizing the Aryan roots of the inhabitants of this country. As a result, in 1935 the state was actually renamed. As usual, the innovation did not suit everyone - almost immediately there were minds opposing such an approach. As a result, in 1959, Shah Mohammed Reza Pahlavi issued a statement that both options are relevant. Since then, in international relations, the country could be called both Iran and Persia. Over the years, the relevance of the old name began to fade, in news reports, messages published in European countries,began to actively use the laconic name Iran. Today, not everyone can confidently say whether it is true that Persia and Iran are one and the same country.
Thus, the renaming of the state took place as part of an attempt to eliminate historical injustice, most likely under the influence of convictions that are relevant not in the country itself, but in Germany. At the moment, the name Iran has become generally accepted, the old name appears mainly in legends and tales, as well as in the names of goods traditionally exported from this country.