Preface to History of Farsi

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Preface

History of Persian language

The Persian language was once a lingua franca and served as a court language
in Persia, India, the Caucasus, Central Asian states, and even the Ottoman Empire
— where it was also the preferred language of poetry for many sultans.
It exerted influence across a vast geography. It is sometimes called
the "French of the Orient", in the same way that the role of Arabic is often compared
to that of Latin in Europe.

Persian literature is one of the richest in the world and is well known in both
the West and the East. Some 100–150 years ago, speakers of this language
could be found from Istanbul and the Balkans all the way to China and Bangladesh.
Even in some parts of present-day Russia, such as Tatarstan and Bashkortostan,
Persian was taught as a second or third language in traditional Muslim education.

Nowadays, the Persian language — despite common misconceptions — remains
widespread far beyond modern Iran. Central Asia and the Caucasus are home today
to millions of Persian-language speakers, who use various dialects and accents.

It retains official status in only three countries: Iran (where it is called Farsi),
Afghanistan (Dari), and Tajikistan (Tajiki). Nevertheless, it is still spoken
in many regions of Uzbekistan, Pakistan, and some Arab countries.

In Azerbaijan and Dagestan (a southern autonomous republic of Russia), different varieties
of Persian (often referred to as the Tat language) are spoken in several villages
and regions; the endonym can vary. Muslims, Christians, and Jews in the Caucasus
speak their own variants of this language and often consider it their mother tongue.

Near Derbent, one of Russia's most ancient cities, one can still hear linguistic features
that trace back to very old forms of Persian, including elements that go back to
Middle Persian (roughly the 3rd–7th centuries AD).

It may not be immediately obvious, but the cities of Samarkand and Bukhara became
the birthplace of the Persian renaissance during the Samanid period.
The earliest New Persian poets originated from what is now Afghanistan, Uzbekistan,
and Tajikistan — figures such as Hanzala Badghisi, Abu Hafs Sughdi, and, of course,
Rudaki, who is widely regarded as the father of Persian literature.

Rudaki served at the Samanid court in Bukhara during the 9th–10th centuries AD.
He was originally from Panjrud (also known as Panjakent), a village in present-day Tajikistan
close to Samarkand in Uzbekistan — which is why he is very often referred to as Rudaki Samarkandi.

During Rudaki’s era, the language was more commonly called Farsi-Dari. It became
the court language, and writers and poets flourished by composing in it, while
also translating historical and religious books from Arabic into New Persian.
Toward the end of Samanid rule, Ferdowsi began composing the Shahnameh.

Later, in the 11th and 12th centuries AD, New Persian spread to central and western Iran,
India, Anatolia, and the Caucasus. Most of the early poets came from this broader region.
For example, the renowned poet and Sufi mystic Rumi was born in Wakhsh
(present-day southern Tajikistan) or, according to some traditions, in Balkh
(present-day Afghanistan).

Classical Persian was the language of the sophisticated segments of society.
Many dynasties that ruled from the 10th century onward actively supported Persian literature.

The contribution of Central Asian (or Khorasani) Iranian languages to the vocabulary,
phonology, and structure of New Persian was significant. Loanwords from local languages
such as Sogdian, Bactrian, and Khwarezmian appear in early literary works — with Sogdian
exerting the strongest influence due to extensive cultural and commercial ties.

Moreover, even today, certain phonetic features and vocabulary items from Classical Persian
are better preserved in the regions of Afghanistan, Uzbekistan, and Tajikistan
(especially in Dari and Tajik varieties). Some sounds and words have become rare
or obsolete in modern Iranian Farsi due to 20th-century modernization processes
and influences from English, French, and neighboring languages.

Our trip to Uzbekistan is both educational and enlightening, and we want to share
some basic knowledge about classical Persian literature and language.

You will hear how the language sounds in its new stage — which we now call
New Persian — along with the literature that dates back to the 9th and 10th centuries AD,
about 1,200 years ago. Old Persian and Middle Persian go back roughly 2,500 years
and 2,000 years, respectively.

This is the language of Ferdowsi, Rumi, Hafez, and Rudaki. We will explore the history
of this language, its role in culture, and its rich literature. We will also compare
the different variants of Persian, showing how certain words have evolved over time
while speakers can still understand and use them across these varieties.

We will discuss other languages that were spoken in this region before and during
the rise of Persian, such as Turkic languages, Sogdian, Khwarezmian,
and Bactrian — all of which were important in ancient Central Asia.

In addition, our trip includes insights into modern life in Bukhara, Samarkand,
and Tashkent, as well as the vibrant culture, art, and history of contemporary Uzbekistan.

To check the trip to Uzbekistan click the next page

Tour to Uzbekistan. History of Persian language

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Suleyman Kurbonov

Persian language teacher
- Suleyman is Persian language teacher for last 5 years both Iranian Farsi and Afghan Dari. Apart from that Suleyman is researcher of ancient Iranian languages such as Middle Persian and Sogdian
- He has been studying Persian more than 20 years. He is a researcher of the history of Persian language, literature and comparative studies of different dialects of Farsi

To contact

WhatsApp +7968-796-87-90

Email: suleyman@goftman.net

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