The Emergence of the Name Lorestan in the Political-Administrative Geography of Iran during Seljuk Era

Document Type : Research Articles

Author

professor of the History, University of Lorestan. KhoramAbad. Iran

Abstract
Considering the naming culture in cultural and social structure of Iran, the geographic area where the Lor tribes settled in the Zagros Mountains should have been called "Lorestan," meaning "the land of the Lors." However, the study of historical and geographical texts reveals that during the early Islamic centuries, this area was not referred to by this name. Even today, the term is only used to refer to a part of this geographical expanse. Therefore, this historical research, with a descriptive-analytical approach, seeks to answer the question of when, why, and how the term "Lorestan" was first used, and which regions and areas it initially encompassed. The findings of this research show that the name "Lorestan" first appeared in the second half of the 6th century to denote the mountainous areas between the Tab River and Iraq in the political and administrative geography of Iran during Seljuk period. These areas stretched from the north, covering the basins of the Zayandeh Rud, Dez, and Seymareh rivers, to the southern plains of Khuzestan. It appears that this emergence is linked to the widespread settlement of Turkmen tribes in the Zagros Mountains, the weakness of civil and urban structures in the west and southwest of Iran, the resulting dominance of tribal and nomadic culture in those regions, and the flourishing and formalization of the Persian language.  

Keywords


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  • Receive Date 23 February 2024
  • Revise Date 23 April 2024
  • Accept Date 27 May 2024