Iran. Journal of the British Institute of Persian Studies

133 Pages·1964·23.215 MB·English

IRAN
Journal of the British Institute of Persian Studies
VOLUMEII 1964
CONTENTS
Page
Governing Council ii
. .
Statement of Aims and Activities i1i i
0..
Director's Report - , * v
. . . .
-
Three Persian Poems, by Professor A. J. Arberry I
. . .
A Brief Report on the Excavation of Marlik Tepe and Pileh Qal'eh,
by Professor E. O. Negahban 13
. .
Excavations at Pasargadae,S econd PreliminaryR eport, by David Stronach 21
Excavations at Tall-i-Nokhodi, 1962, by Clare Goff 41
. .
Kfachu Balficha nd Ichthyophagbi, y Brian Spooner 53
. .
An Introduction to the Economic Organization of Early QatjairI ran,
-
by Gavin Hambly . 69
. . . .
The Significance of KitdbB urhdnu l-HIaqqb, y S. C. R. Weightman 83
?
Application Forms opposite1 o4
. .
Publisheda nnuallyb y
THE BRITISH INSTITUTE OF PERSIAN STUDIES
The British Academy, Burlington Gardens, London, W.I
c/o
Price: ?2 Ios. od.
NOTES FOR CONTRIBUTORS
TITLES The titles of books and periodicals should be printed in italics (in typing, underlined), while
the titles of articles in periodicals should be in Roman letters between quotation marks.
REFERENCES Where references are made, the volume and date of publication of a book should
both be cited in the first reference to it. The number of a volume in a series should be given in
Roman numerals.
ILLUSTRATIONS Only clear glossy prints of photographs or strong outline drawings should be
submitted. Photographs reproduced as half-tones or collotypes will appear as " Plates ", numbered
in capital Roman numerals. All line drawings, including maps, will appear as " Figures ", numbered
consecutively in Arabic numerals throughout each article.
TRANSLITERATION The transliteration into Roman script of names and words in Oriental
languages (other than modern Turkish) should be in accordance with the system employed by learned
bodies such as the Royal Asiatic Society. Modern Turkish names and words should be written in the
current Turkish orthography.
MEMBERSHIP OF THE INSTITUTE
Anyone wishing to join the Institute should write to the Honorary Secretary, J. E. F. Gueritz,
Esq., M.A., 85 Queen's Road, Richmond, Surrey. The annual subscription for Membership of the
Institute is ?i, while the total sum of ?2 ios. od. entitles the subscriber to receive the Journal.
Application Forms opposite page 104.
IRAN
Journal of the British Institute of Persian Studies
VOLUME II 1964
CONTENTS
Page
Governing Council . ii
Statement of Aims and Activities . . . . . . . iii
Director's Report . . . . . . . . . v
Three Persian Poems, by Professor A. J. Arberry I
A Brief Report on the Excavation of Marlik Tepe and Pileh Qal'eh,
by Professor E. O. Negahban . . . . . . . 13
Excavations at Pasargadae, Second PreliminaryR eport, by David Stronach 2I
Excavations at Tall-i-Nokhodi, 1962, by Clare Goff . 41
Kfich u Balzacha nd Ichthyophagi,b y Brian Spooner . . . . 53
An Introduction to the Economic Organization of Early Qaja r Iran,
by Gavin Hambly . . . . . . . . . 69
The Significance of KitdbB urhdnu l-HIaqqb, y S. C. R. Weightman 83
Application Forms . . . . . . . opposite 104
Publisheda nnuallyb y
THE BRITISH INSTITUTE OF PERSIAN STUDIES
c/o The British Academy, Burlington Gardens, London, W.I
BRITISH INSTITUTE OF PERSIAN STUDIES
GOVERNING COUNCIL
President
*Professor M. E. L. MALLOWAN, C.B.E., M.A., D.Lit., F.B.A., F.S.A.
Vice-President
Professor A. J. ARBERRY, M.A., Litt.D., D.Litt., F.B.A.
Members
R. D. BARNETT, Esq., D.Lit., F.B.A., F.S.A.
*Sir MAURICE BOWRA, M.A., D.Litt., Litt.D., LL.D., F.B.A.
P. R. E. BROWNE, Esq., O.B.E., T.D., Q.C.
Sir TRENCHARD COX, C.B.E., D.Litt., F.S.A., F.M.A.
Professor C. J. GADD, C.B.E., D.Litt., F.B.A., F.S.A.
BASIL GRAY, Esq., C.B.E.
Professor A. K. S. LAMBTON, O.B.E., D.Lit., Ph.D.
Professor SETON H. F. LLOYD, C.B.E., M.A., F.B.A., F.S.A., A.R.I.B.A.
*Sir MORTIMER WHEELER, C.I.E., M.C., T.D., D.Lit., F.B.A., F.S.A.
Professor R. C. ZAEHNER, M.A.
Hon. Editor
LAURENCE LOCKHART, Esq., Litt.D., Ph.D., F.R.Hist.S.
Hon. Treasurer
Sir JOHN LE ROUGETEL, K.C.M.G., M.C.
Hon. Secretary
JOHN E. F. GUERITZ, Esq., M.A.
OFFICERS IN IRAN
Director
DAVID STRONACH, Esq., M.A., F.S.A.
AssistantD irector
BRIAN SPOONER, Esq., B.A.
c/o The British Academy, P.O. Box 2617,
Burlington Gardens, Tehran,
LONDON, W.I. IRAN.
*DenotesF ounderM ember
STATEMENT OF AIMS AND ACTIVITIES
I. The Institute has an establishment in Tehran at which British scholars, men of learning versed in
the arts, friends of Iran, may reside and meet their Iranian colleagues in order to discuss with them
subjectso f common interest: the arts, archaeology, history, literature, linguistics, religion, philosophy
and cognate subjects.
2. The Institute provides accommodation for senior scholars and for teachers at British Universities
in order that they may refresh themselves at the source of knowledge from which their teaching
derives. The same service is being rendered to younger students who show promise of developing
interests in Persian studies.
3. The Institute, whilst concerned with Persian culture in the widest sense, is particularly concerned
with the development of archaeological techniques, and seeks the co-operation of Iranian scholars
and students in applying current methods to the resolution of archaeological and historical
problems.
4. Archaeological excavation using modern scientific techniques as ancillary aids is one of the
Institute's primary tasks. These activities, which entail a fresh appraisal of previous discoveries,
have already yielded new historical, architectural, and archaeological evidence which is adding
to our knowledge of the past and of its bearing on the modern world.
5. In pursuit of all the activities mentioned in the preceding paragraphs the Institute is gradually
adding to its library, is collecting learned periodicals, and is publishing a journal, Iran, which
is expected to appear annually. The Institute aims at editing and translating a series of Persian
texts, the first of which, the Humay-Namae,d ited by ProfessorA . J. Arberry, has already appeared.
6. The Institute arranges occasional seminars, lectures and conferences and enlists the help of
distinguished scholars for this purpose. It will also aim at arranging small exhibitions with the
object of demonstrating the importance of Persian culture and its attraction for the world of
scholarship.
7. The Institute endeavours to collaborate with universities and educational institutions in Iran
by all the means at its disposal and, when consulted, assists Iranian scholars with technical advice
for directing them towards the appropriate channels in British universities.
iii
DIRECTOR'S REPORT
April ist 1962 to May 31st 1963
The period of the past fourteen months has seen a broad extension of the Institute's activities,
culminating in a move to spacious new premises at the beginning of May 1963. In addition, the
publication of the first volume of the Institute's Journal Iran has aroused keen interest both in
Tehran and the provinces.
New Premises
As a more adequate base for its work in Iran the Institute has moved to a most attractive and
comfortable house on Avenue Takht-i-Jamshid, not far from the American Embassy. The house
is approached through its own gate and driveway and possessesa pleasant garden with a wide variety
of trees. The principal rooms at the front of the house provide a cool, spacious setting for the library
as well as ample accommodation for lectures and receptions. Staff, student and guest accommodation
is adequate for our needs, providing space for up to twelve people to stay at any one time. The garden
includes a garage and a small house for resident servants.
Library
We have received the welcome news that the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation has made a most
munificent gift of ?5,ooo which will enable the Institute to provide a working library for scholars from
the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth, as well as Persian scholars who wish to work at the
Institute. Moreover, the E. J. W. Gibb Memorial Trust has generously presented 26 volumes; a
further gift of 77 volumes has been received from the University of Tehran; and the Society for the
Preservation of National Monuments has given thirteen of its publications. Among numerous other
benefactions, particular mention must be made of the Spalding Trust's offer of ?50 per annum for
the next three years, which will enable us to make substantial additions to our books on Eastern
religions and ethics.
It is hoped that from 1965 onwards the Institute will be able to set aside a sufficients um to maintain
the Library and to add to it. Meanwhile, the Library, in its present form, has already begun to attract
a wide circle of readers.
Guests
During the past fourteen months the following guests stayed at the Institute:
Mr. Basil Gray Lecture tour on behalf of the Institute.
Miss Mary Burkett
EExxccaavvaattiioonnss aatt YYaarriimm TTeeppee..
Miss G. Malet de Carteret
Dr. A. D. H. Bivar Lecturer in Iranian and Central Asian Archaeology, School of
Oriental and African Studies, London University, on study leave.
Dr. C. B. M. McBurney University Lecturer in Archaeology at Cambridge, on archaeo-
logical reconnaissance in N.E. Iran.
Miss J. M. Munn-Rankin University Lecturer in Near Eastern History and Archaeology at
Cambridge, on study leave.
Professor T. Cuyler Young Chairman, Department of Oriental Studies, Princeton University,
studying current affairs.
Dr. B. G. Martin Acting Head, Department of Arabic and Islamic Studies,
University College, Ibadan, Nigeria, on study leave.
V
Dr. J. I. Clarke Reader in Geography, Durham University, engaged in geo-
graphical research in Fars.
Miss Christina Ditchburn Language Study.
Mr. Iqbal Ahmad Visit to Iran on behalf of the IslamicR eview.
Dr. B. B. Lal Director, School of Archaeology, New Delhi, visiting sites and
museums.
Mr. Peter Avery University Lecturer in Persian at Cambridge, travelling to the
International Congress on Shaykh Ansari of Herat at Kabul
and later lecturing on behalf of the Institute.
Mr. and Mrs. C. A. Burney Excavations at Yanik Tepe.
Mr. Ian Todd Excavations at Yanik Tepe.
Mr. P. Guthrie Jones Excavations at Yanik Tepe.
Members of the Pasargadae Expedition (see below).
Miss Nancy Sandars Oxford University Near Eastern Fellowship Fund.
Mrs. Rachel Maxwell-Hyslop Visit to archaeological sites and museums.
Mrs. R. S. Cowen Visit to archaeological sites and museums.
Mr. BaharuddinB . Abu Kassim Studies for the new National Mosque of the Federation of Malaya.
ProfessorH . Bowen-Jones Study of Economic Development for The Durham Centre of
Middle East Studies.
Dr. Eric Sunderland Social anthropological research near Yazd on behalf of the
Miss Judith Travers Department of Geography, Durham University.
Mr. David Darwent
Study of Urban Development in Meshed on behalf of the
Mr. G. W. Taylor Department of Geography, Durham University.
Mr. Peter Willey Reconnaissance at Samiran.
Mr. S. P. Gupta Visit to archaeological sites and museums, on behalf of the
National Museum, New Delhi.
Professora nd
Mrs. D. Talbot Rice Lecture tour on behalf of the Institute.
Sir George and Lady Pickering Visit to Isfahan and Shiraz.
Mrs. J. M. Birmingham Senior Lecturer in Archaeology at Sydney University, on study
leave.
Visitors
Among distinguished visitors to the Institute during this same period we were glad to welcome
ProfessorA . K. S. Lambton, Professora nd Mrs. J. Rypka, ProfessorK . Bittel, ProfessorR . Naumann
and Professora nd Mrs. P. Amandry.
Lectures
Following Sir Sydney Roberts' visit in February 1962, the Institute's next Visiting Lecturer,
in April and May of the same year, was Mr. Basil Gray, Keeper of Oriental Antiquities at the
British Museum. Mr. Gray's seventeen-day tour of Iran, which was sponsored by both the British
Council and the Institute included no less than three separate lectures in Tehran apart from additional
lectures at Tabriz and Meshed. In Tehran, Mr. Gray first lectured under the auspices of the Society
for the Preservation of National Monuments, giving an illustrated talk on " Specimens of Iranian
Islamic Art at the British Museum ", while in succeeding talks, each of which were extremely well
attended, he addressed the Institute on "Persian Influence on Chinese Art from the Eighth to
Fifteenth Centuries" and the British Council on " Persian Influence on Indian Paintings of the
Fifteenth, Sixteenth and Seventeenth Centuries ".
Further collaboration between the Institute and the British Council led to Mr. Peter Avery,
Lecturer in Persian at the University of Cambridge, giving a jointly sponsored lecture on " Shaykh
Ansari of Herat ", first in Tehran on October 6th and later at Shiraz on October 9th.
At Shiraz Mr. Avery's talk was followed by another lecture on November 27th in which Mr.
vi
Stronach described the current excavations of the Institute at Pasargadae. The lecture, which was
sponsored by the British Council, was held at the University and was introduced by Mr. Feridoun
Tavallali, the Director of Antiquities in Fars, who paid handsome tribute to the long record of
British archaeological research in Iran.
At Tehran, the Institute's next lecturer was Mr. Spooner who read a paper on December I5th
entitled " A Pattern for Persian Studies ". In his talk Mr. Spooner sought to show that scholars of
different disciplines, who had once pursued quite distinct paths, were beginning to feel the need for
more unified forms of area research in which each could contribute towards a more comprehensive
view of man's response to his environment.
Somewhat later, in the spring of 1963, we were most pleased to welcome Professor and Mrs.
David Talbot Rice, who were able to spend several days in Iran while on their way to Afghanistan.
The visit allowed the Institute to organize a most successful reception and lecture on March 3rd
at which ProfessorT albot Rice spoke on " The Mongol School of Islamic Painting ". The following
day, before a second lecture at the British Council, the Talbot Rices were honoured by a special
reception at the Ministry of Court at which H.E. Mr. Hussain Ala, the Chairman of the newly formed
Imperial Council for Culture, expressed his delight at the Talbot Rices' visit and his appreciation
of the contribution that the Institute and the Council were making in bringing scholars of standing
to Iran.
Finally, at the invitation of the British Council, Mr. Stronach gave a further talk on Pasargadae
at Isfahan on April 3oth. Thanks to a generous gesture from the University, the lecture was held at
the Faculty of Letters where the Dean, Dr. Abbas Faroughi, took the chair.
WolfsonF ellows
During the past year the Institute's four Wolfson Fellows have each shown welcome inititative
in the pursuit of their separate studies. Miss Clare Goff, although unable to carry out her planned
archaeological survey in Fars, has nevertheless made very full use of her second year in Iran. After
excavating with the Institute at Pasargadae, where she again had charge of the sounding at Tall-i-
Nokhodi, she visited Baghdad for a month and then returned to Iran to take part in the excavations
of the Oriental Institute at Choga Mish in Khuzistan. At present, as an alternative to her original
survey in Fars, she is engaged in an extensive field survey in parts of Luristan and Kurdistan.
Mr. ChristopherW eightman, our other second-year Fellow, has had still further success in tracing
and recording Ahl-e-Haqq material from Kurdistan, including an important nine hundred-page text
from the village of Kerind. In addition, he was able to give a lecture at the British Council on May 6th
in which he gave a brief account of the history, beliefs and practices of the Ahl-e-Haqq sect.
With regard to the Institute's two new Fellows, Mr. John Emerson has read widely in connection
with his late Qajar research, as well as travelling extensively, while Sir Jonathan Backhouse has begun
a promising survey of modern Persian interpretations of the work of Hafez.
Excavationsa t rarim Tepe and Pasargadae
In the course of a short season from early May to late June 1962, Mr. Stronach was able to bring
to a close the excavations at Yarim Tepe near Gunbad-i-Qabus, which had been awaiting completion
since December 196o0. The details of this work, which first began with British Academy support in
1960, will be published in the third volume of Iran early next year.
The results of last autumn's excavations at Pasargadae are published below. The field staff of the
I962 Expedition consisted of the following:
Mr. D. B. Stronach (Director); Miss C. L. Goff (Field Assistant); Mr. R. Oakley (Field Assistant);
Mr. D. Towill (Field Assistant); Mr. E. J. Keall (Architect); Miss O. A. Kitson (Photographer);
Mme. M. T. Ullens de Schooten (Photographer); Miss A. Searight (Pottery Assistant); and
Mr. S. Ganjavi (Representative of the Archaeological Service).
As in the first season, work was concentrated on the citadel hill (the Tall-i-Takht) and the pre-
historic mound of Tall-i-Nokhodi. On the former site great strides were taken towards defining the
vii
circuit of the citadel defences as well as towards revealing more of the central plan. In the course of
this work the base of the great stone platform was revealed for the first time; important apartments
with stone column bases were found on the platform itself; and, in clearing different parts of the
final Period III settlement, which we now know to date from Seleucid times, the Expedition recovered
many whole pots, together with an undisturbed hoard of silver coins and jewellery. From a historical
point of view the discovery of the Hellenistic coin hoard was particularly fortunate, since it allows
us to date the destruction and final desertion of the citadel to c. 280 B.c.-when, as far as one can see,
the Seleucid garrison must have been surprised and overthrown in a national uprising.
Field Trips
During the course of the Pasargadae season the Institute was able to assist Dr. Alastair Lamb,
Reader in History at Kuala Lumpur University, to make an initial survey of the early Islamic port
of Siraf on the Persian Gulf. The survey, which it is hoped will be the forerunnero f proper excavations
in 1965, proved that the site is rich in Chinese and other ceramic imports and that its future exploration
would be of the utmost value in any study of early Islamic sea-trade with the Far East.
A second interesting field trip took Mr. Stronach and three other members of the Pasargadae
Expedition to the newly discovered tomb of Gur-i-Dokhtar, south of Kazarun, which represents the
only known intact parallel to the Tomb of Cyrus. Small and somewhat roughly constructed, without
any of the stone dressing techniques found from the time of Darius onwards, the tomb is certainly
as old, if not older, than the Tomb of Cyrus itself. As such, it received most careful study, the results of
which appear elsewhere in these pages.
In yet another sphere of Institute activity, Mr. Brian Spooner is at present engaged in a detailed
anthropological study of certain Baluch villages in the area of Saravan, in south-easternI ran, where he
expects to complete a period of almost three months before returning to Tehran in late June.
InauguralL ecturea nd Receptiona t the Institute'sN ew Premises
On the completion of the move to the new house, the Institute held its first meeting at its new
premises on Monday, May 27th. To mark the occasion Mr. Stronach gave an illustrated lecture,
reviewing the Institute's excavation and surveysi n Fars over the past two years. Among those attending
were Sir Dennis and Lady Wright, Dr. Ahmad Farhad, Dr. 'Ali Akbar Siyasi, Dr. Matin Daftari,
Professor Badi'oz-zaman Foruzanfar and Dr. 'Isa Sadiq. Altogether some 130 guests attended the
lecture and the reception that followed. It should be added that the occasion was used to introduce
the Institute's new journal, Iran,w hich was later reviewed in the press in Tehran and Isfahan.
V111
THREE PERSIAN POEMS
By Professor A. J. Arberry
Yaram chu qadah ba-dast. girad
bizar-i butin shikast. girad
har-kas ki bi-did. chashm-i fi guft
kii muhtasibi ki mast. girad
dar bahr. futdda am chu mahi
tdiy ar. mard ba-shast. girad
dar pash. futida am ba-zdtri
iya buvad an ki dast. girad
khurram dil-i dn-ki hamchu Hafiz
jdmi zi mai-yi alast. girad
In this paper I shall try to expound some of the qualities which make for great poetry in Persian,
and in doing this I shall attempt to elucidate what the Persian poet aims at doing when he sets about
the task of creating a poem. The example which I have chosen to initiate the discussion is one of the
shortest, simplest and most perfect of the five hundred or so lyrics composed by the greatest of the
poets of Iran, Khvaja Shams al-Din Muhammad of Shiraz, who died in A.D. 1389 and was
thus an exact contemporary of our Chaucer. .Hfiz
Since it is necessary to presume that not everyone, even in this distinguished audience, understands
Persian, particularly as recited by me, it will help matters forward if the poem is translated. First
I will quote the version made by John Payne (1842-1916), a remarkable linguist and rhymester
best known for his translations of Villon, Boccaccio, Heine and the Arabian Nights, who went to the
trouble of rendering the entire Divdn of IHfiz into verse-forms which he believed closely imitated the
rhythms and rhyme-schemes of the originals.
When my Beloved the cup in hand taketh
The market of lovely ones slack demand taketh.
I, like a fish, in the ocean am fallen,
Till me with the hook yonder Friend to land taketh.
Every one saith, who her tipsy eye seeth,
" Where is a shrieve, that this fair firebrand taketh? "
Lo, at her feet in lament am I fallen,
Till the Beloved me by the hand taketh.
Happy his heart who, like Hafiz, a goblet
Of wine of the Prime Fore-eternal's brand taketh.
Payne used a text in which the second and third couplets were transposed; for the rest, he understood
well the literal meanings of HIfiz' deceptively straightforward words. If the art of verse-translation
consists in conveying the gist of the original with as little deviation or distortion as possible, given
the considerable handicap of maintaining an artificial rhythm and rhyme, then it may be said that
Payne succeeded well and even extraordinarily. It is true that his rhythmic pattern is quite different
from that of his model; but he contrived very cleverly to imitate the monorhyme, even to the extent
of employing the same auxiliary verb to round off each couplet. But who would seriously maintain
that what he produced was really a poem? I hope presently to indicate the degree to which he failed
to apprehend the meanings; before that, however, let us set his version beside that of another craftsmen.