The 1st encyclopedia of medicine in the Arabic language was by the Persian scientist Ali ibn Sahl Rabban al-Tabari. His “Paradise of Wisdom” was written in 7 parts (c. 860). He emphasized the tie between psychology and medicine, and the need for therapy in patients to maximize their health. His work paved the way for the next few hundred years in Persia.

Iran’s Science and Technology: THEN

Iran’s Science and Technology: THEN

Avicenna (980-1037 AD), a prolific genius, introduced

systematic experimentation

into the study of physiology, experimental

medicine, evidence based medicine, clinical trials, and the idea of a syndrome. His work, “The Canon” was one of the central texts in Western medical education from the 13th-18th centuries!

Iran’s Science and Technology: THEN

Khayyam (1048-1131 AD) was a

renowned astronomer who contributed to mathematics and

calendar reform

The ancient Persian calendar has

an error of 1 day for every 5,000 days (relative to

the modern-day calendar)

Iran’s Science and Technology: THEN

The inspiration for the sitar was probably invented around the 13th century (the word comes from the term “3 strings” in the Persian language, “setar”, which influenced the Hindi word) The prototype from the 1200s had a great influence on the development of the instrument elsewhere, especially in India

Iran’s Science and Technology: THEN

The vertical windmill was in Persia (9th century) long before Holland! They used it to grind grain and/or as a water transportation device. Below is a picture of the ruins of these windmills

Iran’s Science and Technology: THEN

Kamal al-Din Al Farisi was one of the 1st people to come up with a system for factorization and combinatorial methods in mathematics. He also made an early mathematical explanation for the colors in a rainbow! (13th century)

Persian scientists knew about the laws of

gravity as early as the 9th

century!

Iran’s Science and Technology: NOW

Obviously, Iran is greatly impacted by globalization and worldwide advances in technology and medicine. Western medicine has impacted Iran’s health care and treatment of diseases (medicine, anesthesia, surgery, etc.) In terms of the year’s calendar, they are like most countries since they use the modern Western (Gregorian) calendar. So, their New Year’s Day is January 1st.

Iran’s Science and Technology: NOW

In recent years, Iran’s nuclear ambitions came to light under their past leader, Ahmadinejad. Their new president, Hassan Rouhani, seems to have more peaceful intentions and insists that Iran is no longer planning on making a nuclear weapon.

Religion

-Ancient, pre- Islamic religion of Persia: Zoroastrianism, Manichaeism & Bahai Faith-Gahambars, a seasonal festivals ( meaning “proper season”), occurs six times a year-A special Yasna or Jasha ( meaning “worship”, “ obltion”) service is hold on those day/month intersections-Popular religions in Iran: Islam, Zoroastrian Jewish, Christian, & Baha’i

Social Class

-The social classes in Persia had the king and his family at the very top. The rest from (top – down) were priests, aristocracy, military, traders, craftsmen, peasants, and slaves.-Today’s Iran has social classes divided into upper class, property-owning middle class, salaried middle class, working class, independent farmers, and rural wage earners

Family Structure

-In Persia, the father would do his job and the mother would do the house work. They also had servants if they were wealthy. Women had no voice in society in the 13th century…males were the dominant voice-In Iran of today, women have some more rights but are still not equal to men. Family members are very dependent on each other. Children usually stay with their parents until they are married. The family structure is highly dependent on respecting elders.

Female Role in Iran

-In Iran, women have to wear a chador in public, which is a black full-body gown-Women are not allowed to show their hair in public or skin (except the hands and face)-Women make up 15% of the working population and usually can’t take jobs that are high ranking-They don’t have significant voice in societal affairs

Gender Role in Persia

-In the Zoroastrian texts, such as the Avesta, it is revealed that Persian women enjoyed social and legal freedom and were treated with great respect-In the Avesta text, it mentions that both genders should share responsibility and make decisions together-Female members were also allowed to participate in religious ceremonies and head an event as a priest

Women’s Movement in Iran

-Since the 1979 revolution, women have been fighting for their rights & trying to gain a larger role in the

society-Women have gained the right to vote and they can run for parliament-4 women were elected to the first parliament in 1980

Clothing

-THEN: Both men and women used makeup. Garments were fairly common. Purple cloths were royal and white ones were religious.

-NOW: Except for the covering of heads/hair, their clothing is much like the Western world (jeans, button-up shirts)…even women can wear jeans

Customs

-THEN: Customs tended to revolve around Islam (Ramadan, fasting, attending mosque, etc.)-NOW: Still centered around Islam. Though most Iranians are Muslim, others practice their traditions that have to do with Christianity or other faiths.

Arts

-THEN: The Persian Empire had a rich art scene involving calligraphy, metal working, and stonemasonry. The Razi style of architecture existed during the 13th century.-NOW: Contemporary art is emerging as a big thing in Iran today. Architecture today tends to resemble the modern world, but many old edifices still stand.

Government

-THEN: The Ilkhanate Empire was in control of Persia during Marco Polo’s journey. It was founded by Genghis Khan’s grandson, Hulagu. They embraced many religions, including Christianity and Buddhism. But towards the late 13th century they started to favor Islam

-NOW: The current ruler is Hassan Rouhani. Iran is a republic with elections dictated by a democratic

vote. However, the “supreme ruler” is still the Grand Ayatollah (since 1979).

He still technically has the final say for major policy decisions…the president, in a sense, needs his blessing.

SOURCES

http://www.iran-heritage.org/interestgroups/history-article3.htm· Selin, Helaine, ed. (1997).

Encyclopaedia of the history of science, technology and medicine in non-western cultures

. Kluwer. p. 930. ISBN 0-7923-4066-3.

· Haque, Amber (2004). "Psychology from Islamic Perspective: Contributions of Early Muslim Scholars and Challenges to Contemporary Muslim

Psychologists". Journal of Religion and Health 43 (4): 357–377 [361].

Nader El-Bizri, 'Ibn al-Haytham et le problème de la couleur', Oriens-Occidens: Cahiers du centre d'histoire des sciences et des philosophies arabes et

médiévales, C.N.R.S. Vol. 7 (2009), pp. 201–226

SOURCES

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Culture_of_Iran#Arthttp://worldsavvy.org/monitor/index.php?option=com_content&id=476&Itemid=894

http://www.irandokht.com/editorial/index4.php?area=per&sectionID=3&editorialID=958

http://www.ucalgary.ca/applied_history/tutor/islam/fractured/abbasid.html

http://persianperspective.wordpress.com/category/persia-land/http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/historic_figures/polo_marco.shtml

http://iran-un.org/en/persian-languages/http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iranian_languages

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ilkhanate

SOURCES

http://www.wilsoncenter.org/article/the-womens-movement- chat/2017941/postsiranhttp://www.wilsoncenter.org/article/the-womens-movement-iran

http://notes-on-iran.blogspot.com/2008/05/role-of-women-in-ancient-persia.html

http://www.smithlifescience.com/7-3PersiaCultureand%20History.htm

http://womenshistory.about.com/library/ency/blwh_iran.htm

http://www.religionfacts.com/zoroastrianism/index.htmhttp://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2017941/posts

http://hsc.csu.edu.au/ancient_history/societies/near_east/persian_soc/persiansociety.html