Iranian peoples - Definition and Overview

Iranian peoples are peoples who speak an Iranian language and/or belong to the Iranian stock. Iranian peoples in older times included:

• Persians
• Medes
• Parthians, (Parni)
• Cimmerians
• Scythians
• Sarmatians (including Rhoxolani, Iazyges)
• Bactrians
• Khwarezmians
• Alans
• Saka
• Sogdians
• Massagetae

Iranian peoples in modern times include:

• Persians (Tajiks)
• Kurds
• Azeris, Arranis
• Baluchis
• Pashtuns (Afghans)
• Hazara
• Lur
• Tati
• Talyshi
• Zaza
• Ossetians

Iranian peoples and their language is Aryan. Actually the word Iran itself means "the land of Aryans". Aryans (Indo-Iranians) are a branch of the Indo-European peoples. Most of the Iranian peoples live today in Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, western and northern Pakistan, Caucasus and Kurdish areas.

External links

• THE ORIGIN OF THE PRE-IMPERIAL IRANIAN PEOPLES (http://home.btconnect.com/CAIS/Religions/iranian/Zarathushtrian/Oric.Basirov/origin_of_the_iranians.htm)