Persian traditional system of athletics
Koshti Pahlevani
The pahlevan Mustafa Tousi holding a pair of
meels
|
Also known as
| Koshti Pahlav?ni
|
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Focus
| Wrestling
|
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Country of origin
| Iran/Persia
|
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Famous practitioners
| |
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Descendant arts
| |
---|
Olympic sport
| Through lineage:
|
---|
Official website
| http://www.izsf.net/en/
|
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Meaning
| Heroic wrestling
|
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Pahlevani and zourkhaneh rituals
is the name inscribed by
UNESCO
for
varzesh-e pahlav?ni
(
Persian
:
???? ??????? ? ??????????
, "heroic sport")
[1]
or
varzesh-e b?st?ni
(
???? ???????
;
varze?-e b?st?n?
, "ancient sport"), a traditional system of athletics and a form of
martial arts
[2]
originally used to train warriors in
Iran
(
Persia
)
[3]
[4]
Outside Iran, zoorkhanehs can now also be found in
Azerbaijan
, and
Afghanistan
, and were introduced into
Iraq
in the mid-19th century by the Iranian immigrants, where they seem to have existed until the 1980s before disappearing.
[5]
[6]
[7]
[8]
It combines martial arts,
calisthenics
,
strength training
and music. It contains elements of pre-Islamic and post-Islamic
culture of Iran
(particularly
Zoroastrianism
and
Gnosticism
) with the spirituality of Persian
Shia Islam
and
Sufism
. Practiced in a domed structure called the zurkh?neh, training sessions consist mainly of ritual gymnastic movements and climax with the core of combat practice, a style of
folk wrestling
called
koshti pahlav?ni
.
[
citation needed
]
History
[
edit
]
Traditional Iranian
wrestling
(
koshti
) dates back to ancient Persia and was said to have been practiced by
Rustam
, Iranian hero of the
Shahnameh
epic.
grappling
for combat was considered the particular specialty of the zourkh?neh. The original purpose of these institutions was to train men as warriors and instill them with a sense of national pride in anticipation for the coming battles.
[9]
The zourkhaneh system of training is what is now known as varzesh-e bastani, and its particular form of wrestling was called koshti pahlevani, after the
Parthian
word
pahlevan
meaning hero.
[
citation needed
]
Following the spread of
Shia Islam
, and particularly after the development of
Sufism
in the eighth century, varzesh-e pahlavani absorbed philosophical and spiritual components from it.
[
citation needed
]
Varzesh-e bastani was particularly popular in the 19th century, during the reign of the Qajar king N?ser al-Din Sh?h Q?j?r (1848?1896). Every 21 March on
Nowruz
(the Iranian new year), competitions would be held in the shah's court, and the shah himself would present the champion with an armlet (
bazoo-band
). The sport declined following the rise of the
Pahlavi dynasty
in the 1920s and the subsequent modernisation campaigns of
Reza Shah
, who saw the sport as a relic of
Qajarite ritual
. Reza Shah's son
Mohammad Reza Pahlavi
took a different approach, emphasizing Iran's ancient Persian roots as an alternative to the heavily Islam-based identity of less developed nations in the Middle East. He attempted to revive the tradition and practiced it himself, and during his reign, the last national competitions were held.
[
citation needed
]
Following the
Iranian Revolution
of 1979 the tradition lost some of its popularity as the new regime discouraged anything tied to pre-Islamic paganism, which included the Gnostic chants and rituals of the zourkh?neh. This did not last, however, as the Islamic Republic eventually promoted varzesh-e bastani as a symbol of Iranian pride and culture.
[
citation needed
]
The matter of attracting younger members has been a major discourse for some time. Suggestions have included making practice more upbeat and distributing duties among the younger members instead of adhering strictly to seniority. The IZSF was established in response to this and it is currently the world governing body for all zourkh?neh. In recent years, the sport appears to be gaining popularity in the countries adjacent to Iran, including Iraq and Afghanistan.
[10]
[
need quotation to verify
]
One of the
Baku
's
Inner City
's entertainment areas was the Zorkhana. Baku's Zorkhana located just a few steps from the Bukhari and Multani caravanserais, towards the
Maiden's Tower
dates back to at least the 15th century. There were contests accompanied by a trio of musicians who performed traditional Eastern instruments like the
kamancha
,
zurna
and
naghara
. Most of these melodies have long since been forgotten. However, one by the name of "Jangi" (War) is still performed prior to the opening of Azerbaijani national wrestling competitions (Gulash).
[11]
The zurkh?neh
[
edit
]
The traditional gymnasium in which varzesh-e bastani is practiced is known as the zurkhaneh (
Persian
:
???????
, also spelled
zoorkh?neh
and
zourkh?neh
), literally the "house of strength". These gyms have a very specific and unique architecture and are covered structures with a single opening in the ceiling, with a sunken 1m-deep octagonal or circular pit in the center (
gaud
).
[12]
Around the
gaud
is a section for the audience, one for the musicians, and one for the athletes.
[
citation needed
]
Rituals and practice
[
edit
]
Bastani rituals mimic the practices and traditions of Sufi orders, as evidenced by terminology like
murshed
or
morshed
("master"),
pishkesvat
("leader"),
t?j
("crown") and
faqr
("pride"). The ethics involved are also similar to Sufi ideals, emphasizing purity of heart. Every session begins with pious praise to the Prophet Muhammed and his family. The morshed dictates the pace by beating a goblet drum (
zarb
) while reciting Gnostic poems and stories from
Persian mythology
.
[
citation needed
]
The main portion of a varzesh-e b?st?ni session is dedicated to weight training and calisthenics, notably using a pair of wooden clubs (
mil
), metal shields (
sang
), and bow-shaped iron weights (
kabb?deh
or
kam?n
).
[
citation needed
]
Ancient Zoroastrians believed that the development of physical and mental strength could be used to enhance spirituality. Thus, aside from once preparing warriors for battle, this training is supposed to promote kindness and humility through the cultivation of outer strength. Under the supervision of a pishkesvat, students are instructed in traditional ethics and chivalry. Participants are expected to be pure, truthful, good-tempered and only then strong in body. Acquiring the rank of
pahlevan
(hero) requires mastery of the physical skills, observance of religious principles, and passing the moral stages of Gnosticism. The principles of unpretentiousness are exemplified by a verse recited at many meetings: "Learn modesty, if you desire knowledge. A highland would never be irrigated by a river." (
Kanz ol-Haghayegh
)
[
citation needed
]
International Zurkh?neh Sport Federation
[
edit
]
The International Zurkh?neh Sport Federation (IZSF) was established on October 10, 2004, to promote varzesh-e pahlav?ni on a global level. The IZSF aims to regulate and standardize rules for koshti pahlevani and organize international festivals and competitions. In 2010 it started to regulate and organize para-zourkh?neh festivals for disabled athletes. Seventy-two countries are currently members of the IZSF.
[13]
See also
[
edit
]
References
[
edit
]
- ^
official IZSF
- ^
"Martial art | Definition, History, Types, & Facts"
. 9 April 2024.
- ^
"Pahlevani and zoorkhaneh rituals"
at
Encyclopædia Iranica
- ^
"Pahlevani and Zoorkhanei rituals"
.
- ^
"Pahlevani and zoorkhaneh rituals"
at
Encyclopædia Iranica
- ^
Shay, Anthony; Sellers-Young, Barbara (2005).
Belly Dance: Orientalism, Transnationalism, and Harem Fantasy
. Mazda Publishers.
ISBN
978-1-56859-183-4
.
the zurkhaneh exercises of Iran, Afghanistan, and Azerbaijan
- ^
Afghanistan, Foreign Policy & Government Guide
. International Business Publications, USA. 2000.
ISBN
978-0-7397-3700-2
.
UNIVERSAL SPORTS PLAYED IN AFGHANISTAN Wrestling (Palwani)
- ^
Elias, Josie; Ali, Sharifah Enayat (2013-08-01).
Afghanistan: Third Edition
. Cavendish Square Publishing, LLC.
ISBN
978-1-60870-872-7
.
Wrestling, or Pahlwani (pahl-wah-NEE), is popular with men all over the country.
- ^
Nekoogar, Farzad (1996).
Traditional Iranian Martial Arts (Varzesh-e Pahlavani)
. pahlvani.com: Menlo Park. Accessed: 2007-02-08
- ^
CHN News (November 25, 2005).
Iran's Neighbours to Revive Iran's Varzesh-e Pahlevani
Archived
2012-04-24 at the
Wayback Machine
. Accessed: 2007-02-08
- ^
Baku's Old City. Memories of How it Used to Be by Farid Alakbarli
// Azerbaijan International. Autumn 2002 (10.3). Pages 38?43.
- ^
Bashiri, Iraj (2003).
Zurkhaneh
. Accessed: 2007-02-08
- ^
IZSF official website.
Further information
[
edit
]
- Abassi, Mehdi (1984).
Tarikh-e Koshtigari dar Iran
(The History of Wrestling in Iran). Tehran
- Beizai, Hossein Parto (1967).
Tarikh-e Varzesh-e Bastani (Zoorkhaneh)
. Tehran
- Mohammadi, Mohammad; Azizi, Bisotoon; Deimary, Nima (2023). "The Role of Ancient Sports and Zurkhaneh in Ethical Promoting and Religious Virtues".
Sport, Ethics and Philosophy
.
17
(2): 162?171.
doi
:
10.1080/17511321.2022.2130419
.
- Documentary Video of Zurkhaneh Training
- Google Video on "Zurkhaneh"
- Luijendijk, D.H., 2006,
Zoor Khane, Ancient Martial Art of Iran
, Boulder, US
- PDF reports on Zurkhaneh.com
[1]
External links
[
edit
]
Look up
paladin
in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.
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|
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| Ancient
| 3400?539 BC
| |
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550 BC?AD 224
| |
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AD 224?651
| |
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|
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Medieval and
early modern
| 632?1090
| |
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977?1432
| |
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1370?1925
| |
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|
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Modern
| |
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See also
| |
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|
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|
Shared
|
- Novruz
(
Azeri
· 2009)
- Flatbread making and sharing culture:
Lavash
, Katyrma, Jupka, Yufka (2016)
- Art of crafting and playing with
kamancha
(2017)
- Heritage of the
Book of Dede Gorgud
, epic culture, folk tales and music (2018)
- Art of
miniature
(2020)
- Sericulture
and traditional production of silk for weaving (
Azeri
· 2022)
- Culture of
tea
, a symbol of identity, hospitality and social interaction (
Azeri
· 2022)
- Telling tradition of
Molla Nasraddin
anecdotes (2022)
- Craftsmanship and performing art of
balaban
(2023)
- Craftsmanship of mother of pearl
inlay
(2023)
- Iftar
and its socio-cultural traditions (2023)
- Art of
illumination
(2023)
|
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Need of Urgent Safeguarding
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