B P International Publishing From Sasanian Adurbadagan to Modern Azerbaijan: Historical Roots and Development

 In Book:

"Recent Trends in Arts and Social Studies", Chapter 8, First Edition, Publisher: B P International, London, Kolkata, 2023, pp116-136 , https://doi.org/10.9734/bpi/rtass/v9/7649A

by Mahir Khalifa-Zadeh^1.2 and Leyla Khalifazadeh3

¹Canadian Political Science Association, Toronto, Canada

²Azerbaijan in Global Context, Media and Analysis Centre, Toronto, Canada

3 Don Mills Colegate Institute, Toronto, Canada 

Corresponding E-mail:    mhalifa@azglobalcontext.org

ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0009-3487-8835 

Original:

https://stm.bookpi.org/RTASS-V9/article/view/12120

PDF download:

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/374505152_From_Sasanian_Adurbadagan_to_Modern_Azerbaijan_Historical_Background_and_Developments

Abstract: 

The author discusses the historical background of the origin of  modern Azerbaijan divided by the Araz river into southern or Iranian and northern or the independent Republic of Azerbaijan. The author analyzes the application of the Sasanian name Adurbadagan to both sides of modern Azerbaijan. He believes that the name Azerbaijan originates from the Avestan words Atash or Atar or Azar that means fire. As a historical and political term, Azerbaijan roots deep to Achaemenids’ Aturpatakan (Atropatena) evolving into the Sasanian Adurbadagan - a Zoroastrian center of the empire. Since late Antiquity, Adurbadagan’s military and administrative functions were extended and applied by the Sasanids to all lands in the north from the Aras river, up to Darband fortress in Arran (Albania) in Caucasia. The author argue, since late Antiquity,  Adurbadagan and Arran became interchangeable names in the northern bank of the Araz river. In the Islamic period, particularly after Seljuk Turks conquest of Iran, Adurbadagan evolved into the Turkified form of Azarbadajan or Azerbaijan, cementing the modern Azerbaijani Turks’ identity in the south and north sides of the entire Azerbaijan divided by the Araxes.

Keywords: Iran, Sasanian, Adurbadagan, Arran, Caucasus Albania, Azerbaijan