Sorry, but I don't have any links. I speak (in varying degrees) several languages, including few from the region. The story I told was from a Persian fairy tale book I read long time ago.
As to the rest of your post, undoubtedly, the Arab invasion has been the most traumatic event in Iranian history, comparable only to the Mongolian invasion. My understanding of the "invitations" saga is that at one of the points where Mohammed and his followers were particularly under pressure, Mohammed sent 3 messengers to Iran, Rome, and Egypt and invited them to join Islam. One could say this was a very astute PR and a moral booster. Later in preparation for invasion by the pagans of Mecca, Mohammed was digging a ditch around Medina to fortify the city's defenses. His pick-ax hit a rock 3 times and sparked. Then Mohamed fainted (quite possibly from heat exhaustion). When people rushed in and brought him around, they asked what was going on. Wishing to give them another big moral boost at a low time in their history, he told them that in the first spark he saw the Muslims ruling over Egypt. In the second one he saw the palaces of Iran under their command. And in the third spark he saw the roman riches at their feet.
These two events were taken together by Omar as justification for plundering the neighboring countries. It is a long discussion as to why the Arab armies prevailed, which I will have to pass up on for now.
If this is a topic of interest to you, there are 3 books that I highly recommend:
The first is Sandra Mckey's book The Iranians: Persia, Islam and the Soul of a Nation amazon.com Here is some excerpts:
The Iranians explores Iran in the context of its old and complex culture, for throughout its history Iran has struggled with two warring identities-one evolving from the values, social organization, and arts of ancient Persia, the other from Islam. By examining the relationship between these two identities, The Iranians explains how the revolution of 1979 came about, why the Islamic Republic has failed, and how Iran today is on the brink of chaos. In this defining portrait of a troubled nation and the forces that shape it, Iranian history and religion become accessible to the nonspecialist. Combining impeccable scholarship with the human insight of firsthand observations, The Iranians provides vital understanding of this unique and pivotal nation.
• Plume edition will contain a new epilogue by Sandra Mackey, reflecting on the results of the spring 1997 Iranian elections.
• Hardcover edition received enormous press coverage and increased Mackey's already prominent visibility.
• Highly readable and aimed at the nonspecialist.
The second, which goes way beyond Iran, Afghanistan, and the region, is by Paul Kriwaczek. In Search of Zarathustra: The First Prophet and the Ideas That Changed the World (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0375415289/qid=1066759368/sr=1-2/ref=sr_1_2/104-1652995-9267919?v=glance&s=books ) is the account of a fascinating journey through time and across Europe and Central Asia, in search of the prophet Zarathustra (a.k.a. Zoroaster)—perhaps the greatest religious lawgiver of the ancient world—and his vast influence.
In Persia more than three thousand years ago, Zarathustra spoke of a single universal god, the battle between good and evil, the devil, heaven and hell, and an eventual end to the world—foreshadowing the core beliefs of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Moving from present to past, Paul Kriwaczek examines the effects of the prophet’s teachings on the spiritual and daily lives of diverse peoples. Beginning in the year 2000 with New Year’s festivities in Iran, he walks us back through Nietzsche’s nineteenth-century interpretation of Zarathustra to the Cathars of thirteenth-century France and the ninth-century Bulgars; from ancient Rome to the time of Alexander the Great’s destruction of the Persian Empire; and, finally, to the time of Zarathustra himself.
Finally, nothing beats Ferdowsi's Shahnameh (check out amazon.com ) It has excellent fairy tales for children and valuable account of historical events and traditions for researchers.
good luck,
Sun Tzu |
