The History of Iraq & Iran

Ruins like these remind the world of the history of modern-day Iraq and Iran.

Iran (also known at various times in history as Persia) and Iraq have deep historical roots. Iran identifies with Persian culture, while Iraq is more Arabic in character. Iran, fresh from its Islamic revolution, and Iraq under Saddam Hussein Iraq fought a devastating war in the 1980s.

Iran

Iranian history goes back to the ancient Persian Empire. The region was predominantly Zoroastrian until Islam posed a military and religious/spiritual challenge. Notable Persians/Iranians include Cyrus the Great, a famous and humane ruler in ancient Persia, and Baha'u'llah, founder of the Baha'i faith in 19th-century Islamic Iran.

Iraq

The region known as Iraq has a recorded history dating back thousands of years. Assyrian influence was prominent in ancient times. Islam established a new religious order in the mid-seventh century, with Baghdad as a magnificent capital comparable to today's Paris, Tokyo or Singapore. The Abbasid dynasty, Mongol invasions, Turkish Ottoman rule and British occupation all left their marks on Iraqi culture.

1980s Iran-Iraq War

Iran and Iraq fought a bitter war from 1980 to 1988. Factors that precipitated the war included ethnic loyalties to Arab (Iraq) or Persian (Iran) identities. Iran's turmoil in the wake of the 1979 Islamic Revolution contributed, as did the ancient Islamic split between the Sunni and Shia sects.

References

• "Christianity in Iraq"; Suha Rassam; 2005
• University of Wisconsin, Green Bay: The Mongols: Rise of Mongol Power
• Persian Association at Tufts University: Iran
• Library of Congress: Portals to the World: Language and Literature: Iraq
• Harvard University: Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs: Iran's Islamic Revolution and Its Future

Resources

• Global Security: Iran-Iraq War (1980-1988)
• Washington State University: The Persians
• University of Michigan: A Brief Biography of Baha'u'llah