Games Persians Play is a study of the history, development, and change in the games played in Iran. Iranians, young and old, rich and poor, male and female, played a large variety of games during their 2500-year history. Some games were played just to while away the time, to entertain, to keep children occupied, to liven up a social event, or to celebrate the change of seasons. Others were multi-functional such as horse games and hunting, which were both an amusement and a military training exercise. Like elsewhere in the world traditional games are disappearing and being replaced by a less...

Links with the Hinterland focuses on two related themes: the importance of what goes on in a port city's hinterland, and, the importance of a safe and secure road that connects a port city to its markets. What happened in the port of Bushehr was influenced by events in nearby towns such as Borazjan and Kazerun, and far off provinces such as Khuzestan, as well as by the actions of local chiefs controlling the land adjacent to the trade route. The histories of Borazjan and Kazerun show the importance of the behavior of local chiefs and of migrating tribes in keeping the caravan route secure or...

In 1770, Astrakhan, on the left bank of the Volga River close to where it discharges into the Caspian Sea, was Russia's most important southern port through which all its trade with Iran and the Orient was conducted. Astrakhan had been a Tatar city until 1556 (when Ivan the Terrible conquered it), a fact reflected in the composition of its population in 1770: Tatars, Russians, Armenians, and Iranians. Samuel Gottlieb Gmelin, a young member of the Russian Academy of Sciences, lived for almost a year in the city in 1770 and left a very detailed account of its geography, history, people,...

Muscat, the capital city of present day Oman, has had a long, and colorful history as a typical Indian Ocean port at the mouth of the Persian Gulf. International trade brought about a rich mix of various ethnic and religious groups including, besides Arabs, Africans, Baluchis, Mekranis, Sindis, Gujaratis, Persians and many others. At the turn of the twentieth century fourteen languages could be heard spoken in the city. As a result the people of Muscat tended to be more outward-looking, and tolerant of various cultures, than those of the hinterland. Nonetheless, the city remained a secondary...

Given the importance of bread in the Iranian diet, it is surprising that its role in Iranian society has so far been ignored as a subject of study. Since ancient times, bread has been the staple diet of the peoples living in the Iranian plateau. In The History of Bread in Iran, Willem Floor, one of the foremost scholars of Iranian history, describes the beginnings of agriculture and bread-making, and the various grains and other products that were, and are, used to make bread. He then delves into the making of dough in rural and urban areas, followed by an overview of baking techniques, and...

This book discusses the political and economic history of the port of Bushehr, which by the end of the eighteenth century had become the gateway to southern Persia (Iran). It offers a detailed analysis of Bushehr's demography, industry, health care, education, and standard of living; as well as its trade, and how politics impacted its well-being. Throughout this period Bushehr had to ward off the growing competition from other Persian Gulf ports such as Bandar Abbas. It did so successfully, enjoying growing trade and wealth, despite internal and external political problems. Because of its...