نشریه مطالعات خلیج فارس
سال سوم شماره 1 (پیاپی 9، تابستان 1396)

As of now, different studies have investigated the Elamite toponyms. One of the most important regions related to the Elamite rule, particularly during the Old and Middle Elamite eras, is the Persian Gulf. Based on Mesopotamian inscriptions, this gulf was known as the Lower Sea at that time. According to available documents, there were several Elamite toponyms in relation to the Persian Gulf (Lower Sea); however, their names and their roles in sea trade have rarely been noted. It is necessary to mention that a study of Elamite seals, especially in the Old and Middle Elamite eras, and the toponyms referred to in Mesopotamian inscriptions demonstrates that the Persian Gulf region can be considered to be one of the most important residential areas during the Elamite period. Some of the most important Elamite toponyms of the Persian Gulf include Bashimeh, Dilmun, Mahan, Maluha, and Liyan. On the other hand, a study of Elamite Gods reveals that Kīrīrīsh (the Great Goddess) enjoyed a particular station in the Persian Gulf region. Moreover, given the significant place of women in Elamite Societies, it seems that her station is of great significance among the toponyms of the Persian Gulf.

The present paper investigates the natural borders of Iran with an emphasis on the southern border, Pars Sea or the Persian Gulf. In the history of ancient Iran, it functioned as a natural obstructive element against the foreign power's invasion of the plateau of Iran and played an important role in the development of commerce. In order to discover the reasons of the attention of ancient Iranian governments to Pars Sea, it is necessary to study the geographical status of Iran, which, like a bridge, connected several ancient eastern and western countries to each other. At that time, in order to fortify political borders, it was necessary to match them with natural borders. Having access to the southern border of the country was of great importance to Iranian rulers because it would enable them to stabilize eastern and western trade routes and develop international trade in the course of their political and economic competitions with Greece and Rome. In fact, Iran's supervision over Pars Sea was in line with its dominance over sea trade highways and maintaining the power balance in the region. Finally, the importance of the south of the country in the religious thoughts of Iranians, particularly during the Sassanid era, highlighted its supreme station as the abode of gods.

The passage of long roads through different regions leads to many economic, cultural, and religious changes and developments there. The southern coasts of Iran have always enjoyed great significance due to several important geographical features. In the distant past, the vast networks of the Silk Route and the Spice Route played greatly significant roles in the east and west of the world of that time. The long Spice Route, which began in India, after passing through the south of Iran, joined with the Silk Route in Mesopotamia. Baluchestan or the same Makran was considered to be a vast civilizational region on the way of the Spice Route. The present paper aims to review the economic status of Makran during the early Islamic centuries through resorting to ancient and more recent historical and geographical documents and resources. The main question here is: "What was the place and status of Makran on the Spice Highway?" The location of cities alongside international roads has always been considered a clear indication of the presence of a developed civilization, which is a feature that distinguished Makran from many other regions and areas.

The Persian Gulf and its hinterlands have always been the focus of attention of colonial countries due to their particular geographical status. The rise of the Safavid government in Iran coincided with the presence of the Portuguese and their military army and navy in the Persian Gulf and the Indian Ocean. The Safavid Kings did not initially paid much serious attention to the Persian Gulf for several reasons, such as their rivalry with the Ottomans. However, after the coming of Shah Abbas I to the throne, his expelling the Portuguese from the Hormuz Island and transferring the trade and commerce center of the country to Bandar Abbas, the British East India Company and some other British and Dutch commercial companies played a significant role in the sea trade of the Persian Gulf. During the last years of the Safavid era and in the Afsharid period, the Dutch were the dominant commercial power in the region and enjoyed a clear superiority to their other rival, England. The present paper deals with the commercial and economic relationships of the Dutch in the Persian Gulf in the Safavid and Afsharid period.

In the midst of the vast plains of the south of Iran and alongside the generous coasts of Pars Sea, the sun of which has a close unity with the land, several brilliant figures have emerged and accomplished great deeds at different times through their continuous presence at schools, seminaries, and scientific centers. Some of these academic and learning centers date back to pre-Islamic centuries, and some of them were established after the rise of Islam in Iran. The appearance of a number of everlasting figures, such as Sadid al-Saltanah Kababi, Eghtedari, Khoshnudi, and Nourbakhsh, in different fields of science, literature, art, and culture on the hot coasts of the Persian Gulf clearly demonstrates the undeniable fact that this region is not merely a vast and silent coastline which, due to its geographical status, only functions as a financial crossroad and the linking way to the Indian Ocean and other countries. Nor should it be viewed exclusively from military, economic, and political aspects. Rather, it should be emphasized that several distinguished figures of southern regions of Iran and the Persian Gulf lived in the north and south of this great waterway. Some of these prominent people are well-known in the written and oral history of the land of Iran, while some others have remained unknown. This paper introduces some of the shining stars of the sky of knowledge, art, and culture of the Persian Gulf.

The manuscript of Status of Bahrain Island focuses on the problems of the Persian Gulf and, particularly, on the status of Bahrain during the early years of the reign of Naser al-Din Shah in 1268, and contains a number of newly obtained historical data. The writer of this treatise, although anonymous, seems to be well-aware of the problems of the Gulf region. This unique copy belongs to the library of Ali Asghar Mahdavi and has been written as a part of a collection. The present paper is intended to keep this work alive through editing it and sharing it with interested researchers, particularly with experts on the Qajar Period.