(Redirected from Gilan)
'Gīlān' (
Persian: گیلان, ) is one of the 30
provinces of
Iran. It lies along the
Caspian Sea, just west of the province of
Mazandaran, east of the province of
Ardabil, north of the provinces of
Zanjan and
Qazvin.
Northern part of province is part of territory of South (Iranian) Talysh.
The center of the province is the city of
Rasht. Other towns in the province include
Astara,
Astaneh-e Ashrafiyyeh,
Fuman,
Lahijan,
Langrud,
Masouleh,
Rudbar,
Rudsar,
Taleshand Soumahe Sara.
The main harbor port of the province is
Bandar-e Anzali (previously Bandar-e Pahlavi).
History
The first recorded encounter between Gilak and Deylamite warlords and invading
Muslim Arab armies was in the battle of Jalula in 647 AD. Deylamite commander Muta led an army of Gils, Deylamites, Azarbaijanis, and people of
Rayy region. Muta was killed in the battle and his defeated army managed to retreat in an orderly manner. But this victory appears to have been a
Pyrrhic victory for Arabs, since they did not pursue their opponents.
Muslim Arabs never managed to conquer Gilan. Gilaks and Deylamites successfully repulsed any Arab attempt to occupy their land or to convert them to
Islam.
In 9th and 10th centuries CE, Deylamites and later Gilaks gradually converted to
Zaidite Shi'ism. It is worth noting that several Deylamite commanders and soldiers of fortune who were active in the military theatres of
Iran and
Mesopotamia were openly
Zoroastrian (for example,
Asfar Shiruyeh a warlord in central Iran, and
Makan son of Kaki the warlord of
Rayy) or were suspected of harboring pro-Zoroastrian (for example
Mardavij) sentiments. Muslim chronicles of
Varangian (
Rus, pre-Russian Norsemen) invasion of the litoral
Caspian region in the 9th century record Deylamites as non-Muslim. These chronicles also show that the Deylamite were the only warriors in the Caspian region who could fight the fearsome
Varangian vikings as equals. In a way, Deylamite infantrymen had a role very similar to the
Swiss Reisläufer of the
Late Middle Ages in
Europe. Deylamite mercenaries served as far as
Egypt,
Islamic Spain, and
Khazar kingdom.
Buyids established the most successful of the Deylamite dynasties of Iran.
Turkish invasions of 10th and 11th centuries CE, which saw the rise of
Ghaznavid and
Seljuk dynasties, put an end to Deylamite states in Iran. From 11th century CE to the rise of
Safavids, Gilan was ruled by local rulers who paid tribute to the dominant power south of the
Alborz range, but ruled independently.
Before introduction of
silk production to this region (date unknown, but definitely a pillar of the economy by the 15th century CE), Gilan was a poor province. There were no permanent trade routes linking Gilan to Persia. There was a small trade in smoked fish and wood products. It seems that the city of
Qazvin was initially a fortress-town against marauding bands of Deylamites, another sign that the economy of the province did not produce enough. It all changed with the introduction of
silk worm sometime in the late Middle Ages.
Modern history
Safavid emperor,
Shah Abbas I ended the rule of
Kia Ahmad Khan, the last semi-independent ruler of Gilan, and annexed the province directly to his empire. From this point in history onward, rulers of Gilan were appointed by the Persian
Shah.
Safavid empire became weak towards the end of the 17th century CE. By the early 18th century, the once mighty
Safavid empire was in the grips of civil war.
Peter I of Russia (Peter the Great) sent an expeditionary force that occupied Gilan for a year (1722-1723).
Qajars established a central government in Persia (Iran) in late 18th century CE. They lost s series of wars to Russia (
Russo-Persian Wars 1804-1813 and 1826-28), resulting in enormous gain of influence by the Russian empire in the
Caspian region. Gilanian cities of
Rasht and
Anzali were all but occupied by the Russian forces.
Anzali served as the main trading port of Iran and Europe.
Gilan was a major producer of
silk beginning in 15th century CE. As a result, it was one of the wealthiest provinces in Iran.
Safavid annexation in 16th century was at least partially motivated by this revenue stream. Silk trade, though not the production, was a monopoly of the Crown and the single most important source of trade revenue for the imperial treasury. As early as 16th century and until mid 19th century CE, Gilan was the major exporter of silk in
Asia. The
Shah farmed out this trade to
Greek and
Armenian merchants, and would receive a portion of the proceeds.
In mid 19th century, a wide spread fatal epidemy in
silk worms paralized Gilan's economy, causing widespread economic distress. Gilan's budding industrialists and merchants were increasingly dissatisfied with the weak and ineffective rule of
Qajars. Reoreintation of Gilan's agriculture and industry from
silk to production of
rice and introduction of
tea plantations where a partial answer to decline of silk in the province.
After
World War I, Gilan came to be ruled independently of the central government of
Tehran and concern arose that the province might permanently separate at some point. Prior to the war, Gilanis had played an important role in the
Constitutional Revolution of Iran. Sepahdar Tonekaboni (Rashti) was a prominent figure in the early years of the revolution and was instrumental in defeating
Mohammad Ali Shah Qajar. In later years (late 1910s), many Gilakis gathered under the leadership of
Mirza Kouchak Khan Jangali. Mirza Kochak Kahn became the most prominent revolutionary leader in northern Iran in this period. His movement, known as the ''Jangalis'' (Foresters Movement), had sent an armed brigade to
Tehran which helped depose the
Qajar ruler
Mohammad Ali Shah. However, the revolution did not progress the way the constitutionalists had strived for, and Iran came to face much internal unrest and foreign intervention, particularly from the
British and
Russian Empires.
Gilan's contribution to the movement of
Mirza Kouchak Khan Jangali, known as the
Constitutionalist movement of Gilan (also ''Jangalis'') is glorified in Iranian history and effectively secured Gilan and
Mazandaran against foreign invasions. However, in
1920 British forces invaded
Bandar-e Anzali, while being pursued by the
Bolsheviks. In the midst of this conflict between Britain and Russia, the Jangalis entered into an alliance with the Bolsheviks against the British. This culminated in the establishment of the
Soviet Republic of Gilan, which lasted from June 1920 until September
1921. In February 1921 the Soviets withdrew their support for the Jangali government of Gilan, and signed the
Soviet-Iranian Friendship Treaty with the central government of Tehran. The Jangalis continued to struggle against the central government for the rest of that year until their final defeat in September when control of Gilan returned to Tehran.
Administrative Divisions
Geography and climate
Gilan has a humid temperate climate with plenty of annual rainfall. The
Alborz range provides further diversity to the land in addition to the Caspian coasts.
Large parts of the province are mountainous, green and forested. The coastal plain along the Caspian Sea is similar to that of
Mazandaran, mainly used for
rice paddies.
In May
1990 large parts of the province were destroyed by a huge
earthquake, in which about 45,000 people died.
Abbas Kiarostami made his famous films ''"Nothing but Life"'' and ''"Through the Olive Trees"'' based upon this event.
People and culture
The majority of the population speaks
Gilaki as their first language while many children, particularly in the cities, tend to use Standard
Persian amongst themselves. Northern part of province habitated by
Talyshs. The
Kurdish language is used by some
kurds that has moved from
Khorasan to
Amarlu region. Language of
Rudbar is
Tati.
Gilan's position in between the
Tehran-
Baku trade route has established the cities of Bandar-e Anzali and Rasht as ranking amongst the most important commercial centers in Iran. As a result, the merchant and middle-classes comprise a significant percentage of the population.
The province has an annual average of 2 million tourists, mostly domestic. Although Iran's Cultural Heritage Organization lists 211 sites of historical and cultural significance in the province, the main tourist attraction in Gilan is the small town of
Masouleh in the hills south-east of
Rasht. The town is built not dissimilar to the
pueblo settlements, with the roof of one house being the courtyard of the next house above.
Gilan has a strong culinary tradition, from which several dishes have come to be adopted across Iran. This richness derives in part from the climate, which allows for a wide variety of fruit, vegetables and nuts grown in the province.
Seafood is a particularly strong component of Gilani (and Mazandarani) cuisine.
Sturgeon, often smoked or served as
kebab, and
caviar are delicacies along the whole Caspian littoral. Other types of fish such as
Mahi Sefid,
Kuli,
Kulmeh, Caspian
Salmon,
mahi Kapur and many others are consumed. Fish
roe or
ashpal is widely used in Gileki cuisine. Traditional Persian stews such as ''ghalieh mahi'' (fish stew) and ''ghalieh maygu'' (shrimp stew) are also featured and prepared in a uniquely Gilani fashion.
More specific to Gilan are a distinctive
walnut-paste and pomegranate-juice sauce, used as a marinade for 'sour' kabab (
Kabab Torsh) and as the basis of ''fesenjun'', a rich stew of duck, chicken or lamb. ''Mirza ghasemi'' is an aubergine and egg dish with a smoky taste that is often served as a side dish or appetizer. Other such dishes include pickled garlic, olives with walnut paste, and smoked fish. The caviar and smoked fish from the region are, in particular, widely prized and sought after specialities in both domestic and foreign
gourmet markets. ''See also
Cuisine of Iran''. Gilan is well and interesting for tourism.
Colleges and universities
#
University of Gilan[1]
#
Islamic Azad University of Astara
# Islamic Azad University of Bandar Anzali
# Islamic Azad University of Rasht
#
Islamic Azad University of Lahijan
#
Gilan University of Medical Sciences
# Institute of Higher Education for Academic Jihad of Rasht
# Technical & Vocational Training Organziation of Gilan
See also
★
Constitutionalist movement of Gilan
★
Soviet Republic of Gilan
★
Gill (clan)
★
Gilani
★
Rudkhan Castle
External links
★
[2]
★
Gilan entry in the
Encyclopædia Iranica
★
Gilan University of Medical Sciences Health Information Center
★
Gilan Cultural Heritage Organization (An excellent source of info in Persian)
★
Masouleh Village Official website
★
Gilan Province Office of Tourism
★
Gilan Province Department of Education (in Persian)
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