By Bobby Darvish - darvishintelligence.blogspot.com
As an Iranian-American ex-Muslim Christian of Alan Y-DNA descent, I’ve often found it both fascinating and frustrating to delve into the history of my ancestors. My lineage is woven with the stories of Iranic tribes such as the Scythians, Sarmatians, Alans, Persians, Medes, Sogdians, Bactrians, and others who dominated the ancient world long before the Turks appeared in the historical record. In recent years, however, Pan-Turkists and Islamists have perpetuated distorted narratives to attribute the accomplishments of these Iranic peoples to the Turks. This false history, propagated with pseudo-scientific theories, aims to misappropriate the cultural heritage of ancient Iranic civilizations for their own political agendas. Real science and historical evidence stand firmly against these revisionist attempts, affirming the unique and ancient origins of Iranian tribes, distinct from the Turks, who entered recorded history centuries later.
The Rise of Iranic Tribes and Their Ancient Roots
The story of Iranic tribes begins in the heart of the Eurasian steppes, where some of the world’s earliest horse-riding cultures emerged. Scholars trace the origins of Iranic-speaking peoples, including the Scythians, Sarmatians, and Alans, back to at least the first millennium BCE. The Scythians, renowned for their prowess in battle and sophisticated society, roamed the Pontic Steppe and played a pivotal role in the ancient world, influencing trade, warfare, and culture. The Sarmatians, closely related to the Scythians, extended their influence from the Caspian Sea to the Danube River, leaving a legacy that would influence European history as well.
The Persians, perhaps the most widely known of these Iranic tribes, rose to power under the Achaemenid Empire, which became one of the greatest empires of the ancient world. This empire stretched from the Balkans to the Indus Valley, incorporating a vast array of cultures, languages, and religions. Other Iranic tribes like the Medes, Bactrians, and Sogdians contributed significantly to the development of trade along the Silk Road, spreading Iranic culture across Asia and influencing countless civilizations along the way.
The Later Emergence of the Turks in Historical Record
In stark contrast, the Turkic peoples did not emerge prominently in history until around the 6th century CE, more than a thousand years after Iranic tribes had already established themselves across Eurasia. The early Turks originated in Central Asia and gradually moved westward, coming into contact with Iranic civilizations such as the Sassanian Empire, which had succeeded the Achaemenids and the Parthians. The Turks eventually gained prominence after centuries of interaction, warfare, and intermarriage with Iranic and other neighboring tribes, but their historical trajectory does not overlap with the ancient roots of the Iranic tribes that dominated the steppes and ancient Persia.
The myth that the Turks are the true originators of these ancient civilizations has no basis in genetic, linguistic, or archaeological evidence. For instance, genetic studies demonstrate distinct lineages between Iranic and Turkic peoples. The Y-DNA haplogroups associated with Iranic tribes, such as the Alans and Scythians, largely belong to haplogroups like R1a and J2, which differ from those found in Turkic populations who tend to carry haplogroups such as C2 and N1c, which are associated with Central Asian origins.
Debunking Pan-Turkist and Islamist Revisionism with Scientific Evidence
Despite clear scientific and historical distinctions, Pan-Turkist and Islamist revisionist narratives have sought to appropriate the history of ancient Iranic tribes. These groups use pseudo-scientific claims to argue that the Scythians, Sarmatians, and other Iranic tribes were somehow “Turkic” in origin, despite abundant evidence to the contrary. Linguistic studies reinforce the distinctiveness of the Iranic and Turkic languages; the Iranic language family, which includes Persian, Kurdish, and Pashto, is part of the larger Indo-European language group, while Turkic languages belong to a separate Altaic language family. Attempts to linguistically “Turkify” ancient Iranic texts are baseless and rejected by linguists worldwide.
Additionally, archaeological evidence consistently distinguishes the material culture of Iranic tribes from that of the Turkic peoples. The Scythians, for instance, are known for their distinctive burial mounds, elaborate gold jewelry, and unique art forms that bear no resemblance to the Turkic material culture which arose later. Findings from Scythian and Sarmatian burial sites in the Pontic Steppe reveal a complex society with religious practices and artistic styles that are distinctly Iranic and unaligned with Turkic traditions.
Prominent historians and archaeologists have repeatedly discredited these revisionist claims. The prominent scholar J.P. Mallory, in his book The Tarim Mummies, provides comprehensive evidence that the earliest people of the Eurasian steppes were of Iranic origin, with no linguistic or cultural ties to the Turkic tribes that came much later. Additionally, research in Human Biology illustrates the genetic distinctions between Iranic and Turkic populations, countering revisionist claims with clear genetic data.
The Iranian Heritage and the Misappropriation of Ancient Civilizations
For those of us with roots in the ancient Iranian tribes, it is essential to understand the depth and authenticity of our heritage. The history of these Iranic civilizations is not only older than that of the Turks but also foundational to the development of trade, culture, and religion across Eurasia. The Iranic-speaking peoples contributed richly to the world’s knowledge and intercultural exchanges long before Turkic influences entered the region. Preserving this history is crucial not only to honor the legacy of our ancestors but to resist the erasure of Iranian cultural identity through pseudo-scientific propaganda.
Modern attempts by Pan-Turkists and Islamists to rewrite this history are, in many ways, a continuation of cultural erasure, seeking to diminish the impact and contributions of Iranic tribes. By rejecting these revisionist narratives and embracing the scientific and historical evidence that affirms our distinct origins, we can honor our ancestors’ contributions and safeguard the truth of their legacy for future generations.
References
Mallory, J.P. The Tarim Mummies: Ancient China and the Mystery of the Earliest Peoples from the West. London: Thames & Hudson, 2000.
Wells, Spencer. The Journey of Man: A Genetic Odyssey. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 2003.
Human Biology journal, studies on haplogroups of Iranic and Turkic populations: https://muse.jhu.edu/journal/451
Schmitt, Rüdiger. “Iranian Identity in Ancient Iran: Cultural, Ethnic, and Linguistic Distinctions.” Iranian Studies, 1999, Taylor & Francis Online.
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