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MALIĀN (generally spelled Malyan; Toll-e Maliun in local dialect), an important archeological site in the Kor River basin in central Fārs, identified as ancient Anshan, the highland capital of Elam. Maliān is located in the Beyżāʾ district about 50 km north-northwest of Shiraz at an elevation of about 1600 m…

MĀLIK, Mīrzāʾ DĀWĪD GĪWARGĪS, Assyrian poet and historian (1861-1931; Figure 1). Mīrzā Dāwīd was born in the village of Sipūrḡān (Per. Sopurḡān) in the Urmia plain, Azerbaijan. He was the older son of Šamāšāʾ (deacon) Gīwargīs Dāwīd Mālik. After completing studies in the village primary school and Urmia College, Mīrzā…

MĀLIK, Šamāšāʾ GĪWARGĪS DĀWĪD, Assyrian writer, educator, and missionary (1836-1909; Figure 1). Šamāšāʾ (deacon) Gīwargīs was born in the village of Sipūrḡān in the Urmia plain, Azerbaijan. He belonged to the Bēt Mālik family, one of the four major clans of the village. Surviving tombstones indicate that the family was…

MĀLIK, Qaššīšāʾ NISṬŌRĪS GĪWARGĪS (Nestorius George Malech), Assyrian priest, educator, and writer (1864-1927; Figure 1). Qaššīšāʾ (priest) Nisṭōrīs was born in the village of Sipūrḡān (Per. Sopurḡān) in the Urmia plain, Azerbaijan. He was the younger son of Šamāšāʾ (deacon) Gīwargīs Dāwīd Mālik. Nisṭōrīs graduated from Urmia College in 1888…

MALKŪS, a malignant demon in Zoroastrian Pahlavi literature. Bundahišn 33.36 (Pakzad, p. 371) describes Malkus as being of pestilential nature and as a descendent of the Turanian Brādarōrēš, who killed Zarathustra (Boyce, p. 290). Dēnkard III, 71 represents Malkus as an adversary figure, and Dēnkard V, 3.3 (Amouzgar and Tafazzoli,…

MAMIKONEAN FAMILY, the most distinguished family in Early Christian Armenia after the ruling Arsacid house. Their power survived the fall of the dynasty in 428 and began to wane only from the end of the 6th century with the rising power of the Bagratids, although their significant role in Armenian politics…

MAMMALS Mammals are endothermic (“warm-blooded”) vertebrate animals that have hair and produce milk to nourish their young. i. Mammals of Iran, Afghanistan, and Central Asia. ii. Species list: Mammals  of Iran, Afghanistan, and Central Asia. iii. The classification of mammals and the other animal classes according to Zoroastrian tradition.

MAMMALS i. Mammals of Iran, Afghanistan, and Central Asia History and literature. The first effort to publish a comprehensive account of the mammalian fauna of Iran within the context of modern taxonomy was that of Filippo De Filippi (1862-65; see bibliography at FILIPPI, FILIPPO DE) in his attempt to deal…

MAMMALS ii. Species List: Mammals of Iran, Afghanistan, and Central Asia With few exceptions, the taxonomy of this list follows that in Karami et al., 2008 and Wilson and Reeder, 1993, with modifications based on subsequent revisions of particular taxa. English common names follow Wilson and Cole, 2003 and Firouz, 2005…

MAMMALS iii. The Classification of Mammals and the Other Animal Classes according to Zoroastrian Tradition The first written information about certain animals in Iran comes from the Zoroastrian literature, according to which the entire animal kingdom is divided into two classes: “beneficent animals” (Av. gao.spəṇta-; MP. gōspand), such as cattle,…

MAMSIRATI, (XABIYI FIRT) DÄBE (Russian: Dabe Mamsurov), Ossetic author (b. 9, August 1909, d. 21, August 1966). Däbe was born in North Ossetia, where he started working as a teacher. He entered upon his literary career about 1930 as a poet and short story writer. His first novel appeared in…

MANDAEANS, an ethnic group (also called Nasoreans or Ar. Ṣābeʾin) belonging to one of the less represented religions of the Near East. The term “Mandaeans” (mandāyi) is not an original self-designation (see ii). From pre-Islamic times to the present, they have lived in southern Iraq and southwestern Iran (Khuzestan), but…

MANDAEANS ii. THE MANDAEAN RELIGION A major characteristic of the Mandaeans is the frequent ritual use of (running) water (for baptisms and ritual purifications); another is the possession of a rich literature in their own eastern Aramaic language and script, “Mandaic” (see v). They have their own priests and centers…

MANDAEANS iii. INTERACTION WITH IRANIAN RELIGION The assimilation and corresponding processing of Iranian (Persian) components within the Mandaean religion can be demonstrated on different levels: in the vocabulary, in the mythology or theology, in the cultic-ritual realm, and in the calendar. Apart from the widespread heritage of Old and Middle…

MANDAEANS iv. COMMUNITY IN IRAN History, geography and people. According to the 15 September 2004 United States Department of State International Religious Freedom Report for Iran, Section 1, the current Mandaean population in Persia comprises between 5,000 and 10,000 persons. The United Nations High Commissioner of Refugees report on Iran…