Cultural Dynamics of Water in Iranian Civilization

This book traces water back to the most primitive animistic notions that are still lingering on in the shape of such rituals as qanat marriage or rain-making. Water, in the Iranian philosophy, is used in an attempt to find an explanation for the genesis of the universe, as described in Zoroastrian Akhshij philosophy, according to which water is one of the four fundamental elements of the creation. The concept of time began to germinate in the Iranian mind, when they had to count the passage of time in order to divide their scarce water resources. Water became so omnipresent in Iranian culture that it reached even the most mysterious seclusion of the Sufi monks. In Iran's local communities, water culture is a thread that runs through different types of production systems. This book goes beyond indigenous water knowledge and traditional irrigation techniques, and conceptualizes water as a pivotal element of Iran's social identity, cultural dynamics and belief systems, where itexamines the role of intermittent droughts in engendering and diffusing intangible cultural elements across the Iranian plateau. This book delves into Iran's political organizations most of which were ensnared in a water-dependent lifecycle constituting a historical pattern described in this book as hydraulic collapse .

Provides new information obtained through years of field studies in Iranian villages Examines intangible water culture from an interdisciplinary point of view Brings the readers to the deeper layers of water rituals through historical-geographical interpretations

Autorentext

Majid Labbaf Khaneiki, UNESCO-ICQHS (International Center on Qanats and Historic Hydraulic Structures), Yazd, Iran

Klappentext

This book traces water back to the most primitive animistic notions that are still lingering on in the shape of such rituals as qanat marriage or rain-making. Water, in the Iranian philosophy, is used in an attempt to find an explanation for the genesis of the universe, as described in Zoroastrian Akhshij philosophy, according to which water is one of the four fundamental elements of the creation. The concept of time began to germinate in the Iranian mind, when they had to count the passage of time in order to divide their scarce water resources. Water became so omnipresent in Iranian culture that it reached even the most mysterious seclusion of the Sufi monks. In Iran s local communities, water culture is a thread that runs through different types of production systems. This book goes beyond indigenous water knowledge and traditional irrigation techniques, and conceptualizes water as a pivotal element of Iran s social identity, cultural dynamics and belief systems, where it examines the role of intermittent droughts in engendering and diffusing intangible cultural elements across the Iranian plateau. This book delves into Iran s political organizations most of which were ensnared in a water-dependent lifecycle constituting a historical pattern described in this book as hydraulic collapse .

Inhalt
Introduction.- Production and Water Culture.- Hydro-Political Organization.- Hydro-social cohesion.- Drought Pump.- The Water Delusion.