29 July 1980; 45 years ago (1980-07-29)(current version, representing theIslamic Republic)
Design
A horizontal tricolour of green, white, and red with theIslamic emblem in red centred on the white band and the ArabicTakbir written in white Kufic script, repeated along the edges of the green and red band.
ManyIranian opposition groups opposed to theIslamic government use either theLion and Sun flag or the green-white-red tricolour without additional emblems.[3] Neither variant is officially recognised by the government, with the Lion and Sun flag strictly banned from public use.[4]
The Takbir is repeated 11 times along the edges of the green and red bands respectively, for a total of 22 times, reminiscent of22 Bahman.
The flag's colours — green, white, and red — are thepan-Iranian colours, historically associated with the nation and its identity.[citation needed] The flags ofTajikistan andKurdistan share the same colours.
Construction
Physical requirements for the Iranian flag, a simple construction sheet, and acompass-and-straightedge construction for the emblem and the Takbir are described in the national Iranian standardISIRI 1.[6][7]
History
Prehistory
Shahdad Standard, ancient bronze flag found atShahdad, c. 2400 BC. This flag is one of the oldest in human history.
The Old Persian word for "banner, standard" wasdrafša- (Avestandrafša-, Middle Persiandrafš, cognate with Sanskrit drapsá-).Xenophon inCyropaedia (7.1.4) describes the standard ofArtaxerxes II atCunaxa as "a golden eagle, with outspread wings, borne aloft on a long spear-shaft",[12] the same banner recorded to be used byCyrus the Great.[13]
According toHerodotus (9.59), each Persian army division had its own standard, and "all officers had banners over their tents" (Xenophon, 8.5.13). One such banner, a square plaque insaltire, is depicted on a Greek vase, the so-called "Douris cup" held by theLouvre.[14] A similar design is known from anUrartian bronze disk fromAltıntepe.[15] Similar square plaques on poles are known from six of the audience scenes of the Throne Hall relief at Persepolis.[16] TheAlexander Mosaic ofPompeii, a Roman-era copy of a Hellenistic painting datedc. 320 BCE, also shows the royal Persian standard.,[17] depicted as a rectangular plaque, possibly originally in purple, with a dark red border with yellow dots. In the field, a golden bird is only partially preserved. The "royal falcon" of Persia (varəγna) representedfarr 'glory', while the eagle was associated with the Achaemenid dynasty itself.[18]
A square tile representing a miniature (12 cm2) banner was discovered atPersepolis in 1948.[19] The tile is made of Egyptian blue frit and likely representsAncient EgyptianHorus, but in the Persian context suggests local association with the Avestanvarəγna or the royal eagle of the Achaemenids.[20]
Derafsh Kaviani appearing in a coin of a local Persian dynasty that arose nearPersepolis during theSeleucid reign.[21]
Seljuk Empire
Various emblems and banners have been recorded to be used by theSeljuks in different periods. Early Seljuks were using their traditional emblems, but they gradually adopted local Muslim emblems and banners. The official flag of the empire was most probably a black flag, similar to the flag of theAbbasid Caliphate. The flag was decorated with emblems, which were either superimposed over it or was placed above the flag.[22] This black flag was traditionally presented to the Seljuk sovereigns by the Abbasid caliphs.[23]
A yellow flag was also used to denote Seljuk sovereignty over a town.[23]
Ghaznavid dynasty
The TurkicGhaznavid dynasty were invested in promoting Iranian culture. They are known to have displayed a number of heraldic emblems that harked back to pre-Islamic Iran, including the Sun and Lion motif, as well as the Griffin motif.[24] Their banners appear to have shown chequered motifs.[25]
By the time theSafavids created a unified state and promotedShiʿism as the national creed, thelion and sun had become a familiar sign everywhere—on copper coins, on banners, and on artworks. although various ʿalams and banners were employed by the Safavids, the lion and sun symbol had become by the time ofShah Abbas the recognised emblem of Persia. The association may originally have been based on a learned interpretation of theShahnameh's references to "the Sun of Iran" and "the Moon of theTuranians/Turks." As noted earlier, the Sasanians had called their king “the Sun of the East” and theRoman emperor "the Moon of the West." The evidence of the Shahnameh was certainly well known to the Safavid kings. Since the crescent moon had been adopted as the dynastic and ultimately national emblem of theOttoman sultans, who were the new sovereigns of “Rūm,” the Safavids of Persia, needing to have a dynastic and national emblem of their own, chose the lion and sun motif.[26]
The two imperial standards were placed on the right of the square already mentioned: one of them was in stripes of red, blue, and white, and the other of red, blue, white, and yellow, without any other ornament: though the old standards required 12 men to move them, the shah lengthened their staffs, and made them yet heavier; he also put new colours of silk upon them, the one red and yellow striped, the other yellow edged with red: they were made of such an enormous size, to prevent their being carried off by the enemy, except by an entire defeat. The regimental colours were a narrow slip of silk, sloped to a point, some were red, some white, and some striped.[28][29]
Navy Admiral flag being a white ground with a red Persian Sword in the middle.[30]
Flags
An Imperial Standard of the Afsharid dynasty
Another Imperial Standard of the Afsharid dynasty
Nader Shah's flag
Naval flag of Afsharid period
Zand dynasty
The state flag of theZand dynasty was a white triangular pennant with a green border and a gold lion and sun in the centre.[31] Another version shown below included the same design but with green and red.
Few sources directly describe the national flag during Agha Mohammad Khan Qajar's reign.Gholam Hossein Afzal ol-Molk refers to theBeyraq Qapuq ('execution flag') of theNaserid period as originating from Agha Mohammad Khan's time.[32] Thispennon flag is red and displays the lion and sun motif with a sword, although it is unlikely that the emblem resembled that of Agha Mohammad Khan's time given the sword-less design on the coins of this era. Several modern sources attribute a square flag with a red background and a pale yellow circle in the center, featuring a lion and a sun motif with a sword, to the period ofAgha Mohammad Shah. The only visible source for this design is an unidentified portrait of Agha Mohammad Shah, where such a banner is present next to him. This painting was featured on the cover of the 1992 bookLes Rois oubliés: L'épopée de la dynasty Kadjare, byAli Mirza Qajar (grandson ofMohammad Ali Shah Qajar). Moreover, the painting was also photographed at a Qajar family gathering at Chateau de Bonmont,Cheserex, Switzerland in 2003.[33]
In contradistinction, various contemporary and modern sources provide more detailed descriptions of Iranian flags and the development of the lion and sun motif during Fath-Ali Shah's rule, particularly in military contexts.Colonel Gaspard Drouville, a French officer who served as a military instructor for the Iranian government after the signing of theTreaty of Finckenstein, authored a two-volume travelogue that offers additional information on Iranian flags and standards.[34]
The illustration from Drouville'sVoyage en Perse depicts the smaller cavalry flag (left) and the larger infantry flag (right).
Drouville expounds that in 1813,Fath-Ali Shah Qajar andAbbas Mirza attended a royal inspection of theregular infantry inAzarbaijan to personally confer each standard to their respective corps.[35] These flags included the lion and sun motif, a date or number pertaining to the unit, and the inscription:"Sultan ibn Sultan Fath-Ali Shah Qajar" (Sultan son of Sultan Fath-Ali Shah Qajar), in reference toAbbas Mirza's title.[35] The flags and standards are further described as similar to those of the French, adorned with taffeta white streamers and golden fringes.[35] Based on Drouville's illustration, the larger flags of the regular infantry were painted red, and the flagpole was crowned by the silverHand of Ali. The smaller standards that were prescribed to the cavalry lancers were a deep blue and featured a crouching lion brandishing a curved sword before a setting sun. These standards were topped by golden spears that were "as sharp as those of theHoulans".[36]
Illustration published by Lemercier & Cie, captioned: une revue d Abbas-Mirza, Ser-Bâz (Infanterie régulière).
An illustration by the French battle painterHippolyte Bellangé depicts Abbas Mirza reviewing Persian regular troops. The infantry corps carries a standard with a spearhead finial bearing a couchant lion and sun with a sword, similar to the cavalry flag of the Nezam lancers depicted by Drouville. However, as the work dates to 1835, two years after Abbas Mirza's death, the flag's design may be an artistic oversight.[37]
Sketch of a Qajar military drummer, infantryman and officer, including a sarbaz infantry banner from Yermolov'sCollection of Notes on Persia in 1817.
In his accounts of the Russo-Persian war,Captain Yermolov, the Russian commander-in-chief in the Caucasus, documented the Iranian military in detail. One excerpt from his notes provides a vivid portrayal of a Nezam drummer, soldier, and officer carrying a Sarbaz infantry military banner dated to 1817. This banner, which shares many similarities with contemporary European regimental flags, features a lion and sun motif devoid of a sword within a whitelozenge accented by a golden border. The light blue banner boasts a flagpole crowned by the silverHand of Ali.[38]
Recreation of the regimental standards carried by the Qajar infantry corps in the painting of theBattle of Sultanabad at theHermitage Museum.A painting of the Iranian victory at the Battle of Sultanabad displaying the Napoleonic-style military banners held by the sarbaz infantry corps.
A painting, believed to be the work ofAllahverdi Afshar between 1814 and 1817, which adorned the walls of Abbas Mirza'sOjan castle portrays the Iranian triumph at theBattle of Sultanabad on 13 February 1812. The painting exhibits Persian troops carrying banners of Napoleonic style, featuring the passant lion and sun equipped with a sword.[39]
No contemporary sources have made any other indications of a sword wielded by the lion until the reign ofMohammad Shah.[34] Nonetheless, this illustration provides valuable insight into the evolution of the emblem and its use on Iranian flags during the Qajar period.[40] However, Zoka mentions the inscription of a coin from theUrmia mint, dated 1833 (1249 AH), in which a couchant lion is depicted holding a sword. According to Zoka, these sources prove that the earliest representation of the sword-wielding lion and sun pre-dates the reign of Mohammad Shah and was likely institutionalised in the latter years of Fath-Ali Shah's reign.[40]
During Fath-Ali Shah's reign, the state flag and other flags adopted by the Iranian government purportedly opted for square or rectangular shapes over thepennon flags commonly used in earlier eras. Another distinction noted in the designs of the lion and sun depicted on coins and flags of Fath-Ali Shah's era relative to those of prior years is the appearance of the lion. Before the middle of Fath-Ali Shah's reign, aPersian lion, which is maneless and smaller in stature was prominent, whereas later depictions evolved to anAfrican lion.[40] Towards the end of Fath-Ali Shah's reign the two common symbols of the Qajar empire were combined to include theZulfiqar and the lion and sun in the official flag.[26]
While there is little evidence, several modern sources state thatFath-Ali Shah adopted three different state flags; a plain red flag with a couchant lion and sun motif as thewar flag, a plain white flag with a couchant lion and sun for diplomatic purposes, and a green flag with a lion passant in front of the setting sun, wielding a sword during peacetime.[31][41]
Painting of the Iranian delegation to St. Petersburg. The standard-bearer is holding a white lion and sun flag, in which the lion is wielding a curved sword.
Alexis Soltykoff'sVoyage en Perse includes an illustration depicting a standing lion wielding a sword. The painting is titledEntrée de l'ambassade de Perse a St. Petersbourg ('Entrance of the Persian Embassy toSt. Petersburg') and shows the arrival ofMirza Abolhassan Khan Ilchi, then the Iranian ambassador to Russia, in 1838. The image features a Persian standard-bearer holding a rectangular flag with a lion passant, holding a curved sword in front of the setting sun. Atop the flagpole is theHand of Ali finial. The painting was included in Soltykoff's book, which was published in 1851, several years after the events it depicts.[42]
French orientalistLouis Dupeux stated that one of the privileges enjoyed by the Shah of Iran was the right to "raise" several flags. Dubeux suggests thatMohammad Shah had two flags. He describes one of these flags as displaying theZulfiqar while the other depicted a couchant lion and sun motif.[43]
The triangular banner of Mohammad Shah from the painting depicting the Battle of Ghurian.
While Iranian flags and military banners were largely uniform and similar in design by Mohammad Shah's reign,Ahmad Naqash's 1860 oil painting depicting the successful Iranian siege of the fort ofGhurian in 1837 serves as a contradictory source of information. Several noteworthy discrepancies arise. Firstly, the use of pennon banners is unusual as square and rectangular flags were more prominently used in Iran and adopted by the military at that time. Secondly, the sword-less lion and sun motif depicted in the painting is outdated. Thirdly, the white and green colour combination contradicts contemporary literature describing military banners and standards as being red or blue. According to Zoka, the painter may have relied on local designs as the work likely originated fromIsfahan orShiraz, where forts in the provinces often raised flags different from those inTehran. Zoka also suggests that the Herat expedition's army could have reused dated standards predating the new designs.[42]
UnderNasser al-Din Shah, the principal flag was white with a green border on three sides and a lion and emblem in the centre.[44] There was also a naval ensign which had a red and green border and a civil ensign which looked the same as the naval ensign but without the lion and sun in the middle.
Flags
Flag of Mohammad Khan
War flag of Fat′h Ali Shah
Diplomatic flag of Fat′h Ali Shah
Peace flag of Fat′h Ali Shah (version with sword)
Flag used during the reign of Mohammad Shah
Tricolour flag designed by Amir Kabir, State flag 1848–1852
Standardised Lion and Sun flag design in use during the late Pahlavi era (1970s)Simplified modern version
The first version of the modern Iranian tricolour was adopted in the wake of theIranian Constitutional Revolution of 1906.[citation needed] TheSupplementary Fundamental Laws of 7 October 1907 described the flag as a tricolour of green, white, and red, with a lion and sun emblem in the middle.[45] A decree dated 4 September 1910 specified the exact details of the emblem, including the shape of the lion's tail and the position and the size of the lion, the sword, and the sun.[3]
During this period, the colours of the flag were very pale, with the red appearing closer to pink in practice. There were three variants of the flag in use. Thestate flag was a tricolour with the lion and sun emblem in the centre. Thenational flag andcivil ensign was a plain tricolour with no emblem. Thenaval ensign andwar flag was similar to the state flag, but the emblem was surrounded by a wreath and surmounted by a crown. All three flags had a 1:3 ratio.[citation needed]
The flag was modified twice during thePahlavi era. In 1933, the colours of the flag were darkened and the design of the emblem was changed. The sun's facial features were removed and theKiani Crown on the naval ensign was replaced with thePahlavi Crown.[citation needed] In 1964, the ratio was changed from 1:3 to 4:7 and the emblem on the naval ensign was shrunk to fit entirely within the white stripe.[citation needed]
Following theIranian Revolution, theInterim Government of Iran removed the crown from the naval ensign. The old state and national flags remained unchanged until 29 July 1980, when the modern Iranian flag was adopted.[46][failed verification] However, the post-revolutionary Iranian government had viewed the Lion and Sun symbol as representing the "oppressiveWesternising monarchy" that had to be replaced, despite the emblem's traditionalShi'a meanings and the lion's association withAli, the firstImam of the Shi'a.[47] For that reason, the name of theRed Lion and Sun Society was changed toRed Crescent Society.
Currently, theLion and Sun flag is used by many Iranian opposition groups as a protest against the Islamic Republic. Some political groups in Iran, including monarchists, continue to use it as well. InLos Angeles, California and other cities with large Iranian expatriate communities, the Lion and Sun, as a distinguishing marker, appears on Iranian flags and souvenirs to an extent that far surpasses its display during the years of monarchy in its homeland,[3] where the plain tricolour was usually used even prior to the revolution. After the Islamic Revolution in Iran and the replacement of the lion and sun flag with the new flag, new designs of this flag were still presented.
^Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Iran: Chapter II, Article 18: "The official flag of Iran is composed of green, white and red colours with the special emblem of the Islamic Republic, together with the motto (0)."
^E. Pottier,Douris, London, 1909, p. 105 fig. 20, Plate XXV.b
^O. A. Taşyürek, "Darstellungen des urartischen Gottes Haldi", in: S. Şahin, E. Schwertheim, J. Wagner (eds.),Studien zur Religion und Kultur Kleinasiens. Festschrift für Friedrich Karl Dörner, Leiden, 1978, p. 942 fig. 7; pl. CCXVIII/4–5.
^E. F. Schmidt,Persepolis I, III, Chicago, 1953, 1970., p. 166, pls. 98, 99, 123.
^T. Hölscher,Griechische Historienbilder des 5. und 4. Jahrhunderts v. Chr., Würzburg, 1973, pp. 122–69, 270–88.
^Aelian,De Natura Animalium 12.21 has a legend of Achaemenes having been raised by an eagle.Ezra (18:13) has "Eagle of the East" in reference to Cyrus.
^Īrān-Bāstān Museum, Tehran, no. 2436; Sāmī,Persepolis, tr. R. Sharp, Shiraz, 1970, fig. facing p. 100; H. Luschey, "Ein königliches Emblem", AMI 5, 1972, pp. 257–60.
^abGüzel, Hasan Celâl; Oğuz, Cem; Karatay, Osman (2002).The Turks: Middle ages. Yeni Türkiye. p. 595.
^K. Farrokh,The Lion and Sun Motif of Iran: A brief Analysis (2009), citing S. Nafisi, Derafsh-e Iran va Shir o Khoshid [The Banner of Iran and the Lion and the Sun]. Tehran: Chap e Rangin (1949), pp. 45, 48–58; G.H. Yusofi, Farrokh e Sistani. Mashad, (1962), p. 422.
^based on the History ofRashid-al-Din Hamadani, seeRice, D. T., & Gray, B.,The Illustrations of the "World History" of Rashīd al-Dīn, Edinburgh (1967), plates 38, 44, 57, 60.
^Hanway, Jonas (1753). "XXXVII". An Historical Account of the British Trade over the Caspian Sea: With a Journal of Travels through Russia into Persią. 248-249. London: Mr. Dodsley. Retrieved 15 January 2020.
^Nādir Shāh's Campaigns in 'Omān, 1737–1744By Laurence Lockhart, Bulletin of the School of Oriental Studies, University of London, Vol. 8, No. 1 (1935), pp. 157–171
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