A-Z of Iranian History
"B"
Bactria: Located in northern Afghanistan this ancient Greek kingdom was an eastern province of the Persian Empire before its conquest by Alexander.
Bakhtiyari: A major nomadic group in Iran. The group is closely related to Lurs and speaks a distinct language closely related to Persian and most are Shi’i. Their name first appeared in records in the fourteenth century. From the Safavid period in the sixteenth century, the name applied to both a geographical area and an administration unit in the Zagros area.
Basseri tribes: Iranian nomadic tribes of south Persia. They were united with some Arab and Turkish tribes in the late nineteenth century and formed the confederation of Khamseh. They are tent-dwelling pastoral nomads and migrate through the Fars region. They are Persian speaking.
Bayats: A Turkish group, they occupied areas west and northwest of Mashhad in Khurasan in the nineteenth century. They still exist and most are settled.
Bedouins: Nomadic Arab tribes, inhabiting many territories in Middle East. Semitic in origin, they formed the bulk of the Muslim Arab armies during the early centuries of Muslim conquest.
Boir Ahmadi & Kuhgiluya: Closely related Luri tribal groups from central Zagros area. They are related to other Lurs in Iran including Bakhtyari. They are nomadic and Shiite and in 20th century, the area they inhabited became a province bearing their name.
Bushire (Boosheer): The most important Iranian port in the Persian Gulf. It has a very ancient history and has been inhabited for over 2000 years. Nadir Shah intended to make it the home of a naval fleet. It was extensively used by the British since mid 18th century. It became a major port during the Pahlavi and has remained so.
Buyids: A Pro-Shiite Iranian dynasty, from northern Persia. They ruled over parts of Iran for almost a century from 10th century, occupied Iraq and exerted great influence over the Caliphs.
Other Links:
Jade in Iran (part 4)
History of Iranian-Georgian Reations (part 1)
History of Iranian-Georgian Reations (part 2)
History of Iranian-Georgian Reations (part 3)
History of Iranian-Georgian Reations (part 4)
