خرمشاه

by ابراهیم پورداود

خرمشاه: کنفرانسهای پورداود در هندوستان راجع به آیین و تاریخ و لغت ایران قدیم؛ نوشته: پورداود؛ بمبئی، از سلسله انتشارات انجمن زرتشتیان ایرانی بمبئی، چاپ اول، 1305 خورشیدی؛ 112 صفحه.
زمان برگزاری این کنفرانسها از سال 1925 تا 1926 مسیحی بوده است.
Khuramshāh: kunfirānshy ̄-i Pūrdāvūd dar Hindūstān rājiʻ-i bi-āʼīn va tārīkh va lughat-i Īrān-i Qadīm, by: Ibrāhīm Pūrʹdāvūd, Bombay, Anjuman-i Zartushtiyān-i Īrānī, 1927.

112 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1927

About the author

He is one of the most formidable scholars of Iran during the 20th century. Pourdavoud translated Avesta into Persian in six volumes. In addition, he made many other significant contributions to Iranian studies.

At 20, Pourdavoud moved to Tehran to study traditional medicine but medicine proved not to be to his liking. In 1908, at the age of 23, he went to Beirut where he studied French literature for two and a half years. He then returned to Iran to visit his family but before long left for France. Here, he published the periodical Iranshahr (the Land of Iran), with the first issue appearing in April 1914 and the fourth and the last issue on the day World War I erupted. During the War, he established himself in Baghdad where he published the periodical Rastakhiz (Resurrection); in total 25 issues of this periodical were published, publication lasting until March 1916. He left Baghdad for Berlin, where he stayed until 1924. His studies in Germany led him to Zoroastrian history and teachings.

After his return to Iran, in 1924, Pourdavoud founded the School of Ancient Languages where he initiated extensive research work concerning ancient history and ancient Iranian languages, especially the Avestan language. In 1945, he founded the Iranology Society and, very soon afterwards, the School of Iranology.

Pourdavoud’s many and varied contributions fall into the following categories:

- translation of Avesta,
- investigations into ancient Persian languages, especially the Avestan language,
- interpretation of the contents of Avesta, including elucidation of signs and symbols, as well as terms and expressions used herein,
- studies concerning peoples, animals, plants, and
- research into the history of Iran, giving especial attention to the weapons used by ancient Persians and the methods with which these were used.

Pourdavoud was well-versed in Arabic, English, French, German, and Turkish, in addition to his mother tongue and ancient Persian languages.

Pourdavoud was awarded Germany's highest academic honour by the German President Theodor Heuss in 1955. Soon thereafter, he received the Rabindranath Tagore Medal, which is conferred in recognition of outstanding contributions to literature, from India. In 1965, he received from the representative of Pope Paul VI in Tehran the order of Chevalier Saint Sylvester Pope (Knight of Saint Sylvester Pope).

He was married to a woman of German origin; they had one daughter named Pourandokht. In the morning of November 17, 1968, his family found him dead behind his desk in his study at home.

Reviews

[Khodabakhsh · Rating 5 out of 5]

فهرست مندرجات: اودواده - ایرانشاه؛ تعریف ده اودواده و معبد ایرانشاه/نطق در مدرسه اودواده: ایران وطن قدیم و مقدس پارسیان/مدرسه آتربان در اندری: پیشوایان دین زرتشت در قدیم/تقویم و فرق آئین مزدیسنا/قصیده؛ فرور داریوش/ترجمه انگلیسی قصیده فرور از دینشاه جی جی باهای ایرانی/زبان فارسی و لزوم آموختن آن/فروردین - فروهر - فروشی؛ معنی و وجه تسمیه ماه اول سال بفروردین/دروغ و راستی در ایران قدیم و اوستا (تاریخی و اخلاقی)/قصیده جم؛ مظمونش از اوستا استخراج شد/ترجمه انگلیسی قصیده جم از دینشاه جی جی باهای ایرانی/ایران قدیم (تاریخ) تا استیلای عرب/ایران نو (تاریخ) از زمان استیلای عرب تا بامروز
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همه این کنفرانسها بزبان گجراتی ترجمه گردید و در مقارن اوقاتیکه تاریخ آنها در بالای مقالات معین است در جراید و روزنامه‌های بمبئی مثل قیصر هند و جام جمشید مندرج گردید و بعضی از آنها نیز جداگانه بطبع رسید.
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خرمشاه دهی است در ربع فرسخی از طرف مغرب شهر یزد. اهالی آن پانصد زرتشتی و یک صد نفر مسلمان هستند.*
*از دیباچه: بقلم استاد پورداود