Iranian connection with India proved extremely fruitful with their influence visible on key aspects of art, architecture, and administration.
Key Persian Invaders that led foundation of ties
- Cyrus (558 – 530 B.C): Greatest conqueror of Achaemenian Empire, first to led an expedition and entered into India capturing Gandhara Region.
- Darius I (522 – 486 B.C.): Grandson of Cyrus, conquered the Indus valley in 518 B.C. and annexed Punjab and Sindh.
Persian Influence on key areas
- Administration: Achaemenian statecraft served as a model when Chandragupta Maurya founded the First Indian Empire.
- The influence remained during times of East India Company which retained Persian as official language of law and bureaucracy until administrative reforms of 1832–37.
- Literature:
- India’s oldest sacred text, Rigveda and Iran’s Zoroastrian scripture, Avesta, share similarity.
- Persian became official language under Akbar (1582).
- Large share of words have been loaned from Persian including Kagaz, rasid, vakil, diwani, tahsil, Mohalla, etc.
- Art: Introduction of Persian miniature techniques under Mughals; Humayun invited renowned Persian artists Abdu Samad and Mir Sayyid Ali to his court.
- Architecture:
- Mauryas: Kharoshti script (form of Iranian writing) became popular in northwestern India with some Asoka’s edicts written in it.
- Idea of issuing edicts by Asoka including the wordings on them had Iranian Influence.
- Mughals: Persian garden design, characterised by symmetrical layouts and water channels, inspired the famous “charbagh” garden style.
- Architectural works like Humayun's Tomb, Taj Mahal also depicts Persian influence.
- Mauryas: Kharoshti script (form of Iranian writing) became popular in northwestern India with some Asoka’s edicts written in it.
- Others: Music (Persian instruments like sitar, santur and genre like qawwali, ghazal); spiritual practices (sufi traditions), etc.
