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Asian Gamefowl Society

Iran

INTRODUCTION

Persia and Babylonia were unified into the Persian Empire by Cyrus the Great in 549 B.C. Though Alexander the Great conquered Persia about two hundred years later, Persia did regain its independence after Alexander's death. The Persian Sassanian empire established in 226 A.D. was a formidable rival to the Roman Empire. It remained until Islam swept into the region in 641, displacing Zoroastrianism which had been the principal religion. The Mongols arrived in the early 1200s and their rule persisted until 1502. The Safavid dynasty ruled until 1736 but its end ushered in two hundred years of decline for Persia. Britain and Russia began to assert control over Persia in the 19th century. The defacto situation was formalized in a 1907 agreement between the two powers that divided Persia into specified spheres of influence. After the First World War, Persia became independent. In 1921 Reza Khan took over power and declared himself "Reza Shah Pahlavi" and doing this founding the Iranian monarchy. In 1979 the Pahlavi family was forced to give up power and were send into exile. Ayatollah Khomeinei took over power and introduced Islamic rule to the country.

MAP OF IRAN

Iran is situated in the Middle East and is bordered by Iraq, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Azerbadjan, Armenia, Gulf of Oman, Caspian Sea and Persian Gulf.

IRANIAN GAMEFOWL

The Persians during their early reign and conquests in the Antique period have introduced or influenced cockfighting and gamefowl to several other countries whereunder Greece and Russia. In Iran you can see Malay-type birds, large Aseel-type and a more lower stationed and bulkier type of gamefowl the "Lari". According some sources there is a difference in typ. This depends on their region of origin. They speak from a "Lowland (plains)" and a "Highland (mountain)" type. Iranian breeders only use their fowl for only one purpose which is fighting. These fights are held in natural spurs only.Iranian gamefowl in figures: weights range from 3 Kg for young birds to a maximum of 6.5 Kgs for old birds. Height max.70 Cm