Bastak
Encyclopedia
Bastak is a city in and the capital of Bastak County
, Hormozgan Province
, Iran
. At the 2006 census, its population was 8,376, in 1,765 families.
Bastak has a road connecting it to the Bandar Lengeh
area and its inhabitants speak Bastaki, a dialect of Persian
.
decided to convert everyone residing in current day Iran from Sunni to Shiite Islam in 1501, they started arranged attacks and massacres against the Sunni Persians who refused to convert. As a result, many Sunni Persians left their hometowns for the Zagros Mountains
. After the Battle of Chaldiran
where the Safavids lost to the Ottoman
the Sunni Persians descended from the mountains to begin a new life in the land they named "Bastak", meaning barrier or backstop signifying barrier from Shiite Safavids' attacks and influences.
Eventually they pledged loyalty to the Abbasids, an Arab
dynasty that left Baghdad
after the Moghol invasion
towards the southern mountains of Persia. The rulers of Shiraz at the time, the Atabak, gave them protection to pass through their lands as they fled from the Moghols. Later on the Abbasids they took permission from Atabak to establish a state of their own and rule Bastak and the surrounding villages and islands. It was said that a few Hashimites (descendants of Prophet Mohammed) moved to Bastak from Khonj
where they had settled after leaving Iraq towards Persia. The Abbasids carried on the expansion of Bastak's rule until it included more than 60 villages and many islands in the Persian Gulf. Many alliances were formed between the Bastakis and the Arab
rulers in the UAE. The most famous was an alliance with Sheikh Zayed Alnahyan (Zayed Alawal) the ruler of Bani Yas in Abu-Dhabi and Al-Ain, and Al-Qassimi rulers of Sharjah. They also allied with the Arabs tribes that resided on the southern coasts of Persia and in the islands off the coast of Persia and current day
UAE. These tribes included Almarazeeq (from whom one of the Abbasi rulers married),
Alhammady, Al-Ali, Alabadelah, Alnosoori, Al-harami, and others. Together these tribes fought against the sultan of Oman
. In one battle the bastaki Abbasids lead, Alqawasem (Alqassimi of Lingah, Sharjah, and Ras Alkhaimah), Alali, Alhammadi, and almarazeeq on an attack against the sultan of Oman.
, Bahrain
, and Kuwait
after refusing to pay taxes to Nasir al-Din
, the last member of the Qajar dynasty
and refusing to give up their Sunni faith. Today, there are many Bastakis in Dubai, Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar
, Saudi Arabia
, Karachi and Oman
, who have carried their unique Persian culture, language, and architecture with them (all of which have come about through the years of mixing of Arab and Persian heritages). They have named their neighbourhood in Dubai
, Bastakeyah, after their small city
of Bastak, and use an old style of Persian architecture that is represented in the Badgir ("wind catchers") that direct the wind into the houses and cool the interior of the houses, a very common style throughout the Persian Gulf. In Bahrain
they settled mostly in and around Awadhiya
which is now a busy commercial district. The neighborhood contains some of the last remaining houses built in the traditional architectural style featuring badgeer windtowers in Bahrain
.
countries where they reside.(It is worth mentioning that the Ottomans came after the Abbasids, not before)
List of some Bastaki families:
Bastak County
Bastak County is a county in Hormozgan Province in Iran. The capital of the county is Bastak. At the 2006 census, the county's population was 65,716, in 13,563 families. The county is divided into three districts: the Central District, Jenah District, and Kukherd District...
, Hormozgan Province
Hormozgan Province
Hormozgan Province is one of the 31 provinces of Iran. It is in the south of the country, facing Oman. Its area is , and its provincial capital is Bandar Abbas...
, Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
. At the 2006 census, its population was 8,376, in 1,765 families.
Bastak has a road connecting it to the Bandar Lengeh
Bandar Lengeh
Bandar Lengeh is a harbor city in, and capital of Bandar-Lengeh County, in Hormozgan province of Iran on the coast of the Persian Gulf. The harbor is 280 km from Lar, 192 km from Bandar Abbas, and 420 km from Bushehr. The weather in Bandar Lengeh is hot and humid, typical of coastal...
area and its inhabitants speak Bastaki, a dialect of Persian
Persian language
Persian is an Iranian language within the Indo-Iranian branch of the Indo-European languages. It is primarily spoken in Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan and countries which historically came under Persian influence...
.
History of Bastak
The history of Bastak can be traced back to the Safavids era. When the Safavids under Ismail IIsmail I
Ismail I , known in Persian as Shāh Ismāʿil , was a Shah of Iran and the founder of the Safavid dynasty which survived until 1736. Isma'il started his campaign in Azerbaijan in 1500 as the leader of the Safaviyya, an extremist heterodox Twelver Shi'i militant religious order and unified all of Iran...
decided to convert everyone residing in current day Iran from Sunni to Shiite Islam in 1501, they started arranged attacks and massacres against the Sunni Persians who refused to convert. As a result, many Sunni Persians left their hometowns for the Zagros Mountains
Zagros Mountains
The Zagros Mountains are the largest mountain range in Iran and Iraq. With a total length of 1,500 km , from northwestern Iran, and roughly correlating with Iran's western border, the Zagros range spans the whole length of the western and southwestern Iranian plateau and ends at the Strait of...
. After the Battle of Chaldiran
Battle of Chaldiran
The Battle of Chaldiran or Chaldoran occurred on 23 August 1514 and ended with a victory for the Ottoman Empire over the Safavid Empire of Persia . As a result, the Ottomans gained immediate control over eastern Anatolia and northern Iraq...
where the Safavids lost to the Ottoman
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
the Sunni Persians descended from the mountains to begin a new life in the land they named "Bastak", meaning barrier or backstop signifying barrier from Shiite Safavids' attacks and influences.
Arab
Arab people, also known as Arabs , are a panethnicity primarily living in the Arab world, which is located in Western Asia and North Africa. They are identified as such on one or more of genealogical, linguistic, or cultural grounds, with tribal affiliations, and intra-tribal relationships playing...
dynasty that left Baghdad
Baghdad
Baghdad is the capital of Iraq, as well as the coterminous Baghdad Governorate. The population of Baghdad in 2011 is approximately 7,216,040...
after the Moghol invasion
Mongol Conquests
Mongol invasions progressed throughout the 13th century, resulting in the vast Mongol Empire which covered much of Asia and Eastern Europe by 1300....
towards the southern mountains of Persia. The rulers of Shiraz at the time, the Atabak, gave them protection to pass through their lands as they fled from the Moghols. Later on the Abbasids they took permission from Atabak to establish a state of their own and rule Bastak and the surrounding villages and islands. It was said that a few Hashimites (descendants of Prophet Mohammed) moved to Bastak from Khonj
Khonj
Khonj is a city in and the capital of Khonj County, Fars Province, Iran. At the 2006 census, its population was 19,347, in 3,353 families. It is located at an altitude of ....
where they had settled after leaving Iraq towards Persia. The Abbasids carried on the expansion of Bastak's rule until it included more than 60 villages and many islands in the Persian Gulf. Many alliances were formed between the Bastakis and the Arab
Arab
Arab people, also known as Arabs , are a panethnicity primarily living in the Arab world, which is located in Western Asia and North Africa. They are identified as such on one or more of genealogical, linguistic, or cultural grounds, with tribal affiliations, and intra-tribal relationships playing...
rulers in the UAE. The most famous was an alliance with Sheikh Zayed Alnahyan (Zayed Alawal) the ruler of Bani Yas in Abu-Dhabi and Al-Ain, and Al-Qassimi rulers of Sharjah. They also allied with the Arabs tribes that resided on the southern coasts of Persia and in the islands off the coast of Persia and current day
UAE. These tribes included Almarazeeq (from whom one of the Abbasi rulers married),
Oman
Oman , officially called the Sultanate of Oman , is an Arab state in southwest Asia on the southeast coast of the Arabian Peninsula. It is bordered by the United Arab Emirates to the northwest, Saudi Arabia to the west, and Yemen to the southwest. The coast is formed by the Arabian Sea on the...
. In one battle the bastaki Abbasids lead, Alqawasem (Alqassimi of Lingah, Sharjah, and Ras Alkhaimah), Alali, Alhammadi, and almarazeeq on an attack against the sultan of Oman.
Bastakis in the Gulf
Many Bastakis emigrated to DubaiDubai
Dubai is a city and emirate in the United Arab Emirates . The emirate is located south of the Persian Gulf on the Arabian Peninsula and has the largest population with the second-largest land territory by area of all the emirates, after Abu Dhabi...
, Bahrain
Bahrain
' , officially the Kingdom of Bahrain , is a small island state near the western shores of the Persian Gulf. It is ruled by the Al Khalifa royal family. The population in 2010 stood at 1,214,705, including 235,108 non-nationals. Formerly an emirate, Bahrain was declared a kingdom in 2002.Bahrain is...
, and Kuwait
Kuwait
The State of Kuwait is a sovereign Arab state situated in the north-east of the Arabian Peninsula in Western Asia. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the south at Khafji, and Iraq to the north at Basra. It lies on the north-western shore of the Persian Gulf. The name Kuwait is derived from the...
after refusing to pay taxes to Nasir al-Din
Nasir al-Din
Nasir al-Din, Nasir ad-Din or Nasiruddin may refer to:*Nasrudin or Nasreddin, legendary wise man in Islamic tradition*Abu Yusuf Bin Saamaan, also known as Nasiruddin , Sufi Saint*Nasir ad-Din Mahmud I of Great Seljuq Nasir al-Din, Nasir ad-Din or Nasiruddin may refer to:*Nasrudin or Nasreddin,...
, the last member of the Qajar dynasty
Qajar dynasty
The Qajar dynasty was an Iranian royal family of Turkic descent who ruled Persia from 1785 to 1925....
and refusing to give up their Sunni faith. Today, there are many Bastakis in Dubai, Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar
Qatar
Qatar , also known as the State of Qatar or locally Dawlat Qaṭar, is a sovereign Arab state, located in the Middle East, occupying the small Qatar Peninsula on the northeasterly coast of the much larger Arabian Peninsula. Its sole land border is with Saudi Arabia to the south, with the rest of its...
, Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , commonly known in British English as Saudi Arabia and in Arabic as as-Sa‘ūdiyyah , is the largest state in Western Asia by land area, constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and the second-largest in the Arab World...
, Karachi and Oman
Oman
Oman , officially called the Sultanate of Oman , is an Arab state in southwest Asia on the southeast coast of the Arabian Peninsula. It is bordered by the United Arab Emirates to the northwest, Saudi Arabia to the west, and Yemen to the southwest. The coast is formed by the Arabian Sea on the...
, who have carried their unique Persian culture, language, and architecture with them (all of which have come about through the years of mixing of Arab and Persian heritages). They have named their neighbourhood in Dubai
Dubai
Dubai is a city and emirate in the United Arab Emirates . The emirate is located south of the Persian Gulf on the Arabian Peninsula and has the largest population with the second-largest land territory by area of all the emirates, after Abu Dhabi...
, Bastakeyah, after their small city
City
A city is a relatively large and permanent settlement. Although there is no agreement on how a city is distinguished from a town within general English language meanings, many cities have a particular administrative, legal, or historical status based on local law.For example, in the U.S...
of Bastak, and use an old style of Persian architecture that is represented in the Badgir ("wind catchers") that direct the wind into the houses and cool the interior of the houses, a very common style throughout the Persian Gulf. In Bahrain
Bahrain
' , officially the Kingdom of Bahrain , is a small island state near the western shores of the Persian Gulf. It is ruled by the Al Khalifa royal family. The population in 2010 stood at 1,214,705, including 235,108 non-nationals. Formerly an emirate, Bahrain was declared a kingdom in 2002.Bahrain is...
they settled mostly in and around Awadhiya
Awadhiya
Awadhiya is a neighborhood of Manama, the capital city of Bahrain. It lies roughly between Ras Rumman and Hoora, while the Manama Souq lies to Awadhiya's west. The neighborhood was originally settled by merchants of Iranian Huwala origin, especially from Ahvaz and Bastak. Today the area is a busy...
which is now a busy commercial district. The neighborhood contains some of the last remaining houses built in the traditional architectural style featuring badgeer windtowers in Bahrain
Bahrain
' , officially the Kingdom of Bahrain , is a small island state near the western shores of the Persian Gulf. It is ruled by the Al Khalifa royal family. The population in 2010 stood at 1,214,705, including 235,108 non-nationals. Formerly an emirate, Bahrain was declared a kingdom in 2002.Bahrain is...
.
Culture of the Bastakis
Bastaki people speak a local Persian dialect that is made up of Middle Persian. Many Bastakis today work as merchants and own their own businesses and are highly educated. They tend to work in finance, real estate, education and engineering sectors. Not to mention the many medical practices which they run. They are also known to be a very proud of their heritage which they preserved even though they live for many years in the G.C.C. Bastaki's are well known to have a strong relationships with some of the biggest Arab leading families in the GCC countries. And are known to be independent yet very loyal to their rulers, to Al-Maktoums in Dubai especially and Al-Qassimi in Al-Sharjah, Al-Khalifa in Bahrain, and to other ruling families of the GCCCooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf
The Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf , also known as the Gulf Cooperation Council , is a political and economic union of the Arab states bordering the Persian Gulf and constituting the Arabian Peninsula, namely Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and United Arab Emirates...
countries where they reside.(It is worth mentioning that the Ottomans came after the Abbasids, not before)
List of some Bastaki families:
- Abbasi family (also known as Al Khan or Baniabbassian)
- Shafeie family
- Rafiee family
- Al Khan family (see also House of Al KhanHouse of Al KhanThe House of Al Khan can also be written al-khan. The Sons of Al Khan of Bahrain and Ad Dammam in the Eastern Province, Saudi Arabia...
) - Fekri family (also spelled as Fikree in the UAE)
- Bastaki family
- Hadi family
- Hashemi family (see also HashemiteHashemiteHashemite is the Latinate version of the , transliteration: Hāšimī, and traditionally refers to those belonging to the Banu Hashim, or "clan of Hashim", a clan within the larger Quraish tribe...
) - Sobhani family
- Sharif family
- Saeedi family
- Shoukrallah family
- Nooruddin Family
See also
- MorbaghMorbaghMorbagh is a village in Hormozgan Province in the south of Iran. Its settlers are mainly Arabs of the AlHammadi tribe. They speak Arabic. These people originally came from Arabia but emigrated to Iran for food.- See also :*Kookherd*Bastak*Bandar Lengeh...
- KookherdKookherdKukherd is a city in and the capital of Kukherd District, in Bastak County, Hormozgan Province, Iran. At the 2006 census, its population was 3,144, in 637 families....
- Larestan
- Lar, Iran
- EvazEvazEvaz is a city in and the capital of Evaz District, in Larestan County, Fars Province, Iran. At the 2006 census, its population was 14,315, in 3,297 families....
- Bandar LengehBandar LengehBandar Lengeh is a harbor city in, and capital of Bandar-Lengeh County, in Hormozgan province of Iran on the coast of the Persian Gulf. The harbor is 280 km from Lar, 192 km from Bandar Abbas, and 420 km from Bushehr. The weather in Bandar Lengeh is hot and humid, typical of coastal...
- HormozgānHormozgan ProvinceHormozgan Province is one of the 31 provinces of Iran. It is in the south of the country, facing Oman. Its area is , and its provincial capital is Bandar Abbas...