Mardi

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Map of Caspian Sea

Mardi were an ancient Iranian[1] tribe living along the mountainous region bordering the Caspian Sea to the north,[2][3][4] to whom the Iron Age culture at Marlik is attributed.[5] They are said to be related to, or the same tribe as, the Dahae and Sacae. That is to say, they were Scythian.[6] Alexander subjugated Mardians in 330 BC. [7] Epardus River flows through the land of the Mardians.[8]

Variants of name

Jat Gotras Namesake

Etymology

The term Mardi comes from the Old Iranian word for "man"[9] (Old Persian: 𐎶𐎼𐎫𐎡𐎹 martiya; from Proto-Indo-European *mr̥tós, "mortal").

Many scholars believe that the name of the city of Amol is rooted in the word Amard, which occurs as Amui in Middle Persian. According to historical literature, Amol was the capital of Tapuria (modern-day Mazanderan), at least in the period starting from the Sasanian Empire to the Ilkhanate of the Mongol Empire.

History

Strabo mentions the name Mardi several times. He places their location to the south of the Caspian Sea in what is now Gilan and Mazanderan, in northern Iran.[10][11] On his map, he mentions Amardos, the name attributed to the region of Sefidrud at the time.[12][13][14]

Herodotus mentions a tribe with a similar name as one of the ten to fifteen Persian tribes in Persis.[15][16] They lived in the valleys in between the Susis and Persis,[17] in what in now southwestern Iran. The southern Mardi are described by Nearchus as one of the four predatory mountain peoples of the southwest, along with the Susians, Uxii, and Elymaeans.[18] Of these four nomadic groups, they were the only tribe linguistically Iranian.[19]

Arrian[20] writes.... Alexander marched against the Mardians in 330 BC, traversing the greater part of the land of the Mardians, he killed many of them in their flight, some indeed having turned to defend themselves; and many were taken prisoners.

Mention by Pliny

Pliny[21] mentions...After passing Dioscurias we come to the town of Heracleium6, seventy miles distant from Sebastopolis, and then the Achæi7, the Mardi8, and the Cercetæ9, and, behind them, the Cerri and the Cephalotomi.10

6 There were two places called Heracleium on this coast, one north and the other south of the river Achæus: probably the latter is here meant.

7 Probably meaning the "martial people," or the "people of Mars."

8 Said to have been descended from the Achæns or Greeks who accompanied Jason in the Argonautic Expedition, or, according to Ammianus, who resorted thither after the conclusion of the Trojan war.

9 This was the title, not of a single nation, but of a number of peoples distinguished for their predatory habits.

10 This people occupied the N.E. shore of the Euxine, between the Cimmerian Bosporus and the frontier of Colchis. Their name is still in existence, and is applied to the whole western district of the Caucasus, in the forms of Tcherkas, as applied to the people, and Tcherkeskaia or Circassia, to the country.

Mention by Pliny

Pliny[22] mentions 'The Caspian Sea and Hyrcanian Sea.'....Bursting through, this sea makes a passage from the Scythian Ocean into the back of Asia,1 receiving various names from the nations which dwell upon its banks, the two most famous of which are the Caspian and the Hyrcanian races. Clitarchus is of opinion that the Caspian Sea is not less in area than the Euxine. Eratosthenes gives the measure of it on the south-east, along the coast of Cadusia2 and Albania, as five thousand four hundred stadia; thence, through the territories of the Anariaci, the Amardi, and the Hyrcani, to the mouth of the river Zonus he makes four thousand eight hundred stadia, and thence to the mouth of the Jaxartes3 two thousand four hundred; which makes in all a distance of one thousand five hundred and seventy-five miles. Artemidorus, however, makes this sum smaller by twenty-five miles.

1 His meaning is, that the Scythian Ocean communicates on the northern shores of Asia with the Caspian Sea. Hardouin remarks, that Patrocles, the commander of the Macedonian fleet, was the first to promulgate this notion, he having taken the mouth of the river Volga for a narrow passage, by means of which the Scythian or Northern Ocean made its way into the Caspian Sea

2 The country of the Cadusii, in the mountainous district of Media Atropatene, on the south-west shores of the Caspian Sea, between the parallels of 390 and 370 north latitude. This district probably corresponds with the modern district of Gilan.

3 Now the Syr-Daria or Yellow River, and watering the barren steppes of the Kirghiz-Cossacks. It really discharges itself into the Sea of Aral, and not the Caspian.

Mention by Pliny

Pliny[23] mentions Nations situated around the Hyrcanian Sea.....The circumference of this city (Antiochia) is seventy stadia: it was to this place that Orodes conducted such of the Romans as had survived the defeat of Crassus. From the mountain heights of this district, along the range of Caucasus, the savage race of the Mardi, a free people, extends as far as the Bactri.10

10 The people of modern Bokhara.

Mention by Pliny

Pliny[24] mentions The nations of Scythia and the countries on the Eastern Ocean..... Beyond this river (Jaxartes) are the peoples of Scythia. The Persians have called them by the general name of Sacæ,1 which properly belongs to only the nearest nation of them. The more ancient writers give them the name of Aramii. The Scythians themselves give the name of "Chorsari" to the Persians, and they call Mount Caucasus Graucasis, which means "white with snow."

The multitude of these Scythian nations is quite innumerable: in their life and habits they much resemble the people of Parthia.

The tribes among them that are better known are the Sacæ, the Massagetæ,2 the Dahæ,3 the Essedones,4 the Ariacæ,5 the Rhymmici, the Pæsici, the Amardi,6 the Histi, the Edones, the Came, the Camacæ, the Euchatæ,7 the Cotieri, the Anthusiani, the Psacæ, the Arimaspi,8 the Antacati, the Chroasai, and the Œtei; among them the Napæi9 are said to have been destroyed by the Palæi.

1 The Sacæ probably formed one of the most numerous and most powerful of the Scythian Nomad tribes, and dwelt to the east and north-east of the Massagetæ, as far as Servia, in the steppes of Central Asia, which are now peopled by the Kirghiz Cossacks, in whose name that of their ancestors, the Sacæ, is traced by some geographers. 2 Meaning the "Great Getæ." They dwelt beyond the Jaxartes and the Sea of Aral, and their country corresponds to that of the Khirghiz Tartars in the north of Independent Tartary.

3 The Dahæ were a numerous and warlike Nomad tribe, who wandered over the vast steppes lying to the east of the Caspian Sea. Strabo has grouped them with the Sacæ and Massagetæ, as the great Scythian tribes of Inner Asia, to the north of Bactriana.

4 See also B. iv. c. 20, and B. vi. c. 7. The position of the Essedones, or perhaps more correctly, the Issedones, may probably be assigned to the east of Ichim, in the steppes of the central border of the Kirghiz, in the immediate vicinity of the Arimaspi, who dwelt on the northern declivity of the Altaï chain. A communication is supposed to have been carried on between these two peoples for the exchange of the gold that was the produce of those mountain districts.

5 They dwelt, according to Ptolemy, along the southern banks of the Jaxartes.

6 Or the Mardi, a warlike Asiatic tribe. Stephanus Byzantinus, following Strabo, places the Amardi near the Hyrcani, and adds, "There are also Persian Mardi, without the a;" and, speaking of the Mardi, he mentions them as an Hyrcanian tribe, of predatory habits, and skilled in archery.

7 D'Anville supposes that the Euchatæ may have dwelt at the modern Koten, in Little Bukharia. It is suggested, however, by Parisot, that they may have possibly occupied a valley of the Himalaya, in the midst of a country known as "Cathai," or the "desert."

8 The first extant notice of them is in Herodotus; but before him there was the poem of Aristeas of Proconnesus, of which the title was 'Arimaspea;' and it is mainly upon the statements in it that the stories told relative to this people rest—such as their being one-eyed, and as to their stealing the gold from the Gryphes, or Griffins, under whose custody it was placed. Their locality is by some supposed to have been on the left bank of the Middle Volga, in the governments of Kasan, Simbirsk, and Saratov: a locality which is sufficiently near the gold districts of the Uralian chain to account for the legends connecting them with the Gryphes, or guardians of the gold.

9 The former reading was, "The Napæi are said to have perished as well as the Apellæi." Sillig has, however, in all probability, restored the correct one. "Finding," he says, "in the work of Diodorus Siculus, that two peoples of Scythia were called, from their two kings, who were brothers, the Napi and the Pali, we have followed close upon the footsteps of certain MSS. of Pliny, and have come to the conclusion that some disputes aro

Mention by Pliny

Pliny[25] mentions Tigris...Below31 this district is Susiane, in which is the city of Susa32, the ancient residence of the kings of Persia, built by Darius, the son of Hystaspes; it is distant from Seleucia Babylonia four hundred and fifty miles, and the same from Ecbatana of the Medi, by way of Mount Carbantus.33 Upon the northern channel of the river Tigris is the town of Babytace34, distant from Susa one hundred and thirty-five miles. Here, for the only place in all the world, is gold held in abhorrence; the people collect it together and bury it in the earth, that it may be of use to no one.35 On the east of Susiane are the Oxii, a predatory people, and forty independent savage tribes of the Mizæi.

Above these are the Mardi and the Saitæ, subject to Parthia: they extend above the district of Elymais, which we have already mentioned36 as joining up to the coast of Persis. Susa is distant two hundred and fifty miles from the Persian Sea.

31 More to the south, and nearer the sea.

32 Previously mentioned in c. 26.

33 A part of Mount Zagrus, previously mentioned, according to Hardouin.

34 Its site appears to be unknown. According to Stephanus, it was a city of Persia. Forbiger conjectures that it is the same place as Badaca, mentioned by Diodorus Siculus, B. xix. c. 19; but that was probably nearer to Susa.

35 The buryer excepted, perhaps.

36 In c. 28 of the present Book.

Ch.24: Expedition against the Mardians

Arrian[26] writes....He (Alexander) then marched forward against the Mardians[1] taking with him the shield-bearing guards, the archers, the Agrianians, the brigades of Coenus and Amyntas, half of the Companion cavalry, and the horse-lancers; for he had now a troop of horse-lancers. Traversing the greater part of the land of the Mardians, he killed many of them in their flight, some indeed having turned to defend themselves; and many were taken prisoners. No one for a long time had invaded their land in a hostile manner, not only on account of its ruggedness, but also because the people were poor, and besides being poor were warlike. Therefore they never feared that Alexander would attack them, especially as he had already advanced, further than their country. For this reason they were caught more easily off their guard. Many of them, however, escaped into the mountains, which in their land are very lofty and craggy, thinking that Alexander would not penetrate to these at any rate. But when he was approaching them even here, they sent envoys to surrender both the people and their land to him. He pardoned them, and appointed Autophradates, whom he had also recently placed over the Tapurians, viceroy over them. Returning to the camp, from which he had started to invade the country of the Mardians, he found that the Grecian mercenaries of Darius had arrived, accompanied by the envoys from the Lacedaemonians who were on an embassy to king Darius. The names of these men were, Callicratidas, Pausippus, Monimus, Onomas, and Dropides, a man from Athens. These were arrested and kept under guard; but he released the envoys from the Sinopeans,[2] because these people had no share in the commonwealth of the Greeks; and as they were in subjection to the Persians, they did not seem to be doing anything unreasonable in going on an embassy to their own king. He also released the rest of the Greeks who were serving for pay with the Persians before the peace and alliance which had been made by the Greeks with the Macedonians. He likewise released Heraclides, the ambassador from the Chalcedonians[3] to Darius. The rest he ordered to serve in his army for the same pay as they had received from the Persian king, putting them under the command of Andronicus, who had led them, and had evidently been taking prudent measures to save the lives of the men.

1. Cf. Curtius, vi. 16.

2. Sinope was a prosperous colony of Miletus on the Euxine. It is still called Sinoub. It was the birthplace of Diogenes.

3. Chalcedon was a colony of Megara, situated on the Propontis at the entrance of the Bosporus, nearly opposite Byzantium.

p.189-191

Parthian Stations

7. From that place Rhagiana (A very fertile strip between the Elburz range and the salt desert to the south, about 150 miles long, from the Caspian Gates to the modern Kasvin) Media, [58] schoeni. In it are 10 villages, and 5 cities. After 7 schoeni are Rhaga (the modern Rei) and Charax (is probably the modern ruin of Uewanukif, near the Caspian Gates. Both Rhaga and Charax are now represented by the modern Teheran. Charax means "palisade" or "palisaded earthwork."); of which Rhaga is the greatest of the cities in Media. And in Charax the first king Phraates settled the Mardi (a poor but warlike people of the Elburz range); it is beneath a mountain, which is called Caspius, beyond which are the Caspian Gates (The name was derived from the tribe of the Caspii, who gave their name also to the Caspian Sea, known to Greek writers as the Hyrcanian Sea; cf. Rawlinson, Sixth Monarchy, IV).

Jat History

The Busae of the Greek writers are the Bassi Jats, the Mardai/ Amardi are the Mirdha Jats.[27]

Bhim Singh Dahiya[28] writes that Mardha or Mirdha are the same as the Mardi of Herodotus and Amardi of Strabo. The word Mardi means “ Heroes”. Alexander defeated them in 330 B.C. between Persepolis and the Persian Gulf. [29] [30] The Mileds are the same as Mardic of Herodotus, the Marda Jats. They are also to be compared with Mridi (a man) after whom the city of Mardeyapura is named. [31] Mahabharata mentions Amartha, as a Janapada (country)' [32]

According to H. W. Bellew[33], Mardi have been recognised in the Dahi Marda Hazarah in Afghanistan, who are a free people, extends as far as the Baktri.

References

  1. ↑ "IRAN" [v. PEOPLES OF IRAN (2) Pre-Islamic]. Encyclopædia Iranica. XIII.
  2. ↑ Compact Bible atlas with gazetteer. Baker Book House. 1979. p. 7.
  3. ↑ Smith, William (1854). Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography. 1. Little, Brown & Company.
  4. ↑ Indo-iranica. 2. Iran Society. p. 21.
  5. ↑ Negahban, Ezat O. (1995). Marlik: The Complete Excavation Report. UPenn Museum of Archaeology. p. 321.
  6. ↑ Norris, Edwin (1853). Memoir on the Scythic Version of the Behistun Inscription. Harrison and Sons.
  7. ↑ Arrian: The Anabasis of Alexander/3b, Ch.24
  8. ↑ Arrian:The Anabasis of Alexander/4a, Ch.6
  9. ↑ Eadie, John (1852). Early Oriental History, Comprising the Histories of Egypt, Assyria, Persia, Lydia, Phrygia, and Phoenicia. Griffin.
  10. ↑ Negahban, Ezat O. (1995). Marlik: The Complete Excavation Report. UPenn Museum of Archaeology. p. 321.
  11. ↑ "CASPIANS". Encyclopædia Iranica. V. p. 62
  12. ↑ Negahban, Ezat O. (1995). Marlik: The Complete Excavation Report. UPenn Museum of Archaeology. p. 321.
  13. ↑ "GĪLĀN" [iv. History in the Early Islamic Period]. Encyclopædia Iranica. X. pp. 634–635
  14. ↑ Wright, John Henry (1905). A history of all nations from the earliest times. Lea Brothers.
  15. ↑ "IRAN" [v. PEOPLES OF IRAN (2) Pre-Islamic]. Encyclopædia Iranica. XIII.
  16. ↑ Encyclopædia Iranica. 13. Routledge & Kegan Paul. 2004. p. 336.
  17. ↑ Eadie, John (1852). Early Oriental History, Comprising the Histories of Egypt, Assyria, Persia, Lydia, Phrygia, and Phoenicia. Griffin.
  18. ↑ "CASPIANS". Encyclopædia Iranica. V. p. 62.
  19. ↑ electricpulp.com. "IRAN v. PEOPLES OF IRAN (2) Pre-Islamic – Encyclopaedia Iranica". www.iranicaonline.org.
  20. ↑ Arrian: The Anabasis of Alexander/3b, Ch.24
  21. ↑ Natural History by Pliny Book VI/Chapter 5
  22. ↑ Natural History by Pliny Book VI/Chapter 15
  23. ↑ Natural History by Pliny Book VI/Chapter 18
  24. ↑ Natural History by Pliny Book VI/Chapter 19
  25. ↑ Natural History by Pliny Book VI/Chapter 31
  26. ↑ Arrian: The Anabasis of Alexander/3b, Ch.24
  27. ↑ Bhim Singh Dahiya:Jats the Ancient Rulers (A clan study)/Introduction, p.x
  28. ↑ Bhim Singh Dahiya: Jats the Ancient Rulers (A clan study)/The Antiquity of the Jats, p.298
  29. ↑ Rawlinson , op. cit. vol. I. P. 338
  30. ↑ Bhim Singh Dahiya, Jats the Ancient Rulers ( A clan study), p. 287
  31. ↑ Panini, VI, 2, 101
  32. ↑ Mahabharata , 6 / 9 / 94
  33. ↑ An Inquiry Into the Ethnography of Afghanistan, p.169
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