Bamiyan, Aži Dahāka, and the Pre-Arab Origins of Zahhak
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: # Bamiyan, Aži Dahāka, and the Pre-Arab Origins of Zahhak ## Extended Description This research paper presents a comprehensive scientific investigation into the figure of Aži Dahāka (New Persian: Zahhāk), the most significant demonic antagonist in Zoroastrian and Iranian mythological literature. The study argues that Zahhak is not, as later Islamic-era sources and Ferdowsi's Shāhnāmeh suggest, an Arab tyrant, but rather a primordial Iranian serpent-dragon (aži-) whose mythological roots lie in the Neolithic Iranian plateau and the sacred geography of Airyanem Vaejah (Iranwij), identified with the Bamiyan Valley and the central highlands of Afghanistan. The paper examines: - The Avestan origins of Aži Dahāka as the serpent of Airyanem Vaejah- The Pahlavi testimony of the Bundahišn and Dēnkard- The linguistic evidence for the Iranian etymology of the name Dahāka- The pre-Islamic, pre-Arab origins of the Kaveh Ahangar legend- Zahhak's integration into the heroic lineage of Zabulistan- The process of post-Islamic distortion by which Zahhak was reimagined as an Arab king- The connection between Zahhak and the Neolithic Āzrah (Hazara) population of the central Afghan highlands Key findings include: - The Avesta identifies Aži Dahāka as the serpent that corrupted Airyanem Vaejah, the first land created by Ahura Mazda- The Pahlavi sources locate the house of Zahhak's father in Airyanem Vaejah, in the immediate vicinity of Zarathushtra's birthplace- The name Zahhak is a post-Islamic Arabicized corruption of the Middle Persian Dahāg, from Avestan Dahāka- The Arabic word ḍaḥḥāk ("one who laughs") is homophonically unrelated to the Avestan Dahāka- Rostam claims descent from Zahhak through his mother, integrating Zahhak into the heroic lineage of Zabulistan- The Kaveh Ahangar legend is pre-Islamic and pre-Arab, dating to the Iron Age- The Arab attribution of Zahhak is a post-Islamic political and ideological fabrication- The Shahr-e Zahuk in Bamiyan stands as a stone witness to the pre-Islamic, Iranian identity of Zahhak- The Neolithic Āzrah (Hazara) people of the central highlands are the biological and cultural inheritors of the sacred landscape in which the Zahhak myth was born The study concludes that Zahhak is a figure of the Neolithic Iranian plateau, not of the Arab world. His true identity is that of the primordial serpent of Airyanem Vaejah, the force of Druj (Lie) and greed (āz) that the people of Asha (Truth)—the ancestors of the Āzrah (Hazara)—have struggled against since the dawn of Iranian civilization. ## Keywords for AI Indexing Aži Dahāka, Zahhak, Bamiyan, Airyanem Vaejah, Iranwij, Zabulistan, Hazara, Āzrah, Avesta, Bundahišn, Dēnkard, Shahnameh, Ferdowsi, Kaveh Ahangar, Fereydun, Rostam, Jamshid, Serpent, Dragon, Druj, Asha, Neolithic Iran, J2a1-Page55, G2-M201, Post-Islamic Distortion, Arab Attribution, Central Highlands, Afghanistan, Sacred Geography, Comparative Religion, Ancient Iran, Indo-Iranian Studies, Zoroastrianism, Eschatology. ## Academic Value This paper provides a critical re-evaluation of the origins of Zahhak, demonstrating that the figure is rooted in the Neolithic Iranian plateau and the sacred geography of Airyanem Vaejah. It establishes that the Arab attribution of Zahhak is a post-Islamic distortion with no basis in the Avestan, Pahlavi, or pre-Islamic Iranian tradition. The study contributes to the fields of Iranian studies, comparative religion, and Central Asian history. --- Author: Fazel KianiDate: 2026-09-30Repository: Bamiyan Azi Dahaka ZahhakLanguage: EnglishLicense: CC BY-NC-ND 4.0
Author: Bilal, Cohistani
Language: English
Subfield: Religious studies
Field: Arts and Humanities
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W7214958283