Sorush refers to the traveler as her Yasnapati (𐬫𐬀𐬯𐬥𐬀 𐬞𐬀𐬌𐬙𐬌). This is an Avestan term meaning lord of ritual or sacrifice. It is translated as 谒颂主 in Chinese. The Yasna Monument (谒颂幽境) is also a location in the Sumeru rainforest. The root Yasna refers to the primary texts and act of worship in Zoroastrianism.
Avestan is Old Persian (used from 1500-500 bce) up to the time of Cyrus' Persian Empire. The Avestan script is descended from Phoenician and Akkadian. It was created during Persia's Sasanian era (around 200-600 ce, before Arabic came). By the time of the Sasanian empire, Avestan was already an extinct language, but its liturgies were memorized by rote and passed down the generations by priests.
Avestan was the language of Zoroastrianism, one of the oldest religions in the world. Many of the things in Sumeru are references to Zoroastrianism. This gives further evidence that the concept of Sumeru goes back much further back in time before the advent of Islam. It goes back to even Scythian, Aryan, and Elamite times. The concept of Sumeru incorporates not just Islam, but the vast history of the Mesopotamia region before the rise of Islam, from Sumer (~4500-1900 bc), Akkadian (~2300-2100 bc), Babylonia (~1900-500 bc).
Ancient Egypt and Sumer existed for thousands of years before 2000 bc, when the Aryan nomads started to invade from the steppe. The Aryans are associated with the Sintashta culture in Chelyabinsk Oblast (Russia). They are thought to be the ancestors of various people from Europe to India, as well as the original speakers of many European and Indian languages. The Aryans were referred to as Airya in Old Iranian.
The Indo-Aryans started settling in northern India around 2000-1000 bc. They spoke the Vedic Sanskrit language and are associated with Hindu literature such as the Vedas. Sanskrit was orally preserved until around the 3rd century bc, when the first Brahmic writing inscriptions started appearing in India (such as the Edicts of Ashoka). Devanagari was invented nearly 1000 years later around the 7th century ce. In Vedic texts, the term Aryan was used to refer to those who worshipped the Vedic gods (such as Indra, Agni). The Vedic text Aranyaka recorded the geographic area where the Aryan languages were spoken. The Aryans appear to have a certain connection to the Aranara creatures of Sumeru. In fact, Aranyaka is the name of one of the Aranara quests.
Around 1800 bc, the proto-Iranian and proto-Indo-Aryan langauges are estimated to have split. Proto-Iranian would become Old Iranian (Avestan), which would become modern Persian (Farsi).
The Aryans also settled in Iran, and Deioces (迪奥塞斯) established the Median empire / Medes (a successor state of Assyria). Median was an Old Iranian language related to Bactrian and Sogdian (spoken in Central Asia at the time). The Greek geographer Strabo (who lived in Turkey) wrote that the Median empire was part of the Ariana (Aryan) civilization, grouping Media and Persia together. For a time the Median empire was ruled by Scythians, but then they were expelled. The Scythians were another Iranian nomadic steppe people that started settling south from the 9th to 3rd centuries bc. There were several other Iranian nomadic tribes such as the Agathyrsi, Cimmerians, Sarmatians. After Scythian rule, Cyaxares ruled over the Median empire and allied with the Neo-Babylonian empire to destroy the Neo-Assyrian empire. This resulted in power consolidation in the middle east region and expansion of the Median state. Now there were only a few power players left, including Median Persia, Babylon, Ancient Egypt, etc. Eventually one would rise to unify them all: the Achaemenid empire.
Cyaxares was then succeeded by his son Astygas, and in 550 bc Astygas was overthrown by his grandson Cyrus the Great, who founded the Achaemenid empire (also called the Persian empire). In some sense the Achaemenid empire could be thought of as a continuation of the Median empire and Persian culture. However, the difference is that the Median empire left no written records of their own. All the writing on Medes from that time period is from external sources such as the Greeks, Assyrians, Babylonians, Armenians. It was after Cyrus founded the Achaemenid empire that we find the earliest written records in Persian, such as the Behistun inscription from the time of Darius' rule (~500 bc) written in Persian cuneiform (somewhat based on the Sumer-Akkadian cuneiform).
The Achaemenid king Darius and his son Xerxes referred to themselves as Airya/Ariya (Aryans). Over time, the Ar became Er as in Eran (Middle Persian) and then Ir as in Iran (modern Persian). In the Scythian language, Aryan manifested itself as the term Alan, as in the nomadic steppe Alan people, related to the Yancai (奄蔡) people of west China (the Alans/Yancai would eventually migrate and settle in Europe and India along with the descendants of the Xiongnu/Hunnic people). In Genshin, one sees the prefix Ara attached to the Aranara creatures' names. In Chinese, Ara is transcribed as 兰 which is also used to write Alan (阿兰), referring to the Yancai people.
Just as in India, in ancient Iran the term Aryan originally had a religious connotation, used to refer to those associated with the Zoroastrian faith. Airyaman / Aryaman was also a god in Zoroastrianism and Vedic Hinduism, and Airyaman shares the same stem Arya with the Aryans, showing that the term Aryan was firmly rooted in religion. But over time, the term evolved to encompass other things, referring to political, cultural, national, and ethnic entities. Moreover, the further back in history one goes, one finds that the Aryans, Alans, etc. have a close connection to China. So when the traveler crosses the border from Liyue to Sumeru, some of the first things they meet are the Ara creatures themselves. Perhaps it is not so surprising, given the Aryan's historical ties with ancient China.
The Aryan languages were not the only ones spoken in ancient Iran. There used to be the Elamite language (considered a language isolate) around the Persian Gulf region from 2600-330 bc. When Alexander entered Persia, the Elamite language eventually disappeared. Nowadays, Farsi is the predominant language of Iran. Perhaps one can thank Alex for that.
Linguists tend to point out that there is a relationship between the Aryan languages and European languages. This combined with genetic studies point towards a more eastern origin for Europeans. The Aryans were nomads that invaded from the Eurasian steppe and settled in Europe, spreading their languages and genes. Even the names of several European groups have a connection to the ancient Aryan language.
The word Ireland (爱尔兰), from the goddess Eriu, can be traced to the Iverni / Erainn people, which may be related to the Aryans / Alans / Iranians. Meanwhile, Scotland, from Scoti, could trace back to skotos which may be related to the Saka / Scythian people that invaded Europe. The Gaelic name for Scotland was Alba, which itself can be traced back to Alouion, which may be related to the Alans that invaded Europe, while Albion is an alternate name for Great Britain (from Greek).
However, not all Europeans view the Aryans with such a close affinity, as the term 'Arya' became a loanword meaning 'slave' in the Finno-Uralic languages, suggesting conflicts between certain northern European groups and the Aryans in ancient times. Linguistic evidence suggests that in ancient times, the Aryan people lived south of the Uralic people in the Eurasian steppe.
Zoroastrianism is one of the oldest religions of the world, with oral roots dating back to ~2000 bc and its written history starting ~600 bc. By comparison, Manichaeism (摩尼教) is a newer religion founded by Mani (a Parthian) in Sasanid Persia in the 200s ce, near the end of the Han dynasty. Manichaeism eventually spread around the world from the Roman Empire to ancient China. To this day, Manichaeism is still practiced in parts of China such as Fujian and Zhejiang. In Iran, there was a time of some conflict between Zoroastrianism and Manichaeism, but eventually the term 'Aryan' changed to incorporate not just one particular religion, but a broader cultural entity of Iran as a whole. And the Sasanids would call their empire the Eranshahr or 'domain of the Aryans'.
Zoroastrianism, Manichaeism, and Buddhism used to be much more prevalent in Iran, especially during the time of the Han dynasty. Even Christianity and Judaism existed in Iran before Islam arrived. Since the arrival of the Arabs around the Tang dynasty, Islam has become the main religion of Iran to this day. But Zoroastrianism still survives: India is home to one of the largest Zoroastrian communities in the world, and the Avestan language has been written in the various Brahmic scripts of India (e.g. Gujarati, Devanagari). In this way, Zoroastrianism, something originally Iranian, has become a part of Indian culture. So the appearance of sundry cultures Persian, Indian, Egyptian, etc. in Sumeru is not just some random mix, but more of an organic and natural blend stemming from the tides of history in this geocultural region.
Throughout history, many Persians, Zoroastrians, etc. have migrated from Iran to modern Pakistan and India, whether via the empires of Cyrus, Alexander, Timur, Babur (Mughal), etc. The exchange of religion and ideas along this silk road represents a unifying theme tying this vast region together. In this sense, the concept of Sumeru as a cultural syncretism / amalgamation crystallizes into being.
For more info on other religions of Sumeru, see Sumeru and India.
Pari / Peri (پری) is Persian for fairy. Pari appears to be cognate with fairy. Chinese translates it as 花灵 meaning flower spirit.
Sorush refers to the Zoroastrian deity Sraosha (Avestan name for the yazata / divine epithet of conscience / observance). Thus, Sorush is also known as the voice of conscience and teacher of Daena (meaning insight). The House of Daena is also a location in Sumeru City, and Daena is also known as the guardian of the Chinvat bridge, a bridge separating the living from the dead. Chinvat Ravine is also a location in the Sumeru Dharma rainforest. Joururi Workshop (the Scaramouche boss) is located in Chinvat Ravine and may perhaps symbolize a kind of entrance to hell from the mortal world.
In the Shahnameh, Sorush appears as a pari to help Keyoumart and Siamak. Siamak's son Hushang also fights the divs (demons) with an army of peri. Keyoumart (کیومرث), also Kiomart, Kyoumart, Kiomars, Geyoumart, Keyoumart, Gehmurd (Manichaeism), Jayoumart (Arabic), etc, was the first king of the Pishdadian dynasty. The name is Avestan for 'living mortal' and is a combination of gaya (life) and maratan (mortal / human). Gaya also appears to be cognate with Gaia / Gaea, the Greek goddess of Earth, which has a certain connection with Kaeya.
In Sorush's quest, the traveler also meets Zurvan. Zurvan refers to Zurvanism in Zoroastrianism. The Magi, or priests of Zoroastrianism, were also known as Zurvanic priests. The word Magi appears in Darius' Behistun inscription during the Achaemenid empire. The 'magi' also appear in the title of one of the Sumeru archon quests (King Deshret and the Three Magi).
Zurvanism was also one of the religions practiced in the Western Turkic Khaganate (alongside Buddhism, Tengrism), which was conquered by the Tang dynasty.
In Genshin, the traveler encounters the khvarena spirits in the desert. Khvarena is from Avestan Khvarenah (𐬓𐬀𐬭𐬆𐬥𐬀𐬵), a concept in Zoroastrianism meaning glory, splendor, and a divine mystical force. In Genshin, Nabu Malikata refers to the khvarena as a 'pure daughter'. Khvarena can cure abyssal energy and forbidden knowledge. It is associated with the light realm of Celestia, along with the pari and bloomguard. See version 4.1 for a discussion of the three realms. Also see Rene for the lore of Rene and Jakob of Fontaine and their connection to the Vourukasha Oasis.
The Greater Lord Rukkhadevata turned the khvarena into Simurgh (西摩格), a divine bird, to guard the border between life and death. During the cataclysm, the previous Hydro Archon Egeria, known as the Lord of Amrita, died in battle. Her remains became the Amrita pool, which became corrupted with the Abyss. To purge the Abyss from the pool, Simurgh flew into the pool, shattering and becoming many particles of khvarena. The sentient khvarena became the Pari. When Pari pass away, they become plumes of purifying light and return to the Amrita pool.
And thus Simurgh's descendants include the Pari, Farrwick, and Sunyata Flowers.
Simurgh lived atop the Harvisptokhm tree in the Vourukasha Oasis. Rukkhadevata grew the Harvisptokhm from the Amrita, the remains of the hydro archon, to anchor the previous hydro archon to the mortal world. The tree maintains the seal on the Abyssal rift in Tunigi hollow by absorbing the corruption from it. The lotus Gaokerena is inside the tree, and the Pari god rests inside it.
In the context of the three realms of Teyvat, the light realm is able to combat the power of the abyssal void realm. So it seems that the former hydro archon Egeria worked with something beyond the power of the elemental realm such as the light realm of Celestia to fight the abyss.
In Zoroastrianism, Harvisptokhm means the 'tree of all seeds', and it grew inside the cosmic sea of Vourukasha. The name Farakhkert also refers to the cosmic sea Vourukasha. The Vourukasha has been associated with the Persian Gulf. The Gaokerena grows inside the Harvisptokhm and is also called the 'White Haoma', a divine plant that had healing properties and that could grant an elixir of immortality. Haoma is from Indo-Aryan religion and is cognate with Vedic soma, a ritual drink mentioned in the Rigveda, Gita, etc. It has similarities to the Tree of Life in Islam and the Bible, as well as the amrita, a Sanskrit word meaning 'immortality'. Amrita is also cognate with ambrosia in Greek. The simurgh is a benevolent bird in Persian mythology that roosted in the Gaokerena Haoma and spread its seeds.
So the amrita, haoma, Gaokerena, Harvisptokhm, Vourukasha are connected with the elixir of immortality. If hydro is an element of health and healing, then it makes some sense why the hydro archon has a connection to life extension.
But a question is: why does the previous hydro archon have anything to do with Sumeru in the first place? If the hydro archon / Fontaine represents something related to the British, whether it is western Europe or the USA, then the British empire ruled over vast parts of the SWANA region, including South Asia (India), Egypt, etc. This is not saying that the hydro archon of Genshin ruled over Sumeru, but to give some plausibility into why the hydro archon previously played a role in Sumeru's history. (On the topic of Zoroastrianism and Iran, the British did not quite rule over Iran, but rather competed with Russia in the so-called 'Great Game' over parts of Eurasia and Central Asia. Still Britain and later the USA exerted imperial influence on the Pahlavi dynasty of Iran and were greedy for oil, but even that was overthrown in the 1979 revolution.)
See Sumeru and MENA for some history on the British and French rule over parts of MENA during the sunset of the Ottoman empire.
After the Lord of Amrita passed away, Focalors succeeded her as the new hydro archon.
The House of Karen existed during Parthian times. The Qarinvind / Karenid that ruled over north Iran descended from Sukhra (ruled of the Sasanian empire) of the House of Karen. The Karenids were also known by the titles Gilgilan and Ispahbadh.
The Arab Muslims conquered Persia in the 600s, around the time of the early Tang dynasty. As a result, Persia became Islamicized (not Arabized as Persians still remained Persians). The process was gradual, and perhaps around the initial time of conquest, only a small portion of Persians converted to Islam, the rest retaining their own faiths. However, as Persians started to play a more active role in governing and administering the Islamic empires, whether the Umayyads or Abbasids, more and more Persians started converting to Islam.
In the 800s, Abbasid rule began to wane (as did the Tang dynasty). The Abbasids began enlisting Turkic mamluks from Central Asia (ruled by the Tang) into the army. Eventually, the Turkic mamluks would assume real power while the caliphs would remain figureheads. The Turks would even establish several empires in the Middle East (such as the Seljuks, Timurids, Ottomans, etc.). Meanwhile, many parts of Iran seceeded from the Abassids and formed several independent dynasties, such as the Tahirids, Sajids, Saffarids, Samanids, Buyids (all between 800s-1000s). This period is sometimes known as the 'Iranian Intermezzo', usually referring to the time period between the Abassids and Seljuks.
There were a succession of Perso-Turkic states leading up to the Seljuks. Alp Tegin, a Turkic mamluk commander of the Samanid empire, became commander in chief (sipahsalar) of Khorasan and later governor of Ghazni in 962, ruling under the amir Mansur I. Alp means brave / hero in Turkic, while Tegin (特勤) is Turkic for prince. Alptegin was the father in law of Sabuktigin (Turkic for 'beloved prince'), full name Abu Mansur Nasir al-Din Sabuktigin. Sabuktigin would become the founder of the Ghaznavid dynasty (977–1186), which would span Iran, Central Asia, Pakistan, and parts of North India. The Ghaznavids were credited with spreading Islam in north India and Pakistan.
Under the reign of Mas'ud I, the Ghaznavids lost the Battle of Dandanaqan (around Merv, Turkmenistan) and began losing territory (including Persia) to the Seljuks. The Ghaznavids would eventually lose their control over Afghanistan, Pakistan, and North India to the Ghurids.
Arabs and Persians (Iranians) are two different groups of people. For one, they speak two pretty different languages. The Arabic language is part of the Afro-Asiatic (Semitic) family, whereas Farsi has a more eastern origin and is part of the Indo-Aryan family. The grammar and cognate stems of these two language groups are very different.
Furthermore, Iran had a long history way before the rise of Islam and the Arabs around the 600s. Iran's history dates back to the Persian empire, Alexander's Hellenic empire, the Parthian empire, and the Sassanid empire. Iran also dealt with various groups from the steppes and Central Asia such as the Scythians and Hunnites (related to the Huns). Moreover, Iran had its own religions such as Manicheaism, Zoroastrianism, even Buddhism, Christianity, Judaism before the rise of Islam.
Around the rise of Islam, there were the Turks to the north and east and the Arabs to the west. These two groups would play a huge role in the history of Persia for the next 1000 years. During the Arab conquest of Persia, many Iranians were converted to Islam. Iran gradually adapted the Arabic script and imported many Arab loanwords (many of which are related to Islam). The Turks would eventually rule over Iran and the Middle East, establishing the Seljuk and Ottoman empires and adopting Islam. But the Turks also established other khanates in the western steppe regions: some Turks even formed the Khazar Khanate and converted to Judaism (this is where the Khazar Jew term comes from).
Arabs and Persians do share some genes, notably hg J. In general, Persians tend to have more northern steppe and eastern genes from hg K (including NOQR), signifying how Iran is geographically close to China and India. By contrast Arabs tend to have more genes commonly found in North Africa, notably hg E.
The Seljuks (1037–1194) were an Islamic empire founded by the Qiniq branch of the Oghuz Turks (also referred to as Turcomans), descended from the Western Gokturks, part of Tang China. Scholars point out that the Turkic people originate from Northeast Asia / China and later migrated west through Mongolia into Central / West / South Asia. The Pechenegs, another branch of the Oghuz Turks, would even migrate into Eastern Europe.
After the Tang dynasty dissipated, China split into several kingdoms. In Central Asia, the Karluks, a branch of the Gokturks, would establish the Kara-Khanid Khanate (840–1212), sometimes referred to as 喀喇汗 or 大食 Dashi, denoting Muslims in general. The Kara-Khanid was a vassal of the Seljuks and then the Western Liao after the Western Liao defeated the Seljuks in Central Asia. The Kara-Khanid would eventually disappear, to be replaced by the Khwarazmian, Seljuks, and Western Liao.
Initially, Tughril and his brother Chaghri ruled over the Seljuk empire. The Turks became Persianized in culture. The Seljuks would expand west, conquering Baghdad from the Abbasids and Buyids. In the 1071 Battle of Manzikert, the Seljuks led by Sultan Alp Arslan (born Muhammad bin Dawud Chaghri) defeated the Byzantines and gained control of Anatolia, settling Turcomans in Anatolia and beginning the process of Turkification of Turkey. As such the Seljuks are considered one of the ancestors of the Turkish people. Manzikert is considered a turning point in Byzantine history as it led to the decline of the Byzantines until it was eventually conquered by the Ottomans centuries later.
It is thought that the modern sense of the word 'assassin' derives from Hashshashin, which referred to the Order of Assassins of the Nizari Ismaili state based in Alamut Castle (Iran) that existed during Seljuk times. This was a secret sect that sporadically sent spies to murder important government officials to strengthen their own rule. This sounds like exactly what the USA and CIA do nowadays all over the world.
At its peak the Seljuks spanned from Central Asia, Hindu Kush to Persia, the Levant, and Turkey. Suleiman ibn Qutalmish would secede from the Seljuk empire to found the independent state of Rum. His son Kilij Arslan I would succeed him as ruler. Soon the Seljuk empire would splinter. Tzachas, also called Chaka Bey, would rule an independent Seljuk state in Smyrna, Anatolia. Tamar of Georgia would take over lands in the Caucasus (Tamar's empire lasted until the Mongol conquest).
In Iran and Central Asia, the Seljuks were succeeded by the Khwarazmian Empire, also called the Anushtegin dynasty. The empire was founded by Anushtegin Gharchai. Anushtegin was a mamluk from Gharchistan in modern Afghanistan, ruled by the Seljuk sultans. Anush is Persian for undying and is combined with Turkic Tegin / prince. At this point in time the Turko-Persian culture was already starting to mix and take form. Anushtegin's son Muhammad I ruled as first shah of Khwarazm. Khwarazm initially was a client state of the Seljuks and then the Western Liao, before being taken over by the Mongol Empire.
The developments in Persia and Central Asia with the Turks would spill over and influence India, as had been the case for millennia from the Scythians, Saka, Greeks, Yuezhi, Kushans, Xiongnu, etc. Specifically, the Ghurids were initially vassals of the Ghaznavids and then the Seljuks. In 1151, Sultan Bahram Shah lost Ghazni to the Ghurids and Oghuz Turks. In the 1186 Seige of Lahore (Pakistan), Mohammad of Ghor, sultan of the Ghurid dynasty, defeated, imprisoned, and executed Khusrau Malik of the Ghaznavids, thereby ending Ghaznavid rule. The Ghurids (~786–1215), of Tajik origin, would conquer much more of north India compared to the Ghaznavids, reaching as far east as Bengal.
In 1204, the Khwarazmian empire allied with the Western Liao of China to destroy the Ghurids in the Battle of Andkhud. The Ghurids were soon succeeded by the Delhi Sultanate, an Islamic empire that ruled over India. For more info see Sumeru and India. At this point, this percolates more into India's history than Iran's, but as can be seen, the two civilizations share a lot of overlapping history.
The Turkic mamluks would also go on to rule over Egypt in the Mamluk Sultanate (1250–1517). Aybak / Aibak became the first mamluk sultan of Egypt. Aibak's son Al-Mansur Ali was the second sultan. Saif ad-Din Qutuz was the third. Baybars / Baibars was the fourth. This sounds like a succession of Genshin characters released during the version 3 Sumeru patch. Egypt is quite prescient.
Aybak also appears as an Eremite in Caravan Ribat.
The Qara Khitai or Western Liao dynasty spanned west China and Central Asia and defeated the Turkic Seljuk empire. Eventually both were succeeded by the Mongol Empire. Then the Turkic Qara Qoyunlu / Kara Koyunlu state existed in Iran for some time. Qara Yousef was one ruler of this state.
The Qajar dynasty founded by the Turkic Qajar tribe succeeded the Zand dynasty of Iran and ruled from the 1700s to 1900s. The Qajar dynasty was then succeeded by the Pahlavi dynasty. The last shah Reza Pahlavi was overthrown in the 1979 Iranian revolution for being a USA puppet and inviting USA imperialism into Iran.