The Transfer of Avestan Sacred Geography and Civilization from Airyanem Vaejah to Western Iran

Research reveals that the Āzrah (Hazara) people, genetically and linguistically linked to the ancient Avestan Arəzahī, have preserved 25–35% of core Avestan vocabulary in their Hazaragi dialect despite enduring imperial assaults spanning over a millennium. This unprecedented linguistic continuity, supported by J2a1-Page55 haplogroup data, positions them as the unconquered founders of Zoroastrian civilization. The study traces the deliberate Sasanian Empire's rewriting of the Avesta and relocation of sacred toponyms from eastern Iranian origins—Bamiyan Valley and Balkh—to western Iran during the 3rd–7th centuries CE, aligning religious heritage with political goals. By analyzing textual transmission, archaeological evidence, and genetic data, it reconstructs the trajectory from Alexander's destruction of the Avesta to its final redaction under Shapur II and the fall of Ctesiphon in 637 CE.

Bilal, C. (2026). The Transfer of Avestan Sacred Geography and Civilization from Airyanem Vaejah to Western Iran. Zenodo. https://doi.org/10.5281/ZENODO.21052210