Iraq al-'Ajam

The yellow part and the arrows show the area of ​​Persian Iraq and its surroundings

'Irāq al-'Ajam (Arabic: عراق العجم) or Persian Iraq versus 'Iraq al-'Arab is a historical name referring to central regions of Iran. In jurisprudential issues, 'Iraq al-'Ajam is referred to as Maftuh al-'anwah lands, which include Kermanshah, Hamadan, Rey, and Isfahan.

Range and History

Yaqut al-Hamawi takes 'Iraq al-'Ajam to include the central regions of Iran, holding that the term came to be widely used after the Seljuk government, and in the first five/sixth to eleventh centuries after Hijra, the regions were known as al-Jibal.

In the second half of the fifth/eleventh century, the Seljuk dynasty took over the whole western Iran and was settled in Hamadan as its capital city. The range of their dominance extended to Mesopotamia. Since then, the central regions of Iran up to the northern Mesopotamia were referred to as 'Iraq al-'Ajam in order to be demarcated from the southern part of Mesopotamia. In this period, Seljuk rulers were given the title of "Sultan al-'Iraqayn" (King of the Two Iraqs) by Abbasid Caliphs, which implies that the second Iraq referred to the province of Jibal in which the Seljuk government was settled. After the Mogul invasion, the region was no longer referred to as Jibal.

In jurisprudential issues, 'Iraq al-'Ajam counts as "Maftuh al-'unwah" lands, which were taken over by Muslims in a jihad with unbelievers.

Iraq as the Old Name of Arak

An old name of the city of Arak in Markazi Province in Iran was "Sultan Abad Iraq." It was gradually known only as Iraq. However, with an official approval of the government in September 1935, the name of the city was changed to "Arak." The attribution to "Iraq" still appears in last names of some people who were born in Arak, including Ayatollah Muhammad Iraqi.