Semnani people
Total population | |
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c. 300,000 | |
Regions with significant populations | |
Shi'a Islam | |
Related ethnic groups | |
Iranian peoples, Caspians |
The Semnani people (Semnani: سمنی مرتمونی, samani mertimüni) are a Caspian people,[1] part of the greater Iranian people who primarily live in northern Iran and speak the Semnani language. Today, the majority of Semnanis speak Persian.
Origins
The Semnani people are
These same Caspian migrants also settled in the villages and towns of Biyabunak, Eyvanakey, Sorkheh, Garmsar, Shahmirzad, Darjezin, and Mehdishahr. The city of Semnan is the primary hub of the Semnani people, though it is unclear whether the name itself came from the people or the settlement.
Cultural Identity
Like many cultures of the Middle East, Semnani people emphasize kindness, compassion, and hospitality.[3] The identity of the Semnani people is deeply intertwined with their language. The ardent desire to preserve their unique identity manifests throughout Semnani poetry.
سمنی زفون هما تاریخه Semnani is our history
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The spread of Persian—and even English—has threatened the preservation of the Semnani language. Poets, like Azim Hajj Ramazani, offer both hope and warning to the Semnani people.
زفونی دار هنی سوز ا زند، ای دد O Brother! The Tree of our Language is still alive and green.
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Agriculture
The arid plains of Iran's
The Semnani people built complex water irrigation projects to siphon snowmelt and runoff from the mountains.[5] One such project is Parö, which in Semnani means the water splitter. A large channel made of stonemasonry would draw the rushing water into the city. Several large steps and ponds would reduce the speed of the runoff until the water becomes nearly stationary by the last step. From there, the water would be divided into as many channels as needed and dispatched via a system of overland and subterranean aqueducts. In pre-modern times, an engarnevis would oversee the water distribution process, keeping records of how much water has been dispatched to a particular neighborhood or agricultural district.