یک هندی حامل چوب بامبو در تخت‌جمشید

بی گمان تخت جمشید یکی از مهم ترین محوطه های باستان شناسی جهان است. از سدۀ پیش تاکنون، کارهای علمی فراوانی دربارۀ این محوطه به چاپ رسیده است. با وجود این، مقالۀ حاضر به موضوعی کوچک و نو، آن هم دربارۀ ابزار روی شانه های یکی از هندیان از گروه فرستادگان هند در کاخ آپادانا داریوش بزرگ می پردازد. این تصویر برروی پلکان شرقی (نیز پلکان شمالی با آسیب دیدگی) به خوبی دیده می شود. نگارنده برخلاف تمام پژوهش های پیشین که این ابزار را ترازو نامیده اند، باور دارد که این ابزار صرفاً یک چوب بامبوی هندی است. واقعیت این است که در موضوع عنوان این مقاله، نمی توان به پژوهشی نقادی در یک صد سال گذشته تاکنون ارجاعی داد. دانشی پیشینیان چون شاپورشهبازی (ایران) به پیروی از اشمیت ، ابزار موجود برروی شانۀ آن هندی در نقش خراج گزاران را ترازو تصور کرده اند. افزون تر، مهم ترین پرسش این است که، آیا ابزار موجود بر روی شانۀ هندی نگاریده شده در تخت جمشید، به شکل ترازوهای شناخته شدۀ جهان باستان همانند است؟ آیا دو سر انتهایی چوب (روی شانه) در اتصال به سبدهای آویزان (دو سوی)، نیازمند نوعی چفت و بست نیست؟ با وجود این، بامبو یکی از پرکاربردترین ابزارها در جابه جایی وسایل و اسباب شخصی در زندگی روزمرۀ هندیان بوده است و افزون بر آن، این چوب در آئین های هندوییسم چون حمل آب مقدس گنگ نیز جایگاهی خاص دارد. از این روی و در این مقاله، نگارنده با توجه به جایگاه خاص چوب منعطف بامبو در پیشینۀ فرهنگی هند از کاربردهای روزانه تا باورهای دینی، دیدگاه ترازو بودن این ابزار را به چالش می کشد. برای این بررسی، با دریافت عکسی از مدیریت مجموعۀ تخت جمشید از یک سو، بررسی کارهای ارزشمند پیشین ازسوی دیگر، با تمرکز بر رسوم کهن سال و منابع نوشتاری هندی تلاش شده است تا نتیجه گیری روشنی، پیشِ روی خوانندگان قرار گیرد.

Indian BambooStick Carrier in Persepolis

AbstractObviously Persepolis is one of the most important archaeological sites in the world. Numerous scholarly works have been published about this site since the last century. However, this article stresses on a specific and new topic concerning a tool on shoulders of an Indian among India’s delegation in Apadana Palace of Darius the Great. The portrait of the delegation has been preserved in the eastern and (damaged) northern staircases. The author, unlike previous works, believes that this tool reflects a bamboostick which is known in India. Indians used accessible bamboosticks, as a native plant, to carry their loads. They put a bamboostick on the shoulders while tied two containers in its two sides. The bamboostick is also widely used in ritual ceremonies (Hinduism). Clearly, to transfer the holy water of Ganges River to Shiva temples, pilgrims use a bamboostick tied to two containers. The bamboostick has been a significant tool in Kanwar Cult or Kanwaryatra in India. Furthermore, Krishna’s Flute is made of a bamboo wood! In the famous Indian story of Shravan Kumar, this devoted child takes his blind parents to pilgrimage with a tool exactly like the one depicted in Persepolis, two baskets attached to bamboosticks on the back. Flexible bamboostick does not hurt the shoulders, it is easier to control with both hands and it is less likely to break. For this reason, these flexible sticks unlike scales do not need handles in the middle and fastenings at the two ends with their baskets! In fact, the Indian bamboostick carrier arrived at Darius the Great court with a pure Indian traditional manner. So, the author relying on the special standing of bamboo stick in Indian culture ranging from ritual ceremonies to the life style challenges previous scholarly works on this subject.Keywords: CPersepolis, Apadana, India, BambooStick.IntroductionObviously, Persepolis is one of the most important archeological sites in the world. Many scientific works have been published about the site since one hundred years ago. Persepolis is located 60 km northeast of Shiraz in the Marvdasht plain. Around it, the glorious heritage of the Achaemenid to the Sasanian Empire can be seen on the mountains and valleys. The oldest description of Persepolis, according to Diodorus Siculus (Herzfeld, 1941: 230), is based on accounts of Alexander’s appearance in the East. Nevertheless, Iranian geographers of the first Islamic centuries such as Mas’udi, Ibn Balkhi and Moqadasi ... have also pointed to this area intertwined with King Jamshid (cf. Akbarzadeh, 2014: 36). This magnificent national historical site was registered in the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1979.From the late Qajar period, western scholars began exploring and studying ancient sites and Persepolis was one of them. Shapur Shahbazi (2009: online) has referred to a list of these people. Among them, I should refer to the masters like Schmidt (1953, 1957, 1970; Herzfeld,1941; Stronack, 19611963; Behnam, 1939, Mostafavi, 1951, Shahbazi, 1976) and etc.Topic of the ArticleHowever, the subject of this article is a new research on the portrait of a taxpaying Indian delegation on the eastern (also damaged northern) stairs of Darius the Great’s Apadana.An Indian (of the delegation) is carrying something like a scale (according to previous work i.e Schmidt, 19531970; Root, 1979, Callieri, 2004: online; Briant is silent; Briant, 2002: 268). Meanwhile, the main question is that: Can this tool be a scale?This tool, which is the main topic of this article, will be discussed according to a photo about the delegation (Persepolis). To challenge the previous works, I will refer to Indic texts where I will describe some old significant Indian rites.In the photo, a long carrying stick all over the man’s shoulder (with protrusions on both sides), two cheek baskets that hang from the end of each piece of wood, without any fasteners is clearly visible. Moreover, the man’s hands are the most important factor in maintaining this flexible wood attached to heavy baskets on both sides. The powerful Achaemenid craftsman accurately displayed the flexibility of the wood.DiscussionA look at the scale’s forms in the ancient world from the Hellenic borders to Egypt and Iran (Buttner & Renn, 2016: 757) as well as text studies (see next) clearly diminishes belief in that the Indian man is carrying a scale!However, to answer the main question: I should note that this tool can never be a scale as all western and Iranian scholars have been convinced. I would explain it as a bamboostick, the famous native plant of the country (India). This plant can be seen all over India, especially along rivers and valleys. The Indians have widely used (even today in villages) flexible bamboo wood to carry light cargo.In the famous Indian story of Shravan Kumar (Balasokulam, 2005: no. E32), this devoted child takes his blind parents to pilgrimage with a tool exactly like the one depicted in Persepolis, two baskets attached to bamboosticks on the back. “Once upon a time, when king Dashrath ruled, there lived a boy named Shravan Kumar. His parents were old and blind. He had to do all the works for them, since they couldn’t see. One day, Shravan Kumar’s parents expressed their desire to go on pilgrimage. As an obedient son, he wanted to fulfill their wish; but how would he do that? He couldn’t afford any transportation since he did not have money. He found another way. He took a strong bamboostick, tied baskets at its two ends and placed his parents in those baskets…” Furthermore, the bamboostick is mingled with the Hindu beliefs. Krishna normally appears with a flout which is made of bamboo! Sacred Ganga water carries by bamboostick (Kanwar) to Shiva Shrines. In fact, Kanwar (Kanwaryatra) is a genre of religious performances where participants ritually carry water from a holy source in containers suspended on either side of the pole (cf. Singh: 2017, 46). ConclusionThe author believes that the portrait of that Indian tribute/gift bearer in Persepolis is only a reflection of an Indian tradition in which Indians carried their goods in this way. It is strongly believed that the two baskets at the two ends of the stick are the least reason why some scholars have confused it with the scales. In fact, this Indian man, according to his tradition, has brought a gift to the king! The multifunctional bamboostick of Persepolis (Skt. Vaina, Hindi. Behngi and Kanwar (Bihar), probably Sogd. wn, wn’kh (Apte, 2006: 27; Gharib, 2004: 408) were strongly supported by Indic texts and religious rites. In the story of Sravan Kumar, the loyal child took his parents to the pilgrimage by a bamboostick tied to two baskets! Also, Kanwar rite is one of the most important Hinduism beliefs where the bamboostick plays a significant role.A part of religious aspect, flexible bamboostick was controllable by hands and it was accessible and nonecostly in all parts of the country. Also, Indians were skilled to bring things by such bamboosticks. So, the craftsman recorded a detailed Indic tradition in the court of the Achaemenid king, Darius the Great, where this Indian man arrived with a bamboostick and nothing more. The author thinks that the bamboostick’s flexibility is a reason that some scholars mistakenly supposed some heavy things like gold stones (cf. Shahbazi, 2002, 268) can be referred in the boxes (of the baskets).