Pahlevan of Iran (Persian: پهلوان ایران) is a national championship for pahlevani wrestling (koshti pahlavāni) held annually in Iran. Though the competition has ancient roots, its modern form began in 1944.[1][2]
The champion earns the title of Pahlevan and the right to wear the Bazouband (championship armband). Described as "tangled up with the soul of Iranian peoples", the title is athletically and culturally prestigious in Iran.[3] The Pahlevan armband was formerly awarded by the Shah of Iran and is now presented by the president of Iran.[4] Many Pahlevan have gone on to win medals in international competition.
Early Period (651–1450)[5]
- Abu Moslem-e Khorasani
- Yaghub-e Layth
- Arslan Isra'il
- Babak khorramdin
- Asad Kermani
- Abdul Razagh Bashtini
- Shirdel Kohneh Savar
- Mahmood Kharazmi (Pahlavan-e Bozorg), was known as Pouriya-ye Vali
- Mohammad Abol-seyyed Abolkheyr
- Mahmood Malani
- Darvish Mohammad Khorassani
Middle Period (1450–1795)[5]
- Mirza Beyk-e Kashani
- Beyk-e Khorassani
- Hossein-e Kord[citation needed]
- Mir Baqer
- Jalal Yazdi
- Kabir-e Esfahani (Pahlavan-e Bozorg)
- Kalb Ali Aqa Jar
- Haji Yadollah Rezapoori
Pre-Modern period (1795–present)[6]
- Haj Seyyed Hasan Razaz (Pahlavan-e Bozorg), also known as Pahlavan Shoja'at[citation needed]
- Ali Asghar Yazdi
- Haj Reza Qoli Tehrani
- Mohammad Mazar Yazdi
- Shaban Siyah Qomi
- Yazdi Bozrog (Pahlavan-e Bozorg)
- Akbar Khorasani
- Abolqasem Qomi
- Hossein Golzar-e Kermanshahi
- Sadeq-e Qomi
- Mirza Hashem Akbarian Tefaghi, Moblsaz Esfahani[citation needed]
- Yazdi Kuchak (last official Pahlavan of Iran)
- Aziz Khan Rahmani /Kurdistani also known by Sanandaji(Gold Medal in 1945)[citation needed]
List of Modern Pahlevans[1]
| Year | Pahlevan | Hometown | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gregorian | Iranian | ||
| 1944–45 | 1323 | Mostafa Tousi | Khorasan |
| 1945–46 | 1324 | ||
| 1946–47 | 1325 | ||
| 1947–48 | 1326 | Ziaeddin Mirghavami | Tehran |
| 1948–49 | 1327 | Abolghasem Sakhdari | Khorasan |
| 1949–50 | 1328 | Abbas Zandi | Tehran |
| 1950–51 | 1329 | Ahmad Vafadar | Khorasan |
| 1951–52 | 1330 | ||
| 1952–53 | 1331 | ||
| 1953–54 | 1332 | Abbas Zandi | Tehran |
| 1954–55 | 1333 | ||
| 1955–56 | 1334 | ||
| 1956–57 | 1335 | Not Held | |
| 1957–58 | 1336 | Gholamreza Takhti | Tehran |
| 1957–58 | 1337 | ||
| 1957–58 | 1338 | ||
| 1958–59 | 1339 | Not Held | |
| 1959–60 | 1340 | Yaghoub-Ali Shorouzi | Khorasan |
| 1960–61 | 1341 | Mansour Mehdizadeh | Tehran |
| 1342–1343 Not Held | |||
| 1965–66 | 1344 | Mansour Mehdizadeh | Tehran |
| 1345–1353 Not Held | |||
| 1975–76 | 1354 | Reza Soukhteh-Saraei | Mazandaran |
| 1355–1357 Not Held | |||
| 1979–80 | 1358 | Alireza Soleimani | Tehran |
| 1359–1360 Not Held | |||
| 1982–83 | 1361 | Alireza Soleimani | Tehran |
| 1983–84 | 1362 | ||
| 1984–85 | 1363 | Mohammad Hassan Mohebbi | Kermanshah |
| 1985–86 | 1364 | Alireza Soleimani | Tehran |
| 1986–87 | 1365 | ||
| 1987–88 | 1366 | Mohammad Reza Tupchi | |
| 1988–89 | 1367 | Mohammad Hassan Mohebbi | Kermanshah |
| 1989–90 | 1368 | Mohammad Reza Tupchi | Tehran |
| 1990–91 | 1369 | Alireza Soleimani | |
| 1991–92 | 1370 | Majid Ansari | |
| 1992–93 | 1371 | Ayyoub Bani-Nosrat | Azerbaijan |
| 1993–94 | 1372 | ||
| 1994–95 | 1373 | Mahmoud Miran | Tehran |
| 1995–96 | 1374 | ||
| 1996–97 | 1375 | ||
| 1997–98 | 1376 | ||
| 1998–99 | 1377 | Hamid Ghashang | Khorasan |
| 1999–00 | 1378 | ||
| 2000–01 | 1379 | Mahmoud Mohammadi | Tehran |
| 2001–02 | 1380 | Amin Rashidlamir | Khorasan |
| 2002–03 | 1381 | Hamid Ghashang | |
| 2003–04 | 1382 | Abdolreza Kargar | |
| 2004–05 | 1383 | ||
| 2005–06 | 1384 | Not Held | |
| 2006–07 | 1385 | Shahrokh Sedaghatizadeh | Mazandaran |
| 2007–08 | 1386 | Fardin Masoumi | Gilan |
| 2008–09 | 1387 | Amin Rashidlamir | Khorasan |
| 2009–10 | 1388 | Arash Mardani | Lorestan |
| 2010–11 | 1389 | ||
| 2011–12 | 1390 | ||
| 2012–13 | 1391 | Jaber Sadeghzadeh | Mazandaran |
| 2013–14 | 1392 | Ahmad Mirzapoor | Khorasan |
| 2014–15 | 1393 | Parviz Hadi | Azerbaijan |
| 2015–16 | 1394 | Jaber Sadeghzadeh | Mazandaran |
| 2016–17 | 1395 | Jaber Sadeghzadeh | Mazandaran |
In Shahnameh
There are many Pahlevan in the epic poem Shahnameh. But the meaning of Pahlavan in Shahnameh is not only attributed to the wrestler. In Shahnameh, the word Pahlevan is referred to its ancient status as a title of honour granted by Shah of Persia. Pahlavan title was granted by the shah to the candidates whom beside their athletic manner, honesty, righteous were brave warrior; and the hero Rostam was given the title of Jahan Pahlavan (Persian: جهان پهلوان), a title higher than Pahlavan, which most recently is used for Gholamreza Takhti.[7][circular reference][8][circular reference]