Expert Explains | Historical arc of Iran-India ties, their significance in a changing West Asia

Among the clearest reflections of a shared Indo-Iranian heritage are commonalities in the Rig Veda and the Avesta (the religious text of Zoroastrianism), and the Persian language, which became the vehicle of administration, literature and high culture in medieval India.

The linguistic affinities between Sanskrit and Avestan reveal a common Indo-Iranian ancestry. Words associated with agriculture, geography, ritual, and religion demonstrate remarkable similarities. The Vedic asura corresponds to the Iranian ahura, soma becomes haoma, yajna becomes yasna, and figures such as Mitra, Yama and Varuna possess close Iranian counterparts. Archaeological evidence from Iran, Baluchistan and the north-western regions of the subcontinent further points towards ancient interactions and shared cultural horizons.

Historical contacts became more visible during the Achaemenid period (550-330 BCE). Gandhara and Sind formed part of the empire of Darius, whose inscriptions mention these regions among his possessions. Indian soldiers served in Persian armies, while trade linked the subcontinent with Iran and beyond.

Scholars have long argued that aspects of Mauryan imperial art and architecture, including the use of polished stone pillars and monumental forms, reveal the influence of Achaemenid traditions. Thus, from the earliest historical period, India and Iran were connected through political, commercial and artistic exchanges.

Firmer links in medieval period

The medieval period witnessed an even deeper integration. The establishment of the Delhi Sultanate and the Mughal Empire brought India into close contact with the Persianate world, stretching from Anatolia to Central Asia. Persian emerged as the language of governance, diplomacy, and intellectual life. It was not merely an imported language but became an Indian language as well, used by Hindus and Muslims alike in administration, literature, and scholarship.

Iranian influence was particularly significant in architecture and urban culture. The arch, dome, aiwan, pishtaq and charbagh garden entered India through Iranian and Central Asian channels and were creatively synthesised with indigenous traditions. The result was not imitation but innovation. Humayun’s Tomb in Delhi, Fatehpur Sikri, the gardens of Kashmir, the monuments of Agra and ultimately the Taj Mahal all reflect this remarkable fusion. What emerged was a distinctly Indian architectural language enriched by Iranian inspiration.

Char Bagh with its main entrance, as seen from the top of Humayun’s Tomb. (Wikimedia Commons)

Equally important was the migration of people. From the 16th century onwards, thousands of Iranian scholars, administrators, poets, physicians, artists and merchants migrated to India. They became participants in a cosmopolitan world where talent could find patronage.

Men such as Qazi Nurullah Shustari, Shah Fathullah Shirazi, Hakim Abul Fath Gilani and numerous others played important roles in the intellectual and administrative life of the Mughal Empire. Iranian painters helped establish the Mughal atelier, while merchants linked the Indian economy with commercial networks stretching from Isfahan to the Mediterranean.

This migration profoundly transformed Indian society. Persian became the lingua franca of the elite, while Indo-Persian literature emerged as one of the great intellectual traditions of the early modern world. The Mughal Empire itself became a meeting ground for Indians, Iranians, Central Asians, Arabs, Africans and Europeans. It was this cosmopolitan environment that produced many of the cultural achievements now associated with India’s medieval past.

Continuity in modern day

The modern relationship inherited this legacy. After Independence, India and Iran maintained generally cordial ties despite belonging to different geopolitical blocs. Iran remained an important supplier of energy, while India viewed Iran as a gateway to Afghanistan and Central Asia. More recently, the Chabahar Port project symbolised this convergence of interests and represented one of the most important strategic partnerships in India’s neighbourhood.

For this reason, many analysts view what they see as a recent cooling of relations with concern. Iran is not simply another country in West Asia; it is a civilisation that has contributed significantly to the making of India itself. Its language shaped Indian literature and administration, its scholars enriched Indian intellectual life, its artists and architects helped create some of India’s greatest monuments, and its merchants linked India to the wider world.

The challenge before India today, as a major power, is to engage all significant actors while preserving the strategic autonomy and diplomatic balance that historically distinguished Indian foreign policy.

The history of Indo-Iranian relations demonstrates that the two societies have been connected for more than three millennia. The future of Indo-Iranian relations should, therefore, be guided not only by immediate strategic calculations but also by an appreciation of the deep historical bonds that have long linked these two great Asian civilisations.

The author teaches medieval Indian history at the Department of History, Aligarh Muslim University.