History of Zahedan

The name was changed to Zahedan by the Iranian Academy of Culture (the Farhangistan), set up during the reign of Reza Shah Pahlavi in the 1930s, which changed a myriad of toponyms in Iran. But the name is not just a neologism. Instead, it is taken from the medieval city of Zaidan, whose ruins stretch for miles on both banks of the lower Helmand river near its inland delta in Iranian Sistan (see, Henry Savage Landor, Across Coveted Lands, London 1902, chapter XXI). Although the imposing ruins of medieval Zaidan(destroyed by Tamerlane in the late 14th century) are tens of miles away from modern Zahidan, somehow it was seen fit to rename Dozdab after this prestigious historic city. A folk etymology maintains, however improbably, that the current name, Zahedan ("Sages," or "pious people" in Persian) was given to the city upon its visit by Reza Shah. The story maintains that upon arrival in the city, the Shah noticed many Sikhs among the inhabitants of the city. By their traditional appearances, the Shah misinterpreted the inhabitants as being devout Muslims. The Sikhs were not many, but occupied in the trade business and therefore highly visible in the city