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ArchivesRe: Satrapi
in reply to a message by The LP
I think that this explanation is correct, but would add a note of caution.
The word 'satrap' is ancient Persian. The Iranians only adopted surnames in 1929 at the decree of the founder of the Pahlavi dynasty, Reza Shah. This ruler wanted to eradicate the Arabic influence (via Islam) in the country and emphasise the Persian origins of the nation. One way in which this was done was to discourage surnames based on the Arabic language and encourage names harking back to ancient Persia.
Though most Iranians stuck to the mainly Arabic Muslim names, some of the rising middle classes went along with the Persian idea. Needless to say most of these names would have been meaningless as far as family origins were concerned. An example is that of of the Shah himself. His adopted surname is said to mean 'descendant of Parthians' (an ancient Iranic people).
The name Satrapi, suggesting descent from a satrap, was probably adopted to hint at high status for the family which it was impossible to prove or disprove.
The word 'satrap' is ancient Persian. The Iranians only adopted surnames in 1929 at the decree of the founder of the Pahlavi dynasty, Reza Shah. This ruler wanted to eradicate the Arabic influence (via Islam) in the country and emphasise the Persian origins of the nation. One way in which this was done was to discourage surnames based on the Arabic language and encourage names harking back to ancient Persia.
Though most Iranians stuck to the mainly Arabic Muslim names, some of the rising middle classes went along with the Persian idea. Needless to say most of these names would have been meaningless as far as family origins were concerned. An example is that of of the Shah himself. His adopted surname is said to mean 'descendant of Parthians' (an ancient Iranic people).
The name Satrapi, suggesting descent from a satrap, was probably adopted to hint at high status for the family which it was impossible to prove or disprove.
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