Pahlevan of Iran () 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.
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. The Pahlevan armband was formerly awarded by the Shah of Iran and is now presented by the president of Iran. Many Pahlevan have gone on to win medals in international competition.
Early Period (651–1450) Source: 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) Source: Mirza Beyk-e Kashani Beyk-e Khorassani Hossein-e Kord Mir Baqer Jalal Yazdi Kabir-e Esfahani (Pahlavan-e Bozorg) Kalb Ali Aqa Jar Haji Yadollah Rezapoori
Pre-Modern period (1795–present) Source: Haj Seyyed Hasan Razaz (Pahlavan-e Bozorg), also known as Pahlavan Shoja'at 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 Yazdi Kuchak (last official Pahlavan of Iran) Aziz Khan Rahmani /Kurdistani also known by Sanandaji(Gold Medal in 1945)
List of Modern Pahlevans Year PahlevanHometownGregorianIranian 1944–451323 Mostafa TousiKhorasan1945–4613241946–4713251947–481326Ziaeddin MirghavamiTehran1948–491327Abolghasem SakhdariKhorasan1949–501328Abbas ZandiTehran1950–511329Ahmad VafadarKhorasan1951–5213301952–5313311953–541332Abbas ZandiTehran1954–5513331955–5613341956–571335 Not Held1957–581336Gholamreza TakhtiTehran1957–5813371957–5813381958–591339 Not Held1959–601340Yaghoub-Ali ShorouziKhorasan1960–611341Mansour MehdizadehTehran1342–1343 Not Held1965–661344Mansour MehdizadehTehran1345–1353 Not Held1975–761354Reza Soukhteh-SaraeiMazandaran1355–1357 Not Held1979–801358Alireza SoleimaniTehran1359–1360 Not Held1982–831361Alireza SoleimaniTehran1983–8413621984–851363Mohammad Hassan MohebbiKermanshah1985–861364Alireza SoleimaniTehran1986–8713651987–881366Mohammad Reza Tupchi1988–891367Mohammad Hassan MohebbiKermanshah1989–901368Mohammad Reza TupchiTehran1990–911369Alireza Soleimani1991–921370Majid Ansari1992–931371Ayyoub Bani-NosratAzerbaijan1993–9413721994–951373Mahmoud MiranTehran1995–9613741996–9713751997–9813761998–991377Hamid GhashangKhorasan1999–0013782000–011379 Mahmoud MohammadiTehran2001–021380Amin RashidlamirKhorasan2002–031381Hamid Ghashang2003–041382Abdolreza Kargar2004–0513832005–061384 Not Held2006–071385Shahrokh SedaghatizadehMazandaran2007–081386Fardin MasoumiGilan2008–091387Amin RashidlamirKhorasan2009–101388Arash MardaniLorestan2010–1113892011–1213902012–131391Jaber SadeghzadehMazandaran2013–141392Ahmad MirzapoorKhorasan2014–151393Parviz HadiAzerbaijan2015–161394Jaber SadeghzadehMazandaran2016–171395Jaber SadeghzadehMazandaran
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 (), a title higher than Pahlavan, which most recently is used for Gholamreza Takhti.
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