فصلنامه مطالعات تاریخ فرهنگی
پیاپی 22 (زمستان 1393)

The aim of this research is to study the knowledge of Christian world from Mani and his religion. Manichaeism has been one of the most important issues of writing refutation amongst Christian discoursers and those refutations had been the sources for modern studies about Manichaeism for years. This issue not only rises from the lack of primary sources but also had a discursive side. From the primary Christian discoursers’ point of view، Manichaeism have “Other” function، the “Other” which should be boycotted in order to determine the border between the Christianity and non- Christianity. This tradition of making other had influenced the modern Manichaeism studies and the relation of Manichaeism with Christianity، Iranian thought and even Gnosis had been interpreted under this influence for many years. Discovery and publication of Manichaeism primary sources had disproved old speculations. New evidences show that Manichaeism contrary to what had been introduced before had alliance with Christianity. In fact، Mani maintained an authentic narration of Christianity and it eminent that Manichaeism emerged in the period that there is no ecclesiastical official narration of Christianity that had presented by Christian discoursers yet. This study show that Manichaeism as a new religion، had root in Christian tradition and contrary to conventional conceptions، it can not be assigned as an Iranian religion.

A review of relic narrations of different historical periods، further that prevailing theoretical approaches in the issue of identity، can be beneficent in determination of Iranian identity in historical period. Recognition of the Iranian identity position in the thought of Ibn Balkhi during Seljuq era and its influence of ideal identity in his attitude in narration of events and writing of Farsnameh، is the subject of this research. The main question of this article is how Ibn Balkhi''s approach towards Iranian identity can be described and which elements had influenced the reflection of Iranian identity in Farsnameh? A review of four considerable constitutional elements of Iranian identity in Farsnameh reveals that Ibn Balkhi is a Muslim with an Iranian culture and assigns a historical identity for Iranians. The enduring extensive permeation of renaissance era of Iranian – Islamic culture in society، attitude towards social spirit، attention to narrations inspired by common culture and noticing the issue of Fars، old and glorious center of ancient rules، have influenced Ibn Balkhi’s attention to subjective and objective elements of Iranian identity.

Since the acquaintance of Iranians with the West during Qajar period، Freedom has been used as a conventional concept with a specific meaning and definition which was different from what had been in the past. In this meaning، Qajar intellectuals especially those from Naser al-din Shah’ era had justly distribution in importing and adjusting this concept with the Islamic- Iranian culture. This research tries to analyze the concept of Freedom in the works of Western intellectuals، while studies the way in which this concept had been transferred to Iran، its definition and the efforts of Iranian intellectuals for adjusting this concept with the culture of Iranian society، and reveals that the emergence of proselytism thought and concepts such as the concept of Freedom during constitutional era. This article shows that the concept of Freedom in constitutional era had remarkable background in Iran and Islam and Iranian intellectuals tried to present a definition correspond with Iranian society through familiar capacities and belongings. Therefore، Freedom in Western intellectual point of view have specific background and concept in Iranian- Islamic culture and has the capacity of practicality in its various kinds such as freedom of Speech، belief and writing. Hence it emergence has not been instantaneous.

Each historical narration and text is a social construction، which denotes the cultural position of its historian. Therefore، historical concept can be studied by examination of the structure of narration from the past. This article has chosen the character of Ibn Muqaffa in the narration of historians from the Pahlavid era as a case study and a base for studying the historical context of aforementioned period. Therefore، this article used semanalysis discursive approach، which studies the relation between implicated meaning in the linguistic system of narration and its context. Critical review of Pahlavid historian'' narration shows that romantic nationalist cultural position in its cultural originalism type had influenced on them to have an originalist image from the Iranian identity. This image led the Pahlavid era'' historiography towards choosing especial subjects and characters and invention of their relation with them and nationalistic construction of Islamic history. The discourse on «imperious modernity» and «nation making of modern state» in Pahlavid era which searched for the concept of modernity in history of Iran، was the source of this reconstruction of the past. It is on this basis that in historiography narration of Pahlavid era، the character of Ibn Muqaffa، is distinguish as a Pan-Iranist، patriot and anti-Arab who is the retainer or mental heritage of ancient Iran and the Perisan language (Farsi).

This article tries to answer this question that why did Shriati emphasize more on myth that history. Propounding this question، the article studies the concept and meaning of myth and its various definitions and considers the myth in positive theories framework of Ernst Cassirer in Shariati''s thought. Cassirer has assigned myth as a definite form of experience and specific practice for giving objectivity to the world. The result is that Shariati who had an acquaintance with the positive aspects of myth and its imaginary and perceptual side usage in provoking the social action، placed it as a history that should happened but didn''t، in front of actual history and attached more reality to myth that history.

Vakil bathhouse in Shiraz is amongst Zand monuments that have built under direct supervision of Karim Khan Zand. This bathhouse is amongst the most remarkable and splendid monuments of Zand era in its massiveness and architecture techniques and decorative ornaments and designs. Most researches about Vakil bathhouse had focused on the archeological، architectural and restoration program aspects. Therefore، the present article studies decorative ornaments and designs if this historical monument. Questions of this article are as follows: How did these decorative ornaments and designs have formed and where did they have adopted? What is the relation between these decorative images and designs with the culture and beliefs of common people? Moreover، which are the contents that used by artist of this era in this decorative ornaments and designs? This research shows that the origin of the decorative elements of this bathhouse is a composition of Iranian-Islamic elements from the ancient until the Safavid era. In fact، Karim Khan''s interest in revival of Iranian past by artists as mythological، epic and religious concepts that had roots in common belief had influenced on the formation and creation of these elements.