Contradiction Between Religion and Modernity in the Thinking of Secular Intellectuals of Constitutional Revolution Era: Comparison of Akhoundzadeh with Malkam khan

In Qajar era and on the eve of the constitutional revolution، we see extensive communications between Iran and the West on the one hand، and emergence of a new social group challenging the clergy، on the other hand. This group consisted of intellectuals who had an important role in introduction of reform thoughts and promoting constitutional revolution in Iranian society. In this article، modernity and its historical background will be reviewed firstly، and then، the standpoints of two prominent secular intellectuals of the time - Mirza FathAli Akhoundzadeh and Mirza Malkam khan Nazemoldowleh - towards modernity and religion will be analyzed.