مجله تاریخ ایران
سال سوم شماره 4 (پیاپی 66، پاییز 1389)

The word “province” and division of province has an ancient background in Iran and this background has caused its related words and concepts to be various and widespread: Satrap (Xašathrapāvan), Kust, Ostān (Province), Valayat, Mamlekat (mamleke), Balad and other toponymical terminology. Research about the types, meaning and diversity of these words is essential in order to understand fully the process of province changes in Iran. Therefore, the main question of this research is to find out what words with what kinds of backgrounds have been used to mean «Ostān (province)». The number of these words and their usages illustrates the fact that by the means of historical etymology of the word “province”, we can interpret the role of the administrative history of Iran and the major factors in utilizing the administrative terminology on a large scale. This research is a descriptive study of the etymological issues in history.

The importance of the historical side of Joveyni’s Jahangoshay, is clear to everybody. Definitely, the main historical reference that indicates the tragedies of Mongol’s invasion to Iran is Jahangoshay. Mentioning the numerous grievous and disastrous events which falls on those days Iranians, impresses the readership in the way that making the author guilty in accuse of assisting Mongols in their oppression.This article is trying to make clear that, the polyhedral language helps Atamalek to do what his masters want and taking side of them and at the same time, saves and records the tragic events of Mongol’s invasion by his cleverness and awarness. He disgraces the black veil of Mongols, meanwhile history narration, by using several tricks. The authors of this article are trying to identify and draw out Joveyni’s anxieties and his criticisms, by subtle studying and classifying under two main subjects: Reports and Methods.

One of the important issues in the history of Iran (in Nasser-al-din Shah Qajar Era) is the opposition between the formation of new knowledge and technology and the preservation of the traditional knowledge and the reaction of the traditional science scholars. Epistemological foundations of a new civilization based on new scientific findings and on empirical methods in natural sciences through translations, with the traditional understanding of science and traditional means any knowledge and inductive method as a method for knowledge discovery was in contrast to the continuation of the Iranian traditional scientific approach. This contrast in various fields of science had occurred due to various aspects of Qajar era: clash between the traditional astronomers named “Monajem -al Dawlah” against the translators of the new science, traditional schools against the Dar-al-Fonun, and, traditional rejection of translation and writing in modern newspapers. These clashes marked a new era in the field of scientific modernity in Iran. Attempts made by social groups in the challenging field of science and ideology in the form of translations of modern science and traditional treatises can be investigated. The opposition between the new and the old astronomy and the new translation in the Nazareth era (18451896- A.C.), has been the subject of the present article. In this study, the content of translated texts on astronomy and the astronomy texts belonging to the dominant discourse of Qajar era will be challenged. In this essay, the historical method is the main method for the research. Based upon the sources published in the subject area, we are in search of the causal relations within historical conditions and we implement the history of ideas approach towards the opponents and the proponents of science and scientific methods.

Since 31 (A.H) that the first Arab conquerors entered Khorasan state until the year 86 (A.H) that Ghotaybah Ibn Muslem Baheli was appointed as the governor on behalf of Hajaj Ibn Yoosef Thaghafi in Khorasan, the Arabs had ruled over the Khorasan, but they did not succeed in ruling over the Oxus. All of the endeavors that have been made up to this period were nothing except one or two short-time attacks by Obaydollah Ibn Ziyad and Saeed Ibn Othman, that even some researchers have some serious doubt about it. Local governments have encompassed (city states) of Takharestan, Choghanian, Bokhara, Samarghand, Kharazm, Chach and Farghaneh with different multi-cultural situations, and religions such as Buddhist, Zoroastrian, Manichean, Nastoari, and Jewish. Head farmers and merchants were the most powerful strata in this society. The main focus of this article—considering the geographic, cultural and social characteristic of Transoxiana—is to determine which military strategy has been applied by the Arabs in the conquest of this area. This research applies the method of historical analysis and is based upon the original and first-hand scripts and documents. The findings of this research prove this important point that Hajaj and Ghotaybeh had different multi-lateral military strategy accompanied by political, social, cultural and economical dimensions; and during one decade of thoughtful politics of Hajaj and also the military power of Ghotaybah they could provide the necessary conditions to stabilize the Islamic sovereignty and the dominance of Muslim Arabs over Transoxiana.

Kurds of Fars and Khuzestan were the most important ethnic groups, residing in the southwest Iran during the early Islamic centuries. This group that had a tribal nomadic life resisted against Muslims throughout the Islamic conquest era and even established an integrated and united community to deny the Muslims’ progress, and prevent the fall of the inner provinces of Iran. The perseverance and stability of their resistance and struggle continued from the beginning of the Muslims’ conquests in Khuzestan and Fars, up to the end of the rule of the Righteous (Rashedun) Caliphs. They even preserved their influence on the socio-political history of the west and southwest Iran throughout the early Islamic centuries. This article, using an analytical approach, aims to explore and explain the role of Fars and Khuzestan Kurds, on the basis of a historical research method, and then raise this question: Why did Fars and Khuzestan Kurds, despite their dissatisfaction with the Sassanid’s class distinctions, resist against the Arabs and what role did they play in the resistance against the Muslims? On the basis of the little information that the sources provide, it is clarified that the Kurds of Fars and Khuzestan Provinces opposed the Muslims for centuries, but gradually gave up, while making a lot of endeavor to maintain their precedent cultural identity as much as possible. The new living conditions and the presence of the new Arab and Iranian rulers under the caliphate imposed upon them a new culture and faith - which were different from the real Islam in some cases.

With the rise of the Safavid in Iran, Sufism and its performance in the Iranian society underwent some changes, especially in the second half of the Safavid period where Sufism lost its former position in the government. After the fall of the Safavid and the short reign of the Afghans and Afsharians, Sufism struggled for political power and social position, and even a place in the society like their previous position. Sufis, in the unstable situation after the fall of the Safavid, continued their efforts. During the last days of the Safavid, scholars came to pay attention to theoretical mysticism, and the result was that the mysticism could survive. This article is to describe the methods of historical research, political science and mysticism in the years 1761 to 1761 AD. Results show that, despite the political activities of Sufis, they were not successful, and this continued in the next period.

This paper aims to shed lights on many petitions that were submitted by women to the first and second Majlis in the early Constitutional period, by referring to four elements of citizenship rights, namely, Equality, Liberty, Security and Property. To do so, the paper has been organized in two separate and simultaneously correlative sections. The first section has been devoted to analyzing the nature and history of citizen and citizenship, and two substantial conclusions have been drawn. The first is that, based on the second article of the Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen from the Constitution of Year I (1793), the rights of Man and Citizen are equality, liberty, security, and property. Second is that the rights of Man and Citizen are extremely indivisible or better to say incapable of being separated and applied to either to Man or to the citizen. In other words, they belong to Man and Citizen at the same time. Drawing upon the issues discussed in the first part of the paper, and highlighting the fact that little research has been done to analyze the content of women’s petitions in terms of citizenship rights, the second part of the paper will analyze the content of these petitions and will demonstrate that, despite the specific content of these petitions – largely centered on financial claims, property disputes, defense of individual and family rights, their form of presentation and in particular the content of these petitions point to their significance in women’s perceptions of their own position as citizens of a new form of government. The paper will conclude with some reflections about the position of women in this period as modern subjects demanding their equal citizenship rights and recognition – an unfinished project.