One Civilization and Two Interpretations: Rereading Two Works by Abdulḥusayn Zarrinkub: Du Qarn Sukut and Karnami-yi Islam

Islamic historiography has been full of ups and downs, and has been affected by many social and historical parameters, to such an extent that some of these parameters, in the same way as a historical discourse, have created a historiographical era. Abdulḥusayn
Zarrinkub’s works on the history of Iran at first centuries of Islamic period were of great importance and authority in academies in Iran. Du Qarn Sukut, written in thirties (Persian calendar), his most famous work, presents a different account in comparison with Karnami-yi Islam, written in fifties. In his first account, Zarrinkub attacks the achievements of Islamic civilization in two first centuries, and considers Arab conquest as the reason of Persian’s misfortune; while in his second account, admires this civilization, and considers this encounter as a reason for flourishing and fruitfulness of both civilizations. This article tries to compare these two accounts of Islamic civilization, and examine the aforementioned contradiction hermeneutically.