Portrayal of Iranian Identity in the Literary Works of the Islamic Era (A Glance at the Issue of Identity in the BooksTwo Centuries of Silence and Mutual Service of Islam and Iran)

Recognizing national identity of a people through their artistic and literary works is among the most significant issues in the fields of culture and literature. The advent of Islam into Iran changed the old elements of its identity under the influence of new political and ideological atmosphere; with the dominance of the Abbasid and Umayyad dynasties, there appeared ups and downs between Iranians and the Arabs. Part of the ancient structure of Iranian identity totally disappeared, and other parts were transformed extensively. Since poetry, literature, and history of every age serves as the image of that age, this descriptive-analytical study, with the help of two valuable works i.e. "Two Centuries of Silence" by Zarrinkub and "Mutual Service of Islam and Iran” by Motahari, indicates some of the changes in the components of the historical identity of Iran during the first centuries of the Islamic Caliphate and the Abbasid era.