Sarbedaran Movement and the Lack of an Epic Narrative about it

The emergence of epic literature like any other literary type has a direct relation with social grounds. The uprising of Sarbedaran (the Union of Iranian Communists) forms one of the most fervent and influential social upheavals in the Iranian history, so that its triumph was followed by a number of other uprisings against despots in the same era. The existence of epic narrative at the time of Sarbedaran Movement, in one hand, and factors such as heroic leaders and the peasants infuriated by the rulers’ oppression, on the other hand, made the movement suitable for epic narrative. However, despite the presence of these elements, there is no epic narrative about it in the history of literature. In this paper, in addition to offering epic grounds and elements of Sarbedaran movement in the reasons for the lack of epic narrative about it has been investigated and analyzed. According to the investigation made in this study, internal factors, such as the disorderly structure of Sarbedaran leadership and the lack of their cultural authenticity, and some other external factors such as the emergence of extended dynasties and superior rulers, which caused this movement to lose its importance, had a role in the lack of epic narrative about this movement.