Narration of the Cultural and Social History of the Qajar Period Based on the Folk Poems of that Era

Cultural history is an interdisciplinary approach that seeks to interact with the two main fields of the humanities, i.e. history and culture. Cultural history is a thriving branch that has expanded since the 1970s. In fact, it can be said that cultural history is formed in the context of a set of discourse developments in the field of history, social theory and the concept of culture. Research in the field of cultural history of Iran is more difficult than the other fields of study due to the dispersion of the sources and scarcity of the information. The approach of folk literature is a way to recreate the events of cultural history because of its connection with the people's lives and the breadth of its territory and the richness of its social themes. Folk poetry, as one of the important pillars of popular literature, reflects various manifestations of the material and spiritual life of the individuals in society, and therefore has a special place in the study of cultural history. Given this position, the present article, by analyzing the themes and contents of some folk poems of the Qajar era, examines the contribution of these poems in reflecting the levels of thought, ideas and various aspects of social life of the people of that time. The findings of this study indicate the capacity of folk poetry in the Qajar period to recreate events, narrate the neglected aspects of cultural and social life as well as the lifestyle of the people. They also represent the traditional and religious ideas and critical protest actions in the Qajar society.