Modern Governmentality and Islamic sharia in the political thought of Talibov Tabrizi; Background and texture

With the idea of reform in Qajar Iran following the confrontation with modernity, many intellectuals in their works theorized about the need for change in the principles of government. By observing the principles and foundations of Western government and comparing it with Iran, they tried to evaluate the structure and context of modern government and implement it in Iran. One of the intellectuals of the Qajar era is Talibov Tabrizi, who, observing the Western regime, thought of following its example for Iran. In his works, he refers to the foundations of modern Western government and the reasons for Iran's backwardness and the way out of it. Relying on Foucault's theory of Governmentality and using the analysis of the original text of Talibov's works, this study seeks to answer the question of what is the basis and context of modern Governmentality in Talibov's thought. The conclusion of the present article is that Talibov considered the reasons for Iran's backwardness in the inefficiency of the government, so he sought to acquire Western civilization by preserving Islamic tradition and law in the form of the idea of a modern state.