مجله تاریخ نگری و تاریخ نگاری
سال سی و دوم شماره 30 (پاییز و زمستان 1401)

Abul Ḥasan Ali b. Mohammad b. Ḥabib Basri Māwardī was one of the great Šafi'i jurists in the 4th and 5th Hijri centuries, who occupies an important place in the history of political thought in Islam due to the numerous works he wrote on the subject of politics. “A’lām al-Nubuwwah” is one of Māwardī's surviving works written on the subject of proving the prophethood of the Prophet Mohammad (peace be upon him) by referring to his prophetic signs. Considering the fact that this book is one of the biographical works, and also considering the fact that the historical perspective means the historian's way of historical thinking, the present study attempts to find an answer to the question of what was the historical perspective or Māwardī's historiographical thoughts in “A’lām al-Nubuwwah”, and on the other hand, what was the impact of his theological thoughts on his historiography? The authors arrived at these results through a descriptive-analytical approach and, the use of library sources: Māwardī had a historical insight when he spoke about the miracle-based narratives and also presented the history of Prophet’s (pbuh) life. Despite the theological approach to the issue of miracles, he showed his historical insight by paying attention to historical elements (time-place-situation), showing tolerance in knowing the narrator, paying attention to the possibility of the arrival of news as much as possible, as well as criticism and analysis. His theological approach in discussing the miracles of the Quran and the acceptance of infallibility before prophethood was also similar to that of the Muʻtazila. Due to Ash'ari 's opposition to infallibility before prophethood, his theological approach in this work can be considered similar to that of the Muʻtazilites.

The main question of the present article is what is the beginning of the birth and emergence of the racial reading in the history of Iran. (zero degree) and on the basis of which discourse formulation, this racial reading of history as a comprehensive discourse order in contemporary Iranian historiography (from the Qajar period to the end of Pahlavi II reign), found a discourse definition and became hegemonic, and what results it produced. Akhundzadeh and Kermani, as subjects of the racial reading discourse in Iran, were the first ones who promoted the anti-Arab ideology and by presenting a systematic and systematic analysis of the racial reading, made it a discourse formulation in Iranian historiography. In paleontological language and from the perspective of the analysis of thought systems, the racial thoughts of Akhundzadeh and Kermani in Iranian historiography acted as forces that created their own subjects as discourse systems. Akhundzadeh, Kermani and Jalaluddin Mirza took advantage of the texts of the Azarkivians (Safavid period) as "ideological" texts, in the role of primary carriers and subjects of contemporary, antiquarian and racial discourse. The order of discourse resulting from the racist reading of Iranian romantic nationalists can be found in the works and writings of historians after them, such as Hassan Pirnia, Abbas Iqbal Ashtiani, Saeed Nafisi, Ebrahim Pourdaoud, Zabihullah Safa, Gholamreza Rashid Yasmi, and other historians and intellectuals after Akhundzadeh and Kermani. These historians and intellectuals, as the subjects of this discourse and in the same framework and discourse space of racial reading of Iran's history, in writing their historical works, will definitely dedicate a chapter or an important part of their books to racial discussions with the titles of "Iranian race", "Aryan race" ", Khoon Irani and... have been dedicated, which clearly shows the determination of the discursive order of racial reading in Iranian historiography. This racial historiography and reading with the sanctification and empathetic emphasis on the "Sasanian" dynasty as a utopia was connected with the racist and antiquarian discourse and found a discourse determination and became hegemonic in the historiography of contemporary Iran. As a result of speech systems resulting from Nejadi's reading of Iranian history, the theoretical grounds for "blaming" Iranians (specifically Arabs) and "considering them the cause of all the misfortunes of Iranians" were provided.

This article analyzes how the epic concepts of the Shahnameh of Ferdowsi are reflected in the depiction of the power of the Mongols and the Iranians in the Shahnameh of Changizi.The differences and distinctions in the portrayal of the power of these two groups in the Shahnameh of Changizi are presented using analytical and comparative methods. In this method, the descriptions of  the appearance and characteristics of the Mongols and Iranians in the Shahnameh are first discussed and then the differences in the behavior, actions, and use of power between these two groups are analyzed and compared. The results of this analysis show that the Shahnameh of Changizi presents portrays significant differences in the power dynamics between the Mongols and the Iranians. The Mongols are portrayed as a conquering and warlike power, while the Iranians are portrayed as a conservative and traditional power. Furthermore, cultural foundations play an important role in the portrayal of power between these two groups and emphasize the cultural differences in their power dynamics.

Monsha'at as one of the historical documentary sources has valuable content on various aspects of Iranian society. As it goes from the previous centuries to the later centuries, Monsha'at has gained importance and a high position among the Literati and Historians. Unfortunately, historians have paid little attention to them due to reasons such as their lack of widespread publication, the difficulty of their handwriting, the belief in the grand narrative of the superiority of their educational aspect, etc. Monsha'at research has not been seriously considered so far. This article, using the approach of Monsha'at research with the method of thematic analysis, aims to show the place and importance of Monsha'at and Tarassul of Moinuddin Mohammad Zamji-Esfazari, one of the 9th century actuaries (monshi) at the court of Sultan Hossein Bayqara. The calligrapher's  position has led to his creations being diverse and unique in terms of letters and content. He has created a new type of historical documentation by combining the text script (Tarasul) and the epistle(Rogea) with the Mushat script, which is unprecedented in the eyes of his predecessors. By incorporating Sultani, Diwani and Ikhwani documents, Zamji-Esfazari's work has taken a step from the educational approach to creating a documentary text with minimal omissions.

The main claim of the present essay is that the most important scientific responsibility of historians, whether ancient or modern, is to provide a thick description of important events related to the human past. Some critics of this assertion have criticized it and raised objections to it; For example, the traditional, chronistic and positivist approach is promoted in the study of history. An approach that is no longer acceptable. promoting the double false stereotype of "description or analysis"; denying the use of methods and theories in historical research, promoting a neutral and indifferent approach to the current issues of human societies (theory of history for history) and...In this essay, the author attempts to provide an appropriate response to these criticisms in addition to further explaining his claim, in order to take a step towards greater understanding among historians about the nature and main function of historiography. The author emphasizes that defending the main function of knowledge and the field of history is an attempt to prevent the decline and decay of this academic field within other areas of humanities and social sciences, especially the general sciences of sociology and politics. The way out of this critical situation is therefore to emphasize dense description as the most important disciplinary task of historians.

In the last decade of the twentieth century, the local historiography of the northwestern regions of Iran was confronted with challenges arising from the establishment of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the resulting process of identity formation through divergent historical narratives about a millennia-long shared past with Iran. These challenges were mainly influenced by scholarly works originating from the Republic of Azerbaijan. The Republic of Azerbaijan, as an autonomous nation with historical, linguistic, and cultural ties to the northwestern territories of Iran, serves as a point of departure for examining the impact of its formation and official historiography on the historiographical landscape of the Turkish-speaking provinces of northwestern Iran. This study seeks to explore how the emergence of this sovereign state and its historical narratives have shaped and influenced the local historiography of these provinces. It is evident that the establishment of the Republic of Azerbaijan and its sanctioned historiography have exerted both overt and nuanced influences on the construction of national identity through a specific rendition of history and its associated elements. These elements encompass a diverse range of themes, including the etymology and historical evolution of the term "Azerbaijan," demarcation of territorial boundaries, discussions of North and South Azerbaijan, examinations of ancient Turkish presence and governance in the region, promotion of the Turkish language, analyses of political trajectories within the Republic of Azerbaijan and their attendant controversies, as well as a broader exploration of Turkish influence on local historiography in Turkish-speaking provinces.

This article uses a quantitative content analysis of fifth grade elementary school and third grade of middle school textbooks from the 1370s/1990s and 1380s/2000s in an attemp to show the contribution of the environment and its protection in textbooks and subsequently in formal education. In addition, this article tries to find out what factors influenced the thinking of curriculum planners and textbook authors. The results of the study show that only two percent of the total text content of the books deals with environmental protection. Of the threefold levels of knowledge, attitude and skills in these books, 78% are at the knowledge level. Furthermore, the largest amount of environmental data is found in books such as Geography, Experimental Science and Technology & Occupation. This could be an indication of the dominance of experimental thinking in the eyes of curriculum designers in the field of environmental education. However, it seems that in the 1380s, the textbooks paid more attention to the level of attitude, so that it increased from 2% in the 1370s to 4% in the 1380s. Moreover, in the 1380s, the dominance of experimental thinking seems to have decreased and environmentalism was included in non-experimental books such as Farsi and religious teachings. In addition, in the 1380s, textbooks paid more attention to pollution and the impact of polluting human activities on the environment than in the previous two decades.

The problem of current research is what is the meaning and relationship of time and place in the ancient Iranian historical perspective. What is meant here from Iranian historical perspective is a theoretical model and a discursive articulation consisting of a series of elements and concepts that emerged in the political and cultural contexts of the Mazdai-Sassanian period and were reproduced in later periods. The concept of time and place in the ancient Iranian historical perspective can be discussed on two levels: the socio-political and the theological-mythological. The socio-political level of time and place in Iranian historical perspective lies on the theological-mythological level. The theological-mythological level, which focuses on the struggle between good and evil, has a linear form. While the socio-political level of the concept of time and place is formed within a circular understanding of existence and society, and is based on the rise and fall of kingdoms, it has a cyclical and repetitive state. According to the results of this study, in the ancient Iranian historical perspective, the king is placed in the center and middle link of historical and transhistorical times and places. In this historical perspective, the socio-political level of time and place is located along the theological-mythological level, and around the status and order of the kingdom. Likewise, the collapse of the royal order causes the disconnection of the aforementioned historical and transhistorical times and places.

From the classical era until the 19th century, Iranian literary texts occasionally served as a source of inspiration in the Ottoman Empire. One such example is Zahâk, a myth from Ferdowsi’s Shâhnâmeh, which was used to criticize the political situation in the Ottoman Empire. As Ottoman thinkers became familiar with the intellectual works of the West and the political structure of Europe, they began to criticize the governance of their declining empire. The prominent writer Şemseddin Sami, for instance, protested against despotism in various works, including plays such as Kāveh. This play not only exemplifies modern literature but also serves as a critical work by a Turkish thinker, expressing political issues in literary language. In Iran, Kâveh was translated by Mirzâ Ebrâhimkhan Amir Toumân as Zahâk, aiming to convey a different political context. This essay, inspired by “New Historicism” as a functional approach, illuminates the intended concepts of both the author and the Iranian translator. It reveals that both Iran and the Ottoman Empire had similar political experiences. Moreover, it shows that both the writer and the translator were aware of political despotism as a problem in their “homeland”. However, the political situation in Iran appears to be more complex. Understanding the political structure and the distinct experiences of monarchy in these contexts simplifies the question: why was Kâveh translated as Zahâk in Iran? Additionally, this play reflects social issues in Kâveh’s life, which adds another dimension to the work.

Based on historical and contemporary maps as well as historical and geographical Greek, Latin, Arabic and Persian texts, the name "Persia" has been used throughout history to refer to the  southern sea of Iran. In the early sixties of the 20th century, however, the name "Arab" was officially replaced by the name "Persia" by Arab politicians. After this event, Arab historians presented historical, geographical, linguistic and ethnic evidence and arguments to make the name appear authentic and documented. In contrast, Iranian historians have listed countless historical evidence for the use of the name “Persia” for this sea in Greek, Latin, Persian, European and especially Arabic sources. As for the use of historical references and propositions in these researches, in the present study, the researchers attempt to validate Iranian and Arab historians’ arguments and opinions by comparison with historical propositions while examining and classifying their opinions regarding the original and correct name of this sea. The findings of this research show that the purpose of Iranian and Arab researchers in referring to historical sources were not to identify and investigate the name(s) of this sea throughout history, but to prove the authenticity and originality of their own name and to show the inaccuracy of the other party's name; Therefore, if they see evidence and historical propositions that contradict their claims, they turn to distort, make excuses and ignore them, and their research has an ideological aspect.

The establishment of the Mongol Empire, the largest contiguous empire in history, had a profound impact on the conquered regions and marked the end of a historical era for many of them. Modern studies of the Mongol Empire look at it from conflicting perspectives including history, politics, culture, and the Mongols' impact on the conquered world. Since the study of the Mongol Empire spans three centuries, there are different approaches and methods to examine it. This historiographical study places the research on the Mongol Empire in the historical and political context of the period in which it was written, and articulates the methodological and intellectual developments that have been applied to the historical study of the empire. The findings show that since the first historical works in the 18th century, the main interpretation has been an uncritical narrative of Mongol savagery combined with the idea of the enlightened ruler. The Soviet Marxist historiography of the, 20th century, on the other hand, focused on class relations and Mongol social evolution. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, new works in Britain and America examined global exchange, cultural/economic integration and the emergence of international trade under Mongol rule and rejected the earlier interpretations of Mongol destruction. This historiographical article evaluates and critically formulates the approaches and methods used to study the Mongol Empire over three centuries using a descriptive-analytical approach and a chronological sequence.

The production of Shahnamah manuscripts during the Ilkhani period was a political endeavor. The kings understood that one way to ensure the survival of the monarchy was to emulate the example of the Pīshdādīan and Kayāniān dynasties in the Persian national epic. Therefore, Persian artists, aligned their work with the political agenda when illustrating the Shahnamah manuscripts. In all manuscripts produced before the Shahnamah of Shah Tahmasp was written, the story of Kaykāvus was illustrated in the same way. In this Shahnamah, however, Kaykāvus's face was depicted in black for the first time. According to historical sources, the Shahnamah of Shah Tahmasp was presented as a gift to the Ottoman court. These points raise the following questions: What inference from the Persian national epic led to the depiction of Kaykāvus with a blackened face? What was the relationship between this interpretation and the behavior of the Ottoman regime? What messages did the Safavid court convey by presenting this Shahnamah to the Ottoman court? This article demonstrates that Persian-Turkish symbols evolved into Turkish-Turkish symbols during the Timurid period. During the Safavid period, Shah Ismail I (Safavid king, 1487-1524) and Sultan Selim I (Ottoman king, 1470-1520) attempted to appropriate the symbols of the Persian national epic as non-Persian/Persian symbols. Therefore, Iranian painters, familiar with the possibilities of deviation from the text, expressed the Safavids' objection to the warlike spirit of the Ottomans by portraying Kaykāvus with a black face.