فصلنامه مطالعات تاریخ فرهنگی
پیاپی 64 (تابستان 1404)

the present study aims to present a critical analysis of the discourse in fifth-grade (1962 edition) and sixth-grade (1966 edition) history textbooks during the Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi era. The theoretical framework of this research includes Ruth Wodak's ‘Discourse-Historical Approach,’ which, by emphasizing the discursive dimensions of power, ideology, collective memory, and historical representation, examines the processes of legitimation, exclusion, and identity formation in official educational texts. In this study, the fifth and sixth-grade history textbooks were analyzed as the primary discursive sources of the educational system during the Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi era. The findings indicate that the educational system of this period employed strategies such as mythologizing ancient kings, eliminating and disparaging the Qajar era, heroizing the Pahlavi dynasty, and emphasizing concepts like "Iranian civilization," "national authority," and "state modernity" to produce a historical memory that served to consolidate the political and cultural legitimacy of the Pahlavi monarchy. From the perspective of Wodak's theory, this process utilized tools such as value-laden vocabulary, one-sided narratives, intertextual repetition, and emotional imagery to shape the dominant historical discourse. This article seeks to provide a basis for analyzing the politics of memory and ideological history education through a critical rereading of these texts.

The present study examines the formation and evolution of the Ottoman Red Crescent Society, the first example of the Red Crescent in the world, and its role in war, social relief, and natural disaster management. The main question of the study is how the political and social conditions of the Ottoman Constitutional period and the wars in the second half of the 19th century influenced the formation, growth, and activities of the Red Crescent. The Ottoman Red Crescent was an institution based on Islamic tradition, formed in response to the establishment of the European Red Cross, and it developed its activities in battlefields and relief efforts. The research method in the present study was historical, and data were collected through library research, including written sources, archival documents, and related materials in Turkey. Findings show that during the first fifty years of its activity, the Ottoman Red Crescent experienced significant growth despite the political pressures of Sultan Abdul Hamid II's autocratic period. The continuous presence of this institution in battlefields led to the evolution of its organizational structure, diversification of financial resources, and increased experience in providing relief services. In addition to wartime activities, the Red Crescent played an important role in responding to natural and human-made disasters such as fires, earthquakes, floods, and diseases, and its performance significantly influenced public opinion in the Islamic world. This influence paved the way for the formation of similar organizations in other Islamic countries.

This study adopts a cultural-historical approach and employs the method of cultural discourse analysis to examine Mosaavaat newspaper, edited by Mohammad Reza Mosaavaat (1264–1304 AH), as one of the most radical publications of the Constitutional Era. The primary research question addressed in the present study is how this newspaper contributed to shaping and reflecting the cultural and political discourse of the Constitutional Movement. The study aims to analyze such key concepts as freedom, justice, nation, and national independence within Mosaavaat’s discourse, and to investigate the linguistic and cultural strategies used to represent them. Mosaavaat was published in 31 issues between 1286 and 1288 SH, with 25 issues in Tehran and a final six in Tabriz. The findings indicate that while defending the principles of the Constitution, Mosaavaat employed a bold and popular language in criticizing despotism, opposing clerics, and foreign influence, and contributed to the semantic reconstruction of modern concepts in Iranian society by emphasizing the connection between the nation and the state. By addressing issues such as women’s education, the status of minorities, social ethics, and national independence, this newspaper became a cornerstone in the formation of Constitutional culture. Therefore, Mosaavaat functioned not merely as a political medium but as a cultural text reflecting Iran’s identity and discursive transformations on the threshold of modernity.

The musical treatise of Amir Khan Kokabi Gorji, a court musician and instrumentalist during the reign of Shah Sultan Hoseyn Safavi, represents one of the last major works on music composed in the Safavid era and reflects the earliest stages of Iran’s transition from the modal (Maqām) system to the emerging Dastgāh framework. The treatise consists of an extensive preface and two main sections: the first, comprising fifteen chapters, addresses theoretical aspects of music, while the second is devoted primarily to rhythmic cycles (buḥūr al-uṣūl), metric patterns, and compositions authored by Amir Khan and his contemporaries. This study aims to analyze the content of the treatise and to assess its place within the continuity of Iranian musical treatise-writing tradition by undertaking a comparative examination with two preceding seminal texts—Bahjat al-Rūh by ‘Abd al-Mu’min ibn Safi al-Din and the treatise of ‘Abd al-Rahman ibn Sayf Ghaznavi. Employing a descriptive–analytical method, codicological and textual data from the manuscripts were collected and systematically analyzed through comparison of chapters and theoretical structures. The findings indicate that Amir Khan, drawing on the theoretical foundations of ‘Abd al-Qadir Maraghi and influenced by the aforementioned treatises, articulated a more coherent yet simplified version of Safavid theoretical music. His emphasis on concepts such as ‘bāng’, ‘shudūd’ (modal transpositions), ‘buḥūr al-uṣūl,’ and especially ‘gūsheh’ demonstrates both his awareness of contemporary musical transformations and his intellectual connection to the later Dastgāh tradition. In comparison with the works of Safi al-Din and Ghaznavi, Amir Khan’s rational organization of chapters and reduction of extra-musical elements reveal a stronger inclination toward empirical analysis of music. Consequently, Amir Khan Kokabi Gorji’s treatise may be regarded as a crucial link between the Safavid-era modal tradition and the post-Safavid Dastgāh system—an important document that, while reflecting the decline of the Safavid court, simultaneously attests to the enduring intellectual and aesthetic vitality of Iranian music in the twelfth century AH (18th century CE).

The Qajar period should be considered as one of the most significant and innovative eras in the history of Iranian art, an age in which traditional artistic heritage and emerging modern currents converged. The tile paintings of this period not only show the aesthetic taste and technical mastery of artists but also serve as a medium for reflecting literary themes and narrative traditions. Among the diverse themes used, romantic and mystical narratives have a particularly prominent position. Ali Muhammad Isfahani, one of the most distinguished artists and tilemakers in this era, utilized his expertise in painting and tilework to produce works that harmoniously integrate khatayi and eslimi patterns and Persian miniature painting. Accordingly, this study seeks to address two primary questions: First, which romantic and mystical narratives are reflected in Qajar tile paintings? Second, what visual techniques and stylistic features did Ali Muhammad Isfahani employ to depict these themes? The present article is an attempt to analyze the role of romantic and mystical narratives within the tile paintings of this artist. Using a descriptive-analytical approach, this study draws on library and archival resources. The findings show that Isfahani, by merging his skills in painting and tile painting, has been able to visualize the themes of the classical Persian literature, particularly narratives from Nezami’s Khamsa in the form of tile paintings. Using varied geometric compositions such as oval and rectangular frames, adherence to principles of perspective, and the creation of visual depth, he has been able to reflect romantic and mystical narratives in his works artistically and effectively.This research addresses two primary questions: 1. Which romantic and mystical narratives were depicted in Qajar-era tile paintings? 2. Through which visual elements did this tile artist reflect these themes in his tile paintings? While substantial historical research exists in this field, there is limited academic documentation analyzing the technical characteristics and compositional features of Qajar tile painting, as well as the aesthetic approach in Ali Mohammad's works.This paper aims to examine the romantic and mystical narratives in Qajar-era tile painting and analyze the aesthetic approach of Ali Mohammad Esfahani in these works. The research methodology is historical-descriptive, with data collected through library research and archival documentation.The findings reveal that Ali Mohammad Esfahani, a prominent artist of the period, utilized his expertise in both painting and tile work to create pieces that reflected classical Persian literary narratives, particularly emphasizing storytelling from Nezami's Khamseh and focusing on the climactic moments of these stories. Furthermore, Ali Mohammad Esfahani, drawing on his mastery of painting, effectively depicted romantic and mystical narratives in his tile works through the use of geometric designs such as oval and rectangular frames, while applying principles of perspective and depth. This paper examines how these narratives were reflected in Qajar-era tile painting, with a particular focus on the works of Ali Mohammad Esfahani.

In cultural studies, indigenous vocabulary holds significant importance in local dialects because words have been repeated over centuries within a linguistic context. Although they may gradually distance themselves from their original etymologies and reasons for naming, transmitting merely as lexical shells or suspended letters, just like signs they retain the capacity for contextual decoding. The naming of the date palm as ‘Mokh’ in Bafgh is one such cultural sign, and analyzing the rationale behind this nomenclature is the primary objective of the present study. The research question is formulated as follows: Based on written historical sources, what hypotheses underlie the naming of the date palm as "Mogh," and based on what basis can the discussion be concluded? It appears that the reasons for naming it ‘Mokh’ may relate to factors such as its utility and generosity. Additionally, changing the final letter of the word (i.e., ‘gh’) to "kh," transforming it into ‘Mokh,’ may refer to the palm's head (terminal bud) and its importance. The present study is a type of qualitative research. In terms of purpose, it is fundamental, and in terms of methodology, it is theoretical-fundamental. However, based on its nature and method, it is considered historical research, concerned with analyzing the etymology of naming the date palm ‘Mokh’ in Bafgh. With this aim, an attempt was made to base the study on reliable written sources. Furthermore, the research approach combines descriptive-analytical and historical methods, as it examines a specific word within the linguistic context and traditions of Bafgh. Data collection in the historical dimension was library-based, while the descriptive aspect utilized observation and field interviews. The research finding indicates that, among various hypotheses such as high utility and benefit, generosity, munificence, and "Mokh" or ‘Mokh’ meaning 'brain,' these factors point to the reason for naming the date palm frond in Bafgh as ‘Mokh.’ This also supports the claim that, in a way, it has been interpreted in connection with human attributes and characteristics like generosity and possessing a brain (intellect).