فصلنامه نامه تاریخ پژوهان
پیاپی 22 (تابستان 1389)

The book titled "the history of kings and prophets" written by Hamzah Isfahani (birth: 270-280/ and d. 350-360 A.H) has played an admirable role in demonstration of Iranian culture and civilization in the Islamic civilization domain with recounting of various nation's history and indexing the Islamic periods. He has possessed a tremendous part in expansion of the Islamic historiography's perspective. Undoubtedly, the creation of such a precious work in a dynastic style can set Hamzah Isfahani amongst the forerunners of the new approach to Islamic historiography. The present writing having concise sayings about the biography and works of his tries to shed light on the significance of this book in the Islamic historiography, its original sources, structure and the innovations it enjoys.

The present article studies the position and status of Christians in the districts of Hejaz, Ghassan and Herah in the first decades of Islamic empire; the period of guided caliphs. Prior this period, i.e. from the time the prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) migrated from Mecca to Medina till his demise, the Christians who resided in Najran of Yemen and the Christians who have settled in the north of peninsula (Zowmatul Jandal) in accordance to a contract they have signed with the prophet were paying tribute to the Muslims. They continued having a peaceful life in this peninsula till Abu-Bakr succeeded the prophet. Till this time Islam's dominance has not been expanded beyond Arab peninsula and has remained restricted in the boundary of Hejaz. But the caliphs with undertaking the prophetic policy in expansion of Islamic doctrine outside Arab peninsula, a major part of Christian Arabs were included in the Islamic domain. Keeping the expansion of Islam in mind, the Muslims faced with the Christians of Herah (located in between two rivers) from the eastern side. These Christians have been under Sassanid government's support and after some clashes and eventually based on mutual contracts –though they have breached some of the contracts- came under protection of Islamic state. In the north part of Arab peninsula a Christian state by the name of Ghassan existed who had governed Damascus region as a representative of Roman state. This state has used to back the Roman and even the Sassanid interests against expansion of Islam in the northern regions. Considering this fact that Islam has originated from amongst the Arabs and that this nation had enjoyed a common genesis, the history of Arabs being Christian in the above mentioned limit of time makes the subject of the present article.

The writer tries to remove the doubts from the concept of "historicity" and study and analysis this notion particularly from Popper's perspective. For elucidation of this concept, other notions such as "history" and "philosophy of history" along with their different meanings are explained so that the relation of historicity should be fully clarified with the above mentioned entries. Historicity enjoys various aspects and dimensions that this article has either not paid attention to them entirely or has sufficed to be brief in this regard.

The Mongolian invasion of Iran has left behind enormous destructions in the territory being the cradle of culture and civilization. Nonetheless, with the death of Abu Saied, the local governments such as Muzaffar dynasty in the central part of Iran gained independence and their governors could dominate the cities of Shiraz, Kerman, Yazd, Isfahan and Khuzestan. The emirs of this family were not lacking knowledge and virtues by their own rather their spirit and interest to knowledge and the artistic flavor they had caused that the intellectuals, men of literature and skill should assemble around them and set up gatherings of various sciences of jurisprudence, interpretation, Hadith and …. In the very period the emirs, ministers, intellectuals, and wealthy men got busy constructing and establishing educational centers. The pivotal points of the research are: to study the cultural, instructive, artistic and architectural activities of the period where Mudaffar dynasty governed. The contribution they had in protection of the great Islamic civilization at a time it was to be transformed and the part they undertook in transportation of this civilization for the coming generations. In the meantime, the religious and educational buildings and the names of intellectuals and literary men of the very period along with their works are introduced for the readers.

The year 907 of Islamic calendar with announcement of a new religious creed for the newly established Safavid government got changed to a turning point in political, social, economical and cultural dealings of Iran inside and outside. Because with the existence of majority of Sunnites in Iran of that era and in surrounding countries a state has emerged having a new ideology and new religious doctrine. This state intended to impose religious unity and solidarity on her dominated countries even by coercion. The present article is intent to explore the efficacy of the atmosphere came into being from this all-inclusive evolution in respect to culture of this nation in the period of first Safavid kings. In other words it is going to study the efficacy of the Safavid revolutionary religious feelings reaching its climax on approaches, activities and functionality of schools of this era. In such a revolutionary circumstances or storm of episodes where the newly arrived authority were trying to stabilize the pillars of its domination, what went on against this constitution and to which direction has it been directed and which aspects of its functionalities were admired and applauded. From other hand, what has happened to those being in charge, responsible and administrator of this institution had they contrasted the regime's structural and religious policies? In the very epoch, what policies and expediencies using the functionalities of the schools have been taken to create and stabilize the government and its official religious doctrine?

Badlisi is of those Iranian writers who on because of Safavid state's severities took shelter in Ottoman Empire administration. His most renowned work "eight paradises" is imitating his preceding historical books such as Jahan Gushaie of Hawini, Wassaf Al Hadra of Shirazi and Zafarnamah of Ali Sharafuddin from Yazd and is full of literary rhetoric. This book is of the first hand sources in regard to Ottoman court and the most valuable work in cognition of the administration that the student of this major (Ottoman Empire) can never turn a blind eye to. His work is not only a general book of history but also appears to be a local history as well. Because the writer along with elucidation of biographies of Ottoman kings has paid heed to the political, social, economical and cultural issues too. The writing at hand studies and assesses this prominent work from various perspectives in comparison to the works done prior, after him and the works done coexistent with the writer.

The present writing deals with the two dominant Asian traditions of historiography which is Chinese and Islamic one. The writer firstly talks about the common aspect of the two approaches and respectively studies the characteristics of each of the traditions. He in this way continues and touches the evolution of Islamic-Iranian historiography and their prominent representatives such as Tabari, Jacobi, Masudi, Balami, Behiqi, Ibni Athir, Hawini, Fadlullah Hamadani and Ibni Khaldon. The last part of the article has sayings in regard to characteristics, the dominant situation on Chinese historiography and the important historiographers from Confucius time to 20th century. (Translator)