مجله تاریخ ایران
سال پنجم شماره 2 (پیاپی 70، تابستان و پاییز 1391)

One of the less-known traditional cultural movements، Azarkeivanian، emerged in the middle of the Safavid era in Iran by a Zoroastrian priest، Bahram Ben Farhad (also known as Azarkeivan). Although some scholars have questioned the historicity of such a character، one can justify his real existence and his historical presence by citing the extant remains of records and documents. Due to the religious fundamentalism prevalent at the time of the Safavids، he left Shiraz for India، and it was probably there that، having been concerned with the preservation of thte religious heritage of his predecessors، he thought of founding a new cultural movement. The movement that had claimed a revival of the intellectual and cultural traditions of the ancient Iran and a compliance with the theosophic wisdom – which، having been influenced by the Khosrowani wisdom of the sages of the ancient Iran in the Islamic era، had been revived by Shaykh Shahabaddin Suhrawardi – now reproduced ancient signs and symbols. It was، ths، Azarkeivan who – through rereading Iranian works and archives and Islamic texts as well as merging them with the more permissive beliefs and all those cults and religious doctrines prevelant and promoted in India in the reign of Gurkaniyans، tried to define and develop a new Iranian Identity. Employing a descriptive approach in the historical research based on an analysis of literary texts، the present article has an overview of the beliefs and views as well as the impact of this particular intellectual movement on a part of the literary and historiographical movements of the Qajar and the Zand period.

The renovation and recreation of the Iranian «nationality»، on the basis of the archaic and nationalist-oriented attitudes، was one of the basic infrastructural strategies of the Pahlavi state. This strategy caused the formation of an important project، named «nation- building». Therefore، we can take for granted the Persian language، the Arian race، the Arian homeland، and historical background as the major elements of this project. The nation-building project was، undoubtedly، bound to the designation and application of different programs in political، social، economic، and cultural fields، of which، educational policies and preparation of textbooks، in need for the enrolling population، were the best and the most suitable ones. History، as a lesson، is of enough capacity to be used as an infrastructural thought-maker for the acceptance of the new project by young people. Thus، it was common that they would have paid special attention to «history» among all the other classical lessons. In this article، the writer aims to provide: firstly، the basic elements and various aspects of the nation-building project in the Pahlavi (the first era)، on the basis of archival and historical documents; secondly، a clear picture of the educational objectives، lesson materials، and contents of textbooks by studying the programs of the primary and secondary levels of education; and finally، the relations between the teaching of history and pushing forward the nation-building project.

Social and political developments in Iran in 420s And 430s (AH)، conincided with the ineptness of the Buwayhid (Ale Boye)، the expansion in the activities of the Ismailis، arrivals of the Turkmen and Ghaz Bedouins in the East Of Iran and their confrontation with the Ghaznavids. After the Seljuk Tugrul’s coming to power، The Abbasid caliph، Al-Qaem، decided to recognize the Seljuk groups. According to the theory of the emirate ascendency that had been proposed by Maverdy، if a person took control of a territory by force، they could gain the caliph’s approval only if they met certain requirements. Yet، the misdemeanor of the Sejuk forces in the course of the invasion of Islamic cities next to their actions in the course of their presence in Baghdad had led the public as well the caliph to believe that Tygrul was not least competent to be delegated the state. Yet، Maverdi had offered a solution to this problem suggesting that in case of incompetence، the caliph could assign a deputy (Nayebi) in his place so that the deputy’s competence might counteract the incompetence of the could-be governor. Accordingly، acknowledging Amidolmolk Kandari، Tugrul’s minister، as his deputy، the caliph tried to justify the delegation of the state to Tugrul. Utlizing methods of a historical research and applying Maverdi’s theory، the present article aims at investigating the essence of the the Seljuk’s rise to power against the Buwayhid (Ale Boye).

Despite all the distances involved، Ottoman expansionist policies in the Sultan Murad III era opened the way for Crimean khanate (as Ottoman allies) into the transitions in the political history of Iran in the Safavid era. Inadequacy of Iran’s central authority during the reign of Sultan Mohammad Khodabandeh made the battles between Iran and Ottoman Empire over Sharwan to end، through the help that came from Crimean khanat، with the victory of Ottomans. Crimean khanate surrendered two valuable captives (Crimean Khan Brothers) to Iranians، one of whom was killed in the court and the other، after a period of time spent there and a spell of imprisonment in the Alamut Castle، managed to flee from Iran and to rejoin Ottomans once more. The effect of the presence of these two captives at the court of Iran and they way they were treated there as well as their militaristic manoeuvres in Iran’s territories has highlighted the role of Crimean khanate in the history of Iran. Although the measures Crimean khanate took، had no significance for them except the spoils of war، it was most influential in the separation of Caucasus from Iran and its 20 year capture by the Ottomons. Yet، despite all its significance، the issue has been left unexplored، hence the purpose of the present study.

Ya''qub-i Laith Saffarid reclaimed a large part of the eastern Islamic Caliphate jurisdiction to the borders of Dar-ol-harb (Dar-ol-kofr) from the the Abbasids and their dependents princes. The presence of the Saffarids meant dismissal of the direct pressure of the Muslim conquerors and immigrants on the territories across the Indus. Mibilization of Anti-Caliphate social forces including Ayaran، Motavaeh، Khawarij and other troops of the area، the distance between the Saffarid’s territories from the centre of caliphate as well as Ya’qhub’s success in establishing and organizing a government with a highly armed militia، advertantly or inadvertently، led to the formation of a defensive shield upon the north-west portals of India. Such a significant event opened up an opportunity for Hindus to rebuild their community and to postpone the penetration of Islam into their territories for more than a century. Even those cities in which Islamic communities had emerged were gradually assimilated into the Hindu community so that the citizens either followed the looks، customs and rituals، if not the beliefs، of the indigenous people or entered into the domestic crisis of the East Islamic World. Among all the Saffarid assaults on their enemies، it was only the war with the Ratbilan that was within the borders of India and was، thus، directed to the east. Applying a historical method، the present paper investigates the influence of the Saffarids on the cessation of the Arab conquests and migrations to India. The findings also demonstrate that the breakdown of the circle of conquered territories of the Abbasid Caliphate in the east Islamic terrain speeded up with the emergence of the Saffarids. Although such a trend prolonged and even changed they way Muslims، through militaristic measures of the caliphate system، penetrated into India and Indus، it also paved the way for the emergence of the devotees of other opposing religions such as thte Ismailis who were at odds with the Abbasid caliphate.

Like other periods in the history of Iran، Azarbaijan has had a significant role in the historical developments of Iran، especially in the history of the Seljuk. By studying and analyzing the main sources on the history of the Seljuk، it becomes clear that from the first half of the 5th A. H. large groups of Turkmen (variedly termed as Ghoz or Oghooz) immigrated to Azarbaijan near the borders of Byzantium. From this very period، Azarbaijan has significantly functioned as the main base of the Turkmen and the Seljuqids. This study aims to answer the question that what role Azarbaijan played in the conquer of Anatolia، which was a part of the Byzantium Empire then? This study is based on a historical - analytical method. The results of the study indicated that Anatoli had a significant role both in the emigration of of the Turkmen from Azarbaijan to Anatolia and the expansion of the Seljuqs'' territories in Anatolia.