Volume 13, Issue 61 (2026)
CFL 2026, 13(61): 1-36 |
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Arezomand Leialakol M, Ghasem Zadeh S A. The Role of Iranian Identitarianism in the Preservation of the Persian Language and the Discovery of the Shahnameh in the Ghaznavid and Seljuq Periods. CFL 2026; 13 (61) :1-36
URL: http://cfl.modares.ac.ir/article-11-75847-en.html
URL: http://cfl.modares.ac.ir/article-11-75847-en.html
1- Lecturer at Farhangian University of Guilan, Imam Ali (AS) campus, Rudsar branch , mostafa.arezomand@gmail.com
2- Professor of Persian language and literature, Faculty of Literature and Humanities, Imam Khomeini International University (RA), Qazvin, Iran.
2- Professor of Persian language and literature, Faculty of Literature and Humanities, Imam Khomeini International University (RA), Qazvin, Iran.
Abstract: (50 Views)
With the gaining power of the Turkish and Arab people and their political and religious control over Iran, the Iranian public, realizing the danger of identity collapse, came to an identity confrontation with the dominant nation collectively. The main manifestation of this confrontation took place in the field of language and led to the construction of linguistic actions, the masterpiece of which was the Shahnameh. In this study, considering the theory of history of mentalities, which seeks to explain the spirit of the times and the national spirit in historical periods by finding intellectual signs from literary and historical sources and interpreting them, the role of the Iranian public and identity in preserving and surviving the Persian language has been explained in a descriptive-analytical manner by introducing examples of Iranian public linguistic efforts during the Ghaznavid and Seljuk periods. The results of the study show that in the identity conflict between Iranians and the dominant ethnic group, which was accompanied by the religious prejudices of the rulers and the superiority-seeking view of the Arabs, the Iranian public identity led to the preservation of language as a national unifying factor alongside other identity components such as Iranian culture, beliefs, and rituals. This effort has been manifested in numerous linguistic actions and ultimately led to the emergence and spread of the Shahnameh as a collection of national culture and identity in the field of language.
Research Background
There have been scattered reports in Iranian and Shahnameh studies about the role of popular identity in preserving and revitalizing the Persian language, which have looked at it without considering the spirit of the times and the prevailing mentality of society, considering national identity to be the result of the Persian language. Also, following the strong interest in Shahnameh, they have always introduced the Persian language and Sihahnameh as the factor of perpetuation of Iranian identity.
The theory of the history of mentalities has been proposed in Iran in recent years through the translation of several books in the field of philosophy of history and historical methodology. In his doctoral thesis, Arzoomand Liyalkol examined the impact of the Shahnameh on the Iranian mind and language during the Ghaznavid and Seljuk periods using the theory of the history of mentalities. In collaboration with Ghasemzadeh, he discussed the importance of this theory in Shahnameh studies in the article "History of Mentality and Shahnameh Studies". The same authors, in a study titled “Analysis of the Impact of Public Attitudes on Racial Authenticity in the Ghaznavid and Seljuk Regimes,” examined the impact of public perceptions on Shahnameh-Iranian genealogies during the Ghaznavid and Seljuk periods.
Goals, questions, and assumptions
In this study, considering the theory of the history of mentalities, it has been shown how the public mentality and the spirit of the times, influenced by the national mentality in the shadow of popular identity, have been able to preserve the Persian language as the most important identity component, and in this linguistic act, the Shahnameh, as the great identity heritage of Iranians, has been formed in the context of language. At the same time as the Shahnameh appeared, the presence of Turkish rulers in Iran alongside the dominant Arab-Islamic intellectual movements and ideas supported and guided by the Abbasid caliphs had caused the ruling discourse of the period, writers, thinkers, and historians to be indifferent to national issues and the Shahnameh. Also, like the author of al-Naqz, they consider the national narratives to be "false stories and unfounded stories in the name of Rostam and Sorkhab, etc. and the praise of Gebergan" (Qazvini Razi, 1979, p. 67). However, how did the Iranian mentality and language find its way amidst all the adversity and, relying on the Iranian mentality, preserve the Persian language to the point where it led to the creation and popularization of the Shahnameh?
Main discussion
Linguistic resistance is more comprehensive than other identity efforts of Iranians and it is evident at all levels and in all identity actions of the first centuries of Islam. The linguistic struggle of Iranians in preserving their national identity has been ongoing since the first decades of the establishment of the Islamic state, with the presence of Iranians in the administrative apparatus of the Umayyad and Abbasid dynasties. This has continued in line with political and social trends. The Iranians' persistence in national components, including language, led to the continuity of the Iranian mentality and identity during the Islamic period, and "if its crust appears to have changed, its core and core remain intact and Iran has preserved its identity." (Hertsfeld, 1925, p. 15).
The Iranian public, at the height of religious, ethnic and linguistic prejudices in the early Islamic centuries and the contemptuous view of the Umayyad and Abbasid rulers and their dependent rulers, considered Iranians their subjects, despising Iranian languages. As Moqaddasi quotes from Abu Hurairah: “The Messenger of God said: The worst language in the sight of God is Persian, the language of Satan is Khozi, the language of the people of Hell is Bukhari, and the language of the people of Paradise is Tazi” (Moqaddasi, 1982, Vol. 2/p. 625). This shows that they have achieved an identity confrontation by enduring various failures and their main action against the dominant Arabs and Turks was formed in the fields of language, belief, ritual, culture, art, among others. They have succeeded in keeping alive the Persian language and national identity, which was despised by the Arabs and political rulers, and in this way, revive and preserve other identity components.
Conclusion
From the perspective of the history of mentalities, the Iranian identity led to the preservation of the language and the emergence and spread of the Shahnameh which can be analyzed in several linguistic actions. Firstly, the Iranianness of the language of civil offices from Khorasan to Baghdad following the presence of Iranians in the administrative system of the Islamic world, and secondly, the public's adherence to speaking local and national languages and translating the language of prayers and verses of the Quran and acts of worship into Persian. Thirdly, the translation of Iranian texts from Pahlavi into Arabic. Fourthly, the translation of texts from Arabic into Persian. Fifthly, Iranian writers who were knowledgeable in Arabic who were forced to write in Arabic during the political dominance of the Arabic language. Finally, the tolerance of Iranian governments that emerged from the masses, such as the Saffarids, the Buyids, the Samanids, among others.
References
Hertsfeld, E. (1985). National archives of Iran. Majles Press.
Maqdisi, A. (1982). Ahsano al-Taqasim fi Ma'refat al-Aqalim (translated into by A. Manzavi). Iranian Authors and Translators Association.
Qazvini Razi, A. (1979). Al-Naqd, known as baza al-masaleb al-Nawasib fi naqd ba'z Fazaeh al-Rawafid (edited by Muhaddis Ermaovi). National Archives Association.
Research Background
There have been scattered reports in Iranian and Shahnameh studies about the role of popular identity in preserving and revitalizing the Persian language, which have looked at it without considering the spirit of the times and the prevailing mentality of society, considering national identity to be the result of the Persian language. Also, following the strong interest in Shahnameh, they have always introduced the Persian language and Sihahnameh as the factor of perpetuation of Iranian identity.
The theory of the history of mentalities has been proposed in Iran in recent years through the translation of several books in the field of philosophy of history and historical methodology. In his doctoral thesis, Arzoomand Liyalkol examined the impact of the Shahnameh on the Iranian mind and language during the Ghaznavid and Seljuk periods using the theory of the history of mentalities. In collaboration with Ghasemzadeh, he discussed the importance of this theory in Shahnameh studies in the article "History of Mentality and Shahnameh Studies". The same authors, in a study titled “Analysis of the Impact of Public Attitudes on Racial Authenticity in the Ghaznavid and Seljuk Regimes,” examined the impact of public perceptions on Shahnameh-Iranian genealogies during the Ghaznavid and Seljuk periods.
Goals, questions, and assumptions
In this study, considering the theory of the history of mentalities, it has been shown how the public mentality and the spirit of the times, influenced by the national mentality in the shadow of popular identity, have been able to preserve the Persian language as the most important identity component, and in this linguistic act, the Shahnameh, as the great identity heritage of Iranians, has been formed in the context of language. At the same time as the Shahnameh appeared, the presence of Turkish rulers in Iran alongside the dominant Arab-Islamic intellectual movements and ideas supported and guided by the Abbasid caliphs had caused the ruling discourse of the period, writers, thinkers, and historians to be indifferent to national issues and the Shahnameh. Also, like the author of al-Naqz, they consider the national narratives to be "false stories and unfounded stories in the name of Rostam and Sorkhab, etc. and the praise of Gebergan" (Qazvini Razi, 1979, p. 67). However, how did the Iranian mentality and language find its way amidst all the adversity and, relying on the Iranian mentality, preserve the Persian language to the point where it led to the creation and popularization of the Shahnameh?
Main discussion
Linguistic resistance is more comprehensive than other identity efforts of Iranians and it is evident at all levels and in all identity actions of the first centuries of Islam. The linguistic struggle of Iranians in preserving their national identity has been ongoing since the first decades of the establishment of the Islamic state, with the presence of Iranians in the administrative apparatus of the Umayyad and Abbasid dynasties. This has continued in line with political and social trends. The Iranians' persistence in national components, including language, led to the continuity of the Iranian mentality and identity during the Islamic period, and "if its crust appears to have changed, its core and core remain intact and Iran has preserved its identity." (Hertsfeld, 1925, p. 15).
The Iranian public, at the height of religious, ethnic and linguistic prejudices in the early Islamic centuries and the contemptuous view of the Umayyad and Abbasid rulers and their dependent rulers, considered Iranians their subjects, despising Iranian languages. As Moqaddasi quotes from Abu Hurairah: “The Messenger of God said: The worst language in the sight of God is Persian, the language of Satan is Khozi, the language of the people of Hell is Bukhari, and the language of the people of Paradise is Tazi” (Moqaddasi, 1982, Vol. 2/p. 625). This shows that they have achieved an identity confrontation by enduring various failures and their main action against the dominant Arabs and Turks was formed in the fields of language, belief, ritual, culture, art, among others. They have succeeded in keeping alive the Persian language and national identity, which was despised by the Arabs and political rulers, and in this way, revive and preserve other identity components.
Conclusion
From the perspective of the history of mentalities, the Iranian identity led to the preservation of the language and the emergence and spread of the Shahnameh which can be analyzed in several linguistic actions. Firstly, the Iranianness of the language of civil offices from Khorasan to Baghdad following the presence of Iranians in the administrative system of the Islamic world, and secondly, the public's adherence to speaking local and national languages and translating the language of prayers and verses of the Quran and acts of worship into Persian. Thirdly, the translation of Iranian texts from Pahlavi into Arabic. Fourthly, the translation of texts from Arabic into Persian. Fifthly, Iranian writers who were knowledgeable in Arabic who were forced to write in Arabic during the political dominance of the Arabic language. Finally, the tolerance of Iranian governments that emerged from the masses, such as the Saffarids, the Buyids, the Samanids, among others.
References
Hertsfeld, E. (1985). National archives of Iran. Majles Press.
Maqdisi, A. (1982). Ahsano al-Taqasim fi Ma'refat al-Aqalim (translated into by A. Manzavi). Iranian Authors and Translators Association.
Qazvini Razi, A. (1979). Al-Naqd, known as baza al-masaleb al-Nawasib fi naqd ba'z Fazaeh al-Rawafid (edited by Muhaddis Ermaovi). National Archives Association.
Keywords: Iranian public, national identity, history of mentality, Ghaznavid and Seljuk periods, Persian language, Shahnameh.
Article Type: پژوهشی اصیل |
Subject:
Popular literature
Received: 2024/06/28 | Accepted: 2024/11/23 | Published: 2026/03/1
Received: 2024/06/28 | Accepted: 2024/11/23 | Published: 2026/03/1
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