| چکیده انگلیسی مقاله |
Introduction It is assumed that knowledge is produced and reproduced within a discursive order and under the influence of power relations. Therefore, understanding the perspectives and methods of historiography, as one of the types of knowledge, requires the recognition of the cultural, social, political, and economic components of the society that shaped the historiographical perspectives of historians. Accordingly, historical sources are not mirrors that fully reflect the knowledge of past human societies, because they are written under the influence of the layers of the historical context governing the minds of historians. In post-Islamic Iran, the function of historical sources was primarily the reproduction of the interests and ideals of the dominant discourse, and at times, confronting and challenging the dominant discourse in defense of the marginalized one. The impact of historical context on the epistemic outlook of historians is most clearly observed during the foundation of the Safavid state, as it was during this historical period that a new political and discursive order was formed, leading to significant challenges in the minds and practices of historians. Undoubtedly, these significant changes in the political and discursive order of Iran had the greatest impact on the content and form of historiography, since historiography, like speech and jurisprudence, had close ties to the structure of power. In this regard, Habib al-Siyar, one of the most important sources of historiography during the founding period of the Safavid state, not only reflects the political and discursive order prevailing in its historical context but also, due to its composition during the reign of Shah Ismail I, contains elements of the discourse of the transitional period of Safavid state formation. The most significant religious and intellectual change during the time of Habib al-Siyar’s composition was the formalization of Shi'a as the religion legitimizing the Safavid state, amidst beliefs such as popular Islam, Sufism, and Sunni Islam. This challenging change occurred in a period when the majority of Iran's population followed Sunni Islam and Sufi orders and had considerable spiritual and social influence. Therefore, the key questions addressed in this paper are as follows: First, how was the epistemic perspective of Khandmir’s historiography influenced by the founding of the Safavid state and the formalization of Shi'a, given that a significant portion of the Iranian population adhered to Sunni Islam, and Sufi orders had widespread influence? Second, how does the author of Habib al-Siyar reflect this complex space in the integration and reconciliation of ideas? Third, how are Shi'a ideas reflected in Habib al-Siyar? Materials and Methods The strategy of this paper to answer the above questions is a "summary interpretation of Habib al-Siyar." Summary interpretation is one of the common ways of understanding the meaning of historical texts. In this method, historians provide a general summary of the main ideas and arguments of historical sources, demonstrating the significance of a historical text. In other words, when an author's perspective on a subject is to be conveyed to contemporary audiences, the shortest possible summary of the text is provided. The summary, by placing the text in its historical context, reveals the main goals and motivations of a historical source. Among these, the shortest summaries are those that identify the key idea of the text. The key idea of the text is the concept upon which other ideas in the text are based. Such interpretations allow for a comparison of the viewpoints of the author of a text with the views of authors of other texts (McCullagh, 1998: 144-147). Implementing this approach in the current paper requires considering two important points: first, by describing the key political, social, and cultural components of the early 10th century AH, the crises and challenges that motivated Khandmir to write Habib al-Siyar should be highlighted. Second, by showing key passages from Habib al-Siyar’s historical narrative, the key idea of the book’s text will become clear. With these points in mind, the paper demonstrates that the Shi'a ideas presented in Habib al-Siyar were used to address the needs of the newly established Safavid state by integrating and connecting elements of the Sunni, Sufi, and Shi'a discourses around a new perspective. More specifically, the respectful view of the Sunni community in Khandmir’s environment toward the first two caliphs (the caliphs of Sunni Islam) is reflected in the text of his book as part of his authentic beliefs. Nonetheless, the ideas of Twelver Shi'a supported by the Safavid state, as well as the accepted Sufi beliefs in the Eastern Islamic world, were the discursive elements that Khandmir, based on his political, administrative, and ideological position, used to establish a new discursive order and legitimize the Safavid government. With this understanding, the mutual influences of the three intellectual-religious aspects of the time on the construction of Khandmir’s Shi'a thought in Habib al-Siyar should not be overlooked. Result and Discussion Explaining the nature and rationale behind the early Safavid historiography requires recognizing the meaningful relationship between the political, social, and cultural transformations of the transitional period and the perspectives and methods of historians associated with the Safavid court. This paper's attempt to reinterpret the place and significance of Habib al-Siyar in the early Safavid historiography is based on this idea. In this way, the role of the transitional historical context in shaping the Shi'a historical narratives in Habib al-Siyar was considered. In other words, the meaningful relationship between the political, social, and cultural components of the 9th and 10th centuries AH and Khandmir’s specific form of Shi'a history was demonstrated. In this context, "summary interpretation" was used as a methodological approach to rethinking the key idea governing Habib al-Siyar. Thus, living in the religiously tense environment of the transitional period influenced the form and content of Habib al-Siyar. By integrating and connecting the doctrinal elements of Sunni, Shi'a, and Sufi discourses in his general history, Khandmir created a space for reconciling the religious tensions of his time, much like the historians who followed him. This helped create the conditions for changing religious beliefs, both at the governing level and within the general population. Therefore, elements of the three discourses are observed in Habib al-Siyar: first, eclectic beliefs blending Shi'a, Sunni, and Sufi elements influenced by the religious environment at the end of the Timurid period. These beliefs paved the way for the rise of Shi'a-Sufi movements, such as the Safavids. Second, the Shari’ah-based Shi'a; and third, the Shi'a that was used to legitimize the Safavid ruling apparatus. By formulating these discursive elements in Habib al-Siyar, Khandmir not only defended the legitimacy of the newly established Safavid state but also created reconciliation among the opposing social forces within Iranian society. The root of the key idea governing Habib al-Siyar lies within Khandmir’s sensitivity toward the Sunni and Sufi interpretations of Islam in the eastern regions of Iran. Growing up in a Sunni and Sufi-influenced environment meant that Khandmir’s efforts to legitimize the Safavid state could not rely solely on the exaggerated views of the Safavid supporters, the Qizilbash, but had to take into account the general understanding of Islam and Sufism in the eastern Iranian regions. Therefore, in his narratives, elements of Sunni beliefs, Sufi sheikhs, and respect for the first two caliphs are visible. This inclusion does not imply neglecting the dominance of Shi'a beliefs in Habib al-Siyar. Throughout Khandmir's history, elements such as the Hadith of Ghadir, the infallibility of the Imam, the knowledge of the Imam, and the emphasis on the divinely appointed Imamate are present. Khwandamir explicitly identifies Shah Ismail as the rightful heir to the spiritual leadership of the Prophet's family. Even the exaggerated Shi'a ideas about the Imams and Shah Ismail can be seen in Habib al-Siyar. However, it should be noted that Khandmir, unlike some early Safavid historians, not only relegates these exaggerated beliefs to the margins of his general history but also emphasizes the views of Shi'a jurists on the Twelve Imams, avoiding the narratives that presented Shah Ismail as the continuation of the Imamate. Conclusions In conclusion, since Habib al-Siyar was, in part, a political and administrative product, it had to be written in a way that would be accepted by the Safavids. Therefore, the first aspect of Khandmir's intellectual outlook, which stemmed from his environment, is closer to his authentic beliefs. Nevertheless, it must also be considered that individuals, amid the turmoil of new social and intellectual currents, may adopt elements of different ideas. Therefore, the views based on Shari’ah-oriented and functionalist Shi'a had meaningful impacts on the construction of religious and Shi'a thought in Khandmir's historical narratives. Acknowledgments This paper is based on the master's thesis by Amir Ghodsi Simakani titled Social Determination of Historiography at the Beginning of the Safavid era (Case study; the book "Habib al-Siyar")". I would like to express my gratitude for the spiritual and material support of my thesis advisors, Dr. Ali Ghasemi and Dr. Saeed Mousavi Siani. Thanks are also due to the Research Deputy of Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz for their material and spiritual support. |