No CrossRef data available.
We use cookies to distinguish you from other users and to provide you with a better experience on our websites. Close this message to accept cookies or find out how to manage your cookie settings.
We use cookies to distinguish you from other users and to provide you with a better experience on our websites. Close this message to accept cookies or find out how to manage your cookie settings.
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 16 March 2022
This paper presents some of the preliminary findings of the research on the history and religion of the Ahl-e Ḥaqq in nineteenth century Iran. It seeks to shed light on the Qajar-era statesmen's efforts to learn more about and thus better understand the otherwise enigmatic community, their origins, identities, beliefs, and practices as well as political loyalties. In particular, the article discusses arguably the most important text pertaining to the group and produced in late nineteenth century Iran, addresses the question of its authorship and sources, seeks to contextualize its composition and finally offers its full translation. Lastly, the paper offers a partial review of the most important Persian-language research and scholarship on the subject, points to several hitherto untapped primary sources for the study of the Ahl-e Ḥaqq, and also discusses the major actors and trends essential to understanding of and further research on the history of the community during the period in question and beyond.
Most of the research for this article was conducted between 2016 and 2018 and its earlier version was presented at the 9th European Conference of Iranian Studies held in Berlin in September 2019. While I had translated Forūghī’s text prior to commencing my doctoral studies in the fall of 2017, the rest of the article evolved out of two seminar papers I wrote during my time at the University of Maryland. Throughout this period, I greatly benefited from the knowledge and expertise of several scholars and friends to whom I would like to express my sincere gratitude. First and foremost, I would like to thank my advisor Ahmet T. Karamustafa who, besides helping me refine the translation section, provided valuable comments on various drafts of this work. Secondly, I should thank my dear friend Reza Radbeh who not only greatly helped me during the earliest stages of this research but has also been a true fountain of knowledge on most subjects related to Iranian history, literature, and culture. Thirdly, I would also like to thank H. Khodapanahi, K. Nejad, A. Qurboniev, C. Melville, A. Borrut, M. Bazargan, and in particular my life partner Derya Özdemir, all of whom have in significant ways contributed to improving the quality of this work. Finally, I would like to acknowledge the useful comments of the anonymous reviewers of Iranian Studies, and of course the journal editors, at different stages of the review process. Obviously, the responsibility for any errors, omissions or inaccuracies herein is entirely my own.