Seljuk Studies

Identifying and Probing the Concept of “Toleration” in Medieval Iran; A Study Based on Persian Historical Texts from 300 to 450 A.H.

Document Type : Research Articles

Author

Reza Zarrinkamar

Postdoctoral Researcher, University of Mazandaran, Babolsar,Iran

Abstract
Although the theoretical organization of "toleration" concept has occurred in the last few centuries, toleration is an ancient concept. This concept is formed in connection with “the matter of difference”; Therefore, wherever this difference is prominent, it is possible to search for ways to face it through either violence or tolerance. This paper aims to explore the concept of toleration in medieval Iran. The significance of Middle Ages lies in the fact that it was during that period when the initial attempts to organize the concepts and establish the institutions of Iran in the Islamic era began, and continued up to the present day. Investigating the historical development of concepts and institutions from that time can offer solutions and initiatives for today's challenges. In order to conduct this study, first the well-known Rainer Forrest's Theory about toleration was proposed with some considerations for this specific time. Based on this, Toleration was defined spectrally in an arc form, and its types were recognized. Toleration was divided into two main branches: "Pragmatic toleration": toleration as a method to improve political and social relations and "Moral toleration": toleration as a virtue to live an ethical life. As the first step of this study, Persian historical texts from the beginning of the Middle Ages were selected. In this regard, six texts were selected, analyzed and studied using theory and library research. The research findings indicate a strong, yet indirect connection between the texts and the concept of toleration. Also, different types of toleration were found in the texts, and as a result, "Pragmatic toleration" had a much higher frequency than "Moral toleration". Wherever the texts shifted from the narrative of political history to the narrative of cultural or social history, the frequency of "Moral toleration" increased.

Keywords

Toleration
Persian Historical Texts
Medieval Iran
Rainer Forst
Tarikh-i Bayhaqi (Bayhaghi’s History)
Refrences:
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  • Receive Date 06 October 2023
  • Revise Date 16 November 2023
  • Accept Date 04 February 2024

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