Transformation of Zandiqeh applications and its Continuity in Iran's Political Culture during the Qajar Era

Subject Areas : Journal of History (Tarikh)

shahnaz yazdanpanah ¹ , Reza Dehghani ² , Nemat Ahmadi Nasab ³

1 - Department of History and Archaeology,,, Central Tehran branch,,islamic Azad University Tehran, Iran
2 - Department of West Asian and African Studies, Faculty of World Studies, Tehran University
3 - Department of History, Central Tehran Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran

Received: 2023-07-15 Accepted : 2023-08-21 Published : 2023-10-17

Keywords: Political Culture, Traditionalists, Blasphemy Reformists,

Abstract :

The anti Zandiqeh movement has been a prevalent issue in Iran's political culture throughout history due to the intertwining of religion and politics. However, their applications have varied in each period. During the Qajar era, their applications underwent a transformation due to the clash between tradition and modernity. The question is how did the circumstances of the new era, particularly the influence of European modernity on religious and political reformists, affected the transformation of Zandiqeh? The hypothesis is that in religious-dominated societies like Iran, the applications of Zandiqeh undergo changes in accordance with the requirements of each era. This article seeks to analyze the actions of certain fanatic traditionalists and extremist reformists who, by polarizing society, contributed to the spread of Zandiqeh. Data collection for this article is based on library research and analytical methods. According to the findings, the transformation of Zandiqeh during the Qajar era was influenced not only by religious concerns but also by the cultural and religious conditions of society and personal motives.