Iranian Studies

Political Orientations in the Translation of Iranian Historical Texts of the Qajar Period

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

Zadmehr Torabi 1
Kurosh Salehi 2

1 Faculty member of the English Department, University of Sistan and Baluchestan

2 Faculty member, History Department, University of Sistan and Baluchestan

https://doi.org/10.22059/jis.2026.410445.1394
Abstract
During the Qajar period, the translation of historical texts into Persian surged in response to pressing societal demands, yet this practice was far from a purely historical exercise. Motivated by a desperate quest to diagnose the roots of Iran’s backwardness and to find a viable path to development, various translations emerged, with historical works drawing substantial interest from courtiers, statesmen, and reformists. Employing a historical methodology, this study critically examines the translation process of these historical texts and analyzes their underlying political orientations. It specifically investigates how political, cultural, and social factors influenced these translations, exploring existing orientations such as selectivity in content, deliberate distortions, and the strategic emphasis on certain themes. The findings indicate that these translations were carried out in a distinctly selective fashion, with their bias predominantly shaped by the imperatives of power and a focused interest in the careers of prominent European rulers. This selective process reveals that most translations were politically charged, often aligned with modern state theory, and fundamentally oriented toward identity-formation. As a result, while they had a relatively modest impact on deepening Iranians’ understanding of their own historical context and identity, they inadvertently set the stage for major intellectual developments in the subsequent era.

Keywords

"
Translation of texts"
Qajar"
historical texts"
Dispatching Students to Europe"
,"
national identity"
Subjects
Iranian Studies
Volume 16, Issue 2
Summer 2026
Pages 1-1

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