Critical Evaluation of Nationalistic Historiography in Iran

Modern historiography of Iran has been profoundly affected by a kind of patriarchal nationalistic discourse. During late Qajar and Pahlavid periods, this historiography was an important factor in formation of modern Iranian identity. The modern state of Pahlavi has a certain approach toward historiography which resulted in an Ideological narrative. This study addressed the contribution of modern Persian historiography in the process which led to the construction of modern Iranian identity. Moreover, it seeks to find an answer for this question that why most of historical texts which produced during early Pahlavis, carried a nationalistic theme? It also tries to examine the constructive elements of this discourse through a historical-analytical method. The results of this study show that: modern historical texts in Iran were conspicuously overshadowed by Pahlavid nationalistic discourse and have been written mostly to meet some socio-political needs. This historiography was influenced by different ideological factors such as modernization, racism, orientalism, and anti-Islamism westernization which contributed a clear role to Iranian modern identity.