English Iranology, Grounds and Approaches

Document Type : Research Paper

Author

Associate professor of history department, institution of social studies and military sciences

Abstract

Orientalogy has been considered as a collection of studies and researches by the scholars and institutions in western countries being connected to the diverse eastern issues. Iranology as a branch of Orientalogy could be deemed to be a classified collection of studies and researches by the western scholars towards recognizing the language, literature, history, religious texts, thoughts, culture of Iran land, as well as the Iranian civilized domain. Motivation and objectives of these studies has been the heart of discussions for decades. This research examines the content of English Iranology works in 19th century and the first half of 20th century and the re- manifestation of its relationship with the political, military as well as economic requirements of England in Iran and Asia and raises this question regarding the relationship between the policies of England in Iran and Asia and their Iranology researches. The findings of research reveal that the government of England has taken advantage of Iranology as a colonial method; moreover, the English Iranologists have been attentive towards the development of their individual identity via their researches in Iran. The other properties of English Iranology are considered to be hostility against Islam, archaism, and racism.

Keywords