Criticism of power in the form of humor in Iran during the Seljuk period

Articles in Press

Document Type : Research Paper

Author

ferdawsi university

10.22081/hiq.2023.64726.2283

Abstract

Criticizing various affairs and issues has existed in all eras. In political affairs, like today, there has been criticism of those in power. One of the ways of criticizing politicians has been the use of satire. Humor, which is a modern word, was introduced with caution in Iran during the Seljuk era in various forms of satire, humor, irony, etc. Criticism of the government has been expressed in the form of satire, sometimes directly and in most cases indirectly. Humorous criticism of those in power was mainly done by poets, writers, clowns, Sufis, and sometimes scientists, which, in addition to making people laugh, aims to improve the situation of the society, reveal issues behind the scenes, and criticize the powerful have been in various ways, such as likening them to animals, humiliating .The question posed in this research is that in Seljuk era Iran, why and how and in what form were men of power criticized with the literary type of satire? What kind of reactions did such a statement have? The results of the research show that criticism in a humorous way, despite the critic's life being in danger, has caused people to be informed, work to be improved or an individual to be freed. This research has been done in an analytical way with the aim of understanding the culture of Iranian society in relation to the way of criticizing politicians in a satirical literary manner.

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Main Subjects

History of Islam

Articles in Press, Corrected Proof
Available Online from 14 May 2025

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