Note: This machine-generated abstract was prepared by the journal’s editorial team. Please consult the full article for the author’s original argument.
Background and Objective:
Until the Constitutional Revolution, Iranian historians and scholars had only limited knowledge of the historical dynasties of the Medes, Achaemenids, Seleucids, and Parthians. A substantial part of the Iranian understanding of these periods was subsequently shaped by modern Western historical and archaeological research. This study aims to examine the emergence of Iranian awareness of these dynasties and to identify the factors that contributed to this transformation in the historiography of ancient Iran.
Methods and Data:
This study employs a historical and descriptive-analytical approach. Its data are drawn from historical sources, the writings of Iranian scholars, and the findings of European archaeologists and Iranologists. Particular attention is given to the contributions of scholars such as Henry Rawlinson, Ernst Herzfeld, Mohammad-Ali Foroughi, and Pirnia (Moshir al-Dowleh) to the development of Iranian knowledge of ancient history.
Findings:
The findings indicate that, from the late nineteenth century onward, Iranian awareness of ancient history expanded alongside the development of archaeological excavations and the decipherment and translation of inscriptions. Foroughi was among the first Iranian scholars to engage systematically with Western historical studies, while Pirnia significantly expanded this field by compiling and translating research from diverse sources.
Discussion and Conclusion:
The principal cause of this historical unawareness was the predominance of oral traditions, the perception of historical and religious knowledge as restricted or confidential, and the resulting scarcity of written records concerning certain pre-Sasanian dynasties. Consequently, modern knowledge of ancient Iranian history emerged largely through the interaction between Western archaeological research and the scholarly efforts of Iranian historians and intellectuals