نویسندگان
1 دانشیار گروه مطالعات سیاسی، بینالمللی و حقوقی پژوهشگاه علوم انسانی و مطالعات فرهنگی، تهران، ایران.
2 دانشجوی دکتری علوم سیاسی، پژوهشگاه علوم انسانی و مطالعات فرهنگی، تهران، ایران.
چکیده
کلیدواژهها
عنوان مقاله [English]
نویسندگان [English]
An examination of historical records, inscriptions, and artifacts from ancient Iran reveals the profound influence of religion and spirituality in Iranian societies. This indicates that ancient Iranians, grounded in their religious and spiritual beliefs, pursued transcendental objectives beyond mere material existence. While acknowledging reality and establishing an unparalleled civilization, they consistently pursued idealistic aspirations through a moderate approach. Utilizing the theoretical framework of "The Formation and Evolution of Iranian National Identity" alongside the concept of political imagination from the theory of "Political Imagination in the Iranian-Islamic Lifeworld," this study employs comparative methodology and documentary/library research methods to investigate the historical roots of Iranian national identity and validate its central hypothesis: that Iran's adoption of Islam and subsequent embrace of Shi'ism as the perfected manifestation of Zoroastrian ideals represented not an imposition following the Sassanid defeat to Arab forces, but rather a conscious choice aligned with Iranians' centuries-old pursuit of justice, truth, and opposition to oppression. Long before Islam's emergence, Iranians had sought to establish a just society and divine governance, as evidenced in their concept of Divine Glory for kings. When encountering Umayyad and Abbasid rulers whose actions contradicted Islamic values, Iranians recognized Shi'ism as more congruent with their essential identity than Sunni Islam. This research examines "Shi'a Islam" as the "political imagination of ancient Iranians" - particularly from the Safavid era onward when it became central to Iranian identity - while tracing the roots of Iranian cultural and psychological characteristics across macro-historical scales. It concludes that the Shi'ite element in Iranian identity predates Islam and originates in ancient Iran, suggesting that even the Sassanids, as the sole dynasty to institutionalize Zoroastrianism, failed to realize these ideals due to priestly corruption. Ultimately, this collective idealistic imagination materialized through Shi'a political culture after centuries of Iranian identity crises.
کلیدواژهها [English]
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