Hazin Lahiji | |
|---|---|
 Memorial atLahijan dedicated to Hazin Lahiji | |
| Born | (1692-01-08)8 January 1692 |
| Died | 15 October 1766(1766-10-15) (aged 74) |
Hazin Lahiji (Persian:حزین لاهیجی; 8 January 1692 – 15 October 1766), was an Iranian historian, theologian and philosopher.
Hazin belonged to a family of scholars and landowners in the northern Iranian province ofGilan,[1] which mainly resided in the town ofAstara.[2] They traced their lineage back toZahed Gilani, a saint from the 13th century. In order to complete his studies, Hazin's father Abu Talib Lahiji—a philosopher fromLahijan—relocated toIsfahan during the reign ofShah Solayman (r. 1666–1694).[3][1] There he married Inayat Allah Isfahani's daughter and had four sons, among whom Hazin was the eldest.[2] Hazin was born on 8 January 1692 in Isfahan and raised there,[2] but would regardless identify as being from his father's hometown of Lahijan.[4] By the age of four Hazin started studying under his father.[2] Within two years, he picked up reading and writing, and by the time he was eight, he had been taught by Qari Malik Husayn on how to recite theQuran. He continued on to study courses like law,hadith, mathematics, and medicine.[2] During his youth, he also visited the city ofShiraz and its surroundings.[3]
Hazin studied under sixteen teachers,[3] of whom the most distinguished are Khalil Allah Taliqani, Shah Mohammad Shirazi, Mirza Qawam al-Din, Mohammad Sayfi Qazvini and Mohammad Masih ibn Ismail Fasa'i.[2] After completing his official education, Hazin became acquainted with the doctrine of other religions as well as different Muslim societies.[2] He was taught about theNew Testament and some aspects ofChristian theology byHovhannes Mrkuz Jughayetsi, anArmenian theologian fromNew Julfa. A certain Jewish scholar from Isfahan named Shu'ayb taught him about theOld Testament, and inBeyza he was taught aboutZoroastrianism by one of their scholars.[3] Afterwards, he researched the variations in Muslim communities' ideologies.[2]
The Iranian historian Masoumeh Salek considers Hazin to be a "broad-minded thinker of the 18th century." Because intellectuals would assemble at his father's home, he got the chance to meet several of the poets and academics he mentions in his later book namedTazkirat al-Mu'asirin. His liberal beliefs and personality were affected by exposure to their ideas. Hazin's father and mother died in 1715 and 1717, respectively. In 1722, two of his brothers also died.[2]
In 1722, Isfahan was besieged by insurgentAfghan forces led byMahmud Hotak.[5] Having eventually sold everything but his books, Hazin tried unsuccessfully to convinceShah Soltan Hoseyn (r. 1694–1722) and his own remaining family and friends to leave the famine-stricken city before it was too late.[1]