Mirza Mohammad Taqi Sepehr | |
|---|---|
| Native name | میرزا محمدتقی سپهر |
| Born | 1801 |
| Died | March 1880(1880-03-00) (aged 78–79) |
| Pen name | Sepehr |
| Notable works | Nasekh-ol-tavarikh-e salatin-e Qajariyeh |
| Relatives | Abbas-Qoli (son) Abd-ol-Hoseyn Malek ol-Movarrekhin (grandson) |
Mirza Mohammad Taqi Sepehr (Persian:میرزا محمدتقی سپهر), also known asMirza Mohammad Taqi Kashani, or with the honorificLesan ol-Molk (lit. 'The Tongue of the Kingdom/Country'; 1801–1880), was anIranian court historian and littérateur of theQajar era. He wrote with thepen nameSepehr ("celestial sphere"), and is known for authoring the lengthyPersian chronicleNasekh ol-tavarikh-e salatin-e Qajariyeh ("The Abrogator of Histories: On Qajar Rulers"), also simply known as theNasekh ol-tavarikh.
Sepehr was born in 1801 inKashan and enjoyed a studious youth. He eventually settled in the capital ofTehran in his younger years and became a protegé of the artist and writerFath-Ali Khan Saba, who likewise originated from Kashan.[1][2] WhenQajarshahMohammad Shah (r. 1834-1848) ascended the throne in 1834, Sepehr was appointed his privatepanegyrist, as well as secretary and accountant in the Iranian treasury (monshi va mostowfi-e divan).[3] In 1853 Naser al-Din Shah gave him the honorary title "Lesan ol-Molk", which translates as "The Tongue of the Kingdom/Country".[4][5]
Sepehr died in March 1880.[6] He was the grandfather of the historian Abd-ol-Hoseyn Malek ol-Movarrekhin.[7]
He wrote with thepen name (takhallos) "Sepehr", which translates as "celestial sphere".[8]
Sepehr completed theBarahin ol-Ajam in 1835; the work deals withPersian prosody and is exemplified by examples from the medieval Persian poets.[9] Several years later, in 1842, on the order of Mohammad Shah Qajar, Sepehr started writing the Persian chronicleNasekh-ol-tavarikh-e salatin-e Qajariyeh ("The Abrogator of Histories: On Qajar Rulers"), also simply known as theNasekh ol-tavarikh.[10] The greatest part of his chronicle is dedicated to tracing Iran's national identity in the story ofShi'ism.[11] The part covering early Islamic history was written by Sepehr's son Abbas-Qoli, while he himself authored the part concerning his patrons, i.e. the Qajars.[12] This part on the Qajars is viewed as the only significant and noteworthy part of the chronicle, and covers up to 1857.[13]
As part of his religious side, the work was patronized by Mohammad Shah Qajar's son and successorNaser al-Din Shah Qajar (r. 1848-1896), who consciously put efforts into nurturing a sense of national identity based on monarchical continuity, with himself being the political representative ofthe Twelfth Imam.[14] This side was complemented by Naser al-Din Shah's cherishing of a literary Iranian historical consciousness.[15]
Early writers onBábi history, such asArthur de Gobineau,Alexander Kasimovich Kazembek andEdward Granville Browne heavily relied on Sepehr's chronicle, with Browne applauding Sepehr's truthfulness and precision.[16] However, Sepehr's chronicle generally depicts the Bábi's very negatively.[17]
De Gobineau, who had met Sepehr during his stay in Iran, spoke of Sepehr's scholarly and administrative seriousness, in contrast to that of his compatriotReza-Qoli Khan Hedayat, whose writings de Gobineau described as being composed in a light and laughing manner. Sepehr's verses can be found in anthologies, including theMajma al-fusaha of Hedayat. These verses of Sepehr display technical skill, however they lack freshness and taste.[18]