The Historical Sociology of the Link between "Sacred Historiography" and "Nation-Building" in Modern Iran (With an Emphasis on the Historiography of Ebrahim Purdavood)

Articles in Press

Document Type : Research Article

Author

Reza Parsa Moghadam

Ph.D. in Economic Sociology and Development, Department of Sociology, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Tehran, Iran

10.22067/jhistory.2026.97386.1431

Abstract

The present article, by integrating Halbwachs' theory of "collective memory" and a constructivist discourse analysis, examines the role of historiography in constructing the national identity of Iranians.

This research reveals two central mechanisms within Purdavood's intellectual system: first, the reproduction of myths through the elevation of Avestan texts to identity-forming symbols, and second, a discursive sanctification that transforms the Avesta into a "national sanctum." By creating a binary opposition between "ancient grandeur" and "post-Islamic decline" and highlighting Arabs as the "identity-forming Other," Purdavood engaged in a discursive selection of historical events and a symbolic engineering of collective memory. The foundation of his intellectual system rests on a fundamental duality: on one hand, it establishes an identity boundary by completely rejecting the Islamic period, and on the other, it claims historical continuity by absorbing and revitalizing symbols such as the Persian language and Shi'ism.

This simultaneous emphasis on both rupture and continuity reveals the fluid and fragmented nature of constructed identities, as well as the role of the struggle over meaning.

Keywords

Collective Memory

Discourse Analysis

Sacred Historiography

Nation-Building

Purdavood

Subjects

• History of Islamic culture

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