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Published online by Cambridge University Press: 01 January 2022
The history of children in general and that of Persian children in particular is that of the inarticulate. The social history of Iran is a neglected field although in recent decades a preponderance of material has appeared on the history of women. Aside from this no work has been undertaken on the private life of the period including childhood and family life. This article examines various aspects of the position and upbringing of children in Qajar Iran ranging from the rearing of children to their status in the family, discipline, amusements and education. This investigation attempts to cover the childhood of different sexes and social classes both in rural and urban areas. The discussion is limited to Shi'i children, the majority population of Iran.
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15 For an example of this see Mahdavi, Shireen, For God, Mammon and Country: A Nineteenth Century Persian Merchant (Boulder, CO, 1999), 70–71Google Scholar; also Mahdavi, Shireen, “Everyday Life in Late Qajar Iran,” Iranian Studies 45, no. 3 (2012): 355–70CrossRefGoogle Scholar.
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17 Mustafa Khan Ansari was the eldest son of Mirza Sa'id Khan Ansari Mu'tamin al-Mulk, a prominent Qajar office holder. See Natiq, Huma, “Sanadi dar Aʿyin-yi Milkdari va Zan Dari dar Qarn-i Nuzda,” in Majmuaʻ-yi Pajuhishha-yi Tarikh: Tarikh-i Iran no. 2 (Tehran, 1979), 86–90Google Scholar; also Gurney, J.D., “A Qajar Household and its Estates,” Iranian Studies 16, no. 3–4 (1983): 137–76CrossRefGoogle Scholar.
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19 Mahdavi, For God, Mammon and Country, 65.
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21 See also Amanat, Abbas, Pivot of the Universe: Nasir al-Din Shah Qajar and the Iranian Monarchy (Berkeley, CA, 1997), 36–8Google Scholar.
22 SirPorter, Robert Ker, Travels in Georgia, Persia, Armenia, Ancient Babylonia, etc. etc. During the Years 1817, 1818, 1819, and 1820, 2 vols. (London, 1821), 1: 345.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
23 For paintings see Ricci, Franco Maria, ed., Qajar (Milan, 1982)Google Scholar. An example of girls' costumes can be found on page 115 where mother and daughter are identically dressed. Example of boys costume can be seen on page 197. For photographs see Zuka, Yahya', Tarikh-i ʿAkasi-yi Pishgam dar Iran (Tehran, 1997)Google Scholar on many pages but especially page 27 which shows Muzaffar al-Din Mirza as a child with his companions and a group photograph of male members of the Ghaffari family p. 428, no. 25, Also http://hcl.harvard.edu/collections/digital.
24 Ariès, Centuries of Childhood, 50–61.
25 Sparroy, Wilfred, Children of the Royal Family (London, 1902), 108.Google Scholar
26 Serena, Carla, Homme et Chose en Perse (1883), trans. Samiʻi, Ghulam Riza (Tehran, 1363\1984), 281.Google Scholar
27 Polak, Jakob Eduard, Persien, das Land und Seine Bewohner, 2 vols. (Leipzig, 1865)Google Scholar [published in translation as Safarnama-yi Polak: Iran va Iranian, trans. Kaykavus Jahandari (Tehran, 1982), 140].
28 Encyclopaedia Iranica s.v. “Circumcision,” by Ibrahim Shakurzada and Mahmud Omidsalar.
29 Mustawfi, Sharh-i-Zindigani, 1: 206.
30 Nafisi, Be Ravayat, 600–2.
31 Encyclopaedia Iranica, s.v. “Esfand,” by Mahmoud Omidsalar and Encyclopaedia Iranica, s.v. “Chashm-Zakhm,” by Ebrahim Shakurzada and Mahmoud Omidsalar.
32 The major formulator of this system of medicine, practiced in Persia up to the nineteenth century, was Avicenna (980–1037). He was a Persian who united the two great traditions of scientific and philosophical knowledge (of Galen and Aristotle) in his numerous works. See Mahdavi, Shireen, “Shahs, Doctors, Diplomats and Missionaries in 19th Century Iran,” British Journal of Middle East Studies 32, no. 2 (2005): 169–91CrossRefGoogle Scholar.
33 Quchani, Siyahat, 2–3.
34 Sparroy, Children of the Royal Family, 260.
35 Dust Muʿayyir Mamalik, ʻAli Khan, Yadashthayi' az Zindigani Khususi Nasir al-Din Shah (Tehran, n.d.), 163–7Google Scholar.
36 Ibid.
37 Wilson, S.G., Persian Life and Customs (New York, 1895), 254.Google Scholar
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39 Rice, C. Colliver, Persian Women and Their Ways (London, 1923), 130.Google Scholar
40 Mustawfi, Sharh-i Zindigani, 1: 206.
41 Nafisi, Be Ravayat, 597–600.
42 See Polak, Safarnama-yi Polak, 139–40.
43 See ʿAyan al-Saltana, Qahriman Mirza Salur, Ruznama-yi Khatirat, vol. 1, ed. Salur, Masʿud and Afshar, Iraj (Tehran, 1975)Google Scholar.
44 Muʿayyir Mamalik, Yadashthayi' az Zindigani, 163–7.
45 See Encyclopaedia Iranica s.v. “Alak Dolak,” by H. Javadi. Also Najmi, Nasir, Iran-i Qadim va Tehran-i Qadim (Tehran, 1984), 501Google Scholar.
46 For an example of a badbadak (kite) during the reign of Nasir al-Din Shah see the photograph of Kamran Mirza, Nasir al-Din Shah's favorite son at the age of nine with a kite in Yahya Zuka', Tarikh-i ʿAkasi-yi Pishgam dar Iran (Tehran, 1997), 30.
47 These stories have been collected in two volumes by “Sobhi” who through his programs on the radio regaled and acquainted generations of modern children with their heritage. See Muhtadi, Fazllula (Sobhi), Afsanaha, 2 vols. (Tehran, 1946)Google Scholar; Lorimer, D.L.R. and Lorimer, E.O., Persian Tales (London, 1919)Google Scholar; Marzolph, Ulrich, “Persian Popular Literature in the Qajar Period,” Asian Folklore Studies 60 (2001): 215–36CrossRefGoogle Scholar.
48 Najmi, Iran-i Qadim, 497.
49 Strictly speaking there is no “holy family” in Islam. However, the five personages (Pers. panj tan), namely Muhammad, Fatima, ʿAli, Hassan and Husayn, are nearest to that Christian concept in Islam.
50 Mustawfi, Sharh-i Zindigani, 274–90.
51 Najmi, Iran-i Qadim, 497–8.
52 Both Hidayat and Mustawfi relate that they had bad teachers in the maktab and in the case of Mustawfi they had to be replaced a number of times. See Hidayat, Khatirat, 4; and Mustawfi, , Sharh-i Zindigani, 1: 218–22Google Scholar.
53 The female teacher could also be called mulla baji, mirza baji or shah baji.
54 Nafisi, Be Ravayat, 645–9.
55 Qiran: unit of currency in silver in Qajar Iran. Ten qirans equaled one tuman.
56 Muhammadi, Muhammad Hadi and Ghaeni, Zohra-yi, Tarikh-i Adabiyat Kudakan, 7 vols. (Tehran, 2001), 3: 43.Google Scholar
57 See Polak, Safarnama-yi Polak, 187–9. For an illustration of the maktab and bastinado see Afshar, Ganjina-yi ʿAksha-yi Iran, 317.
58 Ansari, Zindigani, 38.
59 Guh Khurdan: extreme expression of repentance for some act or deed. Jamalzadeh, Sar Va Tah, 62–7.
60 Muhammad Taqi Ibn Muhammad Hadi Hakim, Ganj i Danish: Jughrafia yi Tarikhi yi Shahr i Iran, intro. Navai, Abd al Husayn, ed. Suti, Muhammad Ali and Kianfar, Jamshid, Risala yi Tarbiyat: dar Qavaid-i Talim va Tarbiyat Atfal (Tehran, 1987), 28Google Scholar.
61 Ibid., 23, 24. Ruznama-yi Fars, no. 812, 1289/1872.
62 See Taj al-Saltana, Ruznama-yi Khatirat, 21; and al-Dawla, Mirza Mihdi Khan Mumtahin, Khatirat, ed. Shaqaqi, Husayn Quli Khan (Tehran, 1983), 62–3Google Scholar.
63 Kasravi, Zindigani, 26–7.
64 Curzon, George N., Persia and the Persian Question, 2 vols. London: 1966, 1: 492.Google Scholar
65 Report by Consul Churchill on the Trade and Commerce of Ghilan for the year 1877, UK House of Commons, Parliamentary Papers (Sessional Papers), Accounts and Papers, ZHC 1/4115, p. 700.
66 Muhammadi, Muhammad Hadi and Ghaeni, Zohra-yi, Tarikh i Adabiyat Kudakan, 7 vols. (Tehran, 2001), 3: 256Google Scholar–7. See also editorial in Tarbiat, no. 29, 1315/1897, 113–14; and Muhammad Taqi Hakim, Risala-yi Tarbiyat.
67 Muhammad Taqi Hakim, Risala-yi Tarbiat, twenty-nine to thirty-five.
68 Rice, Persian Women, 129.
69 For a full discussion of these works see Muhammadi and Ghaeni, Tarik-i Adabiyat, 3: 238–401.
70 Abu al-Fazl Ibn Mubarak ‘Alami, ‘Ayar-i Danish (Kanpur, 1893); and Nigar-i Danish (Lucknow, 1902).
71 Muhammad Ali Katuzian Tehrani, Akhlaq-i Asasi ya Muhazib-i Kalila va Damna, trans. Abu al-Ma'li Nasrulla Munshi (Tehran, 1329–32/1911–13).
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76 Quchani, Siyahat, 7.
77 See Mustawfi, Sharh-i Zindigani, 1: 220; and Mahdavi, “Memento of a Life,” 115. The grammar of Mir was by Mir Sayyid ʿAli Sharif Jurjani Astarabadi (740–816/1339–1413). The Amsala Was a well-known language textbook for beginners. The Samadiyya or Hidaya was a treatise on syntax. The Hashiya of Mulla ʿAbdullah is probably a commentary on logic and theology by Mulla ʿAbdullah Yazdi on a work by Saʿd al-Din Taftazani (722–92/1322–89). Jalal al-Din Suyuti (849–911/1445–1505) was a famous fifteenth century scholar of the Mamluk period in Egypt. ʿAbd al-Rahman Jami (817–98/1414–92) was considered the last classical Persian Sufi poet. The Mutavval by Taftazani was on rhetoric. The Mughni was a standard work on Arabic grammar and syntax by Jamal al-Din Ibn Hisham (708–62/1308–60). The Alfiyya by Ibn Malik (601/1204-/673\1274) was on Arabic syntax.
78 Kasravi, Zindigani, 28.
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80 Slavery in Iran was not a common phenomenon. Slaves were bought as status symbols by upper class families. They worked only as domestics and according to contemporary sources were well treated. Frequently they married, had children and were freed. Ricks, Thomas, “Slaves and Slave Trading in Shi'i Iran 1500–1900,” Journal of African and Asian Studies 36, no. 4 (2001): 407–18CrossRefGoogle Scholar; Sheil, Mary, Glimpses of Life and Manners in Persia (London, 1856), 243–5Google Scholar; Farmanfarmian, Manucher, Blood and Oil: Memoirs of a Persian Prince (New York, 1997)Google Scholar; Binning, Robert B.M., Journal of Two Years’ Travel in Persia, Ceylon, ETC, 2 vols. (London, 1857), 1: 272.Google Scholar
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