Document Type : علمی- پژوهشی

Authors

• neda sonboli ¹
• Abbas Gadimi Gidari ²

¹ PhD student of Islamic Iran History, Faculty of Law and Social Sciences, Tabriz University, Iran.

² Associate Professor of History, Law and Social Sciences, University of Tabriz, Iran.

Abstract

The phenomenon that is called "child marriage" today and is one of the important social and cultural issues and harms related to women, is a historical issue that in the Qajar era in the struggle between tradition and modernity, gradually to the issue and subject It became important, at least among sections of Iranian society. Child marriage or marriage of girls at a young age, although a common phenomenon in pre-modern Iran, does not mean that this phenomenon is not considered as a social harm and a critical phenomenon. In the silence of historiographical, official and even political sources in the face of this issue, literary texts that are considered as the main sources and sources of social history in Iran have considered this important issue as a source of social criticism and in a thoughtful way in They reflected their poems and writings. Relying on texts and literary sources of the Qajar and constitutional eras and new research, this article has analyzed the approach of texts to the issue of child marriage in a descriptive-explanatory method.

Highlights

Key arusak-bâz râ jâmey arusi dar xor ast?

“A Reflection on the Approach of Literary-Historical Texts of the Qajar Period to the Phenomenon of Child Marriage”[1]

Introduction

The phenomenon investigated in this research, i.e, child marriage, its causes, effects and results, which has been raised today as a social issue related to girls and women, is not only modern and contemporary phenomenon. This issue, which has attracted the attentions of sociologists and psychologists today, is a historical challenge. Although child marriage or marriage of girls at a young age was a common phenomenon in pre-modern Iran, in other words, this circumstance can be considered as a social harm and a critical phenomenon. Following the familiarization of Iranians with new western ideas, for the first time, open-minded individuals such as Âxundzâde took heed the women as an issue, and subsequently, and gradually, issues related to it such as women’s rights, education, violence, polygamy and child marriage came to the attention of intellectuals. It is obvious that signifying women’s issues was in conflict with traditional teachings that were supported by powerful religious and political institutions and personalities. However, women’s issues and specifically the issue of early marriage were reflected in the political and literary studies of the Qajar and constitutional eras.

Because of the dominant political and patriarchal view, the historical sources of the Qajar period didn’t give close and thoughtful attention to women and their concerned issues, we inevitably need detailed studies in literary texts to investigate the phenomenon of child marriage and to understand the issues and problems they face. Although literary and historical texts such as jurisprudence, law, sociology and psychology are confused in defining childhood, the factors and consequences of this phenomenon with a close look among intellectuals, especially literary intellectuals such as Âxundzâde, Tâlebof, Âqâ Xân Kermâni, Eʾtesâm al-molk, Sâber, Seyyed Ašraf al-din Qazvini, Moʾjez Šabestari, Iraj Mirza, Dehxodâ, Bahâr and etc. has been paid attention and we have extracted them from the texts. After presenting definitions of childhood in different texts and examining the age of childhood in literary-historical texts, the approach and view of these texts to the phenomenon of child marriage has been discussed. Based on what has been obtained in explaining the factors of the phenomenon of child marriage, firstly attention has been paid to socio-cultural values and attitudes, which include the lack of independence and passivity of girls in marriage, premature aging of women, giving gifts and polygamy. Moʾjez Šabestari is one of those who have paid attention to this issue in his poems, including in the poem “Galin”. Following that, the economic and political goals of child marriage are discussed. Their examples can be seen in the poem “faxriyyeye yek pirmarde servatmand” by Seyyed Ašraf al-din Qazvini and also “sargozašt-e Vazir Xâne Lankaran” written by Âxundzâde. Its consequences are also divided into socio-cultural issues such as lack of education for girls and as a result raising illiterate children as well as physical and psychological consequences such as running away from home, physical injuries and anxiety and depression. The important point is that this phenomenon has been criticized both among male thinkers and among other female thinkers such as Bibi Xânmm Astarâbâdi and Âlam Tâj Qaʾem Maqâmi, etc.

The result of the research shows that with the establishment of Mašrute and providing more freedom and mental preparation of the society, importance of the  phenomenon became more apparent and literature was considered a tool for struggling and extending the  awareness, and  regarding child marriage as a part of the neglected rights of women became very important for literary intellectuals. The frequency of the data in this research shows that the most fundamental reason of this problem in terms according to literary texts is social components, tradition and its rootedness in the majority of society and lawlessness, followed by other religious, economic and political components. Also, the authors of the texts do not call women and girls to silence and acceptance, but encourage them to try to defend their rights and resist such marriages.

Keywords: Qajar, literary texts, child marriage, girls, women, pathology.

 

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[1] Abbâs Qadimi Qeydâr: Associate Professor of University of Tabriz.

Nedâ Sonboli: Ph. D. Student of University of Tabriz.

Keywords

• Qajar
• literary texts
• child marriage
• girls
• pathology

Main Subjects

• History of literature of Iran