How seventeenth-century Isfahan shaped a new sense of the individual self
In short: In the seventeenth century, the city of Isfahan became a crucible for a shifting human identity. Through mystical travelogues, the careful disciplining of emotions, and a vibrant culture of letter-writing, a distinct sense of self began to emerge in early modern Iran.
The evolution of the individual in early modern Iran was not a sudden shift but a complex social process. In seventeenth-century Isfahan, scholars suggest that the emergence of a modern sense of self was driven by several intersecting cultural forces. These included the rise of mystical travelogues, which allowed for more personal narratives, and a flourishing epistolary culture that expanded the ways people communicated their inner lives. This transformation was explored by Kathryn Babayan, an associate professor of Iranian History and Culture at the University of Michigan. Her research examines how these social dynamics functioned within the specific context of early modern Isfahan.
Beyond literature, the social fabric of Isfahan was also being reshaped by the internal disciplining of emotions. This period saw a growing emphasis on how individuals managed their internal states, contributing to a more nuanced understanding of personal identity. This cultural landscape provided the foundation for the sophisticated social and spiritual expressions found in the region during this era. This internal regulation of feeling was a key component of the era's shifting social landscape. Such developments helped foster a more sophisticated approach to personal identity.
Understanding this period requires looking at the broader intellectual history of the region, including the works of earlier thinkers like ʿAyn al-Quḍāt Hamadānī. Though he lived centuries before the Isfahan era, his complex engagement with the Qur’an and his theories on the text's origins highlight the long-standing tradition of intellectual and spiritual inquiry in the Islamic world. His life, marked by both profound scholarship and a state-sponsored execution for heresy, underscores the intense religious and philosophical tensions that have historically shaped the region's intellectual history. Hamadānī was a prominent philosopher and judge who studied under Aḥmad al-Ghazālī. His unique theological perspective focused on the all-encompassing nature of the Qur’an and the necessity of cultivating spiritual worthiness.
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Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: Annemarie Schimmel Memorial Lecture: Displaying the Self in Early Modern Isfahan
- Also: Annemarie Schimmel Memorial Lecture
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