Introduction: Persian Translations and Adaptations of Global Pre-Eighteenth-Century Tales for Children
By Mehdi Farhoodinia
Nineteenth-century Iran was ruled by the Qajar dynasty whose kings are known for incompetence, cruelty, and sensuousness. However, over the same period, a range of social and technological changes occurred which affected the lives of all individuals including children. For instance, the first lithographic printing machines were introduced to the country. The first of these machines were imported either by Mirzā Sāleh Shirāzi in 1851 from England or by Mirzā Zayn al-Abedin Tabrizi in 1861 who imported the equipment from Russia to Tabriz. Both these people were supported by Abbās Mirzā, the crown prince of Fath-Ali Shāh of Qajar (Heidari 2020). Thus, many books and periodicals became available to the public, which, in turn, created cultural awareness and social change (Gerami and Salmani 2016).
Based on some estimates, over fifty percent of children died in the first half of the nineteenth century because of different diseases (Azad Armaki, Abbasi, and Shaban 2021). However, healthcare conditions and child survival gradually improved and public vaccination was carried out against contagious diseases (Mahdavi 2014). This, along with other changes, brought the health and education of children to the foreground.
Due to academic encounters with the West, the educational system was revolutionized. Traditional schools called Maktab Khāneh were gradually replaced by modern schools (Yousefvand, Hormoz, and Begdeli 2018). The first modern school was established by an American priest named Justin Perkins in the city of Urmia, southwest of Iran, in 1835 (Perkins 1843). Modern schools demanded new updated materials for school children. Some of these materials were translations of resources from other languages including Arabic and French (Mohammadi and Ghaeni 2001). Villages and small towns, however, continued with the traditional Maktab Khāneh for decades.
Accordingly, illustrations of books during the Qajar dynasty (1879-1925) experienced a significant change moving toward modern European styles of painting. The impact of European painting on illustrations represented the popularity of realism, the introduction of perspective into paintings, and the creation of depth and dimension through shadows and highlights (Asnaashari 2019).
During this period, children were treated as miniature adults. This is apparent from children’s attire and accessories in the extant photos of the time (Mahdavi 2014). This can explain why didactic literature, such as fables, was a popular source for translation. In the same way, translators almost always added didactic introductions to the tales along with didactic poetry and explicit morals at the end.
The first Constitution signed by Mozaffar Al-Din Shāh in 1906, was the outcome of modernization in Iran, which in turn impacted the sociopolitical conditions of the country. This first step to bring democracy to the country affected everyone including ordinary children who had not previously enjoyed the right to modernized education (Gerami and Salmani 2016).
Although translation had been popular in Iran since ancient times, translated works had always been sporadic and far between. However, in the nineteenth century, some translators were hired by the court. Dār ul-Funun, The first modern academic school in Iran, was established in1851 to become an academic venue for translators and writers. Hence, many books were translated and published including those that addressed younger readers (Ekhtiar 1994) and (Ghaeni 2006).
Books available to children came from three different sources. Some of the books were publications and adaptations of classical Persian literature like Masnavi ol-Atfāl which was an adaptation of some of the stories in Masnavi-ye-Ma’navi by Jalāl al-Din Muhammad Balkhi, also known as Rumi (1207-1273), published for children (Gerami and Salmani 2016).
Some other stories were popular folktales belonging to the oral tradition like Amir Arsalan, a Persian romance (Hosseini Sarvari and Baha Abadi 2014), and Aunty Cockroach and Mr. Mouse. Some of these stories were adapted and translated into other languages and cultures. This needs to be analyzed in a different section.
Books from other countries were the third source for children’s books. They were selected, translated, and adapted for children. French was the most important source language since many Iranian students were sent to French universities to study. There are quite a few works in this category that were published over the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. A few popular titles include Jules Verne’s Twenty Thousand Leagues under the Sea and Around the World in Eighty Days translated from French and One Thousand and One Nights, also known as Arabian Nights, translated from Arabic.
As the scope of the site is the circulation of children’s literature, the focus will be on translations and adaptations. These mostly include works translated and adapted from other languages and, to a lesser degree, works that have been translated and adapted from Persian.
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References
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Azad Armaki, Taghi, Mahmoud Abbasi, and Maryam Shaban. 2021. “The Child Becomes a Subject in Health in Iran: A Historical Analysis of the Qajar Period.” Iranian Journal of Medical Law 15 (56): 335–48.
Ekhtiar, Maryam Dorreh. 1994. “The Dar Al-Funun: Educational Reform and Cultural Development in Qajar Iran.” New York University.
Gerami, Elaheh, and Bahloul Salmani. 2016. “The Role of Constitution Revolution and The Impact of Translation Movement in the Formation of Children’s Literature in Iran during Late Qajar Era.” In International Conference on Literature and Linguistics. Tehran.
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Mohammadi, M, and Zohreh Ghaeni. 2001. The History of the Children’s Literature in Iran. Tehran: Chista.
Perkins, J. 1843. A Residence of Eight Years in Persia, Among the Nestorian Christians: With Notices of the Muhammedans. ATLA Monograph Preservation Program. Allen, Morrill & Wardwell.
Yousefvand, Reza, Jila Rostami Hormoz, and Mohsen Begdeli. 2018. “Investigation of Iran’s Educational Structure during Qajar Era.” Journal of History Culture and Art Research 7 (2): 750–58.