''Two Centuries of Silence'' ( fa, دو قرن سکوت, Do Qarn Sokut, ) is a book written in
Persian by
Abdolhossein Zarrinkoub, a prominent
Iran
Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called Persia, is a country located in Western Asia. It is bordered by Iraq and Turkey to the west, by Azerbaijan and Armenia to the northwest, by the Caspian Sea and Turkmeni ...
ian scholar of Iran's culture, history and literature. The work is a historical account of the events and circumstances of the first two centuries of the Iranian history following the
Arab conquest of Iran
The Muslim conquest of Persia, also known as the Arab conquest of Iran, was carried out by the Rashidun Caliphate from 633 to 654 AD and led to the fall of the Sasanian Empire as well as the eventual decline of the Zoroastrian religion.
The ...
in the 7th century AD until the rise of the
Tahirid dynasty
The Tahirid dynasty ( fa, طاهریان, Tâheriyân, ) was a culturally Arabized Sunni Muslim dynasty of Persian dehqan origin, that ruled as governors of Khorasan from 821 to 873 as well as serving as military and security commanders in A ...
, a Muslim dynasty of native Iranian origin.
Zarrinkoub presents a lengthy discussion on the large flux and influence of the Arabs on the literature, language, culture and society of Persia during the two centuries following the Islamic conquest of Iran. Zarrinkoub discusses how the Arab/Islamic conquest was followed by almost "two centuries of silence" socially, culturally and politically by native
Persians
The Persians are an Iranian ethnic group who comprise over half of the population of Iran. They share a common cultural system and are native speakers of the Persian language as well as of the languages that are closely related to Persian. ...
.
In the preface to the second edition of his book, in 1957, Zarinkoob writes, “I picked up my pen and crossed out what was dubious, dark, and incorrect in the first edition. Many such instances were occasions that in the past―either due to immaturity or by prejudice―I had been unable to rightly acknowledge the faults, iniquities, and defeats of Iran." "Now, did I do my duty properly in this revision? I do not know, and I am still of the opinion that the moment a history writer chooses a topic, he has strayed from neutrality."
According to Touraj Daryaee, ''Two Centuries of Silence'' "has been the standard book for the Persian audience for the past half a century. It is only recently that new works are being accepted as an alternative to Zarrinkub’s view."
English translation
''Two Centuries of Silence'' has been translated into English by
Paul Sprachman
Paul Sprachman (born 26 May 1947) is a professor emeritus who taught at Rutgers University in the United States. He earned his PhD degree from University of Chicago in 1981. He has worked and studied in Afghanistan and Iran for a number of years. ...
(Oct. 5, 2017). In his extensive introductory essay, Sprachman offers an analysis as how Zarrinkub was compelled to change his historical view of Iranian history after the 1979 Revolution The book was earlier translated by Avid Kamgar (Aug. 19, 2016) and published by Oughten House Publications.
See also
*
Step by Step Up to Union With God
''Step by Step Up to Union With God'' ( fa, پلهپله تا ملاقات خدا) is a book by Abdolhossein Zarrinkoob, a scholar of Iranian literature, history of literature, Persian culture and history.
The book is about the life, thou ...
References
{{Reflist
Iranian books
Books about Iran
Abdolhossein Zarrinkoob
Works by Abdolhossein Zarrinkoob