Document Type : .

Author

• Alireza Molla’i Tavani

Associate Professor, Institute for Humanities and Cultural Studies

Abstract

As an important method used in historical researches, comparative assessment sheds light on different aspects of historical phenomena and, thus, facilitates better understanding. This paper uses this method to study some similarities in thought and practice between two influential clerics of constitutional Iran; Shaykh Ibrahim Zanjani and Mirza Yahya Dowlatabadi.
A closer look at their though and practice reveals that there are lots of similarities between the two: they were born in the same period of time, received similar religious education, joined intellectual circles, joined the constitutionalists, had similar concerns, were involved in similar activities, wrote similar works, supported modern education, and even criticized the dominant religion of their time and its agents. These demonstrate that the climate of thinking and conditions of time had a great impact on their intellectual and political character

Keywords

• Shaykh Ibrahim Zanjani
• Mirza Yahya Dowlatabadi
• Constitutional Revolution
• clergy
• modern education
• religious modernism