نظریه قهرمان‌گرایی در تاریخ ایران (بررسی موردی: شاه اسماعیل اول صفوی)

Heroism reviews the role of the hero or prominent figures in the advancement of historical events, and its extreme form leads to ignoring the social conditions and contexts in the events.In the history of Iran, there have been many historians who have been influenced by this attitude and have described the life of a king and the events of his time in the form of writing Sultani monologues and with a world-opening and cosmopolitan view.One of these examples is Shah Ismail I Safavid, who is described as a supernatural savior hero and related to the divine world, and his wonderful life is depicted.In this article, the purpose of representing the character of Shah Ismail is the theory of the hero in history by the method of library and text research in historical texts.The research shows that the historians of the Safavid era highlighted Shah Ismail, that all the events were formed around the king-hero axis, and that social conditions and human factors played a role in the character of the hero's action.
Introduction:
In examining historical phenomena, some emphasize the role of characters or heroes in creating events, and some consider the role of social and economic contexts and social forces to have an effect in the occurrence of historical events. In the heroic view of history, the events of history are made by heroes, and the leaders of the events are seen as divine scourge, God's punishment, divine will, the whole spirit of the world, or hidden will, and such terms are used to explain these events. In this view, events are related to the will and role of great men or heroes, and social conditions are not given much importance. In the history of Iran, historians have named their writings with titles such as Tajnameh, Khodaynameh, Shahnameh, and so on. In the Islamic era, prophets were also considered heroes of religious movements, and historical writings included the title of prophets alongside the names of kings in historical titles, such as Tarikh al-Rusul wal-Muluk, Sunni al-Muluk al-Arz va al-Anbiya, and other examples. One of the examples of Iranian historical figures who appear in the eyes and descriptions of historians as a hero is Shah Ismail I Safavid. His character and amazing works in Kishorestani, military operations, and the establishment of a government chain at a young age have impressed the historians of the Safavid era, and the events of his rise and reign were considered as a function of his character, as interpreted by the hero theory in history.
Necessity, Importance, and Purpose
In this article, the aim is to investigate the theory of heroism in history and to apply this theory to the character of Shah Ismail I Safavid through the descriptions of Safavid historians who considered his role as the main factor in the developments of his era and considered Shah Ismail a great hero. The importance of this research is that it examines Shah Ismail's character based on one of the theories in history that considers the role of famous characters or heroes as influential in the movement of history and its developments, while also revealing the view of historians of the Safavid era. Investigating historical events using theories proposed in the philosophy of history or sociological theories and interdisciplinary discussions is a necessity that can provide historical research with innovative insights.
Research Question
The basis of this research is the following question: How is the image presented by historians of the Safavid era of the character of Shah Ismail I consistent with the theory of the hero in history?
Method:
This research is a type of historical study. Its information was collected based on historical texts using a library method, and in the review phase, it was conducted with a descriptive-analytical approach. The theoretical framework of the research is the theory of the hero or the "best man" in history, which was proposed in the analytical study of the subject.
Conclusion:
In this research, Shah Ismail's character, his rise and consolidation of power, based on the theory of heroism and the views of historians of the Safavid era, were investigated. The theory of heroism emphasized the role of the central character, here Shah Ismail, as the center of all events. Historians of the Safavid era have reported events centered around Shah Ismail's personality and acknowledged favorable social conditions and the role of Qizilbash under it. These historians were influenced by the idea of providentialism and divine will in sending prophets to guide people and reform society and, by using some narrative teachings—especially the coming of a new generation at the head of each century—adopted a mentality based on the idea that kings chosen by God manage the affairs of subjects and their security and well-being. They considered Shah Ismail as a chosen person who affirmed and was inspired by God's confirmations and divine inspirations, and by assigning him to the Twelver Shia Imams, they considered him as their agent for promoting Shiism and making Shiism dominant over other religions. Therefore, it is as if his election and mission were predestined and promised, and he survived all the events that could destroy him safely until the beginning of the 16th century. To raise his name, honor the Imams, and bring Shia out of taqiyyah and the period of fear and sorrow, he drew the sword of conquest and, in various campaigns (up to Chaldiran), received divine support and the help of leading Imams, and was victorious over his enemies.
The heroic and amazing image that the historians of the Safavid era and even traveling Venetians presented of Shah Ismail I is today analyzed in the form of a theory proposed by some philosophers and thinkers in the theoretical philosophy of history, emphasizing that the role of the character or hero, great men, or superhumans is central in the evolution of history and society, contrasting with the theory of social determinism, which considers the emergence of governments or the movement of society and history as a definite necessity and historical determinism resulting from the internal contradictions of production factors. Historians have not discussed the role of the character or hero in historical developments like the philosophers of history, but considering the personality and leadership of Shah Ismail as an agent from the upper world and inspired by supernatural powers in the formation of the Safavid government, he is portrayed as a savior hero. It seems that the portrayal historians made of Shah Ismail is an example of the same concepts and characteristics that the philosophers of history proposed for heroes related to the general spirit of the world.
The hero of historians, due to a set of characteristics such as descent, religion, leadership, guidance of religion, history of Ghazawat and Jihad, etc., which gave him charismatic and cultured ability, was able to use the existing capacity of the Qizilbash tribal force (Turks) and the support of the native forces of Iran (Tajik or Iranian) and religious propaganda effectively for the purpose of opening up the country and gaining power. Favorable social conditions that demanded some kind of change in an unfavorable situation towards a better future also allowed the hero of the time to carry out his actions in the role of a savior. In fact, social conditions provided a suitable platform for Shah Ismail, and the Qizilbash's military force, as an effective and practical arm in military battles and struggles, supported his movement in the stages of formation, establishment, stabilization, and continuation. Perhaps it was Ismail's fortune that he sought to gain power when both the conditions were suitable for him and the previous experience of his ancestors had prepared such a fighting force. The influence of these two factors, which became one of the secrets of Shah Ismail's success, made his image appear as a superhuman hero in the eyes of historians and some researchers.