The Introduction of Modern Sciences into Iran and the Reactions of Religious Scholars: A Case Study of Sayyid Asadullah Kharaqani

Document Type : Research/Original/Reqular Article

Authors

1 PhD Student Department of History, Imam Khomeini International University (IKIU), Qazvin, Iran

2 Professor, Department of History, Imam Khomeini International University (IKIU), Qazvin, Iran

3 Associate Professor Department of History, Imam Khomeini International University (IKIU), Qazvin, Iran

4 Professor Department of History, Faculty of Literature and Humanity, Imam Khomeini International University (IKIU), Qazvin, Iran

Abstract

The dissemination of modern sciences in Iran during the Qajar period represented one of the many encounters between Iranian society and Western modernity. Religious scholars, as prominent figures within the sociopolitical landscape of the time, responded in diverse and often complex ways. Among them, Sayyid Asadullāh Mīr-Salāmī Kharaqānī (1254–1355 AH/1838–1936 CE) presents a nuanced case. An active figure in social and political spheres, particularly during and after the Constitutional Revolution, Kharaqānī engaged critically with modern sciences. He drew selectively upon their findings to support religious and social arguments-addressing themes such as polygamy and the prohibition of intoxicants-while simultaneously maintaining a critical stance toward certain scientific doctrines, notably the theory of evolution. Kharaqānī encouraged the adoption of modern scientific methods and challenged the assumptions of traditional natural sciences, yet he refrained from embracing modern science unreservedly. This article examines Kharaqānī’s intellectual engagement with modern sciences, analyzing his extant works in light of his theological commitments. It argues for a nuanced reading that situates him neither strictly as a proponent nor an adversary of modern science, but as a reflective scholar navigating the intersection of tradition and modernity.

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References

Transliteration
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Iranian Journal for the History of Islamic Civilization
Volume 57, Issue 2
February 2025
Pages 112-133

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History

  • Receive Date: 22 August 2024
  • Revise Date: 11 December 2024
  • Accept Date: 08 January 2025

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