Zurkhaneh: between tradition and change
This project aims to research the history of wrestling in Iran, the contemporary role of Zurkhaneh wrestling in Iran, and the contemporary ritual and religious role of Zurkhaneh wrestling in Iran. This sporting institution, which is specific to the Persian-speaking world, is vastly expanding within and outside Iran. The Persian term javanmardi, often translated into English as “chivalry”, has a history that stretches back at least to the Arab conquest of Iran in the 7th century.
It is interesting to note how the term developed from one that included attributes of courage, bravery and generosity, into a more Sufi-inspired term, so that by the 11th century treatises were written by Sufis on javanmardi alone. Of interest too is how the concept was appropriated by the Caliphs in Baghdad for political purposes, as an attempt to impose their order over the fragmenting empire. Subsequent research will investigate the nature of javanmardi that appeared in the Safavid period in the 16-18 centuries. These tend to be associated with the trade guilds, and as such they inform us of the nature of Sufism during this period, since the texts were loaded with references to Sufi terms and concepts. As such they are particularly interesting, especially in light of the common belief that, in the later Safavid period at least, the ruling authorities frowned upon the Sufi tradition. This is an ongoing project that investigates a range of topics including identity formation, myth, nationalism, Sufism and social history.
