The Holy Drama: Persian Passion Play in Modern Iran
The Holy Drama: Persian Passion Play in Modern Iran
by Mahnia A. Nematollahi Mahani
Leiden University Press, 2013 eISBN: 978-94-006-0034-8 | Paper: 978-90-8728-115-1 Library of Congress Classification PK6442.M34 2013 Dewey Decimal Classification 891.552051609
ABOUT THIS BOOK | AUTHOR BIOGRAPHY | TOC
ABOUT THIS BOOK
Persian passion play or ta'ziya depicts the role of the Prophet's granddaughter Zeynab during the tragic death of the third Shiite Imam Hoseyn in Karbala in 680. This book depicts how Zeynab has become a role model in modern Iranian society, especially during the Islamic Revolution and the Iran-Iraq War.
AUTHOR BIOGRAPHY
Mahnia A. Nematollahi Mahani worked as an editor at the Center for International Cultural Studies in Tehran, before she started her academic career in Persian Studies at Leiden University.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Contents Preface 9 Acknowledgements 10 Studies on Persian Passion Play 11 Translations in European languages 19 Introduction 23 A Short History of Ta‘ziya 23 The Movements after ‘Āšūrā and the Development of Ta‘ziya 24 Late Medieval and Modern Ta‘ziya 26 The Devotional Contents of Ta‘ziya 28 Oral Tradition in Ta‘ziya Texts 28 Ta‘ziya Players and Devices 34 Audience Participation in the Ta‘ziya 35 Zeynab in Ta‘ziya 37 ‘Āšūrā, the Martyrdom of Imām Ḥuseyn 43 A Crisis of Succession 43 The Martyrdom of Imām Ḥuseyn 44 The Concept of Imāma in Shiite Tradition 45 Martyrdom (Šahādat) 47 Eschatology 53 Islamic Eschatology 53 Eschatology in the Ta‘ziya Texts 55 The Ta‘ziya Texts 57 Time and Setting as the Background of the Events 59 The Theme of Day 60 The Theme of Night 61 Settings in Ta‘ziya 63 Doctrines and Philosophy in Ta‘ziya 67 The Legitimacy of Ta‘ziya 70 Zeynab in the Passion Play 73 Veiling and its Supporters in the Ta‘ziya Texts 73 Zeynab as a Role Model for Iranian Women 75 Zeynab’s Sermons 76 Zeynab, Justice and Destiny 77 Zeynab Inspired 79 Zeynab’s Spiritual Power 80 Zeynab the Leader 81 Zeynab as Saviour of the Shiite Tradition and the Line of Imāms 84 Zeynab the Generous 85 Zeynab and the Protagonists 86 Zeynab and Imām Ḥuseyn 86 Zeynab and Sakina 88 Zeynab as Mother 88 Zeynab as Defender 91 Zeynab and the Mother of Qāsem 92 Zeynab and the Antagonists 92 Zeynab and Yazid 92 Zeynab and Šemr 94 Zeynab and Ibn al-Ziyād 96 The Transformation of History 101 Pre-Islamic Iranian Elements in the Ta‘ziya Texts 103 Conclusion 105 Glossary: The Ta‘ziya of the Damascus Bazaar 109 The Ta‘ziya of the Damascus Bazaar 112 Bibliography 205 Index 213
