Iraj Afshar ( fa, ایرج افشار; 8 October 1925 – 9 March 2011) was a bibliographer, historian, scholar, professor, and an iconic figure in the field of

Persian studies Persian studies (Persian: مطالعات فارسی) is the study of the Persian language and its literature specifically. It is differentiated from Iranian studies which is a broader, more interdisciplinary subject that focuses more on the histo ...

. Afshar was a

professor emeritus ''Emeritus'' (; female: ''emerita'') is an adjective used to designate a retired chair, professor, pastor, bishop, pope, director, president, prime minister, rabbi, emperor, or other person who has been "permitted to retain as an honorary title ...

of the

University of Tehran The University of Tehran (Tehran University or UT, fa, دانشگاه تهران) is the most prominent university located in Tehran, Iran. Based on its historical, socio-cultural, and political pedigree, as well as its research and teaching pro ...

. He was a consulting editor of ''

Encyclopædia Iranica ''Encyclopædia Iranica'' is a project whose goal is to create a comprehensive and authoritative English language encyclopedia about the history, culture, and civilization of Iranian peoples from prehistory to modern times. Scope The ''Encyc ...

'' at

Columbia University Columbia University (also known as Columbia, and officially as Columbia University in the City of New York) is a private research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Church in Manhatt ...

Biography

Iraj Afshar was born on 8 October 1925 in Tehran, Iran to parents Nosrat Barazandeh and . He attended Zoroastrian Shāpour Secondary School and Firouz-Bahrām High School in Tajrish, Tehran. In 1945, he married Shayesteh Afsharieh and together they had four sons. Iraj Afshar recorded the monuments of

Yazd Yazd ( fa, یزد ), formerly also known as Yezd, is the capital of Yazd Province, Iran. The city is located southeast of Isfahan. At the 2016 census, the population was 1,138,533. Since 2017, the historical city of Yazd is recognized as a Wor ...

in his three-volume "yādegār-hāye Yazd (Monuments of Yazd)". He was known as, "the doyen of standard Persian language bibliographers". Afshar played a significant role in the development of the field of Iranology in Iran and throughout the world during the second half of the 20th century. He was the editor of ''Sokhan'', a prolific Iranology journal, under the responsibility of

Parviz Natel-Khanlari Parviz Natel Khanlari ( fa, پرویز ناتل خانلری; March 20, 1914 – August 23, 1990) was an Iranian literary scholar, linguist, author, researcher, politician, and professor at Tehran University. Biography Parviz Natel Khanlari g ...

and also the editor of ''rāhnamāye ketāb'' (Bibliography Guide), ''Mehr'', ''farhang-e Iranzamin'' (Culture of Iran) and '' Ayandeh''. He was the chief bibliographer of Persian books at

Harvard University Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of high ...

. Afshar was associated with

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. It ...

and taught at the

University of Bern The University of Bern (german: Universität Bern, french: Université de Berne, la, Universitas Bernensis) is a university in the Swiss capital of Bern and was founded in 1834. It is regulated and financed by the Canton of Bern. It is a compreh ...

and

. He was on the advisory council for the Iranian Studies Journal.

Biographical timeline

*1925: Birth in Tehran, Iran (Father: Dr. Mahmoud Afshar, Mother: Nosrat Barazandeh) *1933–1945: Attended Zoroastrian Shāpour Secondary School and Firouz-Bahrām High School in Tajrish, Tehran *1944–1946: Manager of Ayandeh Journal *1945: Received Diploma in Literature *1945: Marriage to Shayesteh Afsharieh *1945–1949: Attended

majoring in Law, thesis: Minorities in Iran *1946–1955: Collaboration with ''jahān-e now'' (New World) Journal (Editor in Chief: Hossein Hejazi) *1950: Employed by Ministry of Culture and Education as educator at Sharif High School and Gharib High School *1951–1960: Librarian – Law Library of

– with encouragement from Dr. Mohsen Sabah and Mohammad-Taqi Danesh-Pajouh *1952–1953: Editor-in-Chief of ''Mehr'' Journal (licensee: Majeed Movaqqar) *1952-2011: Founder and Managing Editor of ''farhang-e Irānzamin'' Journal (in association with Mohammad-Taqi Danesh-Pajouh, Manoucher Sotoudeh, Mostafa Mogharrabi, Abbas Zaryab Khoyee) *1963–1966: Publication of ''ketābhāy-e Iran'' (Books of Iran) (Annual bibliography) *1954–1956: Editor-in-Chief of ''Sokhan'' Journal (licensee: Dr. Parviz Natel-Khanlari) *1955–1961: Director ''ketābhāy-e māh'' (Books of the Month) Journal (Publication of Society of Publishers with cooperation of Franklin Publishing Corporation) *1956–1963: Acting Managing Director ''bongāh-e tarjomeh o nasher-e ketāb'' (Institute for Translation and Publishing of Books) *1956–1957: Attended

Educational and Practical Library Science training in Europe *1957–1958: Co-founder ''bāshgāh-e ketāb'' (Book Club) later named ''anjoman-e ketāb'' (Book Society) *1958–1969: Educator Library Science at ''dāneshsarāy-e ālee'' (Higher Education) division of

*1958–1979: Managing Editor ''rāhnamāy-e ketāb'' Journal (licensee:

Ehsan Yarshater Ehsan Yarshater ( fa, احسان يارشاطر, April 3, 1920 – September 1, 2018) was an Iranian historian and linguist who specialized in Iranology. He was the founder and director of The Center for Iranian Studies, and Hagop Kevorkian Profe ...

) *1958–1979: Director ''anjoman-e ketāb'' (Book Society) *1961–1979: Founder ''nashriyeh noskhehāy-e khatti'' (Journal of Manuscripts), Central Library of

(in collaboration with Mohammad-Taqi Danesh-Pajouh) *1961–1962: Director of the Library of ''dāneshsarāy-e āli'' *1962: Director National Library of Iran (founded Iranian Studies Branch, founded Bibliography of Iran and indexing of library's manuscripts with efforts of Abdollah Anvar) *1962: Return to teaching at ''dāneshsarā-e āli'' *1963–1964: Return to

as Director of Center of Bibliographic Research and Indexing *1963: Indexing and Cataloging Harvard University printed Persian books *1963: Technical Manager of Library Sciences Literacy Committee (UNESCO National commission) *1964–1971: Director of Bureau of Publications and Cultural Relations (Later named Bureau of Publications and Library Relations) *1965–1979: Director of Central Library and Document Center,

*1965–1973: Teaching at Iran Historical Social Divisions ''dāneshkadeh olum ejtemāee'' (Department of Social Sciences)

*1966–1979: Founded ''ketābdāri'' Journal, a publication of

Central Library *1969: Director National Book Center interrelated to UNESCO National Commission *1969–1979: Associate Professor, later Professor of History (Historical Documents and Native History) Department of Literature and Human Sciences,

. (Manuscripts in Library Science) College of Educational Sciences *1969–1972: Director ''Iranshenāsi'' Journal, Publication of Department of Literature and Human Sciences,

*1969–1979: Permanent Director of Congress of Iranian Studies *1979–1983: Established ''sāzemān-e ketāb'' (independently) *1979–1993: Published '' Ayandeh Journal'' from 5th volume for fifteen years *1983: Death of father (Dr. Mahmoud Afshar, PhD.) *1984: Established ''nāmvāreh-e Dr. Mahmoud Afshar'' published by Doctor Mahmoud Afshar Foundation. From 11th volume it was named ''pajouhesh-hāye Irāni'' (Iranian Studies/Research) *1989: Teaching at Bern University, Bern Switzerland *1996: Death of spouse (Shayesteh Afsharieh) *1998: Cataloging Persian manuscripts at Austrian National Library (Vienna) *2001: Established ''daftar-e tārikh'', publishing small documents and thesis from Doctor Mahmoud Afshar Foundation

Memberships

*1951: Society of Iranian Studies (President Ebrahim Pourdavoud and Secretary Dr. Mohammad Moien) *1955–1978: Founding Member Iranian Society of Philosophy and Human Sciences affiliated with UNESCO national committee *1958: Ministry of Foreign Relation's Library Council *1959: Committee to establish countrywide archiving representing UNESCO national committee *1962:

Central Library council *1962: Executive Council "Institute of research in literature and Iranian languages council" (Ministry of Culture and Art) *1964–1978: Board to select book (Ministry of Culture, Ministry of Education, Ministry of Culture and Art) *1965: Executive Board (Center for Research and introduction of Iranian Civilization and Culture) *1965: Board of Founders Iranian Society of History of Science and Medicine *1972–1976: Council of Tehran Public Libraries *1972–1978: Book of the Year Award Committee *1972–1976: Iran Librarian Society *1974–1978: Executive Board "History Society" affiliated with "Language and Literature Cultural Center" Also the secretary of the Cultural Center *1974: Board of Trusties "Mojtaba Minavi Endowment Library" and Shahnameh Foundation *1976: Board of Trusties "Sayeed Mohammad-Ali Jamalzadeh Publish works" consigned to

*1977: Selected guardian "Mohammad Fateh Endowment Dormitory"

*1977–1978: Board of Trusties "Iran Cultural Foundation" *1977–1978: Supreme Council of "Iran National Documents" *1979–1982: Board of Founders National Monuments Society *1979: Europe Iranian Studies Society *1983: Council of Custodians Doctor Mahmud Afshar Foundation (Selected Custodian) *1989: Honorary Member Institute of Central and West Asian Studies, Karachi *1990: Board of Experts ''al-Furqān, Islamic Heritage Foundation'' *1993: Consulting Editor ''Encyclopædia Iranica'' *1993: Board of Trusties Dr. Ali-Akbar Siasi Endowment Library, University of Yazd *1997: Honorary Member Society of Iranian Studies (U.S.A) *1997: Supreme Council Center for the ''Great Islamic Encyclopedia'' (CGIE) *1998: Supreme Council National Library (Iran) *2000: Council of experts ''nāmehye bahārestān'' (Journal of Manuscript Research and Studies) *2001: Council of Guardians ''Eurasian Studies Journal'' (Italy)

References

External links

Iran and Iranian Studies: Essays in Honor of Iraj Afshar

Iraj Afshar's lecture on ''Persian constitutional revolution''

Iraj Afshar biographyIraj Afshar Research Trove

''Ayandeh'' cover gallery
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Afshar, Iraj 1925 births 2011 deaths University of Tehran faculty Iranian Iranologists Iranian bibliographers 20th-century Iranian historians Linguists from Iran People from Yazd Burials at artist's block of Behesht-e Zahra Heads of the National Library of Iran

Biography

Biographical timeline

Memberships

See also

References

External links