Analysis of recognition and reproduction of the Ashura movement in the poems of four Ashura poets (Mohatsham Kashani, Oman Samani, Baida Junqani and Shahriar)

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 u. tarbiat modares

2 University of Isfahan

3 Farhangian University of Isfahan

4 tarbiat modares university

10.22103/jrl.2025.24164.2986

Abstract

Ashura has been and remains one of the fundamental sources of inspiration for Iranian poets. Throughout different historical periods and in correspondence with the contingent events of each era, poets have maintained a distinctive perspective on the articulation of this seminal event. Among the most significant characteristics of the perpetuation and sustenance of the Ashura uprising within popular consciousness is its resonance and textual representation in the poetry of Ashura-oriented poets. These poets, through their strategic polemical engagement, have not only celebrated the virtues of Imam Hussain (AS) and his faithful companions but have also articulated the victimization and legitimacy of the uprising, adopted alternative perspectives on femininity and exemplarity derived from this historical event, and directed their satirical invective against its antagonists. While each poet engages in a general descriptive articulation of this event, each pursues a distinct ideological objective. Therefore, this study analyzed the representation of the Ashura uprising across the poetic oeuvres of four prominent Ashura-oriented poets from the Safavid, Qajar, and contemporary periods. This study employed a descriptive-analytical method grounded in library-based inquiry. Mohtasham, Oman, and Beyza primarily focused on articulating the oppression perpetrated against Imam Hussain (AS) and his family; however, Shahriar, while incorporating such allusions, simultaneously mobilizes his audience toward emulation and exemplary adoption of the Ashura narrative. Oman derives a mystical signification from this event, conceiving of Imam Hussain (AS) as the sole respondent to the divine call to consume the Cup of Primordial Covenant (Jām-i Alast). Beyza, while depicting scenes of battle, demonstrates particular attention to the persona and functional agency of Lady Zaynab (AS), incorporating elements of Iranian cultural symbolism, such as hair-loosening, hair-tearing, the symbolic wedding of Qasem, and related tropes

Keywords

References

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Journal of Resistance Literature
Volume 17, Issue 32
September 2025
Pages 27-42

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