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YEAR AMONGST THE PERSIAN
This is an OCR edition without illustrations or index. It may have numerous typos or missing text. However, purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original rare book from GeneralBooksClub.com. You can also preview excerpts from the book there. Purchasers are also entitled to a free trial membership in the General Books Club where they can select from more than a million books without charge. Subtitle: Impressions as to the Life, Character, & Thought of the People of Persia, Received During Twelve Months' Residence in That Country in the Years 1887-1888; Original Published by: A. and C. Black in 1893 in 612 pages; Subjects: Iran; Persia; Iranians; History / Asia / General; History / Middle East / General; Travel / Essays & Travelogues; Travel / Middle East / General;
688 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1983
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About the author
Edward Granville Browne
202 books35 followersEdward Granville Browne (1862 – 1926), born in Stouts Hill, Uley, Gloucestershire, England, was a British orientalist who published numerous articles and books of academic value, mainly in the areas of history and literature. His works are respected for their scholarship, uniqueness, and style.
The scholarly value of his works was acknowledged both during his lifetime and even more, after his death. He gained a professorship at Cambridge University. Much of his publications are related to Persia (now called Iran), either in the fields of history or Persian literature. He is perhaps best known for his documentation and historical narratives of the Bábí movement as relayed by Count Gobineau. He published two translations of Bábí histories, and wrote several of the few Western accounts of early Bábí and Bahá'í history. His professorship at Cambridge was, however, of the Arabic language, with the full title 'Sir Thomas Adams Professor of Arabic'.
He published in areas which few other Western scholars had explored to any sufficient degree. He used a language and style that showed high respect for everybody, even toward those he personally did not view in positive light. In A Year Among the Persians (1893) he wrote a sympathetic portrayal of a Persian society which few Westerners had ever seen, including a frank account of the effects of opium. It did not attract the attention it deserved at the time of its initial publication, but after his death in 1926 it was reprinted and became a classic in English travel literature. He also published the first volume of A Literary History of Persia in 1902 with subsequent volumes in 1906, 1920, and 1924. At the close of the twentieth century it remains the standard authority on the subject.
Among Persians, at a time when nearly the whole nation was highly suspicious of foreigners, and in particular of any British or Russian person due to the political dynamics of that time, Edward Browne was well accepted by the people who knew him and his works. He is well remembered today, and a street named after him in Tehran, as well as his statue, remained even after the Iranian revolution in 1979[...]
The scholarly value of his works was acknowledged both during his lifetime and even more, after his death. He gained a professorship at Cambridge University. Much of his publications are related to Persia (now called Iran), either in the fields of history or Persian literature. He is perhaps best known for his documentation and historical narratives of the Bábí movement as relayed by Count Gobineau. He published two translations of Bábí histories, and wrote several of the few Western accounts of early Bábí and Bahá'í history. His professorship at Cambridge was, however, of the Arabic language, with the full title 'Sir Thomas Adams Professor of Arabic'.
He published in areas which few other Western scholars had explored to any sufficient degree. He used a language and style that showed high respect for everybody, even toward those he personally did not view in positive light. In A Year Among the Persians (1893) he wrote a sympathetic portrayal of a Persian society which few Westerners had ever seen, including a frank account of the effects of opium. It did not attract the attention it deserved at the time of its initial publication, but after his death in 1926 it was reprinted and became a classic in English travel literature. He also published the first volume of A Literary History of Persia in 1902 with subsequent volumes in 1906, 1920, and 1924. At the close of the twentieth century it remains the standard authority on the subject.
Among Persians, at a time when nearly the whole nation was highly suspicious of foreigners, and in particular of any British or Russian person due to the political dynamics of that time, Edward Browne was well accepted by the people who knew him and his works. He is well remembered today, and a street named after him in Tehran, as well as his statue, remained even after the Iranian revolution in 1979[...]
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
May 6, 2020
Orientalism with a Human Face
As Edward Said pointed out in his seminal work entitled "Orientalism", and as thousands of others have reiterated since, that large body of literature and art dedicated to describing the "true nature" of the East, whether written by travellers, soldiers, diplomats, officials, businessmen, or novelists or painted by famous artists, actually contributed in a very important way to the control and administration of occupied parts of that 'East' by Euro-American powers. By daring to define the cultures and peoples of the Muslim world, and by establishing what constituted "knowledge" of that huge expanse of territory, European writers could justify their control over these "unruly, wild, and irresponsible" people. After all, the West had a `superior, modern civilization'. Said condemned this long, gigantic effort at control as being an extremely important basis for the whole colonial enterprise.
However, Orientalism does not come in one model, one color only. Like every other theory that purports to explain vast spheres of human activity. Orientalism can be carried too far. In the rush of enthusiasm that followed Said's work, many students and scholars condemned the very wish of Westerners to investigate other cultures, maintaining that each person should study only their own culture. In fact, some scholars did turn to a more introspective mode, while others continued to study foreign cultures apologetically. In my opinion this represents the folly, the ridiculousness of political correctness. Would it really be a better world if each one of us gazed only at our own navel ? Is the result of such behavior not the encouragement of Trumps or "Trumpitos"? Is not cross-cultural understanding a "must" in today's world ? If Iranian, Somali, or Javanese scholars are not busy studying the mores and beliefs of Americans or Australians, does that mean we should stop studying their cultures ? As always, the real question is not what observations should be made, but what use should be put to them?
Edward Granville Browne travelled to Persia (Iran) as a young man who had already studied Farsi and Turkish, who was fascinated by the culture and literature of Persia. He spent a year living and travelling around the country back in 1888. Nobody who reads this book could possibly compare him to a more typical Orientalist like Lord Curzon, who managed to write a "classic" work on Persia without knowing Persian, without ever mentioning any Persian individual other than top officials or faceless pesky servants. Browne, enthusiastic in the extreme, resembled more than a little the hippies of a century later---he lived with locals, he ate their food, dabbled in their religions, and experimented with their drugs. I was sorely disappointed to realize that, as Browne died in 1926, I would never be able to meet such a charming, intelligent, and (above all) kind and fair individual. These qualities shine out from the description of his travels in direct and glaring contrast to the writings of such people as Paul Theroux or V.S. Naipaul who find only crudity, stupidity, venality. Browne was fascinated by the then-new religion that is now known as Bahai. He mixed with Zoroastrians and various sects of Muslims too, constantly discussing philosophy and religion in Farsi with whomever he met. His text is full of quotations from Persian poetry, of interesting characters he met, and descriptions of the scenes he travelled through. In short, this is one of the best travel books I have ever read, by one of the most sympathetic, likeable authors I have ever come across. It's a long read-over 600 pages---but extremely rewarding. And if this is Orientalism, then so be it. The Persians put up a statue to Browne and named a street after him in Tehran. The cruder effects of Orientalism's mailed fist have probably guaranteed that neither still exists. Iran has a long tradition, not only of religious bigotry, but of openness, fondness for philosophy, rejection of narrow paths, and non-conformism. A YEAR AMONGST THE PERSIANS remains an important reminder of the varied nature of Iran and its people. We need that reminder more than ever.
As Edward Said pointed out in his seminal work entitled "Orientalism", and as thousands of others have reiterated since, that large body of literature and art dedicated to describing the "true nature" of the East, whether written by travellers, soldiers, diplomats, officials, businessmen, or novelists or painted by famous artists, actually contributed in a very important way to the control and administration of occupied parts of that 'East' by Euro-American powers. By daring to define the cultures and peoples of the Muslim world, and by establishing what constituted "knowledge" of that huge expanse of territory, European writers could justify their control over these "unruly, wild, and irresponsible" people. After all, the West had a `superior, modern civilization'. Said condemned this long, gigantic effort at control as being an extremely important basis for the whole colonial enterprise.
However, Orientalism does not come in one model, one color only. Like every other theory that purports to explain vast spheres of human activity. Orientalism can be carried too far. In the rush of enthusiasm that followed Said's work, many students and scholars condemned the very wish of Westerners to investigate other cultures, maintaining that each person should study only their own culture. In fact, some scholars did turn to a more introspective mode, while others continued to study foreign cultures apologetically. In my opinion this represents the folly, the ridiculousness of political correctness. Would it really be a better world if each one of us gazed only at our own navel ? Is the result of such behavior not the encouragement of Trumps or "Trumpitos"? Is not cross-cultural understanding a "must" in today's world ? If Iranian, Somali, or Javanese scholars are not busy studying the mores and beliefs of Americans or Australians, does that mean we should stop studying their cultures ? As always, the real question is not what observations should be made, but what use should be put to them?
Edward Granville Browne travelled to Persia (Iran) as a young man who had already studied Farsi and Turkish, who was fascinated by the culture and literature of Persia. He spent a year living and travelling around the country back in 1888. Nobody who reads this book could possibly compare him to a more typical Orientalist like Lord Curzon, who managed to write a "classic" work on Persia without knowing Persian, without ever mentioning any Persian individual other than top officials or faceless pesky servants. Browne, enthusiastic in the extreme, resembled more than a little the hippies of a century later---he lived with locals, he ate their food, dabbled in their religions, and experimented with their drugs. I was sorely disappointed to realize that, as Browne died in 1926, I would never be able to meet such a charming, intelligent, and (above all) kind and fair individual. These qualities shine out from the description of his travels in direct and glaring contrast to the writings of such people as Paul Theroux or V.S. Naipaul who find only crudity, stupidity, venality. Browne was fascinated by the then-new religion that is now known as Bahai. He mixed with Zoroastrians and various sects of Muslims too, constantly discussing philosophy and religion in Farsi with whomever he met. His text is full of quotations from Persian poetry, of interesting characters he met, and descriptions of the scenes he travelled through. In short, this is one of the best travel books I have ever read, by one of the most sympathetic, likeable authors I have ever come across. It's a long read-over 600 pages---but extremely rewarding. And if this is Orientalism, then so be it. The Persians put up a statue to Browne and named a street after him in Tehran. The cruder effects of Orientalism's mailed fist have probably guaranteed that neither still exists. Iran has a long tradition, not only of religious bigotry, but of openness, fondness for philosophy, rejection of narrow paths, and non-conformism. A YEAR AMONGST THE PERSIANS remains an important reminder of the varied nature of Iran and its people. We need that reminder more than ever.
September 3, 2016
کتاب بدی نیست برای اینکه از زمان ناصرالدین شاه اطلاعاتی راجع به جامعه ایران از نگاه یک انگلیسی بدست بیاریم اما من چون به عنوان یک سفرنامه بهش نزدیک شدم انتظارم کاملا بر آورده نشد. در واقع نویسنده بیشتر از اونچه لازمه راجع به دین و مذهب بحث کرده و به جای بررسی اونچه که دنیا ایران رو باهاش میشناسه (که فکر میکنم باستانی بودن و ادبیات ایران باشه) به مسایل فرقه بابی و بهایی پرداخته. البته مترجم محترم حسابی از خجالت نویسنده دراومده و اونو به اسلام ستیزی و پیروی از یک برنامه از پیش تعیین شده برای اصالت دادن به بهاییت، اثبات مسیحیت و از میدان به در کردن اسلام متهم کرده. با وجود تمام نکاتی که نشون میده نویسنده نتونسته یا نخواسته فیلتر ذهنی خودش رو در رویارویی با مسایل حذف کنه و بیطرفانه نسبت به اونها صحبت کنه و قضاوت نهایی رو به عهده خود خواننده بذاره، بعضی حقایق غیرقابل انکار و آموزنده در کتاب هست که ارزش وقت و سه ستاره رو به نظر من داره
August 11, 2024
As a Baha'i, I've read Browne's description of meeting Bahá'u'lláh and always wondered why it ended there. Often the answer given was that Browne fell into opium use and the allure of those counter to Baha. After reading this, I think that is a shallow and perhaps false understanding. Browne was a social scientists and not particularly a spiritual seeker. As such, he fully immersed himself and remained basically fully objective. He clearly understood and admired the Babi Faith, but never seemed to fully grasp the Baha'i revaluation. What he saw was two Babi factions. He was particularly put off by what he saw as a Baha'i aggression towards the other "faction" and perhaps divergence from the Babi doctrine. As for the opium, it didn't seem to play any major role on the subject. He clearly writes about this. Oddly enough, it seems the opium was introduce from well-meaning Baha'is. Four stars because my copy, at least, was a copy of the original publication with outdated phrasings that required rereading to fully understand and text that was at time not very legible. I'm not sure if there is a better edited updated version available. Plus, like all academic reading/ journaling like this, it often isn't a Steven King page turner.
September 23, 2025
Very interesting first-hand account by Browne of his travels in Iran, especially his interactions with the Zoroastrians, Baha'is, and Azalis. I noted particularly that the period when Browne was in Iran was also during the time when Husayn 'Ali Nuri (apparently called "Beha" or "Baha" by his Iranian followers more than "Baha'u'llah") was still alive. In this period, before "Beha's" son Abbas Effendi reoriented the Baha'i teachings to attract Westerner believers, the community of "Beha's" followers in Iran was seen by Browne as being characterised solely by their (often extreme) devotion to the person of "Beha" ("go to Acre and see God") and their hostility toward followers of "Beha's" half-brother "Ezel" ("Subh-i-Azal"), not by any of the purported modernising "principles" typically found in 20th and 21st century Baha'i material.
September 25, 2016
Written by the author in his early 20s, back in 1880s this book serves as a fascinating account of an Englishman in persia, in a relatively peaceful political atmosphere, rare for persia..
Though the copy i own has a lot of spelling errors and antiquated figures of speech, it was a breezy read. The author's personal love for the language and the people shows completely.
The chapters post Yazd show little resolve as the author seems to be tiring out of his ordeal and the exit is particularly abrupt. Even a short epilogue is not afforded to the reader, as he is left in the lurch, about the further life of the gentleman, with little help from Google and Wikipedia.
A great read for travelog and history buffs. A word of caution for those uninterested with occult, theology and relationships, parts of the book can get tedious for those not interested in the Babi faith.
Though the copy i own has a lot of spelling errors and antiquated figures of speech, it was a breezy read. The author's personal love for the language and the people shows completely.
The chapters post Yazd show little resolve as the author seems to be tiring out of his ordeal and the exit is particularly abrupt. Even a short epilogue is not afforded to the reader, as he is left in the lurch, about the further life of the gentleman, with little help from Google and Wikipedia.
A great read for travelog and history buffs. A word of caution for those uninterested with occult, theology and relationships, parts of the book can get tedious for those not interested in the Babi faith.
February 4, 2011
Edward "Genius" Browne went to Iran in his 20s. I had been meaning to read this masterpiece forever and I finally finished it. The only chapter that bored me a little was the chapter on Metaphysic and Magic, although that too was pretty instructive. Browne's writing is very mature for his age. The genre somewhat varies from chapter to chapter, but altogether it is a very good read, reflecting his burning curiosity, especially on the subject of Babism and Babis. I certainly recommend it to any fellow Iranian who's interested in having a fair and balanced glimpse into the life of Iranians who lived more than a hundred years ago.
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November 6, 2014it was an amazing book that was written by fomous orientalist in order to show a heritage of Iranian culture
April 25, 2017
Bahman, on the other hand, had only one visitor, an old seyyid named Aka Seyyid Huseyn of Jandak, of whom I afterwards saw a good deal--in fact rather more than I wished. He conversed with me in a very affable manner, chiefly, of course, on religious topics, and, amongst other things, narrated to me the following curious legend about Christ: "Once upon a time," said the Seyyid, "the Lord Jesus (upon whom be peace) entered into a certain city. Now, the king of that city had forbidden any one of his subjects, on pain of death, to shelter Him or supply Him with food; nevertheless, seeing a young man of very sorrowful countenance, He craved his hospitality, which was at once accorded. After the Lord Jesus had supped and rested, He enquired of His host wherefore he was so sorrowful, and eventually ascertained that he had fallen in love with the king's daughter. Then said the Lord Jesus, 'Be of good cheer, thou shalt win her. Go to the king's palace tomorrow, and demand her in marriage, and your proposal will not be rejected.' So the young man, marvelling the while at his own audacity, repaired on the morrow to the palace, and demanded to see the king, into whose presence he was presently ushered. On hearing his proposal the king said, 'My daughter shall be yours if you can give her a suitable dowry.' So the young man returned sadly to his home (for he knew that such a dowry was far beyond his means) and told the Lord Jesus what had passed. Then said the Lord Jesus, 'If you will go to such-and-such a spot and search there you will find all that you need.' He did so, and found much gold and silver, and many precious stones of great worth--diamonds, pearls, rubies, emeralds, and the like, beyond all that even the daughter of a king could expect or desire. So the king bestowed on him his daughter's hand. But after a time the Lord Jesus bade him leave all this and follow Him, and he, knowing now that the Great Treasure, compared to which all that he had given as the princess's dowry was as mere worthless dross, was with Christ alone, abandoned all for his Master's sake. And indeed, as this legend shows, amongst all the prophets there was none who taught the 'Path' (Tarikat) like the Lord Jesus, and this remains amongst you Christians in some measure even now, though the 'Law' (Shari'at) which he brought has little by little disappeared before Islam, so that no vestige of it is left."
Edward Grandville Browne was an English writer who mostly wrote about history and literature. His passion and interest in Persian studies and the plight of the minorities in that ancient land resulted in his undertaking a trip to that country during 1887-1888. He first went to Turkey then sat his journey to Persia (Iran nowadays). Upon arrival to Persia, he visited Yazd, Kerman and Shiraz and spent time with the Zarathushtrians and the Baha and Muslems in those cities. He almost stayed a year among Persians. After retuning back to Cambridge, he was offered a post of Professor of Persian therefore he began working on a book about his experience and travel in Persia.
To read free online:
http://bahai-library.com/browne_year_...
Edward Grandville Browne was an English writer who mostly wrote about history and literature. His passion and interest in Persian studies and the plight of the minorities in that ancient land resulted in his undertaking a trip to that country during 1887-1888. He first went to Turkey then sat his journey to Persia (Iran nowadays). Upon arrival to Persia, he visited Yazd, Kerman and Shiraz and spent time with the Zarathushtrians and the Baha and Muslems in those cities. He almost stayed a year among Persians. After retuning back to Cambridge, he was offered a post of Professor of Persian therefore he began working on a book about his experience and travel in Persia.
To read free online:
http://bahai-library.com/browne_year_...
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews