تاریخ نگری و تاریخ نگاری (Dec 2020)
Representation of the Concept of Common People in the Memoirs of the Constitutional Era, Based on Grounded Theory
Abstract
The Persian Constitutional Revolution, which was grounded on establishing law and public equity, is among the events that have a lot to tell about the untold aspects of its impacts on the viewpoint toward common people. This understanding can come from the memoirs of the dominant and middle class during the same period. The diary keepers’ down look at ordinary people which was recorded without any political pressure, reveals that despite Iran’s entering a new era of a system of government, little change was created in the minds of diary keepers belonged to the dominant and middle class. Therefore, ordinary people were of low social status. This issue was more particularly apparent in the value judgments in the diaries left from those of the dominant class. Ordinary people were considered as low as animals and insects. Although low look to ordinary people dates back to pre- Constitutional Revolution that was, based on grounded theory method, rooted in people’s lack of knowledge and political awareness, illiteracy, and inclination to superstitions and false beliefs, by the arrival of Constitutional System led to this low look to laymen and the division of Iran society into two groups of aware nation versus unaware one and lack of a comprehensive understanding of the concepts of Constitutional companied by the instability in the system. The results of this study showed that low-value judgments about ordinary people and considering them as low as animals were intensified by the failure of the Constitutional System. Only during the first World War, the critical view was replaced by an affection view and enhancing the sense of nationalism, and also reflecting the poor economic conditions of people. However, when Reza Khan took the seat, extremist reactions to the place and value of ordinary people and comparing them with animals can be witnessed.
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