Document Type : Research Paper
Authors
1
PhD Candidate in Post-Islamic Iranian History, Imam Khomeini International University, Qazvin, Iran
2
Professor, Department of History, Imam Khomeini International University, Qazvin, Iran
3
Associate Professor, Department of History, Imam Khomeini International University, Qazvin, Iran
4
Professor, Department of History, Imam Khomeini International University, Qazvin, Iran.
10.22034/jiiph.2026.70849.2620
Abstract
The inefficiency of Iran’s educational system during the Qajar period, together with the opposition of traditionalist groups to modern forms of education, prompted critical responses from contemporary intellectuals and journalists. Soraya, one of the influential newspapers of the reign of Mozaffar al-Din Shah, was among the publications that took advantage of the relatively free press environment in Egypt and its independence from censorship in Iran to publish numerous critical articles on educational reform. Given the significance of this issue, the present study employs a descriptive-analytical approach to examine how Soraya addressed the obstacles to educational reform in Iran and the strategies it adopted in confronting opponents of modern education. The findings indicate that, in addition to advocating the replacement of the traditional and inefficient school system with a modern educational model, Soraya, as a newspaper published outside Iran, reflected the broader conflict between reformist and conservative currents. It also strongly criticized traditionalist clerics and other opponents of modern schools who, according to the newspaper, invoked religious concerns to hinder their expansion and preserve their social influence. As one of the more outspoken newspapers of the period, Soraya contributed to the formation of a critical discourse on educational modernization and supported the expansion of modern schools by bringing traditionalist opposition into public debate, drawing on Western historical experiences, and appealing to Islamic principles. By encouraging the founders and supporters of modern schools to resist conservative opposition, the newspaper played a distinctive role in promoting educational reform in comparison with many other contemporary publications
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