Persian Literature in Iraq: A Network of Historical, Institutional, and Discursive Interactions

Abstract

Persian literature in Iraq, rather than being merely a linguistic phenomenon or a collection of imported texts, constitutes a complex network of historical, institutional, stylistic, and discursive interactions that has developed and persisted over many centuries. Adopting an analytical-comparative approach and drawing on Persian, Arabic, and English sources, this article examines the structure and content of existing research on the position of Persian literature in Iraq. The central question is how Persian literature has been represented within the Iraqi textual and contextual landscape, what position it has occupied in Arabic literary studies, and what gaps exist in its understanding, analysis, and transmission. The findings indicate that the presence of Persian literature in Iraq comprises three principal layers: a historical-civilizational layer rooted in pre-Islamic interactions and the Abbasid, Safavid, and Qajar periods; an institutional layer encompassing the Islamic seminaries of Najaf and Karbala, modern universities, and translation centers; and a discursive layer in which Persian mystical, ethical, and ritual concepts have been reconstituted within Iraq’s cultural context. The results demonstrate that Persian literature in Iraq functions not merely as a historical legacy but as a living component of shared cultural capital and as a foundation for civilizational dialogue and cultural diplomacy. This study further reveals that the most significant gap in this field is the absence of a holistic and multilayered approach, as many existing studies, despite their value, have addressed only particular dimensions of the subject.