Persian Popular Literature in the Qajar Period

Abstract

As folklore and popular literature of the past can only be assessed by way of recorded data, contemporary accounts containing larger amounts of information are of particular importance. Following an introduction into the meaning of popular literature in the Persian context, the A. presents and discusses a unique document: a catalogue of printed popular reading matter available in Qajar Iran in the year 1282/1865. The catalogue shows the range and topics of popular reading matter available in the Qajar period and documents the traditional concepts that later fulfilled their potential of surviving well into the modern era.