Iran’s greatest strength lies in its rich culture and civilization, which once overshadowed other ancient societies and still leave their mark in modern Iran and the West. Yet, Western historical accounts often neglect Iran’s grand heritage. Sadly, some compatriots either support these views or remain silent, allowing harmful narratives to spread.
Morteza Saghebfar, researcher and translator, spoke about how Iran’s history has been documented. He said, “I believe Iranians must take ownership of their history. While Western scholars contributed much—like Colonel Rawlinson’s discovery and decoding of Darius’s Bisotun inscription—much of our history was written by outsiders because Iran was in decline during the Qajar era, especially as the West advanced in the 18th and 19th centuries.”
He continued, “Europe became interested in comparing historical texts with inscriptions, which led to their writing our history. This isn’t their fault, but ours, as we neglected serious study of our past. It wasn’t until Reza Shah’s time that we began to seriously explore our culture and history, including the Parthian and Achaemenid eras.”
“In the Pahlavi II era, efforts focused on studying original historical and literary texts, correcting manuscripts, deciphering cuneiform, and linguistically analyzing the Avesta. Now that we have the tools, it’s time for Iranians to write and reflect on their own history.”
Saghebfar discussed Western views on Iran in historical texts. In ancient times, most histories about Iran were written by Greeks and Romans, who were adversaries. Nearly 99% of these writings are biased, containing distortions and deliberate falsehoods.
By the 17th and 18th centuries, Europe was seeking its own identity. Europeans admired democracy and traced its roots to ancient Greece. Although Greek democracy was limited, it was seen as a crucial spark in world history. In this process, Europeans idolized Greece and labeled nations that fought against it—like Iran—as “barbarians.” Originally meaning “foreigner,” the term took on a negative sense meaning “savage,” applied to Iranians.
Thinkers like Voltaire claimed that if Greece had lost to Persia at Salamis in 480 BCE, barbarians would have ruled Europe, threatening freedom. Such views overlooked the importance and humanity of the Persian Empire.
In contrast, Greek philosophers such as Plato and Xenophon praised Iran. Plato’s philosophy was influenced by Zoroastrian spiritual ideas—known in the West as Platonic ideals—a connection even his students acknowledged.
He noted that anti-Iranian prejudices among Western historians arose during the 17th, 18th, and even 19th centuries, and these biases persist today, often influenced by political motives. However, in the last century, many Western scholars have made efforts to remain impartial. Based on the numerous books he has read or translated about ancient Iran, he observed that all but one maintained neutrality. For instance, American author Don Nardo, in the introduction to The Persian Empire, referred to Iran’s foes as “the enemies of Iran,” highlighting the need for careful consideration.
He stressed that despite such biased views, Iran’s civilization was too significant for the West to ignore, and they continued to write about it—even if sometimes prejudicially. Yet recently, Iran is often omitted from Western literature. Notably, the book World Civilizations makes no mention of Iran, and many Western children’s geography and history textbooks, which are crucial educational materials, exclude Iran altogether.
Saghebfar explained that Iran’s omission in Western accounts stems from persistent anti-Iranian and anti-Eastern biases. European children’s books often portray Greece as the symbol of democracy and depict Iranians as barbaric and cruel. These prejudices have caused neglect that must be challenged. While he doesn’t criticize smaller countries, he rejects this from the West—an area that claims democracy and progress and should have no complex about Iran’s 2,500-year-old empire and rich culture.
According to Saghebfar, Iran was unique historically, not destroying but fostering culture. Despite ups and downs, during its 230-year reign over regions like modern Turkey, Syria, Lebanon, Iraq, and Egypt, Iran ruled fairly and without oppression.
He stresses studying Iranian history carefully and avoiding exaggeration. Without solid proof, claims that all sciences originated in Iran are unfounded. For example, Hegel’s philosophy shows striking parallels to Zoroaster’s teachings.
Saghebfar urges using official channels to defend Iran’s rights, such as preserving the name “Persian Gulf,” which some try to change through outside influence.
