The concept of "taaq-e-nisyaaN" (طاق نسياں in Farsi/Urdu) is one of the most useful and evocative metaphors in the Persian language, and has since been borrowed into Urdu as well. Literally, a "taaq" (rhymes roughly with "hark", but with a glottal end consonant) is an arch-shaped niche in the wall of a room, used as a shelf to keep things on, or to place a lamp in. The word "nisyaaN" (which sounds exactly as written, with the 'N' indicating a nasalized "n', as in the French "un") means "forgetfulness". Metaphorically, the "taaq-e-nisyaaN", or "the niche of forgetfulness", refers to the place where forgotten memories go, never to be found again. In this, it is reminiscent of Orwell's "memory hole", but that was a much more sinister, purposeful device. Memories consigned to the "taaq-e-nisyaaN" get there, not through any plan, but in the natural course of events. It refers to all that people forget as history moves on. And yet, that does not mean that everything on the "taaq-e-NisyaaN" deserves to be forgotten. Indeed, a lot of it is very much worth recalling and learning from, and that is what this blog will be all about.
In particular, this blog will focus on interesting periods and events in the history of the Muslim world that most people - Muslim and non-Muslim alike - have forgotten, but would do well to remember. This isn't because Muslim history has a monopoly on forgotten or interesting events. Rather, it is a reflection of two personal imperatives on my part. First, as an amateur student of Muslim history, I often come across information that I wish I had known earlier, and that I think deserves to be more widely known. This blog will provide a means to do so. Second - and more importantly - I feel that, while all history everywhere is run through with fabrication and propaganda to some extent, this is especially the case with the history fed to people in Muslim societies today. This has resulted in the formation of a dangerously uninformed and paranoid mindset in these societies - one that is reflected in the ease with which the most outlandish conspiracy theories take hold and the most extreme opinions are accepted without question. It is obviously not possible for one individual, however dedicated, to combat this tide of ignorance, but as the late great contemporary Urdu poet, Ahmed Faraz, said:
شكوۂ ظلمت شب سے تو كہيں بہتر تھا اپنے حصے كی كوئ شمع جلاتے جاتے
shikva-e zulmat-e shab say to kaheeN behtar thaa
apne hissay ki koyi sham'a jalaatay jaatay
(It were far better to light a lamp of your own than to complain about the night's darkness)
This blog is conceived in that spirit. It is part fun, part therapy, and part education - for both the reader and the author. I certainly hope that, over time, the traffic on this blog will move from going only one way to a true dialog, where I can learn from readers better informed than myself. I also believe that the information I post will help at least some readers to acquire a more nuanced view of Muslim history and tio develop a more skeptical attitude towards many "facts" taken for granted in the current discourse both inside and outside the Muslim world.
This is not meant to be a venue for scholarly discourse. Nor will I be posting any "secret histories" such as those one finds about the Rosicrucians or the Freemasons - though I love a good conspiracy theory as much as anyone. All the information I will post will be historical rather than speculative, though it may sometimes surprise those raised on a diet of pseudo-history. Also, the information will often be nearly as novel to me as to the readers of the blog - I would just have found it a little bit sooner. I will use not only truly scholarly sources, but also sources such as popular histories, wikipedia, and other on-line sources of information. As far as possible, I will cite and link to these sources to enrich the reader's experience. Ultimately, I will be acting not as a font of knowledge but as one who points to interesting knowledge that is already out there. Occasionally, I may be able to add some insight of my own, but that will probably be the least valuable aspect of this blog.
Though history interests me in its own right, this interest has been shaped and amplified by my hobby of collecting ancient coins from a region stretching from India, through Central Asia and the Middle East, to North Africa, Greece and Rome. Of all the artifacts from centuries or even millennia before, coins are virtually the only ones that are readily accessible to the lay collector at affordable prices. And yet, there is nothing more evocative of history than to hold in one's hand a coin bearing the picture of Alexander or Mehrdad (Mithradates), or the seal of Salaheddin (Saladin) or Jahangir. More than a museum piece or a ruined palace, it connects one to the eras of these long-dead rulers and - more importantly - to the people of their times who used these coins in their daily lives. In this blog, I will often use coins to motivate posts - if only because they provide something concrete and beautiful from the time being discussed. And sometimes they tell us more - much more.
In particular, this blog will focus on interesting periods and events in the history of the Muslim world that most people - Muslim and non-Muslim alike - have forgotten, but would do well to remember. This isn't because Muslim history has a monopoly on forgotten or interesting events. Rather, it is a reflection of two personal imperatives on my part. First, as an amateur student of Muslim history, I often come across information that I wish I had known earlier, and that I think deserves to be more widely known. This blog will provide a means to do so. Second - and more importantly - I feel that, while all history everywhere is run through with fabrication and propaganda to some extent, this is especially the case with the history fed to people in Muslim societies today. This has resulted in the formation of a dangerously uninformed and paranoid mindset in these societies - one that is reflected in the ease with which the most outlandish conspiracy theories take hold and the most extreme opinions are accepted without question. It is obviously not possible for one individual, however dedicated, to combat this tide of ignorance, but as the late great contemporary Urdu poet, Ahmed Faraz, said:
شكوۂ ظلمت شب سے تو كہيں بہتر تھا اپنے حصے كی كوئ شمع جلاتے جاتے
shikva-e zulmat-e shab say to kaheeN behtar thaa
apne hissay ki koyi sham'a jalaatay jaatay
(It were far better to light a lamp of your own than to complain about the night's darkness)
This blog is conceived in that spirit. It is part fun, part therapy, and part education - for both the reader and the author. I certainly hope that, over time, the traffic on this blog will move from going only one way to a true dialog, where I can learn from readers better informed than myself. I also believe that the information I post will help at least some readers to acquire a more nuanced view of Muslim history and tio develop a more skeptical attitude towards many "facts" taken for granted in the current discourse both inside and outside the Muslim world.
This is not meant to be a venue for scholarly discourse. Nor will I be posting any "secret histories" such as those one finds about the Rosicrucians or the Freemasons - though I love a good conspiracy theory as much as anyone. All the information I will post will be historical rather than speculative, though it may sometimes surprise those raised on a diet of pseudo-history. Also, the information will often be nearly as novel to me as to the readers of the blog - I would just have found it a little bit sooner. I will use not only truly scholarly sources, but also sources such as popular histories, wikipedia, and other on-line sources of information. As far as possible, I will cite and link to these sources to enrich the reader's experience. Ultimately, I will be acting not as a font of knowledge but as one who points to interesting knowledge that is already out there. Occasionally, I may be able to add some insight of my own, but that will probably be the least valuable aspect of this blog.
Though history interests me in its own right, this interest has been shaped and amplified by my hobby of collecting ancient coins from a region stretching from India, through Central Asia and the Middle East, to North Africa, Greece and Rome. Of all the artifacts from centuries or even millennia before, coins are virtually the only ones that are readily accessible to the lay collector at affordable prices. And yet, there is nothing more evocative of history than to hold in one's hand a coin bearing the picture of Alexander or Mehrdad (Mithradates), or the seal of Salaheddin (Saladin) or Jahangir. More than a museum piece or a ruined palace, it connects one to the eras of these long-dead rulers and - more importantly - to the people of their times who used these coins in their daily lives. In this blog, I will often use coins to motivate posts - if only because they provide something concrete and beautiful from the time being discussed. And sometimes they tell us more - much more.
Selamun aleikom from Turkey.
ReplyDeleteI am a research assistant. I study on Classical Turkish poetry. I noticed that this metaphor was used several times by Turkish poets. However I couldnt find it in Persian dictionaries. Could you suggest me a dictionary and help me. Thank you very much.