Document Type : Research Paper

Author

• Mokhtar Komaily

membe r of the academic staff, department of persian language , and literture, vali-e- Asr university of Rafsanjan

Abstract

Neccessity of Textual Re-criticism of Maktabkhaneh (Traditional Religious School) Texts

Abstract
During the Constitutional Era in Iran, the educational system for children was centered on traditional maktabkhaneh (religious school) institutions. This system possessed its distinct methods, rituals, and objectives, with children learning literacy through illustrated books, predominantly produced via lithographic printing. In their three-volume work, the Iranian Maktabkhaneh Literature, Zolfaghari and Heydari (2012) transcribed seventy maktabkhaneh texts based on their lithographed editions, though these reproductions contain occasional errors in lexical transcription. This paper examines and textually criticize some of the oversights found in the first volume, which focuses on the maktabkhaneh poetic texts. The textual criticism methodology involves comparing these texts with their lithographs, accompanied by images following each narrative. The findings indicate that certain errors render the texts meaningless or incomprehensible, underscoring the necessity of their revision. Reading these poetic works remains enjoyable, educational, and entertaining for contemporary Iranian children and adolescents. Moreover, these texts serve as a fundamental resource for research on children’s literature, its historical development, and its evolution, reflecting the underlying philosophy of their inclusion in maktabkhaneh literature. To date, the textual criticism of maktabkhaneh texts has been overlooked; thus, the absence of revised editions is keenly felt within Iranian cultural sphere.

Keywords: Maktabkhaneh literature, textual criticism, narrative, children, lithographed manuscripts

Keywords

• Maktabkhaneh literature
• textual criticism
• narrative
• children
• lithographed manuscripts

Main Subjects

• children's Literature Studies