Portrayal of Ottoman Empire in Iranian High School History Textbooks

Abstract

This article focuses on how the relations between Ottoman and Iran, which are important states of Islamic history, are discussed in Iranian high school history textbooks. The shadow of collective belief and identity constructed through history education reverberates across the fields of international and foreign policy. Past relations affect two peoples not only politically but also socially and culturally, which mostly manifest themselves in the field of education. The way bilateral relations are addressed in textbooks directly affects the way two peoples perceive each other. The aim of this study is to determine the portrayal of the Ottoman Empire in Iranian high school history textbooks in terms of the relationship between history and identity. Document analysis was used to collect data from high school second- and third-grade history textbooks published between 2017 and 2018. A descriptive model was used. Qualitative research method was used for data collection, analysis and interpretation. Iranian history textbooks depict the Ottoman Empire as a neighboring state that sees itself as the protector of Islam and pursues anti-Shiite politics because it does not want a strong state in its east. They also portray the Ottoman Empire as an aggressive and opportunistic state that uses the internal weaknesses of the Iran State, which sees itself as the protector of Shiism.