As far back as to the period of
the Achaemenian dynasty, the most
glorious period of Iranian history, the children were educated
by teachers and wrote their exercises on
clay tablets. These clay tablets which were
discovered recently, highlight the educational method at
that period.
The image of a mother who gives
a bird to her daughter as a toy, engraved
on an Achaemenid seal, and a terracotta bust of a mother
holding a child in her arms, represents the understanding
of the people and their recognition of
the needs of the children to play since ancient times.
The “Assurik Tree” or “The
legend of the Palm Tree and the Goat” is
one of the oldest literary texts for children dating back 3000
years ago. This beautiful narration is the debate between
a palm tree and a goat, and reflects the
struggle between means of livelihood in that period;
agriculture and animal husbandry.
Let us turn another page of the
history to explore the art of the life in
Islamic period. In that period Iranian people offered the
knowledge inherited from ancient times and blended it
with the Islamic culture,
thus created a new art of life.
The Children studied in
“Maktab-khaneh” (traditional schools),
where they learned to read and write by reciting the holly Koran
and later followed by teaching of parts
of the classical literature.
Iranians did not forget
children’s literature during the Islamic
period. More than six hundred years ago, Obeid Zakani, an
Iranian master poet, wrote a story in
verse which is called “Moosh-va-Gorbeh” (The Mouse
and the Cat). The allegory reflects the agitated
political situation of the society from
the poet’s view.
Some 150 years ago the
modernization process started in Iran.
Iranian people who were inspired by western countries ventured
into new aspects of modern life. The
first modern schools were established, the children
who were raised in traditional families were sent to
modern schools.
Establishment of modern schools is
considered a turning point in the history of Iranian people
and it brought along the life style interwoven with
tradition and modernism at the same time.
“Shahr-e-Farang”
(peep show) is a symbolic phenomenon of that time.
The device was exhibited in the streets by showmen or
storytellers. While children were looking
at the illustration made of the folktales, through the
windows of this magic box, the storyteller recited the
story. This apparatus was imported from
the western countries that were called Farang in Farsi.
