CENTURIES OF SILENCE - BOGDAN SKŁADANEK

Discover a fascinating journey through the turbulent history of Persia after the Arab invasion. The book "Centuries of Silence" is an insightful study of the transitional period when Persian culture and identity struggled to survive. Learn about the fate of a nation that, despite external domination, did not forget its rich history and heritage. Immerse yourself in a world of intrigue, political games, and cultural resistance.

• In-depth analysis of the historical period
• Insightful study of Persian culture and identity
• Detailed information about the political and social realities
• Fascinating story about the struggle for survival
• Written by an outstanding historian and orientalist
• Ideal reading for lovers of history and culture of the Middle East

After the Arab invasion of Sasanian Persia in the 7th century, the country plunged into years of captivity that lasted until the mid-9th century. Then Persia emerged from complete dependence on the invader after two centuries of helplessness. This term, although used in Iranian historiography, is not precise because no time caesura strictly defines this period. Nor can one speak of a complete disappearance of the cultural and political life of the Persians or of a lack of participation in the public life of the Middle East.

The policy of the Arab Caliphate aimed to destroy the old social, ideological, and cultural structures and impose a new order in accordance with the interests of the conquerors. The Persians, trying to save the remnants of the achievements of past years, joined all disputes among Muslims if ideological opponents, heretics, or insurgents operated in ethnically Persian territory. For Persian culture, it was a fight for survival.

The Persians, not having their own state, were unable to directly resist Arab violence and had to look for other ways. It seemed that they had already given up strictly political activity directed directly against the new authorities. They only tried to maintain, if possible, their old social and economic positions. This is indicated by the sources. Despite this political passivity, the memory of the old times and the achievements of their state and nation at that time, as well as the literary tradition, remained. This is evidenced by the renaissance of the political and cultural revival of Persia in the 10th and 11th centuries, i.e., in the period immediately following the centuries of apparent silence, which would have been impossible if the "centuries of silence" had indeed been a time of general stagnation and inactivity.

Bogdan Składanek is a full professor at the University of Warsaw, a lecturer in Iranian history at the Faculty of Oriental Studies of the UW, and the author of many publications on medieval Persia. The book has 220 pages and is paperback. It was published in 2016 by Dialog Wydawnictwo Akademickie.