According to Atabe News, the ceremony took place on October 27, 2026, at the Andisheh Hall of the Central Library of Astan Quds Razavi, attended by a group of directors, specialists and researchers from the Organization of Libraries, Museums and Documents Center of Astan Quds Razavi, along with other interested participants.

Seyyed Reza Sedaghat Hosseini, an expert in the evaluation and registration of manuscripts at the Manuscripts Department of Astan Quds Razavi, explained that Abolfazl Mohammad ibn Hossein Beyhaqi was one of the prominent Khorasani historians and writers of the fourth and fifth centuries AH, who authored Tarikh-e Beyhaqi in Persian.

Noting that Tarikh-e Beyhaqi recounts events and developments during the Ghaznavid dynasty, particularly the reign of Sultan Mas'ud of Ghazni, he said that research has identified a total of 55 manuscript copies of the work in libraries in Iran and abroad, three of which are preserved at the Astan Quds Razavi Library.

Sedaghat Hosseini added that the manuscript unveiled at the ceremony was copied in 1207 AH in 21-line Nastaliq script, comprising 210 folios and measuring 27 by 17.5 centimeters. A note by Mohammad Ali Naseh, a contemporary Iranian poet and literary figure, is also visible on the reverse of the first folio.

He emphasized that this historical manuscript is among the works donated to the Astan Quds Razavi Library by Grand Ayatollah Imam Seyyed Ali Khamenei, may God’s mercy and blessings be upon him. It was presented to the library in Mehr 1386 (September–October 2007).

The Golden Age of Iranian Culture

During the next part of the ceremony, Mostafa Farzaneh, an expert in acquisitions and donations at the Manuscripts Department of Astan Quds Razavi, delivered a presentation titled “Beyhaqi’s Rationalist Historiography.” He examined three historical periods: the era before Tarikh-e Beyhaqi was written, Beyhaqi’s own era—the golden age of Iranian culture—and the period after Beyhaqi, characterized by the decline of Iranian historiography. He also emphasized Beyhaqi’s distinguished standing and the importance of his historical work.

Farzaneh explained that, before Beyhaqi, during the early centuries of the Islamic period, historical writing was often presented through simple narratives and the telling of legends. Historians of that era drew on hadith scholarship, theology, transmitted accounts and oral reports, resulting in historical narratives filled with contradictions and lacking critical scrutiny. He added that, in part of the earlier period before the advent of Islam, historians also served kings and members of the royal court.

He stated that during the golden age of Iranian culture, which reached its height in the fourth and fifth centuries AH, three currents converged: Greek rational thought and philosophy, rationalist interpretations of religion, and the emergence of national consciousness.

Referring to major intellectual figures of that era, including Ferdowsi and Beyhaqi, he noted that researchers have described the historians of this period as “guardians of the flame of reason.”

Farzaneh explained that although hadith scholarship remained influential during this period and Beyhaqi himself used its terminology in his historical writing, he assessed transmitted reports according to the standards of reason.

He added that awareness of national interests was also prominent in Beyhaqi’s work. Beyhaqi was not particularly inclined toward fictionalized storytelling, although he understood that people were drawn to history when it was told through legends.

Key Characteristics of Tarikh-e Beyhaqi

Discussing the defining features of Tarikh-e Beyhaqi, Farzaneh said that rational judgment, fidelity in transmitting accounts, and the critical examination of sources were among its most notable characteristics. Beyhaqi was not merely a chronicler recording events; he analyzed them according to his own criteria and worldview.

He added that researchers studying Beyhaqi’s works have highlighted his honesty, commitment to presenting reality, and breadth of knowledge, including his understanding of the society in which he lived, court affairs, and the knowledge and sciences of his time.

The speaker also described Beyhaqi’s prose as an outstanding example of the Khorasani literary style. His ability to bring narratives to life through writing was remarkable, while the musical quality of his language served his ideas. Consequently, Beyhaqi’s historical writing is neither cold nor dry.

Farzaneh noted that Beyhaqi served as a secretary in the Ghaznavid administrative bureau and was expected to serve the rulers and record their history. Yet his work became a comprehensive mirror of the society of his time. In other words, Tarikh-e Beyhaqi is not merely a history of kings and dynasties; it is also a social history.

He continued that Beyhaqi maintained a degree of independence from the political establishment and criticized rulers in measured terms. He never abandoned decorum in his language, and his writing was marked by courtesy and refinement.

Farzaneh also identified the drawing of moral lessons and the study of human nature—including the personality and psychology of individuals—as other important features of Tarikh-e Beyhaqi.

He said that rationalism and religious conviction were also central to Beyhaqi’s outlook. Although he believed in reason, he was also a religious and devout person. These two qualities, he explained, find meaning alongside one another in Beyhaqi’s works.

Regarding the period after Beyhaqi, Farzaneh observed that this analytical and rational approach to history gradually declined. From the eighth century AH onward, historical assessment, source evaluation, critical examination, and reasoned conclusions increasingly disappeared from historical writing.