Culture minister hails Beyhaqi as model of truth,integrity
Iranian Culture and Islamic Guidance Minister has cited 11th-century historian Abu’l-Fazl Beyhaqi as a model of integrity in documenting history.
Abbas Salehi called Beyhaqi’s approach relevant as information spreads rapidly and leaves less time for verification.
In a message to a conference held to commemorate Bayhaqi in his hometown Sabzevar, in northeastern Iran on Saturday, the minister said ‘The History of Beyhaqi’ stood out for both its literary quality and its author’s commitment to truth.
Salehi stressed the need to verify reports, assess narrators’ accounts and keep personal motives out of historical narratives.
“Such principles deserved greater attention at a time when the speed of information dissemination often limits opportunities for scrutiny and judgment,” he added.
Beyhaqi, an Iranian historian of the 11th century, chronicled events under the Ghaznavid dynasty (977–1186).
His work remains an important source on the dynasty’s history and is recognized for its careful narration, critical assessment of sources and contribution to classical Persian prose.
Salehi linked Beyhaqi’s legacy to contemporary concerns about information credibility, emphasizing fairness and responsibility in reporting events.
His message underscored the relevance of these principles to modern media as well as historical writing.
Gholam-Ali Haddad-Adel, head of Iran’s Academy of Persian Language and Literature, and Mahmoud Shalouei, head of the Association for Cultural Works and Distinguished Figures attended the conference held at the Hakim Sabzevari University in Sabzevar.