TEHRAN — A new annotated edition of Rezvan and Reyhan, one of the principal literary works of the 19th-century Iranian intellectual Mirza Aqa Khan Kermani, has been published, bringing renewed attention to a text that bridges the classical Persian literary tradition and the reformist ideas that helped shape modern Iranian thought.
Published by Sangelaj Publications, the volume has been edited by Najmeh Husseini Sarvari and Ali Jahanshahi Afshar. Running to 453 pages, the edition offers contemporary readers and scholars access to one of the most notable prose works of the late Qajar period.
Kermani (1854–1896) occupies a distinctive place in Iranian intellectual history. A prolific writer and outspoken critic of political despotism and social stagnation, he became one of the leading advocates of reform in the final decades of the Qajar dynasty. Although best remembered for his political writings, his literary works also reveal the intellectual currents that would later contribute to Iran’s Constitutional Revolution.
Rezvan and Reyhan, sometimes published under the fuller title Rezvan and Reyhan Bustan-Afrouz, illustrates Kermani’s ability to work within the conventions of classical Persian prose while introducing themes that reflected the changing intellectual climate of the late nineteenth century.
The book is divided into two sections.
The first, Rezvan, forms the core of the work and consciously follows the model established by Saadi’s celebrated Golestan. Structured with a preface, introduction, four chapters and a conclusion, it employs ornate, rhythmic prose interwoven with short anecdotes, moral observations and reflections on ethics, love, beauty and human character.
Beneath its polished literary style, however, the work also reveals Kermani’s critical engagement with society. Through allegory, dialogue and carefully crafted narratives, he introduces questions about morality, education and social conduct while remaining rooted in the classical tradition of Persian storytelling.
The second section, Reyhan Bustan-Afrouz, survives only as an unfinished work. Although shorter and less cohesive than Rezvan, it nevertheless provides valuable insight into Kermani’s literary approach and the evolution of his ideas.
Among the book’s best-known anecdotes is the story of a blind man carrying a lantern through a marketplace at night. When asked why he needs a light despite being unable to see, he replies that the lantern is not for himself but to prevent others from colliding with him and breaking the water jug he carries. The brief tale exemplifies the concise moral storytelling that characterizes much of the volume.
Literary scholars regard Rezvan and Reyhan as an important example of how Persian prose evolved during the Qajar era. While its language and structure remain deeply indebted to the classical models established centuries earlier—particularly Golestan—the work simultaneously reflects the emergence of new intellectual and social concerns. That combination has made it a valuable source for researchers studying both Persian literature and the history of modern Iranian thought.
The publication of a new critical edition is likely to renew scholarly interest in Kermani’s literary legacy, which has often been overshadowed by his political writings. By presenting one of his most accomplished prose works in a carefully edited text, the volume highlights the enduring relationship between Iran’s classical literary heritage and the reformist ideas that began reshaping Persian intellectual life during the closing decades of the nineteenth century.