A reflection on the visual representation of nationalism discourse in Iran during the Qajar period (A case study of Qajar newspaper images as cultural texts of the modernization period)

Although the roots of the thought and emotion embedded in the term "nationalism" are indebted to ancient ethnic nationalism, nationalism is considered a completely modern phenomenon that arose from the American and French revolutions in the eighteenth century and aligned with events such as the printing industry, religious reform, the industrial revolution, and the emergence of the nation-state. Therefore, there is a strong connection between nationalism and modern developments. To explore nationalism as a modern phenomenon in Europe and to study its discursive processes within the political structures of Middle Eastern countries, one must delve into the history of the intellectual, economic, and military encounters of these countries with Europe. Accordingly, the emergence of the discourse of nationalism in Iran can also be seen as a result of the simultaneous familiarity and increased interaction with the modern Western world and the events that stemmed from it. The serious connection between Iran and Europe, and consequently the Iranian quest for modernity, began during the Qajar era and resulted in numerous outcomes and productions of various texts aimed at generating meaning in verbal, written, and visual forms. Various studies have been conducted to identify and reinterpret these texts; however, this article intends to examine the early roots of the discourse of modern Iranian nationalism from a visual perspective, identifying the initial signs in the representation of nationalist thought and the relationship between the text (artwork), power, and society.

The formation of the discourse of modern nationalism as a political phenomenon, along with the familiarity with the printing industry and its visual achievements—both of which are dependent on modern transformations—arose during this period and, due to their simultaneity, influenced each other. Accordingly, this article aims to trace the visual presence of the nationalism discourse and to answer the question: what is the role of visual achievements based on the printing industry in the visual production of nationalism in Iran? In response to this question, the formation and function of modern nationalist thought and the process of its discursive development within the context of its related codes will first be explored. Then, through a descriptive-analytical method, the signs present in the visual achievements of the modern printing industry’s entry into Iran will be examined. Additionally, a discourse semiotic approach will analyze images from several newspapers from the early and late Qajar period, as newspaper production is considered the most prominent manifestation of the printing industry's entry into Iran and a cultural product of the spirit of modernity in this country. In this context, discourse semiotics, focusing on the concepts within the network of codes of nationalism discourse, can interpret the motifs, visual symbols, and their applications in the mentioned visual media, ultimately reaching their semantic roots. The findings indicate that changes in the discursive thoughts of Iranian nationalism have also transformed its visual representation, such that in the selected newspapers of this period, the visual perspective has shifted from political (court) nationalism to popular nationalism.