Ajudani: Homa Nateq Critically Reviewed Her Intellectual Past After the Revolution

Homa Nateq, an Iranian historian and researcher, passed away on Friday at the age of 81 in Paris. Born in 1934 in Urmia, she returned to Iran after her university studies in France and taught at the University of Tehran from 1969 to 1980. Nateq published research and translations about the Qajar period and a collection of historical articles titled 'It is from us that it is upon us.' Mashallah Ajudani, a writer and historian residing in England, spoke with Radio Farda about Nateq, stating, 'Nateq and Fereydoun Adamiyat were two prominent historians who played a significant role in critically revising Iranian history, especially the history of the Qajar period and the Constitutional Revolution during the Pahlavi era. They attempted to write Iranian history critically with new perspectives and sources, differing from the traditional methods of our historians.' Ajudani emphasized that Nateq's work was heavily influenced by Adamiyat during her time in Iran, where her classes were among the most popular at the University of Tehran. However, her second period of work outside Iran was crucial as she critically reviewed her intellectual past after the Iranian Revolution, demonstrating her moral courage by openly acknowledging mistakes. Ajudani noted that while Nateq's work outside Iran included some weaker pieces, her book 'Cultural Record of Foreign Missions in Iran' is a credible source for understanding the contributions of foreign missions in education and culture in Iran, an often-overlooked part of our history. Nateq returned to Tehran in 1969 and taught history at the University of Tehran until 1980 but left Iran following the Cultural Revolution and worked as a full-time professor at the Sorbonne's Institute of Iranian Studies in France. Ajudani highlighted that Nateq belonged to the intellectual and leftist movement in Iran, participating in various demonstrations during the revolution and being a critic of the Pahlavi regime. Given the oppressive environment after the Islamic Revolution, it was natural for Nateq to leave Iran, as her mindset could not align with the new regime. This departure was not surprising to Ajudani, who viewed it as a logical decision.