Iraj Afshar
Iraj Afshar was a bibliographer, historian, and an iconic figure in the field of Persian studies. He was a consulting editor of Encyclopædia Iranica at Columbia University and a full professor emeritus of University of Tehran.
Iraj Afshar recorded the monuments of Yazd in his three-volume "yādegār-hāye Yazd ". He was known as "the doyen of standard Persian language bibliographers". Afshar played a significant role in the development of the field of Iranology in Iran and throughout the world during the second half of the 20th century.
He was the editor of Sokhan, a prolific Iranology journal, under the responsibility of Parviz Natel-Khanlari and also the editor of rāhnamāye ketāb, Mehr, farhang-e Iranzamin and Ayandeh.
He was the chief bibliographer of Persian books at Harvard University. Afshar was associated with UNESCO and taught at the University of Bern and University of Tehran.
He was on the advisory council for the Iranian Studies Journal.
Biographical timeline
- 1925: Birth in Tehran, Iran
- 1933–1945: Attended Zoroastrian Shāpour Secondary School and Firouz-Bahrām High School in Tajrish, Tehran
- 1944–1946: Manager of Ayandeh Journal
- 1945: Received Diploma in Literature
- 1945: Marriage to Shayesteh Afsharieh
- 1945–1949: Attended University of Tehran majoring in Law, thesis: Minorities in Iran
- 1946–1955: Collaboration with jahān-e now Journal
- 1950: Employed by Ministry of Culture and Education as educator at Sharif High School and Gharib High School
- 1951–1960: Librarian – Law Library of University of Tehran – with encouragement from Dr. Mohsen Sabah and Mohammad-Taqi Danesh-Pajouh
- 1952–1953: Editor-in-Chief of Mehr Journal
- 1952-2011: Founder and Managing Editor of farhang-e Irānzamin Journal
- 1963–1966: Publication of ketābhāy-e Iran
- 1954–1956: Editor-in-Chief of Sokhan Journal
- 1955–1961: Director ketābhāy-e māh Journal
- 1956–1963: Acting Managing Director bongāh-e tarjomeh o nasher-e ketāb
- 1956–1957: Attended UNESCO Educational and Practical Library Science training in Europe
- 1957–1958: Co-founder bāshgāh-e ketāb later named anjoman-e ketāb
- 1958–1969: Educator Library Science at dāneshsarāy-e ālee division of University of Tehran
- 1958–1979: Managing Editor rāhnamāy-e ketāb Journal
- 1958–1979: Director anjoman-e ketāb
- 1961–1979: Founder nashriyeh noskhehāy-e khatti , Central Library of University of Tehran
- 1961–1962: Director of the Library of dāneshsarāy-e āli
- 1962: Director National Library of Iran
- 1962: Return to teaching at dāneshsarā-e āli
- 1963–1964: Return to University of Tehran as Director of Center of Bibliographic Research and Indexing
- 1963: Indexing and Cataloging Harvard University printed Persian books
- 1963: Technical Manager of Library Sciences Literacy Committee
- 1964–1971: Director of Bureau of Publications and Cultural Relations
- 1965–1979: Director of Central Library and Document Center, University of Tehran
- 1965–1973: Teaching at Iran Historical Social Divisions dāneshkadeh olum ejtemāee University of Tehran
- 1966–1979: Founded ketābdāri Journal, a publication of University of Tehran Central Library
- 1969: Director National Book Center interrelated to UNESCO National Commission
- 1969–1979: Associate Professor, later Professor of History Department of Literature and Human Sciences, University of Tehran. College of Educational Sciences
- 1969–1972: Director Iranshenāsi Journal, Publication of Department of Literature and Human Sciences, University of Tehran
- 1969–1979: Permanent Director of Congress of Iranian Studies
- 1979–1983: Established sāzemān-e ketāb
- 1979–1993: Published Ayandeh Journal from 5th volume for fifteen years
- 1983: Death of father
- 1984: Established nāmvāreh-e Dr. Mahmoud Afshar published by Doctor Mahmoud Afshar Foundation. From 11th volume it was named pajouhesh-hāye Irāni
- 1989: Teaching at Bern University, Bern Switzerland
- 1996: Death of spouse
- 1998: Cataloging Persian manuscripts at Austrian National Library
- 2001: Established daftar-e tārikh, publishing small documents and thesis from Doctor Mahmoud Afshar Foundation
Memberships
- 1951: Society of Iranian Studies
- 1955–1978: Founding Member Iranian Society of Philosophy and Human Sciences affiliated with UNESCO national committee
- 1958: Ministry of Foreign Relation's Library Council
- 1959: Committee to establish countrywide archiving representing UNESCO national committee
- 1962: University of Tehran Central Library council
- 1962: Executive Council "Institute of research in literature and Iranian languages council"
- 1964–1978: Board to select book
- 1965: Executive Board
- 1965: Board of Founders Iranian Society of History of Science and Medicine
- 1972–1976: Council of Tehran Public Libraries
- 1972–1978: Book of the Year Award Committee
- 1972–1976: Iran Librarian Society
- 1974–1978: Executive Board "History Society" affiliated with "Language and Literature Cultural Center" Also the secretary of the Cultural Center
- 1974: Board of Trusties "Mojtaba Minavi Endowment Library" and Shahnameh Foundation
- 1976: Board of Trusties "Sayeed Mohammad-Ali Jamalzadeh Publish works" consigned to University of Tehran
- 1977: Selected guardian "Mohammad Fateh Endowment Dormitory" University of Tehran
- 1977–1978: Board of Trusties "Iran Cultural Foundation"
- 1977–1978: Supreme Council of "Iran National Documents"
- 1979–1982: Board of Founders National Monuments Society
- 1979: Europe Iranian Studies Society
- 1983: Council of Custodians Doctor Mahmud Afshar Foundation
- 1989: Honorary Member Institute of Central and West Asian Studies, Karachi
- 1990: Board of Experts al-Furqān, Islamic Heritage Foundation
- 1993: Consulting Editor Encyclopædia Iranica
- 1993: Board of Trusties Dr. Ali-Akbar Siasi Endowment Library, University of Yazd
- 1997: Honorary Member Society of Iranian Studies
- 1997: Supreme Council Center for the Great Islamic Encyclopedia
- 1998: Supreme Council National Library
- 2000: Council of experts nāmehye bahārestān
- 2001: Council of Guardians Eurasian Studies Journal