Lotfollah Taraghi

Lotfollah Taraghi (Persian: لطف‌الله ترقی), born 1903 [1282 SH] in Qom, Iran, and died in 1973 [1352 SH] in Tehran, Iran,^[1] was an Iranian scholar (adib), journalist, publisher, lawyer, and legislative drafting officer.^{[2]: 54 [3]} He is best known for his historical romance short story collection Naseroddin Shah's Love-Affairs, which inspired the television series Jeyran. He is the father of the Iranian author Goli Taraghi.

Career as journalist

Lotfollah Taraghi was a well-known landowner, and in the 1940s he owned most of the Mahmoodieh area in Tehran.^[4] He was patriotic in political orientation and has been described as one of the five most famous Iranian journalists during the 1941–57 period.^[5] In 1929, he launched a social and literary journal, Taraghi ("Progress"), and continued as its director and chief editor until its closure in 1965.^[6][7] He also founded and edited the literary journal Āsiā-ye javān (Young Asia) for some time.^[8]

Historical fiction writings

Jeyran. Illustration on the book cover of the first edition of Naseroddin Shah's Love-Affairs (1960)

Lotfollah Taraghi had a deep interest in historical novels and stories.^{[2][page needed]} He is primarily known for his popular short story collection Naseroddin Shah's Love-Affairs ('Eshqbāzihā-ye Nāseroddin Shāh), which depicts life in the harem of the Qajar king Naseroddin Shah. The stories focus on Jeyran, the king's first mistress and later his favorite wife.^[9]

Taraghi's book Naseroddin Shah's Love-Affairs ('Eshqbāzihā-ye Nāseroddin Shāh) provided the inspiration for the Iranian historical romance television series Jeyran (جیران, 2022), written and directed by Hassan Fathi.^[10]

Selected works

• The Djinn in the Hamam of Sangalaj (Jenn dar hammām-e Sangalaj) (1928)^[6]
• The Indian Lady (Bānu-ye hendi) (1930)^[6]
• Baghdad Nights: Harun al-Rashid's Love for the Daughter of the Iranian General Azarin (Shab-hā-ye Baghdād: Deldādegi-ye Hārun be doxtar-e Āzarin sardār-e irāni) (2 vols.) (1952)^[2]: 89
• Naseroddin Shah's Love-Affairs ('Eshqbāzihā-ye Nāseroddin Shāh) (1960). Re-published several times as Jeyran and the Secrets of Naseroddin Shah's Harem (Jeyrān va asrār-e haramsarā-ye Nāseroddin Shāh)^{[2][page needed]}