Self-Mockeries of a Mullah: An Overview of the Humorous Autobiography of Āqā Najafī Qūchānī (1878–1944)

This article deals with Siyāḥat-i Sharq, a remarkable self-satirizing autobiography of an Iranian mullah (clergy) called Āqā Najafī Qūchānī (1878–1944). By offering a close reading of Siyāḥat-i Sharq, this article sheds light on “autobiography” as a very rare genre among Muslim clergies and high-ranked Shiʿa ulema. This article also focuses on the techniques of humor used by Āqā Najafī in his autobiography, among which “self-mockery” is the most notable.