Historical Background of the Dastgah Concept in Persian Musical Manuscripts

The historical background of the dastgah concept, and the process through which it replaced the maqam system, still remains a major question in the history of persian music. it is usually vaguely assumed that both concepts of the dastgah and the radif were introduced to persian music during the qajar era. the present paper is a first attempt to shed light on the issue through a historical musicological study as well as a number of hitherto neglected persian musical manuscripts. this paper discusses the gradual historical evolution of the dastgah concept from its eraliest manisfestations as an entity within the maqam system up to the formation of the idea of the radtf, as the main core and the model repertory of contemporary persian classical music, in terms of several stages that began in the safavid period and got its final accomplishment formulation in the qajar epoch.