Pivot of The Universe: Nasir al-Din Shah and the Iranian Monarchy

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When he was assassinated in 1896, Nasir al-Din Shah had sat on the Peacock throne for nearly half a century. A colourful, complex figure, he is frequently portrayed as indolent and self-indulgent. Yet, he was in many ways an effective ruler who displayed exceptional resilience in the face of dilemmas and vulnerabilities shared by most monarchs of the Islamic world in the nineteenth century.In this book - the first in English about Nasir al-Din Shah - Abbas Amanat gives us both a biography of the man and an analysis of the institution of monarchy in modern Iran. Nasir al-Din Shah developed from an insecure crown prince and later an erratic boy-king in the 1840s and 50s into a ruler with substantial control over his government and foreign policy in the 1860s and beyond. Amanat examines this transformation and explores how traditional monarchies drew strength as they accommodated themselves to the forces of modernity.Based on extensive archival research in both public and private collections and illustrated with drawings and photographs from the period, "Pivot of the Universe" offers a fresh interpretation of the evolution of monarchy in modern times as it interacted with the institutions of government, the society at large and Western powers.

Reviews

"'Amanat's book combines formidable scholarship with an understanding of broad historical questions and human interaction. He has created a book that is readable, reliable and full of ideas, which will be a must-read for all interested in Iranian history or in historical comparisons.' Nikki Keddie, University of California, Los Angeles 'Amanat's biography of Nasir al-Din Shah sheds profound illumination on the historical development of Iran...He makes his analysis implicit in his eloquent, textured and sensitive narrative. We are given a shah's-eye view on issues ranging from Ottoman oppression of Shi'ites in Iraq to British imperialism in Afghanistan and the Persian Gulf. It is both fresh and fascinating.' Juan Cole, University of Michigan"

Author Bio

Abbas Amanat is Professor of History at Yale University. His publications include Resurrection and Renewal: the Making of the Babi Movement in Iran, 1844-1850 and he is the co-editor of 'Imagining the End' (I.B.Tauris).