Perceptions of Iran: History, Myths and Nationalism from Medieval Persia to the Islamic Republic

(Hardback)

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I.B.Tauris in association with the Iran Heritage Foundation From the Sasanian to the Safavid Empire, and from Qajar Iran to the current Islamic Republic, the history of Iran is one which has been coloured by a rich tradition of myths and narratives and shaped by its wealth of philosophers, cultural theorists and political thinkers. Perceptions of Iran dissects the construction of Iranian identity, to reveal how nationalism has been continually re-formulated and how Irans self-perception has been moulded by its literary past. Here, Ali M. Ansari gathers together a varied and wide-ranging account of the long history of Iranian encounters with the Western world, whether via the observations of Herodotus, or the knowledge via the Old Testament of Cyrus liberating the Jews from Babylon, or into the modern era when nineteenth and twentieth century interactions reflect the unequal power relationship between Iran and the West. Perceptions of Iran also explores the salient elements in the countrys narrative which helped to form Irans identity, such as Ferdowsis creation of the Shahnameh the national epic the exquisite architecture of Safavid Isfahan or the unfulfilled promise of the Constitutional Movement in the early twentieth century. It offers analysis of the Qajar Shahs use of a mythical and dynastic past, as they drew on the narratives of Jamshids glory and Khusraws splendour in order to legitimise their rule. At the same time, it examines the ways in which foreign travellers and diplomats understood and conceived of the royal courts of Safavid Persia. As it covers 2,500 years of political and intellectual history, Perceptions of Iran ties together the diverse threads of Iranian experience that have underpinned the countrys social and cultural movements, spanning Mirza Agha Khan Kermanis writing on Persian history and liberal nationalism, through to the strident anti- Western discourses of Seyyed Jamal al-Afghani, Jalal Al-e Ahmad and Ayatollah Khomeini. The book is therefore vital for researchers of Iranian history and those interested in the use of myth in the construction of national identity more widely.

Author Bio

Ali M. Ansari is Professor in the School of History at the University of St. Andrews. He is the author of several books on Iran, including Iran, Islam and Democracy: The Politics of Managing Change (2000).