THE IDEA OF IRAN, Vol. 10) - Safavid Persia in the Age of Empires

"The sixteenth and seventeenth centuries saw the establishment of the new Safavid regime in Iran. Along with reuniting the Persian lands under one rule, the Safavids initiated the radical transformation of the religious landscape by introducing Imami Shi'ism as the official state faith and in this as in other ways, laying the foundations of Iran's modern identity. In this book, leading scholars of Iranian history, culture and politics examine the meaning of the idea of Iran in the Safavid period by examining contemporary experiences of both insiders and outsiders, asking how modern scholarship defines the distinctive features of the age. While sometimes viewed as a period of decline from the high points of classical Persian literature and the visual arts of preceding centuries, the chapters of this book demonstrate that the Safavid era was nevertheless a period of great literary and artistic activity in the realms of both secular and theological endeavour. With the establishment of comparable polities across western, southern and central Asia at broadly the same time, the book explores some of the literary and political interactions with Iran's Ottoman, Mughal and Uzbek neighbours. As the volume and frequency of European merchants and diplomats visiting Safavid Persia increased, especially in the seventeenth century, and as more Iranians recorded their own travel experiences to surrounding Muslim lands, the Safavid period is the first in which we can document and explore the contours of Iran's place in an expanding world, and gain insights into how Iranians saw themselves and others saw them." From their ancestral heartland by the shores of the Aral Sea, the medieval Oghuz Turks marched westwards in search of dominion. Their conquests led to control of a Muslim empire that united the territories of the Eastern Islamic world, melded Turkic and Persian influences and transported Persian culture to Anatolia. In the eleventh and twelfth centuries the new Turkic-Persian symbiosis that had earlier emerged under the Samanids, Ghaznavids and Qarakha-nids came to fruition in a period that, under the enlightened rule of the Seljuq dynasty, combined imperial grandeur with remarkable artistic achievement. This latest volume in The Idea of Iran series focuses on a system of government based on Turkic'men of the sword'and Persian'men of the pen'that the Seljuqs (famous foes of the Crusader Frankish knights) consolidated in a form that endured for centuries. The book further explores key topics relating to the innovative Seljuq era, including: conflicted Sunni-Shi'a relations between the Sunni Seljuq Empire and Ismaili Fatimid caliphate; architecture, art and culture; and politics and poetry.Istvan Vasary looks back in Chapter 1 to the early history of the Turks in the wider Iranian world, discussing the debates about the dating and distribution of the early Turkish presence in Central Asia, Iran and Afghanistan.NizaAZm al-Mulk is the subject of Chapter 2, in which Carole Hillenbrand subjects this'maverick vizier'to critical scrutiny. While paying due credit to his extraordinary achievements, she does not shy away from concluding that his career illustrates the maxim that'power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely'. A fitting antagonist for NizaAZm al-Mulk is the subject of Chapter 3, in which Farhad Daftary follows the career of the remarkable revolutionary leader Hasan-i SabbaAZh and the history of the Ismaili state-within-a-state that he founded with his capture of the fortress of Alamt in 1090. In Chapter 4 David Durand-Guedy examines the Seljuq Empire from the viewpoint of its (western) capital, Isfahan. He concentrates on the distinction between the parts of Iran to the west of the great deserts (and in close connection to Iraq and Baghdad) and the parts to the east, notably Khorasan, with its ties to Transoxiana and Tokharestan.Vanessa Van Renterghem in Chapter 5 challenges the long-held view that the Seljuq takeover of Baghdad represented a liberation of the Abbasid caliphs from their burden-some subordination to the heretical Buyids.Alexey Khismatulin in Chapter 6 presents a forensic examination of two important works of literature, casting doubt on the authorship of both the Siyar al-muluAZk attributed to NizaAZm al-Mulk and the NasAZhat al-muluAZk ascribed to al-GhazaAZlAZ. In Chapter 7 Asghar Seyed-Gohrab discusses the poetry of the Ghaznavid and Seljuq periods, demonstrating the poets'mastery of metaphor and of extended description and riddling to build suspense. The final chapter by Robert Hillenbrand shifts the focus from texts and literature to architecture and to that pre-eminent Seljuq masterpiece, the Friday Mosque of Isfaha From Their Ancestral Heartland By The Shores Of The Aral Sea, The Medieval Oghuz Turks Marched Westwards In Search Of Dominion. Their Conquests Led To Control Of A Muslim Empire That United The Territories Of The Eastern Islamic World, Melded Turkic And Persian Influences And Transported Persian Culture To Anatolia. In The Eleventh And Twelfth Centuries The New Turkic-persian Symbiosis That Had Earlier Emerged Under The Samanids, Ghaznavids And Qarakha-nids Came To Fruition In A Period That, Under The Enlightened Rule Of The Seljuq Dynasty, Combined Imperial Grandeur With Remarkable Artistic Achievement. This Latest Volume In The Idea Of Iran Series Focuses On A System Of Government Based On Turkic 'men Of The Sword' And Persian 'men Of The Pen' That The Seljuqs (famous Foes Of The Crusader Frankish Knights) Consolidated In A Form That Endured For Centuries. The Book Further Explores Key Topics Relating To The Innovative Seljuq Era, Including: Conflicted Sunni-shi'a Relations Between The Sunni Seljuq Empire And Ismaili Fatimid Caliphate; Architecture, Art And Culture; And Politics And Poetry.istvan Vasary Looks Back In Chapter 1 To The Early History Of The Turks In The Wider Iranian World, Discussing The Debates About The Dating And Distribution Of The Early Turkish Presence In Central Asia, Iran And Afghanistan.-- Two Patterns Of Acculturation To Islam: The Qarakhanids Versus The Ghaznavids And Seljuqs / István Vásáry - Nizam Al-mulk: A Maverick Vizier? / Carole Hillenbrand -- Ismaili–seljuq Relations: Conflict And Stalemate / Farhad Daftary -- What Does The History Of Isfahan Tell Us About Iranian Society During The Seljuq Period? / David Durand-guédy -- Baghdad: A View From The Edge On The Seljuq Empire / Vanessa Van Renterghem -- Two Mirrors For Princes Fabricated At The Seljuq Court: Nizam Al-mulk’s Siyar Al-mulũk And Al-ghazali’s Nasīhat Al-mulũk / Alexey Khismatulin -- Stylistic Continuities In Classical Persian Poetry: Reflections On Manuchehri From Dāmghān And Amir Mo‘ezzi / Asghar Seyed-gohrab -- Architecture And Politics: The North And South Dome Chambers Of The Isfahan Jāmi‘ / Robert Hillenbrand. Edited By Edmund Herzig And Sarah Stewart. Supported By The Soudavar Memorial Foundation. This Volume Combines The Contributions Of Speakers From Two Symposia (2011 And 2012)....acknowledgements. Includes Bibliographical References (pages 174-188). The Latest Volume In The Successful Series The Idea Of Iran Addresses The Astonishing Impact Made By Islam During And After The Arab Conquest Of Iran In The Middle Of The Seventh Century. As The Sasanian Dynasty Crumbled Before The Invaders' Triumphant Onslaught, Its State Religion Of Zoroastrianism Was Unceremoniously Dismantled To Make Way For The New Faith Of The Victorious Desert Warriors. Yet Why, If Iran Jettisoned Its Indigenous Religion, Did It Still Manage To Retain Its Persian Language And Distinctive Iranian Identity Once Muslim Governance Took Hold? These, And Other Intriguing Questions, Are Addressed By The Book, Which Includes Distinguished Contributions From World-renowned Scholars Such As Hugh Kennedy, Edmund Bosworth, Robert Hillenbrand And Ehsan Yarshater. Discussing A Large Variety Of Subjects Which Covers The Whole Spectrum Of Life In Early Islamic Iran, The Volume Offers One Of The Most Ambitious Perspectives On Persian Religion, Society And Culture To Be Published To Date. It Will Be Consulted By All Students Of Iranian History, And Will Be Regarded As Essential Reading For Scholars Of Islam, The Middle East And Medieval Religion Alike.-- Re-emergence Of Iranian Identity After Conversion To Islam / Ehsan Yarshater -- Survival Of Iranianness / Hugh Kennedy -- The Persistent Older Heritage In The Medieval Iranian Lands / C. Edmund Bosworth -- Economy And Society In Early Islamic Iran: A Moment In World History / Richard W. Bulliet -- Oranges, Quiddities And Algorisms / Lutz Richter-bernburg -- The Cross And The Lotus: The Armenian Miscellany Patmut 'iwn Płnjē K'ałak'i ('history Of The City Of Brass') On The Periphery Of The Iranian Oikoumene / James R. Russell -- What Happened To The Sasanian Hunt In Islamic Art? / Robert Hillenbrand. Edited By Vesta Sarkhosh Curtis And Sarah Stewart. Supported By The Soudavar Memorial Foundation. This Fourth Volume In The Series The Idea Of Iran Deals With The Transition From Pre-islamic Sasanian Iran, In Which Zoroastrianism Was The State Religion, To The Arab Conquest Of Iran And Subsequent Adoption Of Islam.--p. [1]. Includes Bibliographical References (p. [105]-114). "Following the devastating Mongol conquest of Baghdad in 1258, the domination of the Abbasids declined leading to successor polities, chiefly among them the Ilkhanate in Greater Iran, Iraq and the Caucasus. Iranian cultural identities were reinstated within the lands that make up today's Iran, including the area of greater Khorasan. The Persian language gained unprecedented currency over Arabic and new buildings and manuscripts were produced for princely patrons with aspirations to don the Iranian crown of kingship. This new volume in "The Idea of Iran" series follows the complexities surrounding the cultural reinvention of Iran after the Mongol invasions, but the book is unique capturing not only the effects of Mongol rule but also the period following the collapse of Mongol-based Ilkhanid rule. By the mid-1330s the Ilkhanate in Iran was succeeded by alternative models of authority and local Iranian dynasties. This led to the proliferation of diverse and competing cultural, religious and political practices but so far scholarship has neglected to produce an analysis of this multifaceted history in any depth. Iran After the Mongols offers new and cutting-edge perspectives on what happened. Analysing the fourteenth century in its own right, Sussan Babaie and her fellow contributors capture the cultural complexity of an era that produced some of the most luminous masterpieces in Persian literature and the most significant new building work in Tabriz, Yazd, Herat and Shiraz. Featuring contributions by leading scholars, this is a wide-ranging treatment of an under-researched period and the volume will be essential reading for scholars of Iranian Studies and Middle Eastern History."--Bloomsbury Publishing. Following The Devastating Mongol Conquest Of Baghdad In 1258, The Domination Of The Abbasids Declined Leading To Successor Polities, Chiefly Among Them The Ilkhanate In Greater Iran, Iraq And The Caucasus. Iranian Cultural Identities Were Reinstated Within The Lands That Make Up Today's Iran, Including The Area Of Greater Khorasan. The Persian Language Gained Unprecedented Currency Over Arabic And New Buildings And Manuscripts Were Produced For Princely Patrons With Aspirations To Don The Iranian Crown Of Kingship. 0this New Volume In The Idea Of Iran Series Follows The Complexities Surrounding The Cultural Reinvention Of Iran After The Mongol Invasions, But The Book Is Unique Capturing Not Only The Effects Of Mongol Rule But Also The Period Following The Collapse Of Mongol-based Ilkhanid Rule. By The Mid-1330s The Ilkhanate In Iran Was Succeeded By Alternative Models Of Authority And Local Iranian Dynasties. This Led To The Proliferation Of Diverse And Competing Cultural, Religious And Political Practices But So Far Scholarship Has Neglected To Produce An Analysis Of This Multifaceted History In Any Depth. Iran After The Mongols Offers New And Cutting-edge Perspectives On What Happened. Analysing The Fourteenth Century In Its Own Right, Sussan Babaie And Her Fellow Contributors Capture The Cultural Complexity Of An Era That Produced Some Of The Most Luminous Masterpieces In Persian Literature And The Most Significant New Building Work In Tabirz, Yazd, Herat And Shiraz. Featuring Contributions By Leading Scholars, This Is A Wide-ranging Treatment Of An Under-researched Period And The Volume Will Be Essential Reading For Scholars Of Iranian Studies And Middle Eastern History. Edited By Sussan Babaie. How Did Iran Remain Distinctively Iranian In The Centuries Which Followed The Arab Conquest? How Did It Retain Its Cultural Distinctiveness After The Displacement Of Zoroastrianism - State Religion Of The Persian Empire - By Islam? This Latest Volume In The Idea Of Iran Series Traces That Critical Moment In Iranian History Which Followed The Transformation Of Ancient Traditions During The Country's Conversion And Initial Islamic Period. Distinguished Contributors (who Include The Late Oleg Grabar, Roy Mottahedeh, Alan Williams And Said Amir Arjomand) Discuss, From A Variety Of Literary, Artistic, Religious And Cultural Perspectives, The Years Around The End Of The First Millennium Ce, When The Political Strength Of The 'abbasid Caliphate Was On The Wane, And When The Eastern Lands Of The Islamic Empire Began To Be Take On A Fresh 'persianate' Or 'perso-islamic' Character. One Of The Paradoxes Of This Era Is That The Establishment Throughout The Eastern Islamic Territories Of New Turkish Dynasties Coincided With The Genesis And Spread, Into Central And South Asia, Of Vibrant New Persian Language And Literatures. Exploring The Nature Of This Paradox, Separate Chapters Engage With Ideas Of Kingship, Authority And Identity And Their Fascinating Expression Through The Written Word, Architecture And The Visual Arts.-- Edited By Edmund Herzig And Sarah Stewart. Supported By The Soudavar Memorial Foundation. The Chapters In This Volume Are Based On Papers Presented At Two Symposia In The Idea Of Iran Series Held In London In 2009 And 2010 And Both Dealing With The Early Islamic Period In Iranian History--foreword, P. [1]. Includes Bibliographical References (p. [162]-178). Contents List of Illustrations Acknowledgements Contributors Introduction • Charles Melville The Body Politic and the Rise of the Safavids • Ali Anooshahr The Qazvin Period and the Idea of the Safavids • Gregory Aldous Man of the Pen, Pillar of the State: Hatem Beg Ordubadi and the Safavid Empire • Colin Mitchell The Idea of Iran in the Safavid Period: Dynastic Pre-eminence and Urban Pride • Rudi Matthee Safavid Town Planning • Sussan Babaie From Absolute Prince to Despot: The Political Representations of Safavid Iran in Seventeenth-Century France • Aurélie Salesse-Chabrier The Idea of Baqer al-Majlesi as ‘The Idea of Iran: The Safavid Era’ • Andrew J. Newman Practising Philosophy, Imagining Iran in the Safavid Period • Sajjad Rizvi Popular Religiosity and Vernacular Turkic: A Qezelbash Catechism from Safavid Iran • Ferenc Csirkés ‘O Muhibbi! You’ve Lit Your Lamp with Khosrow’s Burning Passion’: Persian Poetry as Perceived by Sixteenth-Century Ottoman Authors • Benedek Péri Commercial Relations between Safavid Persia and Western Europe • Willem Floor ‘The World is an Oyster and Iran, the Pearl’: Representations of Iran in Safavid Persian Travel Literature • Maryam Ala Amjadi Local and Transregional Places in the Works of Safavid Men of Letters • Sunil Sharma Shi‘i Rulers, Safavid Alliance and the Religio-Political Landscape of the Deccan • Roy S. Fischel Safavids and Ozbeks • Florian Schwarz The Evolution of the Safavid Policy towards Eastern Georgia • George Sanikidze Flora in Safavid Paintings from Shah Tahmasp’s Shahnama and Later Works • Sheila R. Canby The Making of New Art: From the Khazana to its Audience at the Court of Shah Soleyman • Negar Habibi Index The Parthians were nomadic horse-warriors who left few written records, concentrating rather on a rich oral and storytelling tradition. What knowledge we have of this remarkable people derives primarily from their coinage, which mixed Hellenism with Persian influences. In this book, distinguished scholars examine - from a variety of perspectives--the origins of the Parthians, their history, religion and culture, as well as perceptions of their empire through the lens of both imperial Rome and China. Charting over 1000 years of history, The Idea of Iran series offers a significant new appraisal of one the most fascinating, but also (at least in the West) relatively little known, of the great civilizations of antiquity. Comprising four substantial volumes, which have emerged from a series of seminars held under the joint auspices of the London Middle East Institute and the British Museum, and supported by the Soudavar Memorial Foundation, the series explores the empires which have shaped the culture of Iran. Beginning with the Achaemenid dynasty of Cyrus the Great, which founded Persian imperial rule in the middle of the sixth century BCE, the series goes on to examine, amongst other key topics, the society, religion, and government of ancient Iran under the Parthians, Sasanians and the Arab rulers of the early Islamic period. The Idea of Iran will be mandatory reading for all serious scholars and students of ancient and early medieval Iranian history. "How did Iran remain distinctively Iranian in the centuries which followed the Arab Conquest? How did it retain its cultural distinctiveness after the displacement of Zoroastrianism - state religion of the Persian empire - by Islam? This latest volume in "The Idea of Iran" series traces that critical moment in Iranian history which followed the transformation of ancient traditions during the country's conversion and initial Islamic period. Distinguished contributors (who include the late Oleg Grabar, Roy Mottahedeh, Alan Williams and Said Amir Arjomand) discuss, from a variety of literary, artistic, religious and cultural perspectives, the years around the end of the first millennium CE, when the political strength of the 'Abbasid Caliphate was on the wane, and when the eastern lands of the Islamic empire began to be take on a fresh 'Persianate' or 'Perso-Islamic' character. One of the paradoxes of this era is that the establishment throughout the eastern Islamic territories of new Turkish dynasties coincided with the genesis and spread, into Central and South Asia, of vibrant new Persian language and literatures. Exploring the nature of this paradox, separate chapters engage with ideas of kingship, authority and identity and their fascinating expression through the written word, architecture and the visual arts."-- Publisher's website

this Latest Volume In The Idea Of Iran Series Concentrates On The Sasanian Period. Seizing Power From The Previous Dynasty--the Parthians--the Sasanians Ruled Iran And Most Of The Ancient Near East From 224 Until 642 Ce. They Are Particularly Fascinating Because Of Their Adherence To Zoroastrianism, An Ancient Dualistic Iranian Religion Named After The Prophet Zarathustra (or, In Greek, Zoroaster). The Sasanians Expressed The Divine Aspect Of Their Rule In A Variety Of Forms, Such As On Coins, Rock Reliefs And Silver Plates, And Architecture And The Arts Flourished Under Their Aegis. Sasanian Military Success Brought Them Into Conflict With Rome, And Later Byzantium. Their Empire Eventually Collapsed Under The Force Of The Arab Army In Ad 642, When Zoroastrianism Was Replaced With Islam. Engaging With All The Major Aspects Of Sasanian Culture, Twelve Eminent Scholars Address Subjects Which Include: Early Sasanian Art And Iconography; Early Sasanian Coinage; Religion And Identity In The Sasanian Empire; Later Sasanian Orality And Literacy; And State And Society In Late Antique Iran. The Volume In Question Arguably Comprises The Most Complete And Comprehensive Treatment Of The Sasanian Civilization Yet To Be Published In English.

This latest volume in'The Idea of Iran'series concentrates on the Sasanian period. Seizing power from the previous dynasty - the Parthians - the Sasanians ruled Iran and most of the ancient Near East from 224 until 642 CE. They are particularly fascinating because of their adherence to Zoroastrianism, an ancient dualistic Iranian religion named after the prophet Zarathustra (or, in Greek, Zoroaster). The Sasanians expressed the divine aspect of their rule in a variety of forms, such as on coins, rock reliefs and silver plates, and architecture and the arts flourished under their aegis. Sasanian military success brought them into conflict with Rome, and later Byzantium. Their empire eventually collapsed under the force of the Arab army in AD 642, when Zoroastrianism was replaced with Islam.Engaging with all the major aspects of Sasanian culture, twelve eminent scholars address subjects which include: early Sasanian art and iconography; early Sasanian coinage; religion and identity in the Sasanian empire; later Sasanian orality and literacy; and state and society in late antique Iran.The volume in question arguably comprises the most complete and comprehensive treatment of the Sasanian civilization yet to be published in English. This final volume in the successful series "The Idea of Iran" addresses the astonishing impact made by Islam during and after the Arab conquest of Iran in the middle of the seventh century. As the Sasanian dynasty crumbled before the invaders' triumphant onslaught, its state religion of Zoroastrianism was unceremoniously dismantled to make way for the new faith of the victorious desert warriors. Yet why, if Iran jettisoned its indigenous religion, did it still manage to retain its Persian language and distinctive Iranian identity once Muslim governance took hold? These, and other intriguing questions, are addressed by the book, which includes distinguished contributions from world-renowned scholars such as Hugh Kennedy, Edmund Bosworth, Robert Hillenbrand and Ehsan Yarshater. Discussing a large variety of subjects which covers the whole spectrum of life in early Islamic Iran, the volume offers one of the most ambitious perspectives on Persian religion, society and culture to be published to date. It will be consulted by all students of Iranian history, and will be regarded as essential reading for scholars of Islam, the Middle East and medieval religion alike. "The Mongol invasions in the first half of the thirteenth century led to profound and shattering changes to the historical trajectory of Islamic West Asia. As this new volume in The Idea of Iran series suggests, sudden conquest from the east was preceded by events closer to home which laid the groundwork for the later Mongol success. In the mid-twelfth century the Seljuq empire rapidly unravelled, its vast provinces fragmenting into a patchwork of mostly short-lived principalities and kingdoms. In time, new powers emerged, such as the pagan Qara-Khitai in Central Asia; the Khwarazmshahs in Khwarazm, Khorosan and much of central Iran; and the Ghurids to the southeast. Yet all were blown away by the Mongols, who faced no resistance from a sufficiently muscular imperial competitor and whose influx was viewed by contemporaries as cataclysmic. Distinguished scholars including David O Morgan and the late C E Bosworth here discuss the dynasties that preceded the invasion - and aspects of their literature, poetry and science - as well as the conquerors themselves and their rule in Iran from 1219 to 1256."--Bloomsbury Publishing. The Parthians are a fascinating but little-known ancient civilization. In the mid-third century BCE a bold and ambitious leader called Arshak challenged Hellenic rule and led his armies to victory. The dynasty which he founded ruled over what became a mighty empire and restored the glory of Iran following the region's conquest by Alexander the Great. This imperial eastern superpower, which lasted for 400 years and stretched from the Hindu Kush to Mesopotamia, withstand the might of Rome for centuries. The Parthians were nomadic horse-warriors who left few written records, concentrating rather on a rich oral and storytelling tradition. What knowledge we have of this remarkable people derives primarily from their coinage, which mixed Hellenism with Persian influences. In this book, distinguished scholars examine - from a variety of perspectives - the origins of the Parthians, their history, religion and culture, as well as perceptions of their empire through the lens of both imperial Rome and China. "The latest volume in the successful series The Idea of Iran addresses the impact made by Islam during and after the Arab conquest of Iran in the middle of the seventh century. How and why, once Iran had embraced the new religion, did it manage to retain its Persian language and distinctive Iranian identity once Muslim governance took hold? This conundrum, alongside other important questions, is addressed by the book, which includes seven distinguished contributions from leading scholars. Discussing a large variety of subjects which covers the whole spectrum of life in early Islamic Iran, the volume offers one of the most ambitious perspectives on Persian religion, society and culture to be published to date. It will be consulted by all students of Iranian history, and will be regarded as essential reading for scholars of Islam, the Middle East and medieval religion alike."--Jacket "Stories of court life, money, torture, swindles, sex, dreams and disease, combine the comic with the sinister and bizarre. Always entertaining, and told with wit and eloquence, the result is a wonderful first-person account of everyday life in medieval Baghdad and its surroundings. This two volume set includes translations of sections of Tankukhi's manuscript that only came to light at a later date and which are both little known and rare. This unique set contains a new introduction by one of the leading scholars of the Middle East, Robert Irwin."--Bloomsbury Publishing Introduction How Pious was Shapur I? Early Sasanian coinage Formation and ideology of the Sasanian state in the context of archaeological evidence Kingship in early Sasanian Iran Image and identity: art of the early Sasanian Dynasty The Sasanian in the East Religion in the late Sasanian Period: Eran, Aneran, and other religious designations State and society in late Antique Iran Prices and drachms in the late Sasanian Period Late Sasanian society between orality and literacy. Addresses the impact made by Islam during and after the Arab conquest of Iran in the middle of the seventh century. Discussing a variety of subjects which covers the spectrum of life in early Islamic Iran, this title offers one of the most ambitious perspectives on Persian religion, society and culture. Engaging with the major aspects of Sasanian culture, this work addresses subjects including: early Sasanian art and iconography; early Sasanian coinage; religion and identity in the Sasanian empire; later Sasanian orality and literacy; and state and society in late antique Iran. Edited By David O. Morgan And Sarah Stewart. Based On Papers From A Symposium In February 2013 Entitled The Idea Of Iran: From Seljuq Collapse To Mongol Conquest. Includes Bibliographical References. This evaluation by E.J. Keall of Parthian artistic expressions and styles and the impact these had on the Islamic art of later centuries was an innovative approach in 1977.