The Politics of Nationalism in Modern Iran (Cambridge Middle East Studies, Series Number 40)

This sophisticated and challenging book by the distinguished historian Ali M. Ansari explores the idea of nationalism in the creation of modern Iran. It does so by considering the broader developments in national ideologies that took place following the emergence of the European Enlightenment and showing how these ideas were adopted by a non-European state. Ansari charts a course through twentieth-century Iran, analyzing the growth of nationalistic ideas and their impact on the state and demonstrating the connections between historiographical and political developments. In so doing, he shows how Iran's different regimes manipulated ideologies of nationalism and collective historical memory to suit their own ends. Firmly relocating Reza Shah within the context of the Constitutional Revolution, Ansari argues that Reza Pahlavi's identification with a monarchy by Divine Right bore a greater resemblance to, and facilitated, the religious nationalism that catapulted Ayatollah Khomeini to power on the back of a populist and highly personalized mythology. Drawing on hitherto untapped sources, the book concludes that it was the revolutionary developments and changes that occurred during the first half of the twentieth century that paved the way for later radicalization. As the first book-length study of Iranian nationalism in nearly five decades, it will find an eager readership among scholars of the Middle East and those students more generally interested in questions of nationalism and ideology. Cover 1 The Politics of Nationalism in Modern Iran 3 Dedication 4 Title 7 Copyright 8 Contents 9 Acknowledgements 13 Preface 11 1 Introduction 17 Pervasiveness of ‘Nationalism’ 17 The Logic of the West 19 Nationalism, Myth, and History 20 History, Myth, and Nationalism 24 Persia in the Western Imagination 25 The Aryan Myth 29 Rediscovering Zoroaster 30 History and Archaeology 32 Encountering the West: An Age of Wonderment 34 Managing the Transition 37 Race and Ethnie 38 The Disciplining of History 40 An ‘Islamic World’ 41 Conclusion 45 Structure of the Study 49 2 An Iranian Enlightenment 52 Introduction 52 Framing a Movement 55 Enlightened Nationalism 61 A Republic of Letters 63 Unfurling Kaveh 67 Enlightened Despotism 81 The Myth of the Saviour 81 Towards the ‘Nation-State’ 83 Centralization 89 The Republican Narrative 94 Constructing the ‘Nation-State’ 99 A Republic of Laws 102 Civil Nationalism and Public Education 107 Farhangestan, Farhang-sazi, and the Idea of Iran 113 3 The Age of Extremes 126 Legacy 126 An ‘Unhappy Consciousness’? 129 History and Narrative 131 Mahabad, Azerbaijan, and the Challenge of Ethnic Nationalism 135 Mosaddeq, the Left, and the Doctrine of Anti-Imperialism 140 The Waning of Constitutionalism 156 The Myth of the Saviour and the Construction of the Sacral Monarchy 168 From Enlightenment to Cold War 173 Towards the Great Civilisation 181 The Cult of Cyrus the Great 182 Narratives of Revolution 195 The Turban for the Crown? 210 4 The Age of Contestation 214 Introduction 214 Religion and Nationalism 217 The Return of the King 232 History and Identity 237 Iran for All Iranians 246 Ideology, Utopia, and Myths of Salvation 265 The Myth of the Saviour 272 The Politics of History 278 The Politics of Myth 288 Conclusion 301 A Narrative of Centralisation 302 Oriental Despotism 305 The Logic of the West 306 Iranian Narratives 307 Islam and Marxism 310 The Politics of Nationalism 311 The Renewal of Iranshahr 314 Select Bibliography 317 Index 337 The first full-length study of Iranian nationalism in nearly five decades, this sophisticated and challenging book by the distinguished historian Ali M. Ansari explores the idea of nationalism in the creation of modern Iran. It does so by considering the broader developments in national ideologies that took place following the emergence of the European Enlightenment and showing how these ideas were adopted by a non-European state. Ansari charts a course through twentieth-century Iran, analysing the growth of nationalistic ideas and their impact on the state and demonstrating the connections between historiographical and political developments. In so doing, he shows how Iran's different regimes manipulated ideologies of nationalism and collective historical memory to suit their own ends. Drawing on hitherto untapped sources, the book concludes that it was the revolutionary developments and changes that occurred during the first half of the twentieth century that paved the way for later radicalisation. Distinguished Historian Ali M. Ansari Explores Ideas About Nationalism And How They Apply To Twentieth-century Iran-- Machine Generated Contents Note: 1. Introduction; 2. An Iranian Enlightenment; 3. The Age Of Extremes; 4. The Age Of Contestation. Ali M. Ansari. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. "Distinguished historian Ali M. Ansari explores ideas about nationalism and how they apply to twentieth-century Iran"-- Provided by publisher