Modern Iran. Roots and Results of Revolution

by Nikki R. Keddie, Yann Richard

In this updated edition of Nikki Keddie’s Modern Iran—itself a substantially revised and expanded version of her classic work Roots of Revolution—the  author provides a new preface and a fully annotated and indexed epilogue, reviewing recent developments in Iran since 2003. Keddie provides insightful commentary on Iran’s nuclear and foreign policy, its relations with the United Nations and the United States, increasing conservative and hard-line tendencies in the government, and recent developments in the economy, cultural and intellectual life, and human rights.
Reviews of the 2003 edition:
 “[An] essential book for one’s working library.”—L. Carl Brown, Foreign Affairs
“Shifting her historical focus from the roots of the Iranian revolution to its consequences, Nikki Keddie has expanded her original classic to include a sharply probing and perceptive guide to more than two decades of tumultuous developments in the Islamic Republic of Iran.”—Gary Sick

Genres: History, Iran, Middle East, Politics, Nonfiction, Religion, School

408 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2003

Reviews

[Murtaza · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is solid overview of Iranian history, roughly sketching the forces that eventually led up to the 1979 revolution and present Islamic Republic. Depending on your familiarity with Iranian history much of this might be familiar. There is a theory that after reading three nonfiction books about any subject the marginal benefit from reading more on the subject begins to decrease. Personally I felt that with this book, I didn't learn much although I was reminded of a few things. I still consider it a solid overview and would recommend it for an accessible semi-academic overview of Iran.

[Simon Wood · Rating 5 out of 5]

INSIGHT INTO IRAN (NOT INCITEMENT AGAINST IRAN)

Nikki Keddies 1981 book "Roots of Revolution" written in the aftermath of the 1978-79 Revolution in Iran has been updated to include new scholarship on the events prior to the Revolution, and also to cover events and developments up until the date of publication in 2006. She begins with a short chapter, summarising the developments in Iran up until 1800 with particular focus, but not to the exclusion of other issues, on it's Islamic identity and how this has been reflected in societal developments.

For the period subsequent to 1800 Keddie is more expansive, covering the period of the Qajar dynasty and the increasing foreign interference in Iran, particular by the Russians and the British. Beyond 1890, she describes a period of social and political ferment, starting with the riots and protests that attended the award of a total monopoly on tobacco to the British, and how that eventually led to the constitutional government of the pre-world war one period, brought to a halt again with the participation of outside interests.

The book carries on with an account of the self-declared Pahlavi dynasty, their top down policy of secularisation of the country, combined with a prostration of Iran before foreign, especially oil, interests. The second constitutional period, under the auspices of Mosaddeq in the 1950's, and his eventual overthrow by the CIA (with aid from conservatives within the Islamic hierarchy) is covered in some detail. This is followed with the final twenty-five years of Royal Dictatorship, and the eventual ferment that lead to the Islamic Revolution, and the variety of developments that followed up until 2006.

Throughout the book Keddie is at pains to acknowledge the full breadth of developments in Iran. The economy, relations with foreign powers, religious and secular developments (confrontations and collaborations), political changes (monarchical, constitutional and Islamic), literature, film, philosophy, the situation of minorities within Iran, issues of gender, health, and education are all covered in some detail. The reader will surely finish the book with a picture of a complex society which defies the simplistic picture of Iran that is frequently peddled by the media, in particular those connected with American and Israeli interests.

The shortcomings in the book include a style of writing that is on occasion clumsy and repetative, especially during those parts where Keddie is narrating events rather than examining developments. This problem is especially blatant in those sections that have been added to the original 1981 edition, and indeed there are hints at a tight publication deadline in the preface to the new edition. For a book that is just over three-hundred pages long covering the developments over two-hundred years of Iranian history, it is inevitable that there are going to be omissions, but the lack of coverage for the Iran-Iraq War during the 1980's seems more than a little inexplicable giving the central role this appeared to play in the internal politics of Iran, especially with regard to the stabilising and longevity of the Islamic Republic.

Those shortcomings to one side, "Roots and Results of Revolution" is an excellent history of Modern Iran. It is one of those books that broaden your appreciation of the factors and complexities that influence any societies development. Whether your area of interest is in Iran itself, Islam, the Middle East, or even the pressures and problems of a developing country in the modern era, I don't doubt that this will prove a rewarding read. Other books that are related, and go into particular periods and events of Iranian history, include Stephen Kinzers "All the Shah's Men: An American Coup and the Roots of Middle East Terror" on the Mosaddeq period and his overthrow, Dilip Hiros "The Longest War: The Iran-Iraq Military Conflict" covers that war in detail, filling in the gaps in this book. The same authors "Iran Today" provides an interesting view of recent developments in Iran, particularly with regard to the period of the Islamic Republic.

[R · Rating 4 out of 5]

Definitivamente la obra general más completa en castellano hoy por hoy para hacernos una idea de la historia del último siglo en Irán. Muy cuidadosa con los detalles, unas notas muy oportunas, bibliografía fabulosa y "tocando todos los palos".

Sin embargo hay dos razones por la cual sólo le doy 4 estrellas y no cinco:

1 - No me gusta que el hilo argumental sea algún tipo de "alma nacional" proclive a las revoluciones y levantamientos, por lo menos tal y como se plantea en el primer capítulo. Por otro lado, no me gusta que se identifique a lo iraní con lo persa y a lo demás como culturas regionales o particulares, aunque ello no afecta a la calidad de los datos dados sobre momentos como el gobierno autónomo de Azerbaiyán y demás.

2 - La traducción es verdaderamente pésima. Es cierto que tengo la primera edición y que espero que se haya revisado y corregido para la segunda, pero es eso lo que principalmente hace que el libro sea muy tedioso de leer.

Por lo demás, una adquisición necesaria para todos aquellos que deseen conocer la historia del Irán contemporáneo.

[Hamid · Rating 5 out of 5]

تحلیلی بسیار خواندنی در مورد ریشه ها و نتایج انقلاب ایران. کتاب از دوران پهلوی شروع می کنه و تا سال 1383 بررسی می شه. برای من به خصوص تحلیل کدی از شرایط ایران بعد از انقلاب جالبه.
یکی از ویژگی های آثار کدی اینه که به تعامل نیروهای بازار با نیروهای سیاسی توجه خاصی نشون می ده، چیزی که در خیلی از تحلیل های رایج نادیده گرفته میشه
این کتاب ویرایش جدیدیه از کتاب که قبلا با عنوان "ریشه های انقلاب ایران" ترجمه شده بود.

[Sophie · Rating 2 out of 5]

The low rating is undeserved - Modern Iran is full of information... a little too full. For someone without a substantial background in Iran, this was just too dense and at times hard to follow.

[Michele · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was the text book for a non-credit class on 20th century Iran I just took. Great information, but not a terribly easy writing style.

[Julien Neter · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very solid and exhaustive overview of political, social and economic change in Iran since the early 19th century, and how these changes in turn brought about the regime which we know today. It is fairly accessible to laypeople, though it remains an academic work and as such may feel dry at times.

Now on to the shortcomings, there's the usual issue of cramming 200+ years of history into a single book and I would have liked more detail on some topics, such as the Iran-Iraq war which is only briefly glossed over (those searching for a detailed overview of that conflict should read The Iran-Iraq War, which has all the detail one could want and more). While the book is fairly unbiased in general, the author sometimes lets her political opinions influence the text, though not enough for it to be an issue in any way. This is also an update to a book originally published in 1981, and it does show at times. This is especially visible in the parts covering the post-Islamic Revolution era, where it sometimes falls into narration rather than analysis.

All in all, this remains a very solid work that should prove interesting to anyone with an interest in the modern history of Iran and new to the subject, though those already familiar with it are unlikely to learn anything groundbreaking.

[Shixiao Yu · Rating 3 out of 5]

Doesn't really provide a comprehensive understanding of Iranian history—there is an introductory chapter of pre-1800 events but it didn't focus on it so I don't feel like I got a good understanding. The writing style is kind of exhausting; a lot of facts are spat at you at once, some of them are pretty much irrelevant and never show up again so it can be hard to distinguish reoccurring events/names/organisations from those that have lasting impact and are brought up again. I don't think the book did a good job of connecting the contents to the reader, often I would read a part, like the reign of a shah, and the details would slip my mind twenty pages later.

It's still pretty worthwhile as it provides a general atmosphere of Iran's early 1900s and 1979 revolutions and Iran's connection to religion, oil, and monarchy.

[Kieren McConville · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's an interesting overview of Iran's social and political history, and it gets philosophical at times too. Disappointing that it doesn't cover much of the Iran-Iraq war given how pivotal it was in defining its contemporary form. Nevertheless, it does well to portray Iran's long history in a way that undermines any simplistic view one may have on what is a very complex society.

[Steph · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wouldn't you like to know why the Iranian revolution occured? This book was used in a History of Iran course, and essentially gives a history of revolutions throughout Persian history. The thesis of the book essentially works in the traditional role of religious figures in controlling the market price through either appeasing or firing up the common man/devotee. The revolution is then put in the context of marketplace revolts, and religiously backed political movements. It is one interesting perspective on what seemed to be an extreme and unprecedented break with the past.

[Arastoo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Niiki Keddie is fantastic! She is very knowledgeable in the field of Iranian and Middle Eastern politics. A retired Emeritus professor from the University of California, she has worked extensively in the area of Iranian studies and women's studies. It would have been a honour to pursue my MA with her, if she hadn't been retired! Great book, I would also recommend other books by her as well!

[Jules Butler · Rating 5 out of 5]

The American Electorate and every American policy-maker must read this book now more than ever.

[Sidhartha Deka · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think the best documentation of the Iranian revolution and the centuries of precipitation of it. Keddie's look into the evolution of the clerics involvement in politics is pretty fascinating.

[Laura Aranda · Rating 4 out of 5]

A nice and thorough summation of the history, current politics, and the arts.