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The Persian Revolution of 1905-1909
"Many dangers and many anxious days lie before the new Persia." Almost a century later, Edward Browne's fears and hopes have a special resonance in the minds of contemporary readers. The Persian Revolution of 1905-1909, has maintained its relevance and freshness, even after the occurrence of a revolution more intense and all-embracing than the Constitutional Revolution. Furthermore, the aspirations of the Islamic Revolution of 1979 were a distant protest against the failure of that earlier revolution. Edward Browne was a professor of Persian studies at Cambridge University who had written A Year Amongst the Persians and the four-volume Literary History of Persia. What he primarily intended to achieve in The Persian Revolution was to demonstrate to his readers that the tumultuous events they were witnessing in Iran, often with suspicion if not disdain, were in fact no less than a genuine struggle by an oppressed and impoverished nation to establish a constitutional order despite the overwhelming odds of domestic tyranny, foreign intervention, and ideological divisions. He strove to serve as a voice in the West for the Persian Constitutionalists. The Persian Revolution was more than a simple record of a revolution, for it influenced the very course of events it covered in its pages. This new edition of the book first published in 1910 features an introduction by Abbas Amanat, a professor of History at Yale University, as well as a section featuring Browne's correspondences and contemporary reviews of the book. Also included are 56 period photographs. This is an essential volume for anyone attempting to understand Persia's past and present.
- GenresIranHistoryMiddle East
564 pages, Paperback
First published February 1, 1910
About the author
Edward Granville Browne
165 books35 followersEdward Granville Browne (1862 – 1926), born in Stouts Hill, Uley, Gloucestershire, England, was a British orientalist who published numerous articles and books of academic value, mainly in the areas of history and literature. His works are respected for their scholarship, uniqueness, and style.
The scholarly value of his works was acknowledged both during his lifetime and even more, after his death. He gained a professorship at Cambridge University. Much of his publications are related to Persia (now called Iran), either in the fields of history or Persian literature. He is perhaps best known for his documentation and historical narratives of the Bábí movement as relayed by Count Gobineau. He published two translations of Bábí histories, and wrote several of the few Western accounts of early Bábí and Bahá'í history. His professorship at Cambridge was, however, of the Arabic language, with the full title 'Sir Thomas Adams Professor of Arabic'.
He published in areas which few other Western scholars had explored to any sufficient degree. He used a language and style that showed high respect for everybody, even toward those he personally did not view in positive light. In A Year Among the Persians (1893) he wrote a sympathetic portrayal of a Persian society which few Westerners had ever seen, including a frank account of the effects of opium. It did not attract the attention it deserved at the time of its initial publication, but after his death in 1926 it was reprinted and became a classic in English travel literature. He also published the first volume of A Literary History of Persia in 1902 with subsequent volumes in 1906, 1920, and 1924. At the close of the twentieth century it remains the standard authority on the subject.
Among Persians, at a time when nearly the whole nation was highly suspicious of foreigners, and in particular of any British or Russian person due to the political dynamics of that time, Edward Browne was well accepted by the people who knew him and his works. He is well remembered today, and a street named after him in Tehran, as well as his statue, remained even after the Iranian revolution in 1979[...]
The scholarly value of his works was acknowledged both during his lifetime and even more, after his death. He gained a professorship at Cambridge University. Much of his publications are related to Persia (now called Iran), either in the fields of history or Persian literature. He is perhaps best known for his documentation and historical narratives of the Bábí movement as relayed by Count Gobineau. He published two translations of Bábí histories, and wrote several of the few Western accounts of early Bábí and Bahá'í history. His professorship at Cambridge was, however, of the Arabic language, with the full title 'Sir Thomas Adams Professor of Arabic'.
He published in areas which few other Western scholars had explored to any sufficient degree. He used a language and style that showed high respect for everybody, even toward those he personally did not view in positive light. In A Year Among the Persians (1893) he wrote a sympathetic portrayal of a Persian society which few Westerners had ever seen, including a frank account of the effects of opium. It did not attract the attention it deserved at the time of its initial publication, but after his death in 1926 it was reprinted and became a classic in English travel literature. He also published the first volume of A Literary History of Persia in 1902 with subsequent volumes in 1906, 1920, and 1924. At the close of the twentieth century it remains the standard authority on the subject.
Among Persians, at a time when nearly the whole nation was highly suspicious of foreigners, and in particular of any British or Russian person due to the political dynamics of that time, Edward Browne was well accepted by the people who knew him and his works. He is well remembered today, and a street named after him in Tehran, as well as his statue, remained even after the Iranian revolution in 1979[...]
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September 22, 2024
Peyman Adl Dousti Hagh-Book Summary: "The Persian Revolution of 1905-1909" by Dr. Edward Granville Browne
This book was first published in 1910 by Cambridge University Press.
The Constitutional Revolution, which began in 1905, demonstrated the resilience of the Persian people. It was sparked by a protest against a Belgian customs director enforcing tariff collections to repay a Russian loan that financed the extravagant European tour of the Shah, Mozaffar ad-Din Shah Qajar. The revolutionaries, consisting mainly of bazaar merchants, the ulama, and a small group of radical reformers, contended that Iran's oil industry was being sold to the British. They also highlighted tax breaks on imports, exports, and manufactured textiles as detrimental to Iran's economy, which the bazaar merchants had supported. Additionally, they accused the Shah of selling assets to pay interest on his massive foreign debt.
The revolution ended in December 1911 when deputies of the Second Majlis were forcibly expelled and threatened with death by the Shah's cabinet, backed by 12,000 Russian troops. Internal friction, public apathy, upper-class antagonism, and open hostility from Britain and Russia led to this outcome.
During this period, two different parliaments (majles) were formed due to a deposed shah and a 1907 division of the country by Britain and Russia, taking advantage of Iran's weak government. A new fundamental law was created, establishing a parliament with final approval of all loans and the budget. The leading clerics of Najaf, including Akhund Khurasani, Mirza Husayn Tehrani, and Shaykh Abdullah Mazandarani, endorsed the majles. Many challenges lay ahead for the new Persia.
Over eight decades later, Edward Browne's book 'The Persian Revolution of 1905-1909' still resonates with contemporary readers. The book accounts for an essential episode in Iran's history that remains crucial and fresh, even after a more intense and all-encompassing revolution occurred than the Constitutional Revolution of 1906-1911. The Persian Revolution, a significant event in the history of the Middle East, was a distant protest against the failure of the first, and its impact can still be felt today, connecting us to our historical roots.
Edward Browne's book was not just a record of a revolution but a powerful force that shaped the very course of events it covered. His primary goal was to make the voice of the Persian people heard by his Western audience. He aimed to show his readers that the tumultuous events they were witnessing in Iran were, in fact, a genuine struggle by an oppressed and impoverished nation to establish a constitutional order despite overwhelming odds of domestic tyranny, foreign intervention, and ideological divisions. This perspective is crucial in understanding the historical significance of the Persian Revolution.
This book is an indispensable resource for anyone seeking to gain a comprehensive understanding of Persia's past and present.
This book was first published in 1910 by Cambridge University Press.
The Constitutional Revolution, which began in 1905, demonstrated the resilience of the Persian people. It was sparked by a protest against a Belgian customs director enforcing tariff collections to repay a Russian loan that financed the extravagant European tour of the Shah, Mozaffar ad-Din Shah Qajar. The revolutionaries, consisting mainly of bazaar merchants, the ulama, and a small group of radical reformers, contended that Iran's oil industry was being sold to the British. They also highlighted tax breaks on imports, exports, and manufactured textiles as detrimental to Iran's economy, which the bazaar merchants had supported. Additionally, they accused the Shah of selling assets to pay interest on his massive foreign debt.
The revolution ended in December 1911 when deputies of the Second Majlis were forcibly expelled and threatened with death by the Shah's cabinet, backed by 12,000 Russian troops. Internal friction, public apathy, upper-class antagonism, and open hostility from Britain and Russia led to this outcome.
During this period, two different parliaments (majles) were formed due to a deposed shah and a 1907 division of the country by Britain and Russia, taking advantage of Iran's weak government. A new fundamental law was created, establishing a parliament with final approval of all loans and the budget. The leading clerics of Najaf, including Akhund Khurasani, Mirza Husayn Tehrani, and Shaykh Abdullah Mazandarani, endorsed the majles. Many challenges lay ahead for the new Persia.
Over eight decades later, Edward Browne's book 'The Persian Revolution of 1905-1909' still resonates with contemporary readers. The book accounts for an essential episode in Iran's history that remains crucial and fresh, even after a more intense and all-encompassing revolution occurred than the Constitutional Revolution of 1906-1911. The Persian Revolution, a significant event in the history of the Middle East, was a distant protest against the failure of the first, and its impact can still be felt today, connecting us to our historical roots.
Edward Browne's book was not just a record of a revolution but a powerful force that shaped the very course of events it covered. His primary goal was to make the voice of the Persian people heard by his Western audience. He aimed to show his readers that the tumultuous events they were witnessing in Iran were, in fact, a genuine struggle by an oppressed and impoverished nation to establish a constitutional order despite overwhelming odds of domestic tyranny, foreign intervention, and ideological divisions. This perspective is crucial in understanding the historical significance of the Persian Revolution.
This book is an indispensable resource for anyone seeking to gain a comprehensive understanding of Persia's past and present.
Displaying 1 of 1 review