The Politics of Nationalism in Modern Iran

Cambridge Middle East Studies #40

by Ali M. Ansari

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.

Genres: Iran, Middle East, World History

346 pages, Paperback

First published August 31, 2012

About the author

Ali Massoud Ansari is professor of Modern History at the University of St Andrews in Scotland. He is the founder of the Institute of Iranian Studies.

Reviews

[Анна · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very fortunate to have been put on by my Persian nationalist (yet allegedly "neo-culturalist") professor - Ansari is a scholar, and a proficiently over-qualified one, at that.
(The dearth of crypto-neoconservatism/rabid ethno-racial essentialism is deadass my only criterion for acceptable Iranian scholarship at this point.)
His writing is interesting enough that I just might check out one of the other 40,000 severely discursively-dense, books Ansari's authored, all on Iran.

P.S......If I see one more Sartre citation.....forcibly shoehorned into the very first introductory chapter (of a scholarly research publication whose portents ostensibly bear ZERO relation to existentialism)......

[Michael Griswold · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ali Ansari has written quite a complex book on the politics of nationalism in modern Iran. Most of the book is focused on the period from 1900-present, though the history of Iran plays an ever present role. The book as is true of many Cambridge University Press titles is chalked full of rich and intricate details that are interesting, but can often leave the reader grasping for the thesis through the thick jungle of verbiage. Still, Ansari makes several key points that appear throughout the text.

In Iran, whoever has been in charge of the country has sought to justify their rule through the creation and/or utilization of myths often based on the historical character of various symbols that have become important to the Iranian state. The second important point that Ansari really hammers on throughout the book is that no matter what type of government has been in power--be it the monarchy or the so called Islamic Revolution, they've largely retained the previous institutions of the state, even though they've often assailed those same institutions to ascend to power.

[ja Jrsl]

300 sider for at bekræfte sit argument og bogens indledende sætning: "Nationalism is the determining ideology of modern Iran". jeg har altid sat stor pris på at starte med konklusionen!

derudover drager ansari en spændende historisk sammenligning. under den konstitutionelle revolution(1905) forblev magthaverne i samme position, men hele staten ændrede sig. modsat den islamiske revolution(1979) hvor mohammad reza shah's stat forstatte forholdsvist uændret, men magten skiftede hænder

[Sara Ansari · Rating 2 out of 5]

Very challenging book to read. And not the book I was looking for - I wanted to learn more about the political history of Iran. This book is appropriate for those who already know the history and want to hear a historian’s viewpoint.

[Sepide Saghafian]

I will write a book review on it for my "antidemocratie" course :)

[Brian · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ali Ansari has delivered a well thought out and thorough analysis of how nationalism has developed in Iran from 1900 to present. While there are plenty of references to all points in Iran’s history Ansari keeps it rooted mostly on the modern state especially surrounding the Shah. Many of the underlying causes of national identity and the interplay of modern state vs the religious influence that is felt in Iran is clearly analyzed and balanced in its presentation. This is not a book aimed at your average reader and is very much intended for a college level study. For those looking for something on the evolution of the Iranian state this will also disappoint since it takes a much broader view and looks at the influences in shaping how Iran sees itself in the world. This book is as much a political history as it is an intellectual history of the competing forces that strive for the political soul of Iran. Overall if you are a serious student of nationalism or looking for scholarly information on how Iran’s national identity was shaped this is an excellent book otherwise it is pretty limited in furthering the studies of other areas.