The History of Iran

by Daniel, Elton L.

• ISBN13: 9780313307317
• ISBN10: 0313307318
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2000-10-30
• Publisher: Greenwood Pub Group

Summary

With almost three thousand years of history, Iran is home to one of the world's richest and most complex cultures. Yet to the average American the name Iran probably conjures up an image of a remote and upstart country inhabited by a people whose religious fanaticism is matched only by the intensity of their disdain for the United States and its values, who speak an obscure tongue called Farsi, and whose identity is not clearly distinguished from that of their Arab neighbors. This work offers an objective and engagingly written portrait of the Iranian people and their complex history from the perspective of one of the world's foremost experts on the country. It is ideal for student use and for the interested reader. Following a timeline of key events in the history of Iran and an overview chapter of the land and its people today, ten chapters trace the history of the country from its roots in prehistory to the many cultures and civilizations that ruled the area before the nation state was forged in the early 20th century. The only completely up-to-date history of Iran, the work covers in detail the era of the Shah, Khomeini and the Islamic Revolution, the Khomeini era, the era of reconstruction, and contemporary Iran at the dawn of the 21st century. Short biographical profiles of key historical figures, a glossary of terms, and a bibliographic essay add reference value to the work.

Author Biography

ELTON L. DANIEL is Professor of History at the University of Hawaii at Manoa and serves as Associate Editor of the Encyclopedia Iranica at Columbia University.

Table of Contents

Series Foreword	vii
Frank W. Thackeray
John E. Findling
Preface	xi
Timeline of Historical Events	xiii
The Land and People of Iran	1	(20)
Ancient Iran	21	(30)
From the Parthians to the Mongols	51	(30)
Early Modern Iran	81	(16)
From the Zand to the Qajars	97	(18)
The Forging of the Nation-State	115	(28)
Mohammad-Reza Shah	143	(32)
Khomeini and the Islamic Revolution	175	(22)
The Khomeini Era	197	(22)
The Era of Reconstruction	219	(20)
Contemporary Iran	239	(24)
Notable People in the History of Iran	263	(6)
Glossary	269	(6)
Bibliographic Essay	275	(8)
Index	283