The Persians; Ancient, Mediaeval and Modern Iran

by Homa Katouzian

• ISBN13: 9780300121186
• ISBN10: 0300121180
• Format: Trade Book
• Copyright: 2009-12-15
• Publisher: Yale University Press

Summary

In recent years, Iran has gained attention mostly for negative reasonsits authoritarian religious government, disputed nuclear program, and controversial role in the Middle Eastbut there is much more to the story of this ancient land than can be gleaned from the news. This authoritative and comprehensive history of Iran, written by Homa Katouzian, an acclaimed expert, covers the entire history of the area from the ancient Persian Empire to today's Iranian state. Writing from an Iranian rather than a European perspective, Katouzian integrates the significant cultural and literary history of Iran with its political and social history. Some of the greatest poets of human history wrote in Persianamong them Rumi, Omar Khayyam, and Saadiand Katouzian discusses and occasionally quotes their work. In his thoughtful analysis of Iranian society, Katouzian argues that the absolute and arbitrary power traditionally enjoyed by Persian/Iranian rulers has resulted in an unstable society where fear and short-term thinking dominate. A magisterial history, this book also serves as an excellent background to the role of Iran in the contemporary world.

Author Biography

Homa Katouzian teaches Iranian history and Persian literature at St. Antony’s College and the Oriental Institute, University of Oxford. Iranian by birth, he is the editor of the journal Iranian Studies.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgements	p. vi
List of Illustrations	p. viii
Preface	p. x
Introduction: Iran and Iranians	p. 1
Myths, Legends and Ancient History	p. 19
Greeks, Parthians and Persians	p. 40
Arabs, Islam and Persians	p. 62
Turks and Mongols	p. 90
Persian Empire Again	p. 112
Disintegration and Reunification	p. 132
The Dilemma of Reform and Modernization	p. 152
The Revolution for Law	p. 170
Modern Arbitrary Rule	p. 200
Occupation, Oil Nationalization and Dictatorship	p. 229
The White Revolution	p. 263
The Revolution of February 1979	p. 288
The Islamic Republic	p. 324
Iran after Khomeini	p. 354
Appendix: Iranian Society	p. 395
Endnotes	p. 399
Select Bibliography	p. 427
Index	p. 434
Table of Contents provided by Ingram. All Rights Reserved.

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