The Emergence of Iranian Nationalism

Race and the Politics of Dislocation

Reza Zia-Ebrahimi

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English

Columbia University Press
15 March 2016

Nationalism

"Reza Zia-Ebrahimi revisits the work of Fath?ali Akhundzadeh and Mirza Aqa Khan Kermani, two Qajar-era intellectuals who founded modern Iranian nationalism. In their efforts to make sense of a difficult historical situation, these thinkers advanced an appealing ideology Zia-Ebrahimi calls ""dislocative nationalism,"" in which pre-Islamic Iran is cast as a golden age, Islam is reinterpreted as an alien religion, and Arabs become implacable others. Dislodging Iran from its empirical reality and tying it to Europe and the Aryan race, this ideology remains the most politically potent form of identity in Iran.

Akhundzadeh and Kermani's nationalist reading of Iranian history has been drilled into the minds of Iranians since its adoption by the Pahlavi state in the early twentieth century. Spread through mass schooling, historical narratives, and official statements of support, their ideological perspective has come to define Iranian culture and domestic and foreign policy. Zia-Ebrahimi follows the development of dislocative nationalism through a range of cultural and historical materials, and he captures its incorporation of European ideas about Iranian history, the Aryan race, and a primordial nation. His work emphasizes the agency of Iranian intellectuals in translating European ideas for Iranian audiences, impressing Western conceptions of race onto Iranian identity."

By: Reza Zia-Ebrahimi
Imprint: Columbia University Press
Country of Publication: United States
Dimensions: Height: 229mm, Width: 152mm, Spine: 30mm
Weight: 553g
ISBN: 9780231175760
ISBN 10: 0231175760
Pages: 312
Publication Date: 15 March 2016
Audience: College/higher education , A / AS level , Further / Higher Education
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Active

Acknowledgments Note on Transliteration and Spelling Introduction 1. The Paleontology of Iranian Nationalism 2. Akhundzadeh and Kermani: The Emergence of Dislocative Nationalism 3. Pre-Islamic Iran and Archaistic Frenzy 4. Of Lizard Eaters and Invasions: The Import of European Racial Thought 5. Europe, That Feared Yet Admired Idol 6. Aryanism and Dislocation 7. The Road to Officialdom 8. Triumph Conclusion: The Failure of Dislocative Nationalism Notes Bibliography Index

Reza Zia-Ebrahimi is lecturer (assistant professor) in history at King's College London.

Reviews for The Emergence of Iranian Nationalism: Race and the Politics of Dislocation

This book breaks new ground in the study of recent Iranian history. It reveals and analyzes the dirty little secret of Iranian nationalism, namely that it contains a racist dimension. It is not only a well-researched and well-written book, it is also a courageous book. -- Houchang Chehabi, Boston University This book is a major contribution to the intellectual history of modern Iran. Reza Zia-Ebrahimi has brought into critical focus some of the most pious and intractable certainties that have long defined the ideology of Iranian nationalism. Both erudite and iconoclastic, this book is sure to stir much contentious debate. -- Afshin Marashi, author of Nationalizing Iran: Culture, Power, and the State, 1870-1940