With the ratification of a new constitution in December 1906, Iran
embarked on a great movement of systemic and institutional change
which, along with the introduction of new ideas, was to be one of
the most abiding legacies of the first Iranian revolution - known
as the Constitutional Revolution. This uprising was significant not
only for introducing secular understandings of government, but also
Islamic visions of what could constitute a national assembly. The
events of the Constitutional Revolution in Tehran have been much
discussed, but the provinces, despite their crucial role in the
revolution, have received less attention. Here, Vanessa Martin
seeks to redress this imbalance. She does so by firstly analysing
the role of the Islamic debate in the late nineteenth and early
twentieth centuries, and its relationship with secular ideas, and
secondly by examining the ramifications of this debate in the main
cities of Tabriz, Shiraz, Isfahan and Bushehr. When Muzaffar al-Din
Shah came to power in 1896, on the assassination of his father Nasr
al-Din Shah, Iran was in the midst of social and political
upheaval, which culminated in the creation for the first time in
Iran's history of a constitution and a new majlis (consultative
assembly). In this book, Martin looks in particular at the idea of
modern Islamic government as it was conceptualized at the time; an
idea which had been emerging for some time before the revolution,
having its origins in the vision of the reformist pan-Islamist,
Jamal al-Din al-Afghani. She therefore traces the evolution of the
debate around whether Iran was to be a secular or an Islamic
society, or a combination of the two, together with the
implications of this discourse in terms of popular perception and
public opinion. By looking at the revolution outside of Tehran, she
highlights the intra-elite rivalries, and the Islamic response to
the Constitutional Revolution, from the moderate views of Thiqat
al-Islam to the emergence of Islamic organizations and militancy.
It is through this examination of Iran's major provincial cities
that Martin concludes that in each region, the Constitutional
Revolution took on a character of its own. From an exploration of
the elites of Shiraz, including the effective mayor, Qavam al-Mulk,
to the power centre of the then governor of Isfahan, Prince Zill
al-Sultan, and from the revolutionary fervor of Tabriz to the
commercial centre of Bushehr, Martin sheds light on the historical,
political, religious and geographical importance of these cities.
By examining the interaction between Islam and secularism during
this tumultuous time, Iran between Islamic Nationalism and
Secularism offers a vital new approach to the understanding of a
key moment in Iran's history.
General
Is the information for this product incomplete, wrong or inappropriate?
Let us know about it.
Does this product have an incorrect or missing image?
Send us a new image.
Is this product missing categories?
Add more categories.
Review This Product
No reviews yet - be the first to create one!
Welcome to Loot.co.za!
Sign in / Register |Wishlists & Gift Vouchers |Help | Advanced search
(1)
(2)
