A masterfully researched and compelling history of Iran from 1501 to 2009 This history of modern Iran is not a survey in the conventional sense but an ambitious exploration of the story of a nation. It offers a revealing look at how events, people, and institutions are shaped by currents that sometimes reach back hundreds of years. The book covers the complex history of the diverse societies and economies of Iran against the background of dynastic changes, revolutions, civil wars, foreign occupation, and the rise of the Islamic Republic. Abbas Amanat combines chronological and thematic approaches, exploring events with lasting implications for modern Iran and the world. Drawing on diverse historical scholarship and emphasizing the twentieth century, he addresses debates about Iran’s culture and politics. Political history is the driving narrative force, given impetus by Amanat's decades of research and study. He layers the book with discussions of literature, music, and the arts; ideology and religion; economy and society; and cultural identity and heritage.

Iran: A Modern History

History

Amanat, Abbas

Asia

Yale University Press

When he was assassinated in 1896, Nasir al-Din Shah had occupied the Peacock throne for nearly half a century. A colorful, complex figure, he is frequently portrayed as indolent and indulgent. Yet he was in many ways an effective ruler who displayed remarkable resilience in the face of dilemmas and vulnerabilities shared by most monarchs of the Islamic world in the nineteenth century. The Pivot of the Universe is the first biography of this fascinating monarch. In it Amanat traces Nasir al-Din Shah's transformation from an insecure crown prince, and later an erratic boy-king, to a ruler with substantial control over his government and foreign policy. He provides a vivid picture of the political culture that determined Nasir al-Din Shah's behavior and, ultimately, his conception of government: the mode of succession in an urbanizing nomadic dynasty, the complicated relationships of the harem and his family, and the fatherly role of his guardian-ministers. Based on extensive research into public and private papers, illustrated with drawings and photographs from the period, this book offers a fresh interpretation both of the significance of Nasir al-Din Shah and the way in which the Iranian monarchy, the centerpiece of an ancient political order, withstood and adjusted to the challenges of modern times.

Pivot of the Universe: Nasir al-Din Shah and the Iranian Monarchy, 1831-1896

Middle East

University of California Press

"[Resurrection and Renewal] reflects extensive research by the author in the numerous Babi and Baha'i manuscript histories. From these he has succeeded in extracting much useful information and presenting it in an interesting and informative manner."--The Middle East Journal In historical writing of rare power, Abbas Amanat conveys the elation and terror that attend the birth of a new religious faith. Amanat here tells the story of the emergence of Babism, the forerunner of the Baha'i religion, in the mid-nineteenth century; its rapid spread into various sectors of Iranian society; and its fatal confrontation with the clerical establishment and the Qajar state.

RESURRECTION AND RENEWAL: THE MAKING OF THE BABI MOVEMENT IN IRAN, 1844-1850

Africa

NCROL

When he was assassinated in 1896, Nasir al-Din Shah had sat on the Peacock throne for nearly half a century. A colourful and complex figure, he is frequently portrayed as indolent and self-indulgent. Yet he was in many ways an effective ruler who displayed exceptional resilience in the face of dilemmas and vulnerabilities shared by most monarchs of the Islamic world in the 19th century. This biography - the first in English - traces Nasir al-Din Shah's transformation from an insecure crown prince and later an erratic boy-king to a ruler with substantial control over his government and foreign policy. It also paints a picture of the political culture that determined Nasir al-Din's behaviour and ultimately his conception of government. Based on research into public and private papers, the book offers an interpretation of the significance of Nasir al-Din Shah and the way in which the Iranian monarchy, the centrepiece of an ancient political order, withstood and adjusted to the challenges of modern times.

The Pivot of the Universe: Nasir al-Din Shah and the Iranian Monarchy

Tauris Academic Studies

Apocalyptic Islam and Iranian Shi'ism (Library of Modern Religion)

Interest in Shi'i Islam is running at unprecedented levels. International tensions over Iran, where the largest number of Shi'i Muslims live, as well as the political resurgence of the Shi'i in Iraq and Lebanon, have created an urgent need to understand the background, beliefs and motivations of this dynamic vision of Islam. Abbas Amanat is one of the leading scholars of Shi'ism. And in this powerful book, a showcase for some of his most influential writing in the field, he addresses the colorful and diverse history of Shi' Islam in both premodern and contemporary times. Focusing specifically on the importance of apocalypticism in the development of modern Shi'i theology, he shows how an immersion in messianic ideas has shaped the conservative character of much Shi'i thinking, and has prevented it from taking a more progressive course. Tracing the continuity of apocalyptic trends from the Middle Ages to the present, Amanat addresses such topics as the early influence on Shi'ism of Zoroastrianism; manifestations of apocalyptic ideology during the Iranian Revolution of 1979; and the rise of the Shi'i clerical establishment during the 19th and 20th centuries. His book will be an essential resource for students and scholars of both religious studies and Middle Eastern history.

Religion & Spirituality

Islam

I.B.Tauris

When he was assassinated in 1896, Nasir al-Din Shah had sat on the Peacock throne for nearly half a century. A colorful, complex figure, he is frequently portrayed as indolent and self-indulgent. Yet he was in many ways an effective ruler who displayed exceptional resilience in the face of dilemmas and vulnerabilities shared by most monarchs of the Islamic world in the nineteenth century. In this book--the first in English about Nasir al-Din Shah--Abbas Amanat gives us both a biography of the man and an analysis of the institution of monarchy in modern Iran. Nasir al-Din Shah developed from an insecure crown prince and later an erratic boy-king in the 1840s and 50s into a ruler with substantial control over his government and foreign policy in the 1860s and beyond. Amanat examines this transformation and explores how traditional monarchies drew strength as they accommodated themselves to the forces of modernity.Based on extensive archival research in both public and private collections and illustrated with drawings and photographs from the period, Pivot of the Universe offers a fresh interpretation of the evolution of monarchy in modern times as it interacted with the institutions of government, the society at large and Western powers.

The Pivot of the Universe: Nasir al-Din Shah and the Iranian Monarchy, 1831-1896

Biographies & Memoirs

Interest in Shi'i Islam is running at unprecedented levels. International tensions over Iran, where the largest number of Shi'i Muslims live, as well as the political resurgence of the Shi'i in Iraq and Lebanon, have created an urgent need to understand the background, beliefs and motivations of this dynamic vision of Islam. Abbas Amanat is one of the leading scholars of Shi'ism. And in this powerful book, a showcase for some of his most influential writing in the field, he addresses the colourful and diverse history of Shi' Islam in both premodern and contemporary times.Focusing specifically on the importance of apocalypticism in the development of modern Shi'i theology, he shows how an immersion in messianic ideas has shaped the conservative character of much Shi'i thinking, and has prevented it from taking a more progressive course. Tracing the continuity of apocalyptic trends from the Middle Ages to the present, Amanat addresses such topics as the early influence on Shi'ism of Zoroastrianism; manifestations of apocalyptic ideology during the Iranian Revolution of 1979; and the rise of the Shi'i clerical establishment during the 19th and 20th centuries. His book will be an essential resource for students and scholars of both religious studies and Middle Eastern history.

Politics & Social Sciences

Social Sciences

Pivot Of The Universe

Historical

The most complete academic treatment of the early years of the Babi religion. With energy and power, Abbas Amanat communicates fully the sense of elation and terror that accompanied the birth of the New Age. He recounts the full story of the early years of the Bab's religion--the early converts and martyrs, the message of the Prophet, the shaping of the community, and the final break with Islam. A brilliant and important work of scholarship!

Resurrection and Renewal: The Making of the Bábi Movement in Iran, 1844-1850 (Studies in the Babi and Baha'i Religions)

Kalimat Press

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Amanat, Abbas. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Books by Amanat, Abbas

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Amanat, Abbas. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Iran: A Modern History

Iran: A Modern History

Pivot of the Universe: Nasir al-Din Shah and the Iranian Monarchy, 1831-1896

RESURRECTION AND RENEWAL: THE MAKING OF THE BABI MOVEMENT IN IRAN, 1844-1850

The Pivot of the Universe: Nasir al-Din Shah and the Iranian Monarchy

Apocalyptic Islam and Iranian Shi'ism (Library of Modern Religion)

The Pivot of the Universe: Nasir al-Din Shah and the Iranian Monarchy, 1831-1896

Apocalyptic Islam and Iranian Shi'ism (Library of Modern Religion)

Pivot Of The Universe

Resurrection and Renewal: The Making of the Bábi Movement in Iran, 1844-1850 (Studies in the Babi and Baha'i Religions)