Iran's Constitutional Revolution of 1906 ─ Narratives of the Enlightenment

The Constitutional Revolution of 1906 opened the way for enormous change in Persia, heralding the modern era and creating a model for later political and cultural movements in the region. It saw a period of unprecedented debate within the country’s burgeoning press. The revolution created new opportunities and opened up seemingly boundless possibilities for Persia’s future. Many different groups fought to shape the course of the Revolution, and all sections of society were ultimately to be in some way changed by it. The old order, which the Shah had struggled for so long to sustain, finally died, to be replaced by new institutions, new forms of expression, and a new social and political order.?

Broad in its scope, this multidisciplinary volume brings together the essays of outstanding scholars in the field of Iranian Studies. It explores the characters involved, contact with the West and modernity, which helped shape events, as well as exploring themes such as the role of women, the use of photography, and the uniqueness of the Revolution as an Iranian experience.

Ali Ansari is professor of Iranian history and founding director of the Institute for Iranian Studies at the University of St Andrews, as well as senior associate fellow at the Royal United Services Institute and president of the British Institute of Persian Studies. He is the author of numerous books, including The Politics of Nationalism in Modern Iran.
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