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PREFACE
This work deals with all historical periods and considers history in the widest definition of the term. There is, however, a concentration on the modern period, defined here as the turn of the 18th century (1800 A.D.) to the present. And, the primary focus is on political history. Some narrowing was a necessity given the enormous length and depth of Iranian history. Nonetheless, there are a goodly number of entries that could be categorized as cultural, literary, economic, social, or geographic. Furthermore, much attention is paid to American involvement in Iran in the 19th and 20th centuries and to Americans with attachment to Iran. This is particularly evident in the large number of American biographical entries. Iranian biographies, of course, are considerably more, amounting to over 30 percent of the entries spread evenly across kings and princes, prime ministers, political figures, religious figures, particularly of the Islamic Revolution, literati, and other cultural figures. Of the biographical listings, two-thirds are political figures. Of these, about half are centrally connected to the Islamic Revolution of Iran. Thus, if there is a bias in numbers, very recent Iranian history holds sway. Approximately one-third of the biographical listings are cultural figures equally divided between literary figures and representatives of other cultural forms.
About 10 percent of the total entries are geographical terms. The significantly large number here reflects the belief of the author that historical understanding is only attainable with an appreciation of the stage upon which history occurs. Another category with about 10 percent of the total listings is political groups, parties, and constitutions. Iranian organizations and companies make up another 10 percent. Other categories contain approximately five percent each of the total number of listings. These include colleges and universities, foreign organizations and instrumentalities, treaties and wars, titles and names, religions and religious movements, tribes, women, film directors, economic sectors, and various foreign nationals other than Americans. This second edition of the Historical Dictionary of Iran appears a full decade after the first edition. Much of historical significance has happened in the intervening years, particularly in the cultural and political arenas. In the former case, Iranian film has blossomed into a world-class cinema. On the surface, this would seem an oddity in light of the stringent political limitations dictated by the conservative Islamic government of Iran. Nonetheless, Iran since the Islamic Revolution ranks highly in the artistic quality of its filmic output. The reason is two-fold. First, while the artist must be sensitive to the ever-shifting demands of propriety, there is considerably more freedom of expression in Iran than popularly believed in the West. Second, Iranians are masters at finding ways to creatively express themselves by indirect means. Satire and its cousins are alive and well in Iran. A good example in film is the frequent use of children to explore some very adult themes.
Filmmakers in contemporary Iran are constantly pushing the boundaries of censorship and have achieved remarkable creative output in the past decade. This circumstance is reflected in this edition, which contains a number of new film-related entries. Ten such entries have been added, including an overview entry on cinema and separate entries on nine film directors.
With regard to politics, in the past decade there have been three presidential elections in Iran. The country has swayed from a conservative Islamic political persuasion to a liberal one with the election of President Muhammad Khatami in 1997, and then back towards a conservative mode with the election of President Mahmud Amadinejad in June of 2005. In the course of this time, the debates over the relationship between religion and politics have been abundant and intense. The rise and fall of numerous politicians, a number of whom are also religious scholars, has occurred. Intellectuals, both secular and religious, have also been buffeted by the varying political winds. The political scene in Iran has been, is, and will surely continue to be a lively one. Tracking key characters gives some sense of the dynamic and evolving political scene. Thus, this edition contains a large number of new entries on contemporary political and intellectual figures. More than 20 such individuals have been added. Likewise, a considerably increased number of political organizations and movements have found their way into the book as entries.
Another feature of this second edition is that whole new categories of entries have been added. Economics, for instance, was sparsely covered in the first edition, but has a considerable number of entries in this edition. Similarly, only a handful of cities were in the first edition, whereas the second has entries on every Iranian city of 200,000 persons or more according to the latest census data (1996). Beyond that benchmark, other cities are included because they are deemed of such historical importance that inclusion was a must. Thus, there are 18 entries on individual cities, and several more if one takes into account ancient cities that are now archaeological sites.
Full entries on Iranian tribes have been added. As well, an overview entry on women in Iran and 11 separate entries on various women of importance in Iranian history and in contemporary times have been added.
New entries written for the second edition of the Historical Dictionary number 146. Most of the entries in the first edition of the Historical Dictionary were retained, though many were either added to or updated. The new total of entries is 320.
This second edition is, in light of the information above, considerably more comprehensive than the first. Care has been devoted to choosing entries and writing them in such a way that they are integrated, both in the nature of the content and organizationally. The hoped for result is that a fuller picture will emerge for the reader who chooses to go beyond individual entries and trace the components of a larger picture via the cross-referencing indicators, as discussed in the section entitled "Reader's Notes". Like pieces of a puzzle, the reader can look at any single piece, or put pieces together to form a more complete understanding of related issues, persons, concepts, and the like.
The choice of entries has been determined, in part, by the dictates of the point above. Most, of course, are worthy in their own right apart from considerations of integration. However, some entries are included to give a more complete picture of certain events and trends, whereas certain other entries were not included because space was limited. Thus, there are judgment calls. And, while not all may agree with what is included and not included, it is hoped that the reader's forbearance be forthcoming.
As indicated in the acknowledgments, I asked the advice of specialists in fields not my own and made choices in accordance with the principles that governed the overall work. Oversights and errors of judgment are, of course, the fault of the author alone. The reader is enjoined to recall that this work is not an encyclopedia. It is not intended to be all inclusive. If successful, the book will provide a helpful and balanced, though not exhaustive, guide to pertinent names, places, and events of Iranian history. By design, the work should provide information in an easily accessible manner useful to both the informed and general audience. To find a proper balance between specialized and general knowledge was often vexing. The degree to which success has been achieved is a determination to be made by individual readers. To each, I can only promise that I did my best.
Editor's foreword
Many countries are reputed to have a strategic geographic location. But there are few of which this is truer than Iran, known in earlier times as Persia. Located between Europe and Asia, astride the Middle East, its location is unique. Yet, while this should have brought benefits, and sometimes did, it has more often been a disadvantage due to invasions or domination by other countries, whether the earlier Great Powers or the United States and Soviet Union during the Cold War. This will doubtlessly explain its fear of foreign influence, which has become particularly noticeable under the Islamic Republic. Yet, while it can be an irritant for some other countries, and what its government and clerical rulers do is not even always appreciated at home, Iran is far too important—with its abundant oil resources, large population and political and religious dynamic—to ignore, let alone keep on the margins of the international community.
It is obviously much easier to understand what is going on in present-day Iran by looking into its long history, the periods of glory and those of disaster, to see how it was shaped. That is certainly facilitated by this second edition of the Historical Dictionary of Iran. The long view is provided, first, by a rather extensive chronology, from the earliest times to the present day. The big picture then emerges from the introduction, reflecting on the past and the present. Countless details are then described in some 320 dictionary entries on important persons, places and events, institutions and major features of its politics, economy, society, culture, and religion. Other sources of information are then listed in the bibliography. So this is an excellent place to start, before referring to other sources, but also one to which readers can return to elucidate specific aspects.
This new, updated, and considerably expanded edition was written by the same author as the first, John H. Lorentz, who not only knows Iran well but obviously has a deep affection for the country. He first visited it in the early 1960s as a Peace Corps volunteer and has returned a number of times, including a stint as a Senior Fulbright-Hays Fellow. Dr. Lorentz has penned monographs and articles on Iran and the Iranians and has taught about the Middle East at Portland State University, Willamette University, and presently Shawnee State University, where he is both Professor of History and Director of the Center for International Programs and Activities. This long experience has contributed strongly to a handy guide that is not only well researched, but easy to read.
Jon Woronoff
Series Editor
Acknowledgments
The ultimate responsibility for the contents of this work rests with the author alone. As with all books, however, there are many who shared in one aspect or another in the production and without whom the final product would be considerably lessened. Sometimes in mechanical ways, sometimes in spiritual ways, the author owes a debt of gratitude to the following: Cinda St. John, Bill Holmes, Angel Ginn Reed, Lois Webster and, especially, Golriz, my wife, who endured as the months turned into years. My thanks are extended also to Laura Day who did an outstanding job of typing, and to Jon Woronoff, Series Editor, whose patience was sorely tried, but never exhausted.
For the second edition, I am indebted to a number of scholars on Iran who enlightened me with their expertise and suggestions. Above all, Farhang Rajaee deserves special mention for his constant encouragement and advice. Thanks also belong to Houchang Chehabi, Mark Gasiorowski, Muhammad Ghanoonparvar, Ali Akbar Mahdi, and Farzin Vahdat.
Valuable support for the second edition was provided by several research assistants: Melissa Hoople, Jynx Jenkins, Bruce Rankin, and in particular, Brian and Crystal Gilliam. Shawnee State University also supported this endeavor. The assistance of all mentioned above contributed greatly to this work, as did the ever-present hand of Jon Woronoff, and I am grateful. The greatest debt of gratitude, however, continues to belong to Golriz, who good-heartedly suffered the loss of time that this book snatched from her.
Introduction
Iran is a country with a deep and complex history. Over several thousand years, Iran has been the source of numerous creative contributions to the spiritual and literary world, and the site of many remarkable manifestations of material culture. It is a land and a people full of fascination for both the specialist and the more casual observer. This book is aimed at both readers.
The historical uniqueness of the country is rationale enough to write about Iran. The special place that Iran has come to hold in contemporary historical events, most recently as a center stage actor in the unfolding and interconnected drama of worldwide nuclear arms proliferation and terrorism, is all the more reason to explore the characters and personality of Iran and Iranians. The first edition of the Historical Dictionary of Iran was published 11 years ago. The 2006 second edition is considerably revised and expanded. There is nearly double the number of entries. While a handful of earlier entries were dropped, most of the first edition entries have been retained, though a number have been added to and expanded. Of the new entries, the majority fall within the time of the Islamic Revolution and Islamic Republic of Iran, or the past quarter century. Throughout, entry choices centered around the interrelationships of persons and historically significant events.
The book is designed to give the reader a quick and understandable overview of specific events, movements, people, political and social groups, places, and trends. With its system of extensive cross-referencing and intentional choice of entries that complement and supplement one another, the work also allows for considerable exploration of a number of historical and contemporary ...
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