Department of History

 

Iraj Bashiri
1043 Heller Hall
Telephone: 624-3314
Office hours: M 11:15-12:00; F 1:15-2:00

or by appointment

e-mail: bashi001@umn.edu
Web: www.irajbashiri.com 

 

 

SYLLABUS

Modern Iran

HIST 3506, RELS 3713; GLOS 3900

Spring 2016

 

Conceptual Frame:

 

"Modern Iran" covers Iranian history from the fall of the Sassanids (7th c. CE) to the present. Part 1 discusses the coexistence of Islamic and Iranian cultures culminating in the adoption of Shi'ism as the official religion of Iran (16th c. CE). Part 2 examines the role of the Safavids, Qajars, and Pahlavis in the modernization and westernization of Iran. Part 3 examines the clash between Shi'ism and secularism resulting in the 1979 Islamic Revolution.

Student Learning Outcomes:

1.      Acquaint students with the history and culture of modern Iran.

2.      Examine the impact of Zoroastrianism on Islam.

3.      Examine the impact of modernization/westernization on Iranian culture.

4.      Discuss Iranians' reaction to westernization: the 1979 Islamic Revolution.

 

Class Sessions:

Month/Day

 

January

 

20        Introduction to the course; course content, materials to be covered, office hours, tests, oral report, book report, paper, participation, attendance, grades.  

                  Assignment: Bashiri 2016, pp. 59-72; 139-145.

22        Who are the Iranians?

                  Assignment: Bashiri 2016, pp. 5-51; 88-129.     

E-Reserve link: https://reserves.lib.umn.edu/

                    Oral Reports assigned.

 

25        Iranian cosmology and mythology

      Assignment: The Role of Farr in Firdowsi'sShahname; Bashiri 2016, pp. 196-202.

27        The divine right of kings—the farr.

                  Assignment: Bashiri 2014, pp. 21-26.

29        The Ahuric Order—socio-political structure of pre-Islamic Iran.

                  Assignment: Shahid, pp. 3-29 (optional); Bashiri (2016a), pp. 1-15.

 

February

   

1          Pre-Islamic Arabia

                  Assignment: Esposito, Chapter 1 or pp. 1-31; Bashiri (2016a), pp. 15-21.

3          Muhammad and the rise of Islam

                  Assignment: Bashiri (2016a), pp. 21-43.

5          Oral Report I

8          Oral Report I

10        Oral Report I

12        Islamic conquests

Assignment: Farah, pp. 125-150.

15        The fundamentals of the Islamic faith

 Assignment: Ziadeh, "Sunni Schools of Law," pp. 389-397; Sachedina, "Shi'i Schools of Law," pp. 397-399.

17        The Islamic Shari'a law

                  Assignment: Momen, pp. 21-60; Nasr (Vali), pp. 31-61. 

 

            Study Guide One Posted

 

19        The imams of the Shi'ites 

                  Assignment: Sachedina, pp. 214-218; Momen, pp. 161-171.

22        The Twelfth Imam al-Mahdi

                  Assignment: Bashiri 2014, pp. 29-43. 

24         The influence of Zoroastrianism on Islam

                  Assignment: Bashiri (2016a), pp. 75-88.

 

26        TEST ONE

 

29        Mongol conquests in Central Asia and Iran

                  Assignment: Spuler, pp. 71-114.

 

March

2          Mongol society

 Assignment: Grousset, pp. 347-391.

4          The Ilkhanid state and Islam

                  Assignment: Schimmel, pp. 98-186.

7          Sufism—the stations of the Tariqah

                  Assignment: 'Attar's "Seven Valleys of Love"; Bashiri 2014, pp. 55-79.

9          Sufism—the states of the Tariqah

                  Assignment: Bashiri (2016a), pp. 89-104, 104-112; Stevens, pp. 421-451; Abrahamian, pp. 36-49.

11        The Safavid and Qajar states

                  Assignment: same

 

14-18         Spring Break

 

21        Oral Reports II    

23        Oral Reports II    

25         Oral Reports II

28        Modernization—military, social, educational

                  Assignment: Landen, pp. 127-143; 174-177.

 

30        Foreign influences: concessions, revolutions

                  Assignment: Keddie, pp. 174-212.

April

 

1          Reforms—Amir-i Kabir

                  Assignment: Bashiri (2016a), pp. 113-126; Abrahamian, pp. 135-165; Upton, pp. 64-80.

4          Reforms—Reza Shah Pahlavi

                  Assignment: Bashiri (2016a), pp. 126-128; Goodell, pp. 161-186.

 

            Study Guide II Posted

 

6          Reforms—Muhammad Reza Shah Pahlavi

                  Assignment: Abrahamian, pp. 281-325.

8          Communist movement in Iran

                  Assignment: Rubin, pp. 54-90.

 

11        TEST TWO

 

13        United States involvement in Iran

                  Assignment: Rubin, pp. 91-123.

15        Americans and Soviets in Iran

                  Assignment: Bashiri (2016a), pp. 129-138; Algar, pp. 12-23.

18        The rule of the Jurisprudent

                  Assignment: Nafisi, pp. 1-77.

20        Oral Reports III               

22        Oral Reports III

25        Oral Reports III

27        Class Discussion: Reading Lolita in Tehran

                  Assignment: Nashat (1982), pp. 165-194.

            Book Reports Due

 

29        Iranian women—urban, rural, tribal

Assignment: Bashiri (2016a), pp. 143-160.

May

2          Shi'ism and Secularism

                  Assignment: Bashiri (2016a), pp.161-188.

4          Iranian minorities—ethnic, linguistic, religious

                  Assignment: The Persian Nowruz; Bashiri (2016a), pp. 188-200.

6           Entertainment, sports, music, festivals, passion plays

                  Assignment: none

            Final Papers due

            Study Guide III Posted

 

The final test (Exam III) for this class is on Wednesday, May 11, 2016, 10:30a.m.-12:30 p.m.

 

The test covers, the ...

 

Assignments

 

There will be 3 tests, 1 oral report, 1 book report, and 1 final paper. Attendance and active participation in classroom discussions also carry points.

  

Tests

There will be three tests in essay format. The actual dates for the tests are geared to the completion of the sections of the course devoted to the main topics in that part of the course. The exams will cover classroom discussions, reading assignments, and oral reports. There will be no make-up tests. Exceptions will be made for hardship cases on an individual basis. The instructor should be informed in advance of the reason for not taking the test. Test 1 carries 10 points; test 2 carries 12 points; test 3 carries 15 points. The tests altogether are worth 37 points.

 

The final test (test 3) is on Wednesday, May 11, 2016, 10:30a.m-12:30 p.m.

 

Oral Report

Option 1: Comprehensive Powerpoint

Option 2: Written text of lecture presented (2 pages, double-spaced)

Each student participates in the gathering and delivering of information for 1 oral report.  After topics are assigned, each student gives a presentation to the class (either PowerPoint or lecture). Immediately after the presentation, the report (comprehensive PowerPoint presentation or full text of lecture) is emailed to the instructor for review. The instructor makes necessary corrections and emails them to all the students. Students are responsible for knowing the content of all the reports they receive for tests. Guidelines for Oral Reports is designed to help students in preparing their oral reports.

The oral report is graded for the quality of its overall contribution to the class. Failure to present your report at the time assigned results in the loss of 3 points. Failure to provide the class with a copy of the report results in the loss of the rest of the points. The time limit for the Oral Report is 12 minutes. The Oral Report carries 15 points.

 

Book Report

(2 pages, double-spaced)

Any book on modern Iran or about Iran's participation in international/intercultural affairs. The book for the book report must have the instructor's approval. The book report is due on April 30, 2014. It carries 10 points. Here are some Guidelines for Writing Book Reports .

 

Paper

(10 pages, double spaced)

The paper should be 10 pages double-spaced, printed, and presentable. It should deal with aspects of Iran in the context of the Islamic world and beyond. The paper should include an introduction, a reasonable development of the topic proposed, a conclusion, and a clear indication of diligent research. The bibliography is NOT included in the 10 pages for the paper. Look at Guidelines for Writing Papers  for information on writing the paper. The paper must be presented in hardcopy. The Paper is due on the last day of classes, May 6, 2016. It carries 30 points as follows:

 

 

 

Aspects of paper

# of points

presentability

1

relevance and originality

6

introduction

3

structure

4

content

9

conclusion

3

footnotes & bibliography

4

Total

30

 

Attendance and Participation

 

Attendance is taken by passing a roster to be legibly signed. Each absence is worth half a point. Attendance carries 3 points. Active participation in class carries 5 points. Absences affect the number of points for participation. They also indirectly affect the outcome of the tests.

 

Grading Scale

4.0 scale

Grade

%

4.0

A

93-100

3.667

A-

84-92

3.333

B+

76-83

3.000

B

68-75

2.667

B-

59-67

2.333

C+/S

49-58

2.000

C/S

43-50

1.667

C-/S

34-42

1.333

D+

26-33

1.0

D

25

 

Selected Bibliography

 

The following books are available at the bookstore:

Bashiri, Iraj. Modern Iran: Caliphs, Kings, and Jurisprudents, Cognella Publishers, 2016a. (required)

Bashiri, Iraj. Ancient Iran: Cosmology, Mythology, History, Cognella Publishers, 2016. (required)

Bashiri, Iraj. Modern Iranian Philosophy: From Ibn Sina to Mulla Sadra Shirazi, Cognella Publishers, 2014. (optional)

Momen, Moojan. An Introduction to Shi'i Islam, Yale University Press, 1985. (optional)

Nasr, Vali. The Shia Revival: How Conflicts within Islam Will Shape the future, Norton & Company, 2006. (required)

Nafisi, Azar. Reading Lolita in Tehran, Random House, 2004. (required)

 

The following readings are available at the Reserve Room at Wilson Library or on E-reserve.:

 

E-reserve:

Abrahamian, Ervand.  Iran Between Two Revolutions, Princeton University Press, 1982, pp. 36-49; 135-165; 281-325.

Algar, Hamid, Islam and Revolution, Mizan Press, Berkeley, 1981, pp. 12-23.

*Bashiri, Iraj. The Isfahan of Mulla Sadra, Academy of Sciences of Tajikistan, 2007, pp. 75-115.

Esposito, John L. Islam: The Straight Path, NY: Oxford University Press, 2010.

Farah, Caesar E. Islam: Beliefs and Observances, Barron's Educational Series, Inc., 1970

Grousset, Renee. The Empire of the Steppes: A History of Central Asia, Rutgers University Press, 1970.

Keddie, Nikki. "Iran Under the Later Qajars, 1848-1922; Cambridge History of Iran, vol. 7, pp. 174-212.

Rubin, Barry. Paved with Good Intentions: The American Experience in Iran, Penguin Books, 1981.

Sachedina, Abdulaziz. "Ithna 'Ashariyah," The Oxford Encyclopedia of the Islamic World, vol.3, Oxford University Press, 2009, pp. 214-218.

Sachedina, Abdulazia. "Shi'i Schools of Law," The Oxford Encyclopedia of the Islamic World, vol.3, Oxford University Press, 2009, pp. 397-399.

Ziadeh, Farhat J. "Sunni Schools of Law," The Oxford Encyclopedia of the Islamic World, vol.3, Oxford University Press, 2009, pp. 389-397.

 

Print Reserve:

Bashiri, Iraj. Ancient Iran: Cosmology, Mythology, History, Cognella Publishers, 2016.

Bashiri, Iraj. Modern Iran: Caliphs, Kings, and Jurisprudents, Cognella Publishers, 2016a.

Bashiri, Iraj. Modern Iranian Philosophy: From Ibn Sina to Mulla Sadra Shirazi, Cognella Publishers, 2014.

Goodell, Grace E. The Elementary Structures of Political Life: Rural Development in Pahlevi Iran, Oxford University Press, 1986.

Grousset, Renee. The Empire of the Steppes: A History of Central Asia, Rutgers University Press, 1970.

Kwanten, Luc. Imperial Nomads: A History of Central Asia, 500-1500, University of Pennsylvania Press, 1979.

Landen, Robert G. The Emergence of the Modern Middle East, Van Nostrand Reinhold Company, 1970.

Momen, Moojan. An Introduction to Shi'i Islam, Yale University Press, 1985.

Nafisi, Azar. Reading Lolita in Tehran, Random House, 2004.

Nashat, Guity, "Women in the Islamic Republic of Iran," Iranian Studies, Vol. XIII, Nos. 1-4, 1982.

Nasr, Vali. The Shia Revival: How Conflicts within Islam Will Shape the future, Norton & Company, 2006.

Schimmel, Annemarie, Mystical Dimensions of Islam, University of North Carolina Press, 1975.

*Shahid, Irfan. "Pre-Islamic Arabia," The Cambridge History of Islam, Vol. 1A, Cambridge University Press, 1970, pp. 3-29.

Spuler, Bertold. History of the Mongols, Dorset Press, 1968, 1988.

Stevens, Roger. "European Visitors to the Safavid Court," Iranian Studies: Journal of the Society for Iranian Studies, Studies of Isfahan, Part II, Volume VII, Number, 3-4, Summer-Autumn, 1974, pp. 421- 451.

  

General:

The following books are available either at the Reserve Room or from the general collection at Wilson.

 

Abrahamian, Ervand.  Iran Between Two Revolutions, Princeton University Press, 1982.

Adib-Moghaddam, Arshin. Iran in World Politics: the Question of the Islamic Republic. London: Columbia University Press, 2008.

Akhavi, Shahrough. Religion and Politics in Contemporary Iran: Clergy-State Relations in the Pahlavi Period, State University of New York Press, 1980.

Amoretti, B. S. "Religion in the Timurid and Safavid Periods," The Cmbridge History of Iran, Vol. 6, pp. 610-656.

Ansari, Ali. Modern Iran, Routledge; 2 edition (2007)

Arjomand, Said Amir. The Shadow of God and the Hidden Imam, Chicago University Press, 1984.

Avery, Peter. Modern Iran, Frederick A. Praeger, Inc., Publishers, 1955.

Bashiri, Iraj. Ancient Iran: Cosmology, Mythology, History, Cognella Publishers, 2012.

Beeman, William O. The "Great Satan" vs. The "Mad Mullahs": How the United States and Iran Demonize Each Other. The University of Chicago Press, 2008.

Boyce, Mary. Zoroastrians: Their Religious Beliefs and Practices, Routledge & Kagan Paul, 1979.

Dabashi, Hamid. Iran, The Green Movement and the USA: The Fox and the Paradox, Zed Books, 2010.

Dale, Stephen F. The Muslim Empires of the Ottomans, Safavids, and Mughals, Cambridge University Press, 2010.

Esposito, John L. Islam: The Straight Path, NY: Oxford University Press, 1991.

Diba, Farhad. Mossadegh: A Political Biography, Croom Helm Ltd, 1986.

Filippani-Ronconi, Pio, "The Tradition of Sacred Kingship in Iran," in Lenczowski, George (ed.), Iran Under The Pahlavis, Hoover Institution Press, 1978. pp. 51-83.

Friedl, Erika, Women of Deh Koh: Lives in an Iranian Village, Smithsonian Institution, 1989.

Goodell, Grace E. The Elementary Structures of Political Life: Rural Development in Pahlevi Iran, Oxford University Press, 1986.

Hambly, Gavin. "The Pahlavi Autocracy," Cambridge History of Iran, vol. 7, pp. 144-293.

Kazemi, Farhad. Poverty and Revolution in Iran, New York University Press, 1980.

Khomeini, Ruhullah. Islam and Revolution: Writings and Declarations of Imam Khomeini, Mizan Press, 1981.

Landen, Robert G. The Emergence of the Modern Middle East, Van Nostrand Reinhold Company, 1970.

Lockhart, Laurence. "European Contacts with Persia, 1350-1736," The Cambridge History of Iran, Vol. 6, pp. 373-412.

Majd, Hooman. The Ayatollah's Democracy: An Iranian Challenge, W. W. Norton & Company, Inc. 2010.

Momen, Moojan. An Introduction to Shi'i Islam, Yale University Press, 1985.

Mottahedeh, Roy. "The Shu'ubiyyah Controversy and the Social Historyof Early Islamic Iran," International Journal of Middle East Studies, vol. 7, np. 2 (April 1976), pp. 161-182.

Nashat, Guity and Louis Beck, eds., Women in Iran from the Rise of Islam to 1800, University of Illinois Press, 2003.

Nashat, Guity, "Women in the Islamic Republic of Iran," Iranian Studies, Vol. XIII, Nos. 1-4, 1982.

Nasr, S. H. "Spiritual Movements, Philosophy and Theology in the Safavid Period," The Cmbridge History of Iran, Vol. 6, pp. 656-698.

Nasr, Vali. The Shia Revival: How Conflicts within Islam Will Shape the future, Norton & Company, 2006.

Roemer, H. R. "The Safavid Period," Cambridge History of Iran, vol. 6, pp. 189-351.

Sachedina, Abdulaziz. IIthna Ashariyah," The Oxford Encyclopedia of the Islamic World, vol.3, Oxford University Press, 2009, pp. 214-218.

Schimmel, Annemarie, Mystical Dimensions of Islam, University of North Carolina Press, 1975.

Shahid, Irfan. "Pre-Islamic Arabia," The Cambridge History of Islam, Vol. 1A, Cambridge University Press, 1970, pp. 3-29.

Stevens, Roger. "European Visitors to the Safavid Court," Iranian Studies: Journal of the Society for Iranian Studies, Studies of Isfahan, Part II, Volume VII, Number, 3-4, Summer-Autumn, 1974, pp. 421- 451.

Takeyh, Ray. Guardians of the Revolution: Iran and the Age of the Ayatollahs, Oxford University Press, 2009.

Upton, Joseph M. The History of Modern Iran: An Interpretation, Center for Middle Eastern Studies, Harvard University Press, 1970.

Wilber, Donald N. Iran: Past and Present, Princeton University Press, 1976.