Eternal Iran : too general and biased

Eternal Iran : una lectura demasiado general y parcial

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ALEJANDRO SALAMANCA Universidad de Edimburgo [email protected]

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Recibido: 7 de abril de 2016; Aceptado: 20 de julio de 2016; Publicado: 28 de septiembre de 2016. Revista Historia Autónoma , 9 (2016), pp. 215-218. e-ISSN: 2254-8726; DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.15366/rha2016.9. Revista Historia Autónoma , 9 (2016), e-ISSN: 2254-8726 216 25,A1%$/#-'W#A,;%-#+!.;/#,11%>#E%,$-#!G#D$,.',.#5'-1!$EB#Y!$#2%.17$'%-/# G!$%';.#27+17$%-#,.3#'..!&,1'!.-#5,&%#A,--%3#15$!7;5#D$,.#,.3#'.\7%.2%3#15%#A%!A+%-#!G#D$,./# ,+15!7;5# 15%E# ,+(,E-# O$%<,'.%3# 1$7%# 1!# 15%'$# '.1%++%217,+# 2,.!.P 1. Chapter three is focused on the Qajar dynasty (1786-1921). The Qajars are credited as the initiators of modernization, though the success and extent of that modernization is not assessed. Modernization, however, increased opposition and facilitated its activities. The Constitutional Revolution undermined Iranian economy, promoted chaos and facilitated the division of the country in spheres of '.\7%.2%# ,.3# -722%%3'.;# '.&,-'!.# 37$'.;# 15%# Y'$-1# O!$+3# O,$B# *5,A1%$# G!7$# 2!&%$-# 6%R,# Khan’s regime and the Constitutional interlude between 1941 and 1953. Both Reza Shah and 47-,33'J#$7+%3#('15#,715!$'1,$',.#1!!+-#,.3#-1$,1%;'%-B#F5%#TU?Z#2!7A#(,-#,.#O'.-'3%#L!8P#!G# the military, scared of reforms and the dictatorial measures of the nationalist president. The [G15#25,A1%$#.,$$,1%-#475,<<,3#I5,5#0,5+,&'R-#$%';.B#C2!.!<'2#Iraq. The clerical elites have not been able to address the different challenges, and Iran is in need of reform. The last chapter -7<<,$'R%-#[5,1,<'R-#'.1%$.,1'!.,+#A!+'2EB#Y'.,++E/#15%#,715!$-#<,"%#A$%3'21'!.-#G!$#15%#G717$%# of Iran: the internal contradictions and centers of power of the Islamic Republic may debilitate its strength and lead to a popular uprising against the regime. F5%$%#,$%#$%+%&,.1#A!'.1-#!G#15%#8!!"#15,1#3%-%$&%#1!#8%#3'-27--%3B#Y'$-1/#*+,(-!.#,.3# Rubin claim that Iran has been a continuous cultural entity from the last three millennia. Islam is L7-1#!.%#!G#15%#+,E%$-#!G#,#3%%A%$#D$,.',.#'3%.1'1E/#(5'25#3,1%-#8,2"#1!#15%#N25,%<%.'3#C

1 *+,(-!./#0,1$'2"#,.3#4'25,%+#678'./# Eternal Iran. Continuity and Chaos /#9%(#:!$"/#0,+;$,&%#4,2<'++,./#=>>?/# p. 30. 217 Alejandro Salamanca, “ Eternal Iran : too general and biased” ,.3#15%#$%+,1'!.-5'A#8%1(%%.#15%-%#<'.!$'1'%-#,.3#15%#I1,1%/#,.3#5!(#3!#15%E#[1#'.#15'-#15%!$E# of an uninterrupted identity. Second, the authors read History following traditional, non innovative patterns: they G!27-# !.# '.3'&'37,+# [;7$%-/# O;$%,1# <%.P# !G# K'-1!$E\# 15%E# -78-2$'8%# 15%# .'.%1%%.15H2%.17$E# $5%1!$'2#!G#D$,.',.#O3%2+'.%P#]-'<'+,$#1!#15%#3%A'21'!.#!G#15%#^11!<,.#C

2 I%%#.,<%#!G#25,A1%$#15$%%/#O_,L,$#D$,.)#3%2+'.%#,.3#17<7+1P#!$#-1,1%<%.1-#+'"%#OG$!<#,#5'-1!$'2,+#A%$-A%21'&%/#D$,.# '-#871#,#-5,3!(#!G#'1-#G!$<%$#-%+GPB#*+,(-!./#0,1$'2"#,.3#4'25,%+#678'./# Eternal Iran… op. cit ., p.67. 3 ,7-,.'/#N+%--,.3$!/#OF5%#_,L,$#A%$'!3)#,.#%A!25#!G#3%2,3%.2%aP/#'.#C3Qajar Iran. Political, Social and Cultural change, 1800-1925 , Costa Mesa, Mazda Publishers, 1992, pp. 255-260. 4 *+,(-!./#0,1$'2"#,.3#4'25,%+#678'./# Eternal Iran… op. cit. , p. 23. 5 9%(<,./#N.3$%(/#OF5%#4E15#!G#15%#*+%$'2,+#4';$,1'!.#1!#I,G,('3#D$,.)#N$,8#I5''1%#^AA!-'1'!.#1!#ΣN+ #,+H[,$," # ,.3#I,G,('3#I5''-

Gharbzadegi (Westoxication), which the authors cite as a prime example of anti-Western literature, is a critical essay about the failures of Iranian society and its permeability to the West due its incapacity to present an alternative. 7 *+,(-!./#0,1$'2"#,.3#4'25,%+#678'./# Eternal Iran… op. cit. , p. 93. Revista Historia Autónoma , 9 (2016), e-ISSN: 2254-8726 218 parties and imposed a single totalitarian party 8. On the March 1979 referendum, the authors seem to imply that Bazargan was an advocate of a Republic while Khomeini wanted an Islamic Republic 9. Actually, Bazargan pursued an Islamic Democratic Republic and Khomeini just an Islamic Republic 10 . C&%.#15!7;5#15%#8!!"#2,.#8%#7-%G7+#G!$#A!+'2EH<,"%$-#!$#;%.%$,+#,73'%.2%-/#,-#'1#A$%-%.1-# ,#2!

8 Abrahamian, Ervand, A History of Modern Iran , Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 2008, p. 151 DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511984402 B#F5'-#8!!"#'-#,#