Modern Iran

This course covers the history of Iran from the early modern period to the present. Following an overview of the Safavid revolution and the empire it created (1501–1722), we examine the political upheavals experienced in post-Safavid Iran throughout the 18th century that culminated in the rise of the Qajar polity. This review of early modern Iranian history will set the stage for our investigation of the defining moments in the modern history of Iran, including the Constitutional Revolution (1905–1911), the subsequent toppling of the Qajar dynasty, and the establishment of Pahlavi rule under Reza Shah. We then focus on the events leading up to and including the Islamic Revolution of 1979 and the making of the Islamic Republic. The course concludes with an exploration of society and culture in contemporary Iran.