Summary
Iran’s long history and complex cultural legacy have generated animated debates about a homogenous Iranian identity in the face of ethnic, linguistic, and communal diversity. The volume examines the fluid boundaries of pre-modern identity in history and literature as well as the shaping of Iranian national identity in the 20th century. The formation of a national Self in modern times involved not only Iran’s collective memory and adherence to Shi’ism but encounters with external Others such as the Ottoman, Russian, and British empires. Dealings with the modern Iraqi neighbor also reveal blurred identity boundaries. Anxieties about domestic Others, such as Jews, Baha’is, and Zoroastrians, have informed Iran’s nationalist and contemporary Islamic narratives.