Abstract
From the beginning, Iranian notions of nationhood, nation-state, nationality, & national identity have been entangled with the idea of modernity. At the same time, Iranian intellectuals have been divided into a number of hostile groups: (1) conservative traditionalists committed to the established order & economic development; (2) liberal nationalists who wish to transform the nation from “subjects of the shah” to free citizens; (3) radical Islamicists who have attempted to link Iranian identity with the nation of Islam & pan-Islamicism; & (4) radical leftists who have espoused the idea of peoples of Iran & raised the problem of nationalities. The conflicting images of national identity presented by these different groups are discussed.