HUMAN 1C Lecture Notes - Lecture 2: Solitary Confinement, Iranian Revolution, Shahrnush Parsipur
Lecture 2
Iran’s Imperial Past and the Creation of a Modern Nation
Cyrus Cylinder
●On october 14, 1971 Mohammad Reza Shah’s twin sister,
Ashraf Pahlavi, presented a replica of the Cyrus Cylinder
as an “ancient declaration of human rights.”
●The ruins of Persian Empire served as evidence of a great
pre-Islamic civilization
●Technically we didn’t have the concept of human rights back
then, so we are taking it into modern idea.
●Cyrus the Great was the ruler of the Persian Empire
●Iran had potential to rival Persia; pre-Islamic Iran was
already a great civilization. Iran was not a country that
believed in Islam, before 7th century they had another
dominant religion.
1. The celebration of Iran’s pre-Islamic past placed greater
distance between Iran and its Islamic legacy.
2. Iran’s embrace of Islam in the 7th century was singled out
as the reason for the nation lagging behind the West.
Many artistic cultural achievements have come from intervening
period.
Shahrokh Meskoob
1924-2005
●He makes a distinction between Arabs and Iranians.
●Iranians began to think of themselves as true Aryans under
the influence of Nazi Germany, so the pseudoscience of race
was used to separate themselves from Arabs.
●He gives no sources to his claims about separating Arabs
and Iranians.
●Iranians emerged with a language that used Arabic alphabet
but is Iranian language, called New Persian.
●There is still modern day influence of racism against Arabs
Sartorial Changes
●Reforms to counteract this legacy had begun by the first
Pahlavi Monarch, Reza Shah Pahlavi
●Iranian men had to conform to dress codes.
Women’s Public Appearance
●Chador (literally means Tent) and Rubandeh
(face cover)
●No women would have gone out to the public without these
items
The Chador is Banned in 1936
●European hats are permitted
●Western mode of dress is okay
●Some women would feel naked/uncomfortable without their
Chador
Badr ol-Moluk Bamdad
●From Darkness Into Light: Women’s Emancipation in Iran
Literally overnight women are told they cannot wear one thing
that they liked to wear. Like a public uniform.
This Absence of choice became a rallying cry in the Iranian
revolution in 1979; however, now they may not show anything at
all, flesh or hair.
●Women were given access to education through the
emancipation.
Names of School For Girls
●Namus
(Honor)
●Esmatiyeh
(House of Purity)
●Ehtejabiye
(Place of Seclusion)
●Effatiyeh
(House of Chastity)
●Women were charged and reminded that they must also
safeguard their own purity and chastity. Seen as the
guardians of the nation’s identity, and educating the
children of the modern nation. Citizens who must know
rights and responsibilities. Women had to guard the youth
of the nation to ensure they would learn the values of
being a modern Iranian.
Document Summary
Iran"s imperial past and the creation of a modern nation. On october 14, 1971 mohammad reza shah"s twin sister, Ashraf pahlavi, presented a replica of the cyrus cylinder as an ancient declaration of human rights. The ruins of persian empire served as evidence of a great pre-islamic civilization. Technically we didn"t have the concept of human rights back then, so we are taking it into modern idea. Cyrus the great was the ruler of the persian empire. Iran had potential to rival persia; pre-islamic iran was already a great civilization. Many artistic cultural achievements have come from intervening period. He makes a distinction between arabs and iranians. Iranians began to think of themselves as true aryans under the influence of nazi germany, so the pseudoscience of race was used to separate themselves from arabs. He gives no sources to his claims about separating arabs and iranians.
