Iran

Can one identify the characteristics of Iran as a cultural and political entity? Part one of this work is an erudite attempt to understanding the Iranian national pulse. By juxtaposing the ancient Iran with the modern, Homa Katouzian deciphers the way Iranian society has transformed, registering the internal and external influences that range from the glorious Empire of Cyrus the Great to the wars against the Greeks, conversion to Islam and beyond. Katouzian states that Iranians seek inspiration from Firdawsi’s Shahnamah – an epic saga rich with mythology circumscribing the Divine, the Heroic and the Human Ages. The Iranian ‘ulama’ keep the spirit of the Shahnamah in mind in their interpretations of the Qur’an.