Standing the test of time: a study of the 2500-year dominance of Persian kingship in Persian nationalism
Date
2025-03-28
DOI
Authors
Version
OA Version
Citation
Harmon, Sara Katharine. Standing the Test of Time: A Study of the 2500-Year Dominance of Persian Kingship in Persian Nationalism. 28 March 2025. Boston University.
Abstract
In this thesis, I seek to understand how the complex historical past of what today is the
Islamic Republic of Iran, from the founding of the Achaemenid Empire to the present day, is
evoked and used in the construction of Persian nationalism. I will approach the problem through
the lens of kingship and imperialism. Within this topic of kingship and imperialism, I will study
individual kings, both mythical and real, as well as eras of kings and the general idea of the
“Shah.” Within the realm of kingship, I will also delve into ideas such as the relationship with
the “other,” and understanding the way Islam, particularly Twelver Shi’ism, impacts the
understanding of the Persian Shah as it relates to Persian national identity. The thesis will seek to
emphasize the impact of the perpetuation of the Persian Empire throughout history and the
flexibility of the figure of the “Shah” in the construction of Persian nationalism, as well as
looking at the recurrent perennialism theory of nationalism as the dominant theory of Persian
nationalism. Some specific questions I intend to answer are: how does the specific figure of the
Shah directly play into Persian national identity? How has this changed with each new Iranian
dynasty, from Cyrus the Great to Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, and finally under the Islamic
Republic? How do mythological kings bolster Iranian nationalism versus historical kings? How
do figures that are not Iranian kings still play into the kingship mentality, ranging from the hero
Rostam to Ayatollah Khomeini? How has Persian kingship and the Persian imperial model
influenced the world within the Persian Empire and the world surrounding it at different periods?
How does the Persian relationship with the “other” play into the kingship ideals in Persian
Empire and Iran? How does Islam play into the kingship narratives in Iran? These are some
interrelated questions I will seek to answer through a study of over 2500-years of Persian
kingship and nationalism in Iran.
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License
Attribution-NoDerivs 3.0 United States