Presents the historical and ideological context of recent events in Iran.

Persian collection. Includes index.

Religion and society to 1800: Background ; Islam and society -- Foundations of nineteenth-century Iran -- Continuity and change under the Qajars: 1796-1890 -- Protest and revolution: 1890-1914 -- War and Reza Shah: 1914-1941: 1914-1921 ; 1921-1925 ; 1925-1941 -- World War II and Mosaddeq: 1941-1953: World War II, 1941-1945 ; Postwar socioeconomic problems ; The oil crisis and Mosaddeq -- Royal dictatorship: 1953-1977: General character of the period ; 1954-1960 ; 1960-1963 ; Reform, boom, and bust: 1963-1977 -- Modern Iranian political thought: Intellectual and literary trends to 1960 ; Contemporary Shi'i thought / Yann Richard ; Conclusion -- The revolution: Secular and guerilla opposition forces ; The "religious opposition" and the revolution ; The revolution in power: a brief survey -- Conclusion.