Britain and the Iranian Constitutional Revolution 1906-1911

Mansour Bonakdarian.

Syracuse University Press in association with the Iran Heritage Foundation.

In this book, Mansour Bonakdarian provides a detailed account of the British involvement and support of the Iranian constitutional and national struggle of 1906-1911, which was directed against the Iranian autocracy and Anglo-Russian imperial intervention of Iran. In particular, Bonakdarian examines the role of the Persia Committee, a lobbying group founded in 1908 for the sole purpose of changing Britain's policy towards Iran. This book's strength lies in its coverage of how Edward Grey's policy towards Iran was shaped and the extent to which it was affected by sustained criticism from a number of disparate group of dissenters, radicals, socialists, liberal imperialists, and conservatives. The volume and breadth of primary archival materials used is extensive. Not only have all the standard collections been examined, such as the Foreign Office files and the Cabinet and Grey papers but also numerous private archives in international libraries have been consulted. Bonakdarian's deep understanding of the Iranian issues adds a rich and balanced approach to the literature in the field. With clear and systematic arguments, he offers an account of diplomatic history that is accessible and persuasive. His scholarship is certain to reinvigorate dialogue on the subject of Anglo-Iranian relations.

For the first time the intricacies of British political society in this period have been explored by someone who has an intimate knowledge of the Iranian Constitutional Revolution of 1906-1911. Throughout this well-balanced and carefully nuanced narrative Bonakdarian shows the interplay between the nationalists in Iran and their supporters abroad, particularly in London and at Westminster. Implicit in his argument is the subtle, timely critique of Edward Said's homogenizing discourse of western Orientalism. A remarkable achievement.
John Gurney, Oxford University

Mansour Bonakdarian teaches imperial and comparative history. His work has appeared in periodicals such as Iranian Studies, British Journal of Middle Eastern Studies, and International Journal of Middle East Studies.

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