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The American Institute of Iranian Studies is devoted to fostering research in the field of Iranian studies and promoting scholarly exchange between the United States and Iran. This collection of essays addresses the history and development of Iranian studies in the United States and the pivotal role of the Institute in furthering research in the field. The purview of the Institute is vast, covering Iranology—the study of Iranian peoples and cultures both within and across regions of Central and South Asia and the Middle East, where various forms of the Persian language are spoken. In keeping with the Institute’s dedication to facilitating research in Iran, the chapters in this volume represent fields of inquiry that have benefited from direct access to materials in the country. The essays describe the founding and work of the Institute, the emergence of Iranian studies in American universities, the Encyclopaedia Iranica , early archaeological research in Iran by the University of Pennsylvania and the University of Chicago, the birth and development of American museum collections of art from Iran, and case histories of areas of Iranian Studies that have been the traditional focus of Institute-sponsored research, including art history, history, philology, religion, and sociology. The contributors to this volume are Ahmad Ashraf, Shiva Balaghi, Medhi Bozorgmehr, Elton L. Daniel, Erica Ehrenberg, Carl W. Ernst, Stephen C. Fairbanks, Prudence O. Harper, Linda Komaroff, Judith A. Lerner, Franklin D. Lewis, Beatrice Forbes Manz, Alessandro Pezzati, Holly Pittman, D. T. Potts, Richard L. Spees, Mathew W. Stolper, Keyvan Tabari, and Christopher Thortnon.

The American Institute of Iranian Studies is devoted to fostering research in the field of Iranian studies and promoting scholarly exchange between the United States and Iran. This collection of essays addresses the history and development of Iranian studies in the United States and the pivotal role of the Institute in furthering research in the field.The purview of the Institute is vast, covering Iranology—the study of Iranian peoples and cultures both within and across regions of Central and South Asia and the Middle East, where various forms of the Persian language are spoken. In keeping with the Institute’s dedication to facilitating research in Iran, the chapters in this volume represent fields of inquiry that have benefited from direct access to materials in the country. The essays describe the founding and work of the Institute, the emergence of Iranian studies in American universities, the Encyclopaedia Iranica, early archaeological research in Iran by the University of Pennsylvania and the University of Chicago, the birth and development of American museum collections of art from Iran, and case histories of areas of Iranian Studies that have been the traditional focus of Institute-sponsored research, including art history, history, philology, religion, and sociology.The contributors to this volume are Ahmad Ashraf, Shiva Balaghi, Medhi Bozorgmehr, Elton L. Daniel, Erica Ehrenberg, Carl W. Ernst, Stephen C. Fairbanks, Prudence O. Harper, Linda Komaroff, Judith A. Lerner, Franklin D. Lewis, Beatrice Forbes Manz, Alessandro Pezzati, Holly Pittman, D. T. Potts, Richard L. Spees, Mathew W. Stolper, Keyvan Tabari, and Christopher Thortnon.

Legitimacy is a major issue for the stability of any form of government and there are many studies and various scientific/philosophical models that try address the question of the forms of legitimacy and how they lead different peoples to give their consent to as many different methods of government. In the research hereby presented, the case study of Iran, the three types of legitimacy theorized by the German sociologist Max Weber will be emphasized and, therefore, this essay will try to demonstrate how they are the most suitable method for analyzing the sociopolitical evolution of the Iranian leaderships over the past hundred years.

Rabbis, Sorcerers, Kings, and Priests examines the impact of the Persian Sasanian context on the Babylonian Talmud, perhaps the most important corpus in the Jewish sacred canon. What impact did the Persian Zoroastrian Empire, as both a real historical force and an imaginary interlocutor, have on rabbinic identity and authority as expressed in the Talmud? Drawing from the field of comparative religion, Jason Sion Mokhtarian addresses this question by bringing into mutual fruition Talmudic studies and ancient Iranology, two historically distinct disciplines. Whereas most research on the Talmud assumes that the rabbis were an insular group isolated from the cultural horizon outside their academies, this book contextualizes the rabbis and the Talmud within a broader sociocultural orbit by drawing from a wide range of sources from Sasanian Iran, including Middle Persian Zoroastrian literature, archaeological data such as seals and inscriptions, and the Aramaic magical bowl spells. Mokhtarian also includes a detailed examination of the Talmud's dozens of texts that portray three Persian \"others\": the Persians, the Sasanian kings, and the Zoroastrian priests. This book skillfully engages and demonstrates the rich penetration of Persian imperial society and culture on the Jews of late antique Iran.

The events of September 8, 1978, in Iran, commonly known as 'Black Friday', have long been portrayed as a mass killing of peaceful protesters by the Shah's regime, with widely cited death tolls ranging from several hundred to several thousand. However, this article presents a comprehensive reassessment of the incident at Jaleh Square in Tehran, arguing that the dominant narrative is rooted more in disinformation and misinformation than verifiable fact. Drawing on official records from the Imperial Iranian Government, post-revolutionary data compiled by the Islamic Republic's own Martyrs Foundation, the article establishes that approximately 58-64 people were killed in the incident thus contradicting inflated figures disseminated by opposition groups, amplified by Western media, and institutionalized in scholarly literature. The article further examines how disinformation campaigns, journalistic failures, and ideological biases contributed to the construction and persistence of the 'massacre' narrative, which continues to serve the Islamic Republic's political agenda to this day. Through this case study, the article underscores the need for critical scrutiny in reporting and historiography, particularly when unverified claims shape national memory and influence political legitimacy.

This article examines China's soft power strategy in the MENA region, which I argue are qualitatively unsubstantial, quantitatively limited, and inherently selective. As part of its broader aspirations to become a/the leading global power, China seeks to enhance its soft power. However, its efforts in this domain across the region primarily focus on lightweight educational collaborations rather than comprehensive and deep knowledge integration that reflects its global ambition. In this context, the prefix 'non' in the title signifies the gap between China's aspiration for global cultural outreach and the reality of its slow-moving initiatives, which often fall short of achieving the depth and scope expected of a truly transformative soft power strategy. Using Joseph Nye's conceptualization of soft power as a benchmark, the research highlights the establishment of Confucius Institutes, cultural agreements, and university collaborations to examine China's soft power strategy that basically prioritizes partnerships with specific countries, such as Israel and Egypt, based on economic and technological considerations. Within this examination of the scope and depth of China's soft power endeavors, the article critically explores whether China's selective approach-choosing specific 'cultural partners'-represents an inherent limitation or a pragmatic strategy for navigating the region.

This study aims to thoroughly investigate the architectural complexities and historical relevance buried in mosque entrances, particularly those reflecting the Ottoman and Safavid architectural styles. The research uses an interdisciplinary technique that combines historical analysis, comparative perspectives, and architectural critique, drawing on a variety of sources including scholarly literature, architectural treatises, historical documents, and archaeological objects. The use of visual evidence, such as architectural schematics and photographic recordings, improves the display and comparison of architectural components within mosque entrances, addressing both aesthetic and functional aspects within a larger sociohistorical framework. The study systematically unravels the complex parallels and variations that characterize mosque entryway compositions during the Ottoman and Safavid eras, highlighting distinguishing aspects inherent in each kingdom’s architectural identity. The research uses a chronological lens to examine architectural development, charting the evolution of design characteristics and functional alterations throughout many historical eras. The interpretation of results situates these findings within the larger study subject, stressing reciprocal impacts on architecture and acknowledging regional or cultural differences. The research examines the use of calligraphy, geometric patterns, and religious symbolism in mosque entry imagery to understand how these aspects contribute to the representation of cultural and religious narratives. Furthermore, it investigates the practical aspects of these architectural spaces, revealing their critical tasks in conducting religious events, meeting congregational requirements, and conserving cultural practices. By throwing light on the common splendor and nuanced contrasts in Safavid and Ottoman mosque entrances, this study not only improves our understanding of Islamic architecture but also prepares the path for future research into the community features of mosque spaces. It serves as a foundation for future research into architectural elements in Islamic civilizations and, by combining historical inspiration with modern conceptions, has the potential to contribute to contemporary mosque design. This study contributes to architectural scholarship by investigating the varied character of mosque entry design, with a focus on its visual, perceptual, and functional value. The Isfahan School era is examined, exhibiting a trend toward complex, angled entrances. The investigation of entry methods, such as from the corner and behind the Iwan, reveals novel design options. The study offers subtle insights by emphasizing the user perspective and highlighting the function of entering places in anticipation and spiritual preparation. It adds to a thorough understanding of mosque entry progression, which influences the whole user experience and so improves architectural literature.

The work on gender differences in academic life spans a wide array of colleges and universities, scholarly disciplines, and countries. Using a survey conducted in 2016 to capture “the state of the field” in Iranian Studies as US–Iran relations were in a brief thaw, this paper draws on some of these perspectives and explores gender differences in the professional experiences of Iranian Studies scholars working in the USA. Iranian Studies has grown and diversified in the USA since the 1960s. This expansion occurred despite disruptions in Iran itself and in US–Iranian relations since 1979, with many US-based Iran specialists having heritage connections to Iran. The survey, which is the first of its kind conducted among this particular academic community, covered a range of topics related to respondents’ academic and professional experiences, career outlook, and political activities. The results spotlight some notable differences—statistically significant differences in several cases—in the professional experiences of men and women in this academic field. Women respondents were more likely to be of junior rank or graduate students and were more likely than men to feel that gender identity influenced their professional milestones. Women were more likely to list the desire for social impact as a professional motivation than men. Women tended to feel less sanguine about the state of their careers, their professional environment, their career prospects, and the state of the Iranian Studies field as a whole. Some of these attitudes varied depending on their self-identification as Iranian, Iranian-American or American, while some held true across self-identification. These results mostly confirmed expectations based on similar research discussed in our literature review.

Examining the nature of relations between Iran and Palestine, this book investigates the relationship between state and authorities in the Middle East. Analysing the connections of the Iranian revolutionary movements, both the Left’s and the Islamic camps’ perspectives are scrutinized. To provide a historical background to the post-revolutionary period, the genealogy of pro-Palestinian sentiments before 1979 are traced additionally. Demonstrating the pro-Palestinian stance of post-revolutionary Iran, the study focuses on the roots of the ideological outlook and the interest of the state. Despite a growing body of literature on the Iranian Revolution and its impacts on the region, Iran’s connection with Palestine has been overlooked. This new volume fills the gap in the literature and enables readers to unpack the history of the two states. This unique and comprehensive coverage of Iran and Palestine’s relationship is a key resource for scholars and students interested in international relations, politics, Islamic and Middle East studies.

This essay discusses the position of Sasanian Studies from its inception in the late nineteenth century, to its reinvigoration at the beginning of the twenty-first century. The work also discusses the development of the field of Sasanian history and civilization vis-à-vis the three fields of Iranian, Islamic and Late Antique Studies. It is posited that Sasanians have benefited from cross-disciplinary and new historical frameworks that go beyond the traditional field of Iranian Studies, which was never as interested in the history of the period.