Azerbaijan: Ethnicity and the Struggle for Power in Iran [Hardcover]

Touraj Atabaki (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 15, 1993 | ISBN-10: 1850436401 | ISBN-13: 978-1850436409

This is a study of modern Iranian political history and is set in the international context of the Second World War and its aftermath. The book covers the essential background in Iranian political history in the 20th century including the role played by Azerbaijani politicians in the Constitutional Revolution of 1905-6, the drastic reforms of the autocratic Reza Shah regime and its effect on ethnic identity in Iranian Azerbaijan, the abdication of the Shah, the role of the Allied Powers, and the occupations of Iran. The book draws on Turkish, Persian, and Azeri sources as well as British, French, American, and Soviet materials and interviews with surviving members of the period of autonomous government in Iranian Azerbaijan.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Touraj Atabaki is Professor of Oriental Studies at the University of Utrecht, the Netherlands.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 288 pages
• Publisher: I. B. Tauris (December 15, 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1850436401
• ISBN-13: 978-1850436409
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 5.7 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.9 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #8,902,994 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars good book about iranian azerbaijan, March 2, 2004

By A Customer

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This review is from: Azerbaijan: Ethnicity and the Struggle for Power in Iran (Paperback)

If anyone is looking for a good source of information about Iranian Azerbaijan, Touraj Atabaki is, perhaps, the best authors and researcher on the matter in questions.

Two times in the history of XX century Azerbaijani population upraised against Iran. A last attempt after II World War was subdued because of the Great Game of world powers. Stalin of USSR, initially supported the idea of expanding USSR by including Iranian Azerbaijan but later he gave up - united Azerbaijan would be very strong republic. Moreover, it was a matter of trading between USSR, UK and US about post-war distribution of lands.

I found the previous review is blindly nationalistic.
Yes, to some extent I would agree with previous reviewer that part of Azeri population is well integrated in Iranian society, many Azeris hold high positions in the government. But problems about the use of their native language and many others still exist. Besides, it is under many questions marks whether Azerbaijan was always a part of Iran. In some period of history Iran was ruled by Turks, just like under Ismail Hatai of Sefevid in 16 century.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Interesting, a lot of objective information, lack of analysis, January 20, 2006

By 

Aliya "Aliya" (Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Azerbaijan: Ethnicity and the Struggle for Power in Iran (Paperback)

This is an interesting book to read for those who are not avare that there is a big part of Azerbaijan located in Iran and that this part of the country has its own unique adn rich culture. Unfortunately, not very well preserved due to the iranian politics that is geard towards discrimination and ingnorance of the ethnicity. It is very sad to realize that the official government sources do not even report to international agencies like CIS UNDP and others the EXISTENCE of such an enthnicity in the country, referring to them as "turks". Therefore, I am glad to see thourough explanations in this book.

However, the issue of separation from Iran I find very controversial. I think, this is up to the people in Southern Azerbaijan to deside whether they want to separate or not. Separation of Nothern Azerbaijan from Former USSR was only for the good of economical development of the country and preserving it's ethnicity. WIll the same happen if Southern Azerbaijan separates? The book fails to bring up and analyze the potential consequences.

5 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Highly recommended, January 11, 2005

By 

Arya "Ziadpur Ardabili" (Boston Ma USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Azerbaijan: Ethnicity and the Struggle for Power in Iran (Paperback)

I have been amazed by those tree comments above. As a proud Iranian-Azeri I found this book very enlightening about a history that because of some political reasons is steal under shadow. I think that Mr. Atabaki intension in his book is to mention some historical fact rather then an attempt for separation of Azerbaijan from its mother-land, Iran. My personal impression from whole book was that, at the same time that Mr. Atabaki tried to write an academically type book but some times in the book he was hunted by his feelings about Iran specially when he talks about "naïve Nakhjavanin request for union with Iran from Russia.