Between Foreigners and Shi'is: Nineteenth-Century Iran and its Jewish Minority (Stanford Studies in Jewish History and C) [Hardcover]

Daniel Tsadik (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0804754586 | ISBN-13: 978-0804754583 | Publication Date: November 9, 2007

Based on archival and primary sources in Persian, Hebrew, Judeo-Persian, Arabic, and European languages, Between Foreigners and Shi'is examines the Jews' religious, social, and political status in nineteenth-century Iran. This book, which focuses on Nasir al-Din Shah's reign (1848-1896), is the first comprehensive scholarly attempt to weave all these threads into a single tapestry. This case study of the Jewish minority illuminates broader processes pertaining to other religious minorities and Iranian society in general, and the interaction among intervening foreigners, the Shi'i majority, and local Jews helps us understand Iranian dilemmas that have persisted well beyond the second half of the nineteenth century.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"This is an important, pioneering historical study of the Jewish minority of Persia, using the canons of contemporary Western academic scholarship .... Highly recommended."—L. D Loeb, Choice
"Daniel Tsadik's detailed and abundantly-sourced study certainly goes a long way to furthering knowledge in regard to the position of Iran's Jewish community in the mid-to-late nineteenth century.... Tsadik's excellent study... not only sheds light on the plight of the Jews in Qajar Iran, it also provides valuable insights into issues facing other religious minorities in the country, and into Qajar society in the Nasiri period as a whole."—Dominic Parviz Brookshaw, Iranian Studies
"Based on numerous sources... a thoroughly documented and original critical essay... up to this day, this is the most exhaustive research on the fate of Jews in Iran in the 19th century... a noteworthy work."—Jean Calmard, Studia Iranica

"...Daniel Tsadik has written an excellent book, illuminating the complexities of the social dynamics of Iranian cities in the late nineteenth century."—Moojan Momen, Baha'i Studies Review

"Tsadik weaves the story of Iranian Jews within the larger context of the vicissitudes of reform attempts in Iran, its widening and problematic ties with Europe, and within the broader Jewish story of the period. In providing this rich and multifaceted picture, Tsadik's book is a welcome addition to the field, and is highly recommended to anyone interested in the nineteenth century history of Iran, in the history of Middle Eastern Jewish communities and all Middle Eastern religious minorities."—Meir Litvak, Middle Eastern Studies

"Between Foreigners and Shiis is an engagingly written and meticulously documented account of the dynamics of Jewish life in Qajar Iran. With linguistic skill, first-hand cultural familiarity, and impressive analytical acumen, Daniel Tsadik has mined a wide range of archival and printed sources in various Middle Eastern and European languages. The historical tableau that he has painted is carefully nuanced and shaded. He shows the complex interplay of different internal attitudes and trends, outside intervention by western Jewish elites and European governments, and the coping strategies of Iranian Jews themselves. Tsadik is careful to show the vicissitudes of Jewish life in a pre-modern, traditional Shiite state while always pointing out that attitudes of Muslim clerics and theologians were by no means monolithic. This book could not have appeared at a more opportune time. First, it fills in a major gap in the history of Jews in the Persian-speaking world. Second, it provides much needed background to understanding the theological and socio-legal framework of today's Islamic Republic of Iran which is home to the largest Jewish community remaining in the entire Islamic world. This is a major contribution to both Judaic and Islamic historical studies and will—I believe—remain the standard work on the subject for a long time to come."—Norman A. Stillman, University of Oklahoma

"Daniel Tsadik's impressive study of the Iranian Jewry in the 19th century utilizes extensive archival and other Persian, Hebrew, and European sources to narrate the multifaceted story of Jewish community's interaction with the Qajar state, the Shii clerical establishment, the European powers and the Iranian society at large. This is an original and timely study that fills an important gap in historiography of modern Iran."—Abbas Amanat, Yale University

About the Author

Daniel Tsadik researches the modern history of Iran, Shi’ah Islam, and Iran’s religious minorities. A Fulbright scholar, he earned his Ph.D from the History Department at Yale University.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 320 pages
• Publisher: Stanford University Press (November 9, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0804754586
• ISBN-13: 978-0804754583
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6.2 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,439,240 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars An Exception to Mediocre Studies on Iran, July 29, 2008

By 

Jazz It Up Baby - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Between Foreigners and Shi'is: Nineteenth-Century Iran and its Jewish Minority (Stanford Studies in Jewish History and C) (Hardcover)

There is often an inverse relationship between the policy importance of a country such as Iran and the seriousness of the books published about it,as Michael Rubin reminds us in the Middle East Quarterly. Most authors give short shrift to history; few add anything new to their discussion.

Happily, Tsadik's study of the Jewish community in nineteenth-century Iran is an exception. Between Foreigners and Shi`is incorporates Persian, Hebrew, Judeo-Persian, Arabic, and European-language documents. Tsadik is a traditional historian who has held a number of academic fellowships in the United States, Germany, and Israel. His prose is dense and detailed, yet readable. He footnotes prolifically and supports analysis with fact.

He begins with an overview of Shi`i law with regard to Jews and other minorities on issues such as cleanliness (May Muslims eat food touched by Jews?), intermarriage, inheritance, and punishment. He then follows the Jewish community through the nineteenth century and contextualizes the community in the broader sweep of Iranian state and society. The latter half of the nineteenth century was a period of rapid and formative change, but Tsadik makes Iran's complex politics and development accessible to the non-expert.

Persecution and anti-Semitism occurred at all levels of Iranian society but was not uniform over time or place. Just because the shah advocated tolerance, for example, did not mean that local authorities took such sentiment to heart. And even if governors and district heads were lenient, the Shi`i clergy might not be. Thus, in 1889, Jews in Isfahan faced prohibitions on wearing cloaks, going outside on wet days (when rainwater might transfer their impurity to others), touching food, speaking loudly, or purchasing any goods in the market. Jews in other areas of the country fared better.

Between periods of relative tranquility, the Jewish community in Iran suffered blood libel, forced conversion, and pogroms. Iranian Jews often turned to their European co-religionists for help. Where once Iranian Jews had no recourse but to suffer in silence, by the mid-nineteenth century, the Jewish community in Iran was in contact with its European and Canadian counterparts to petition on their behalf for relief from persecution. Persecution became a barometer, if not engine, of globalization.

Tsadik argues that Iran's treatment of minorities was a crucial facet of the country's identity. Was (and is) Iran a country for all Iranians, or for Muslim Iranians first and foremost? It is a question relevant to recent Iranian history--Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, leader of the 1979 Islamic Revolution, first gained prominence for his opposition to the notion of equality under the law for all Iranians. Today, this remains a critical question for all of Iran's minorities, if not millions of Iranians who emphasize national identity over religion.

Between Foreigners and Shi`is is an important addition to the library of those interested in Iranian or Jewish history. Hopefully, Tsadik will produce a sequel continuing his narrative through the twentieth century to the present day.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Between Foreigners and Shi'is, August 8, 2008

By 

Michael Rubin "Middle East Quarterly" (Washington, DC) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Between Foreigners and Shi'is: Nineteenth-Century Iran and its Jewish Minority (Stanford Studies in Jewish History and C) (Hardcover)

There is often an inverse relationship between the policy importance of a country such as Iran and the seriousness of the books published about it. Most authors give short shrift to history; few add anything new to their discussion.

Happily, Tsadik's study of the Jewish community in nineteenth-century Iran is an exception. Between Foreigners and Shi'is incorporates Persian, Hebrew, Judeo-Persian, Arabic, and European-language documents. Tsadik is a traditional historian who has held a number of academic fellowships in the United States, Germany, and Israel. His prose is dense and detailed, yet readable. He footnotes prolifically and supports analysis with fact.

He begins with an overview of Shi'i law with regard to Jews and other minorities on issues such as cleanliness (can Muslims eat food touched by Jews?), intermarriage, inheritance, and punishment. He then follows the Jewish community through the nineteenth century and contextualizes the community in the broader sweep of Iranian state and society. The latter half of the nineteenth century was a period of rapid and formative change, but Tsadik makes Iran's complex politics and development accessible to the non-expert.

Persecution and anti-Semitism occurred at all levels of Iranian society, but was not uniform over time or place. Just because the shah advocated tolerance, for example, did not mean that local authorities took such sentiment to heart. And even if governors and district heads were lenient, the Shi'i clergy might not be. Thus, in 1889, Jews in Isfahan faced prohibitions on wearing cloaks, going outside on wet days (when rainwater might transfer their impurity to others), touching food, speaking loudly, or purchasing any goods in the market. Jews in other areas of the country fared better.

Between periods of relative tranquility, the Jewish community in Iran suffered blood libel, forced conversion, and pogroms. Iranian Jews often turned to their European co-religionists for help. Where once Iranian Jews had no recourse but to suffer in silence, by the mid-nineteenth century, the Jewish community in Iran was in contact with its European and Canadian counterparts to petition for their relief from persecution. Persecution became a barometer, if not engine, of globalization.

Tsadik argues that Iran's treatment of minorities was a crucial facet of the country's identity. Was (and is) Iran a country for all Iranians, or for Muslim Iranians first and foremost? It is a question relevant to recent Iranian history--Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, leader of the 1979 Islamic Revolution, first gained prominence for his opposition to the notion of equality under the law for all Iranians. Today, this remains a critical question for all of Iran's minorities, if not millions of Iranians who emphasize national identity over religion.

Between Foreigners and Shi'is is an important addition to the library of those interested in Iranian or Jewish history. Hopefully, Tsadik will produce a sequel continuing his narrative through the twentieth century to the present day.

Michael Rubin
Middle East Quarterly
Summer 2008

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An import contibution to the history of world Jewery, February 8, 2008

By 

Shai Avihu Mor Esq (New York, NY USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Between Foreigners and Shi'is: Nineteenth-Century Iran and its Jewish Minority (Stanford Studies in Jewish History and C) (Hardcover)

This work sets forth in clear prose and brings to light a lesser known part of the history of the Jews. Doctor Tsadik should be praised for revealing this aspect of Jewish history to scholars and laymen alike.