The Turban for the Crown: The Islamic Revolution in Iran (Studies in Middle Eastern History) [Hardcover]

Said Amir Arjomand (Author)

Book Description

Series: Studies in Middle Eastern History | Publication Date: September 8, 1988

The Iranian revolution still baffles most Western observers. Few considered the rise of theocracy in a modernized state possible, and even fewer thought it might result from a popular revolution. Moreover, the Shah's well-equipped army was still intact when he fled, oil-rich Iran faced no financial crisis, and the peasantry had no part in the rebellion. In The Turban for the Crown, Said Amir Arjomand provides a thoughtful and painstakingly researched account that makes the turmoil in Iran intelligible to the general reader and that explains the import of this singular event for our understanding of revolutions.
To provide crucial historical background, Arjomand traces the history of Shi'ism in Iran, ranging from its establishment as the state religion in 1501 to the ascendency of Reza Shah and the threat his creation of a modern state bureaucracy posed to Shi'ite institutions. He then describes how, when the state built by Reza Shah began to crumble, the millenarianism inherent in Shi'ism, combined with Khomeini's charismatic leadership, facilitated the emergence of Khomeini as a messianic anti-monarch...how the Shah's indecisiveness neutralized the Army and allowed the revolution to gain momentum...how the massive infusion of petrodollars into the economy--and the blatant political corruption that resulted--turned the urban middle-class against the Shah...and how Khomeini disposed of Bakhtiar, Bani-Sadr, and Bazargan, consolidated clerical rule, and established a constitution based completely on a new interpretation of Islamic principles.
Unmatched in originality, historical depth, and accuracy, The Turban for the Crown is filled with insight into the Iranian revolution, the rise of Islamic fundamentalism in the Middle East, and their implications for American foreign policy.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Sociologist Arjomand (SUNY, Stony Brook) explains the social and political eruption in Iran in 1979 and its far-ranging implications. He argues that Iran's tradition is closely tied to Shi'te Islam, which emphasizes legitimacy of political authority and succession. As secular control of Iran increased during the 20th century, competition emerged between the Shi'te hierocracy and the Shah. As the Shah accumulated power in an attempt to counter the control of religious forces, authority became personified. Hence, with the departure of the Shah from Iran, the internal state structure disintegrated and was replaced by revolutionary religious elements. (Key to the author's argument were the close ties between the Shah and the United States.) Munson, an anthropologist (University of Maine) studies the relationship of Islam to revolution in the context of comparative religion, examining the term "fundamentalist" as it applies to Islam and Christianity. He provides an excellent comparison and analysis of the two major branches of Islam. Munson's primary objective is to determine why an Islamic-based revolution has occurred only in Iran, not elsewhere in the Arab world. He thus looks at the role of Islam in the political structure of Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Syria. He points out that the Iranian revolution was the result of a strong sense of nationalism, anxiety over religious tradition, and belief in the evil nature of foreign control, bound to the symbol of the Shah's dependence on the United States. The thread of Islam and its role in creating a revolutionary environment in the Middle East is carried forth in the work by Taylor (American University), a specialist in Middle Eastern politics and international relations. Taylor looks at the modern phenomenon of secular nationalism as a Western inventionsuperimposed or injected into the Middle East and met by the apolitical tradition of Islam with its own brand of religiously based order and authority. Nationalism took hold in Turkey and Iran and was a prominent force in the Arab world, as the demise of the Ottoman Empire occurred simultaneously with the growth of anticolonial sentiment. Taylor also describes Islam, its development as a religious movement, and its ideology. He focuses on the cultural conflict between Western secularism and Islamic humanism, profiling the revolution in Iran as a result of that conflict. All three books integrate well the themes of Islam and revolutionary politics and present an authoritative menu for understanding the contemporary Arab world and Islam. They are highly recommended for a wide audience including specialists and students. Sanford R. Silverburg, Catawba Coll., Salisbury, N.C.
Copyright 1988 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review

"Provides a wealth of background on Islam and the history of Iran that helps put the past decade in perspective. It is a thought-provoking work and a major contribution to serious scholarship on Iran, modern revolutions and the role of religion in contemporary politics."--The New York Times Book Review

"Highly recommended for a wide audience including specialists and students."--Library Journal

"An authoritative and insightful analysis of the Iranian scene."--Cyril F. Black, Princeton University

"Arjomand's achievement is to place the Islamic revolution of Iran into the proper historiographical context of Iranian history and the history of Shi'ism."--Choice

"Thorough, comprehensive and intelligently written, a new plateau in the understanding of Shi`a thought-system and its relevance to [the] contemporary political situation in Iran."--Ismail H. Abdalls, College of William and Mary

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 304 pages
• Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA (September 8, 1988)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0195042573
• ISBN-13: 978-0195042573
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 7 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #609,165 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Insightful Perspective of the Revolution, October 10, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: The Turban for the Crown: The Islamic Revolution in Iran (Studies in Middle Eastern History) (Paperback)

The scholar, Said Amir Arjoumand, attempts to elaborate on the inherent ideological causes of the Iranian Revolution. Various other authors I have come across refer to his work and upon reading his book I find his arguments and theories very well written and supported with extensive research and data. It is an illuminating look at what no doubt at the time must have been perceived as a highly unlikely event... the creation of a modern state subservient to Khomeini's unique vision of Islamic law as embodied in his Velayat-e faqih that ultimately destroyed all borders between politics and religion. It is no doubt a work which will prove challenging and perhaps even distasteful to those who come to it with strongly cemented notions of their own, but the scholarship and prose make it a worthwhile read regardless.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A good look into the Iranian revolution, February 4, 2010

By 

Matthew Smith "Roger Mexico" (TN USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Turban for the Crown: The Islamic Revolution in Iran (Studies in Middle Eastern History) (Paperback)

The book is a very important look into the Iranian revolution. The author does a good job providing the reader enough background into the history of Iran to provide the context for the revolution without bogging the work down with too much detail. The only problem with this is that those already familiar with this history may feel as if much of the information is rehash, but the author here has put that history within the context of the eventual revolution so that the reader can undrestand the currents that took this nation onto a radical new path for both the state and the Shiite religion.

The author provides a very detailed account of the relationship between the state and the clerical establishment. What is very interesting is the complex and ever changing nature between the clerics and the state whether they be the Pahlavi's or the constitutional government. There was no hard policy but a give and take depending on where each side saw their interests at any given time. The Shah would sometimes court the religious establishment to help bolster their regime only to turn on them once they were firmly entrenched in power.

One of the main things I took away from this book was just how vibrant and fluid Iranian society was. There was so many people pulling in so many different directions that in the end it was this diffusion of power and influence that made it possible for the theocratic revolution to occur.

My main criticism of this book is that when the author hones in on the revolutionary period I feel he sacrifices the macro for the micro. He seems to look at the revolution solely from the perspective of something that happened so it was a foregone conlcusion that it would happen. This causes a loss of perspective that ends up minimizing the very real contributions by a plethora of other groups in the overthrow of the Shah, instead his account makes it seem as if this revolution was simply a clerical affair which it very much was not. In some ways this much more narrow focus can be a good thing as long as the reader already has a pretty in depth understanding of the events because it can provide a better perspective as far as the clerical establishment goes, but without that understanding comng into this book the reader can get a distorted picture.

The other thing this narrow focus does is ignore some real political realities. One of the things the author does is blame the participants for letting Khomeini take over the revolution. The problem I have is that this doesn't take into account two very real factors at play. One of these is Khomeini's very real political acumen, and the second, which plays into the first, is the eupohoria and the momentum of the events. This momentum allowed Khomeini to become a symbol rather than a flesh and blood man with an agenda, and Khomeini the symbol was amorphous and abstract allowing him to be all things to all people. This is why you would see feminists marching in support of the man. By the time the symbol became a hard reality it was already too late. What the auther does do really well, though, is to explain the very real limitations that faced other potential centers of power like the middle class or the Tudeh party. Even had they realized Khomeini's vision early on their potential power was still very new and diffused.

For me the tenth chapter A Comparative Perspective fell flat. It seemed a bit strained and out of place with the rest of the work. I felt it was dense and unnecessary.

With all that said, for me, chapter nine was worth the price of the book alone. I was very pleased to see the author tackle the theory of velayat-e faqih in a serious way. I would have loved to see the author spend more time on this topic, but the author did a wonderful job detailing in a consumer friendly way the huge split that Khomeini caused within the Shiite religion with his implementaion of this theory. He shows where it came from and how this interpretation is so revolutionary. I was thrilled and enthralled reading this section, and it was this section that contributed more to my understanding of all the revolutionary currents that underpinned this historical moment.

There are some real problems with this work, but overall it will go a long way in contributing to the readers overall understanding Iran of today and the past. Also the author's discussion of the religious ramifications is essential reading. This book is definitely recommended despite some real problems, but in the end there is too much value to ignore this important book.

3.0 out of 5 stars A solid analysis of the Iranian Revolution., July 21, 2008

By 

Kevin M Quigg (Gettysburg, Pennsylvania United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: The Turban for the Crown: The Islamic Revolution in Iran (Studies in Middle Eastern History) (Paperback)

As the author states in his book, revolutions don't always have to be progressive in nature, they can also be regressive and in some of the revolutions, there are both progressive and regressive trends. As we learn in the Iranian Revolution, the trend was regressive. A second center of power toppled the first center of power because they became worried about their power and resources. The first center of power was the royal dynasty (Pahlavi) where a weak willed dictator did not want to risk the loss of life to save his throne. The American government (under another weak willed leader Carter) chastised the Shah for any loss of life. Meanwhile, a faction of the clergy turned the tables on the Shah and their other competitors and seized power. The result was a more totalitarian government than the Shah ever was. This government encouraged morals police and eliminated any polical opponent (including other clerics). The result was a dictatorial theocracy that exceeded the Shiite traditions on religious control of the government.

The one and only thing I don't like about this book is the sociological precise terminlogy that is used throughout the writings. This is a very difficult book to understand. However, the author does a solid analysis of why the Shah fell and Khomeni rose to the top of the Iranian leadership.