Matthew S. reviewed The Turban for the Crown: The Islamic Revolution in Iran (Studies in Middle Eastern History) on + 3 more book reviews
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.
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.
