Symbolic and Utilitarian Political Value of a Tradition
Martyrdom in the Iranian Political Culture
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 6402377 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Manochehr Dorraj (corresponding author) |
| Year | 1997 |
| Volume | 59 |
| Issue | 3 |
| Pages | 489-522 |
| Publication date | 1997-01-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | The Review of Politics (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0034-6705 • E-ISSN: 1748-6858 |
| Publisher | Cambridge University Press (CUP) (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.1017/s0034670500027698 |
| OpenAlex | W2141880568 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 15 |
| References cited | 23 |
Martyrdom has been a recurring theme in the Iranian political culture. This article presents an analysis of its sociological and historical significance and delineates the causes of its politicization and popularization since the 1960s. In order to understand this tradition in its broader cultural context, the relationship between the preeminence of tragedy in Iranian pre and post-Islamic popular culture and martyrdom is explored. By examining the writings of the major literary and political figures, the metamorphosis and political utilization of this tradition in recent political history of Iran are propounded. The article demonstrates how martyrdom as a symbol has functioned to forge a sense of solidarity, enhance mass mobilization, and preserve the sacred values of the community. In this context, the leading intellectuals and lay thinkers alike perceive of martyrdom as a symbol of communal cleansing and regeneration. The symbolic and utilitarian use of this tradition are also analyzed in the pre-and postrevolutionary period
Aesthetics · Context (archaeology · Islam · Political culture · Political science · Politics · Social science · Sociology · Solidarity · Symbol (formal · The Symbolic · Theme (computing · Tragedy (event · Value (mathematics · History · Islamic Studies and History · Law · Philosophy · Politics and Conflicts in Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Middle East · Psychology · Terrorism, Counterterrorism, and Political Violence
Mute-ability of the past and the culture of martyrdom in Iran
Red Death and Black Life
When everywhere is Karbala
Authoritarianism and necropolitical creation of martyr icons by Kemalists and Erdoganists in Turkey
Resilient nation’
Populism, violence and authoritarian stability
Muslim Modernities
Music, Ideology, and Youth
Feeding Moral Relations
The Scope of Comparative Political Theory
Religious Necropolitical Propaganda in Educational Materials for Children
Pro-Violence Sermons of a Secular State
Sacrifice, commemoration, and resistance
Sacralizing kinship, naturalizing the nation
Radical Habitus
Voices of resurgent Islam
The elementary forms of the religious life
Iran
The Interpretation of Cultures
Iranian Culture
An Anthology of Modern Persian Poetry
The Shadow of God and the Hidden Imam
Redemptive Suffering in Islam
Modern Islamic Political Thought
Islam
The Guerrilla Movement in Iran, 1963-1977
Ahmad Shamlu
Martyrdom and Persecution in the Early Church
The State, Religion, and Ethnic Politics
The Assassins
Fear and Trembling
From Max Weber
| Unique citing works | 15 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 1,25 |
| Citation span | 2014 - 2025 (12) |
| Citation velocity | recent |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 15 |