David N. Yaghoubian. Ethnicity, Identity, and the Development of Nationalism in Iran

David N. Yaghoubian’s Ethnicity, Identity, and the Development of Nationalism in Iran is both less and more than what it claims to be. It is less, because the title suggests that the book is some broad examination of the development of nationalism in Iran, while in fact it focuses on a specific minority: Armenian Iranians. Yet, it is more than a study of Iranian nationalism, because the author makes very captivating inroads into topics as diverse as social relations in the Cossack Brigade, the twists and turns in the lives of early truck drivers, and the reasons behind Mohammad Reza Shah’s fondness for scouting. And, of course, the book is a treasure trove of historical analyses and anecdotal facts about Armenian Iranians. This reviewer cannot overstate how much he enjoyed reading this book and how stimulating he found it. The study of Iranian nationalism has now come of age. Long gone are the days (which lasted until the 1990s) when the only literature available mechanically peddled the most clichéd primordialist claims of Iranian nationalism, rather than approach them critically. Among the many authors who have helped advance this field of study are Mostafa Vaziri, Mohamad Tavakoli-Targhi, Firoozeh Kashani-Sabet, Afshin Marashi, and Rasmus Christian Elling. It is a shame that Yaghoubian does not fully engage with this literature, as he repeats that the topic is understudied. However that may be, there is something very particular and worthwhile about his book: its social-biographical methodology.

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