This is the second episode of the Iran 1400 Podcast’s series on labor in Iran. It is part two of a two-part conversation between our host Sydney Martin and doctoral student Ida Nikou about the labor movement in Iran since the Islamic revolution. Ida underscores the importance of comprehending labor protests as a prerequisite for understanding any protest movement in Iran and delves into the interconnectedness between labor protests and the Woman, Life, Freedom movement. They also explore the development and transformation of Iran's economy and its underlying structure ..read more

This is the first episode of the Iran 1400 Podcast’s series on labor in Iran. It is part one of a two-part conversation between our host Sydney Martin and doctoral student Ida Nikou about the labor movement in Iran since the Islamic revolution. Ida provides insights into the movement's history in each decade following the revolution, highlighting its adaptation to the evolving political landscape and changing leadership. Throughout the conversation, a wide range of topics are covered, from the impact of the Iran-Iraq War, to syndicalism, to the privatization of the economy ..read more

In the second installment of the Iran 1400 Project's series on nationalism in Iran, researcher Sydney Martin engages in a captivating conversation with Dr. Ali Ansari on the intricate interplay between Iranian history, nationalism, and identity. Their wide-ranging discussion covers themes such as the significance of Kaveh the Blacksmith, the fusion of religion and state, and the exploitation of nationalism by various leaders in Iran over the past century to consolidate their authority. Furthermore, they delve into the crucial role of Iranian nationalism in the Woman, Life, Freedom movement.&nb ..read more

This is the first episode of the Iran 1400 Project's series on nationalism in Iran. Researchers Alexandra Braverman and Sydney Martin spoke with Dr. Meir Litvak about the role of religion in Iranian nationalism and Iranian identity. Dr. Litvak explained in detail how the Iranian state uses religion in order to promote a form of nationalism in line with its ideals. Examining the reaction of Iranians to this effort, he analyzed the many facets of Iranian identity, from Persian ethnolinguistic identity to Islamic religious identity. A timely discussion, Dr. Litvak also commented on the effect of ..read more

This episode is the second part of a two-part conversation with Dr. William Figueroa about his article for the Iran 1400 Project entitled “Constitutionalism Across Asia: Iran and China.” Sydney Martin and Dr. Figueroa discuss Iran-China relations today and the geopolitical implications of the Iranian and Chinese constitutional revolutions discussed in the previous episode. Dr. Figueroa analyzes Iran and China’s often disproportionate relationship, providing his thoughts on a variety of aspects and events, from the  Iran-China 25-year agreement to the Russia-Ukraine War, to Speaker of the ..read more

This episode is part one of a two-part conversation with Dr. William Figueroa about his article for the Iran 1400 Project entitled “Constitutionalism Across Asia: Iran and China.” Sydney Martin and Dr. Figueroa discuss the influence of the Iranian Constitutional Revolution on Chinese elites and the impact of pan-Asian and anti-colonial sentiment on Iran, China, and greater Asia. Dr. Figueroa provides background on the Chinese constitutional revolution, pointing out the similarities between it and Iran. He details how technological advancements such as the first large-scale international telegr ..read more

In this episode, Sydney Martin interviews Dr. Eric Lob about his recent article for the Iran 1400 Project “Institutional Continuities and Changes in the Islamic Republic of Iran: The Case of Construction Jihad.” Using Construction Jihad as their focal point, they discuss a wide range of events and ideas, such as development, the Islamic Republican Party, the Iran-Iraq War, and the consolidation of power in Iran since the revolution. The article is available on our website, please check it out here before or after you listen: https://iran1400.org/discover/the-case-of-construction-jihad ..read more

What will happen after Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's passing? During this event hosted by the Iran 1400 Project, Ali Alfoneh, an author and political scientist, answered this question and presented his book “Political Succession in the Islamic Republic of Iran: Demise of the Clergy and the Rise of the Revolutionary Guard Corps”. His book imagines what leadership will look like in the Islamic Republic after the passing of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei. It looks back at the past, detailing the process of succession before and after the death of Ayatollah Khomeini, as well a ..read more

On November 19th the Iran 1400 Project hosted a Spotlighting an Author event with distinguished social historian, Stephanie Cronin of Oxford University. Dr. Cronin discussed her newly-released book, Social Histories of Iran: Modernism and Marginality in the Middle East, which problematizes concepts of modernity in Iran and the broader Middle East with a global comparative perspective. The book investigates the lives of the underclasses of Iranian society in the 19th and 20th centuries and their particular relationship with both socio-economic hierarchies and modernity. A central argument of th ..read more

In this Spotlighting an Author event, Dr. Fatemeh Shams discussed her latest book “A Revolution in Rhyme: Poetic Co-option under the Islamic Republic”. During the extensive Q&A section of the event, Shams answered a series of questions with topics from lack of academic attention to Persian poetry, to the cause and result relationship between the revolution and poetry in Iran. About Fatemeh Shams: Dr. Fatemeh Shams is Assistant Professor of Modern Persian literature at the University of Pennsylvania. She earned her Ph.D in Oriental Studies from University of Oxford, Wadham College. Before j ..read more