The Iranian Constitutional Revolution and the Clerical Leadership of Khurasani / Mateo Mohammad Farzaneh.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Farzaneh, Mateo Mohammad.

Series:

Modern intellectual and political history of the Middle East

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Constitutional history--Iran.

Constitutional history.

Iran--History--1905-1911.

Iran.

Khurāsānī, Muḥammad Kāẓim, 1839 or 1840-1911.

Khurāsānī, Muḥammad Kāẓim.

Genre:

Electronic books.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (360 p.)

Edition:

First edition.

Place of Publication:

Syracuse, New York : Syracuse University Press, 2015.

Language Note:

English

Summary:

The Iranian Constitutional Revolution was the twentieth century's first such political movement in the Middle East. It represented a landmark in Iranian history because of the unlikely support it received from Shi'ite clerics who historically viewed Western concepts with suspicion, some claiming constitutionalism to be anti-Islamic. Leading the support was Muhammad Kazim Khurasani, the renowned Shi'ite jurist who conceived of a supporting role for the clergy in a modern Iranian political system. Drawing on extensive analysis of religious texts, fatwas, and articles written by Khurasani an other pro- and anti-constitutionalists, Farzaneh provides a comprehensive and illuminating interpretation of Khurasani's religious pragmatism. Despite some opposition from his peers, Khurasani used a form of jurisprudential reasoning when creating shari'a that was based on human intellect to justify his support of not only the Iranian parliament but also the political powers of clerics. He had a reputation across the Shi'ite community as a masterful religious scholar, a skillful teacher, and a committed humanitarian who heeded the people's socioeconomic and political grievances and took action to address them. Khurasani's push for progressive reforms helped to inaugurate a new era of clerical involvement in constitutionalism in the Middle East.

Contents:

Part I. The Iranian state and religion

Tribal fighters become shahs

Apprehensive modernization and the birth of Iranian intellectualism

Unhappy merchants and the revolution for law

Shi'ism and key institutions of leadership

Shi'ite Iran and the state

Part II. Khurasani and constitutionalism

Akhund Khurasani: his life and works

An Islamic jurist's thought, politics, and practice

Religious justification and Khurasani's perception of constitutionalism

Ijtihad and politics

Part III. A house divided

Shaykh Fazlullah vs. Akhund Khurasani

Fundamental differences between Nuri and Khurasani.

Notes:

Description based upon print version of record.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Description based on print version record.

ISBN:

9780815653110

0815653115

OCLC:

910070310