Modern History of Iran and Afghanistan - ABV100118

• Anglický název: Modern History of Iran and Afghanistan
• Zajišťuje: Katedra Blízkého východu (21-KBV)
• Fakulta: Filozofická fakulta
• Platnost: od 2025 do 2025
• Semestr: letní
• Body: 0
• E-Kredity: 4
• Způsob provedení zkoušky: letní s.:
• Rozsah, examinace: letní s.:2/0, Zk [HT]
• Počet míst: neomezen / neurčen (30)
• Minimální obsazenost: neomezen
• 4EU+: ne
• Virtuální mobilita / počet míst pro virtuální mobilitu: ne
• Stav předmětu: vyučován
• Jazyk výuky: angličtina
• Způsob výuky: prezenční
• Poznámka: předmět je možno zapsat mimo plán; povolen pro zápis po webu; při zápisu přednost, je-li ve stud. plánu
• Garant: Mgr. Jakub Koláček, Ph.D.
• Vyučující: Mgr. Jakub Koláček, Ph.D.
• Třída: A – Mezioborová nabídka VP: Historické vědy; Exchange - 08.3 History

Anotace

This course is primarily intended for advanced Bachelor's and Master's students. Students of the Department of Middle Eastern Studies (KBV) are advised to take this course after completing History of the Middle East and North Africa III and IV, to benefit from it. For students unfamiliar with the basics of Middle Eastern History, the willingness to undertake some additional self-education to address the context of the discussed topics is expected.
Within the course, we will comprehensively discuss the history of Iran and Afghanistan, approximately from the mid-19th century to the present day. The lectures will cover not only the “grand” political history but also the cultural, social, and economic histories of both states, examining their connections to broader regional developments and global political and cultural transformations over the past two hundred years. A unifying theme will be the process of modernization and the transition from traditional to modern society. Special attention will be given to specific events and developmental trajectories that continue to shape the internal condition and foreign relations of both countries. This includes the history of the emergence and success of the Islamic revolutionary movement and the establishment of the Islamic Republic in Iran, as well as the development of the long-term violent conflict situation, closely related to (and in many respects triggered by) the series of foreign interventions in Afghanistan.
Students will acquire a comprehensive orientation in the history of modern Iran and Afghanistan with an interdisciplinary reach into other fields. They will gain an overview of current knowledge and become acquainted with the fundamental questions and problems in this area. Based on this, they will be able to approach historical issues independently, interpret them, and utilize historical knowledge within their further studies and professional careers, in conjunction with other disciplines. This ability will also be tested through the writing of their own essay.
Note: The detailed examination of the post-1979 period in Iran is not covered in this course, but is covered in a follow-up course on “Iran after the Islamic Revolution” (usually taking place the following semester).

Poslední úprava: Koláček Jakub, Mgr., Ph.D. (28.01.2026)

Podmínky zakončení předmětu

The grading of the course is based on allocating, in total, 100 points, as follows:

Submission of an essay (maximum 50 points) in the form of a popularization article on the chosen topic, approximately 2000 words. The article must adhere to standard academic text requirements, including footnotes and a bibliography. Students choose their own topics in consultation with the teacher. Details will be specified at the beginning of the semester.

Attendance (maximum 30 points). Students may miss a maximum of 2 hours; 3 points will be subtracted for each additional absence.

Preparation through reading (maximum 20 points), which will be checked via two random tests (5 points each) and the timely submission of reading summaries in the case of absence (10 points overall for fulfilling this requirement).

Final grades

90 points and more: Excellent (1)

76 points and more: Very Good (2)

66 points and more: Good (3)

65 points and below: Failed (4)

Poslední úprava: Koláček Jakub, Mgr., Ph.D. (28.01.2026)

Literatura

See also the syllabus.

Core:

• Abrahamian, Ervand. 2008. A History of Modern Iran. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

• Rubin, Barnett R. 2002. The Fragmentation of Afghanistan: State Formation and Collapse in the International System. 2nd Edition. New Haven: Yale University Press.

Additional Study Literature (Selection):

• Alizadeh, Parvin, ed. The Economy of Iran: The Dilemma of an Islamic State. London: I.B. Tauris, 2000.

• Azimi, Fakhreddin. The Quest for Democracy in Iran: A Century of Struggle Against Authoritarian Rule. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 2008.

• Abrahamian, Ervand. Tortured Confessions: Prisons and Public Recantations in Modern Iran. Berkley: University of California Press, 1999.

• Adamec, Ludwig. Historical Dictionary of Afghanistan. 3rd ed. Lanham, MD: Scarecrow Press, 2003.

• Afkhami, Gholam Reza. The Life and Times of the Shah. Berkley: University of California Press, 2009.

• Afshari, Reza. Human Rights in Iran: The Abuse of Cultural Relativism. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 2011.

• Arjomand, Saïd Amir. After Khomeini: Iran Under His Successors. New York: Oxford University Press, 2009.

• Arjomand, Said Amir. Turban for the Crown: The Islamic Revolution in Iran. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1988.

• Arnold, Anthony. Afghanistan’s two-party communism: Parcham and Khalq. Stanford, CA: Hoover Institution Press, 1983.

• Atabaki, Touraj, ed. Iran and the First World War: Battleground of the Great Powers. London: I.B.Tauris, 2006.

• Axworthy, Michael. Dějiny Íránu: Říše ducha – od Zaratuštry po současnost. Trans. Z. Kříhová and Jan Marek. Prague: Nakladatelství Lidové noviny, 2009.

• Bayandor, Darioush. Iran and the CIA: The Fall of Mosaddeq Revisited. Palgrave Macmillan, 2010.

• Behdad, Sohrab, and Farhad Nomani. Islam and the Everyday World: Public Policy Dilemmas. London: Routledge, 2006.

• Buchta, Wilfried. Who Rules Iran: The Structure of Power in the Islamic Republic. Washington: The Washington Institute for Near East Policy and the Konrad Adenauer Stiftung, 2000.

• Coll, Steve. Ghost Wars: The Secret History of the CIA, Afghanistan, and bin Laden, from the Soviet invasion to September 10, 2001. New York: Penguin Press, 2004.

• Dabashi, Hamid. Theology of Discontent: The Ideological Foundation of the Islamic Revolution in Iran. London: Taylor & Francis, 2006.

• Davari, Mahmood T. The Political Thought of Ayatollah Murtaza Mutahhari: An Iranian Theoretician of the Islamic State. London: Routledge, 2004.

• Elling, Rasmus Christian. Minorities in Iran: Nationalism and Ethnicity after Khomeini. New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2013.

• Ewans, Martin. Conflict in Afghanistan: Studies in asymmetric warfare. London: Routledge, 2005.

• Farrokh, Kaveh. Iran at War: 1500–1988. Oxford: Osprey, 2011.

• Foran, John, ed. A Century of Revolution: Social Movements in Iran. Mineapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 1994.

• Gasiorowski, M. J., and M. Byrne. Mohammad Mosaddeq and the 1953 Coup in Iran. Syracuse University Press, 2004.

• Gheissari Ali, Vali Nasr. Democracy in Iran: History and the Quest for Liberty. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2006.

• Giustozzi, Antonio. War, politics, and society in Afghanistan. Washington, DC: Georgetown University Press, 2000.

• Jalalzai, Musa Khan. Taliban and the Post-Taliban. Lahore: Sang-Meel Public, 2003.

• Kakar, Hasan Kawun. Government and Society in Afghanistan: The Reign of Amir 'Abd al-Rahman Khan. Austin: University of Texas Press, 1979.

• Kamalipour, Yahya R., ed. Media, Power, and Politics in the Digital Age: The 2009 Presidential Election Uprising in Iran. Lanham: Rowman & Littlefield, 2010.

• Katouzian, Homa. State and Society in Iran: The Eclipse of the Qajars and the Emergence of the Pahlavis. London: I.B.Tauris, 2006.

• Khiabany, Gholam. Iranian Media: The Paradox of Modernity. London: Routledge, 2009.

• Marek, Jan. Dějiny Afghánistánu. Prague: Lidové noviny, 2006.

• Mir-Hosseini, Ziba and Richard Tapper. Islam and Democracy in Iran: Eshkevari and the Quest for Reform. London: I. B. Tauris, 2006.

• Moin, Baqer. Khomeini: Life of the Ayatollah. New York: Thomas Dune Books, 2000.

• Nawid, Senzil. Religious response to social change in Afghanistan, 1919–29. Costa Mesa, CA: Mazda, 1999.

• Osanloo, Arzoo. The Politics of Women’s Rights in Iran. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 2009.

• Rahnema, Ali. Superstition as Ideology in Iranian Politics: From Majlesi to Ahmadinejad. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2011.

• Rasanayagam, Angelo. Afghanistan. A Modern History. London: I. B.Tauris, 2003.

• Saikal, Amin. Modern Afghanistan: A History of Struggle and Survival. London: I.B.Tauris, 2004.

• Saikal, Amin. The Rise and Fall of the Shah. Princeton, New Jersey: Princeton University Press, 1980.

• Sciolino, Elaine. Persian Mirrors: The Elusive Face of Iran. New York: Free Press, 2000.

• Tanner, Stephen. Afghanistan: A military history from Alexander the Great to the fall of the Taliban. New York: Da Capo Press, 2002.

• Tazmini, Ghoncheh. Khatami's Iran: The Islamic Republic and the Turbulent Path to Reform.

Poslední úprava: Koláček Jakub, Mgr., Ph.D. (28.01.2026)

Metody výuky

Each class will include both the introduction to the given topic by the teacher via a structured presentation and a participatory discussion based on assigned readings of academic literature and primary sources. Preparation through reading and the completion of other assigned tasks is required.

Poslední úprava: Koláček Jakub, Mgr., Ph.D. (28.01.2026)

Požadavky ke zkoušce

The course is completed with an examination (i.e., graded), the main component of which is an essay on a selected topic, written as a popularization article (approximately 2000 words) in Czech, Slovak, or English (students are encouraged to write in English). The topic must be broadly related to modern Iranian and Afghan history, but it may extend into other fields, for example, the subject of the student’s bachelor's or master’s thesis (if convenient and applicable); students are encouraged to focus on their own field of interest.

A further requirement for completing the course is active participation and preparation through assigned texts. In case of absence from a class, it is necessary to send the teacher a summary of the assigned reading, about 500 words, no later than the last day before the next seminar (Czech/Slovak/English; the latter is encouraged). The preparation through reading will also be checked through two short tests given during the semester.

Attendance is also a condition for completing the course; a maximum of 3 hours out of the total 13 can be missed without penalty.

Note on AI policy: Plagiarism or undisclosed use of generative AI at any time during the course will be considered a breach of academic rules and will be treated accordingly; rule-breakers may be automatically graded as “failed” in serious cases. By the “undisclosed use” is meant especially when the generated content (and is thus not a product of independent, thorough, critical study and reflection) is presented as the author’s own. Citing fictitious sources or egregiously fictitious facts (often the product of the so-called “hallucinations”) will be automatically treated as highly suspicious and as evidence of AI use, unless proved otherwise. Students are generally discouraged from using machine learning software to offset their own study and thinking, as this sabotages their education, even if it may lead to superficial improvements in the “quality” of their work. Shortcomings of one’s own genuine work, in contrast, can serve as a basis for feedback on the part of the teacher, which is a basis of the learning process. It is admissible to use the AI-based instruments for language correction in the final phase of revising the text.

Poslední úprava: Koláček Jakub, Mgr., Ph.D. (28.01.2026)

Sylabus

Note: the sylabus may yet undergo changes, please allways check Moodle for newest updates.

1. / 17. 2. Introduction: Course organization, semester overview; historical perspective, modernization, modernity

Recommended introductory reading:

Abrahamian, Ervand. 2008. A History of Modern Iran. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2008. "Introduction," p. 1–7.

• This is a brief introduction to a book that serves as one of the basic source texts for this course. It succinctly and accessibly summarizes what the author considers to be the essentials of the profound historical change undergone by Iran over the course of the last 200 years. Recommended for tuning in to our main topic.

Elective reading:

Eisenstadt, Smuhel N. 2000. „Multiple Modernities.“ Daedalus 129, no. 1: 1–29.

• This is a basic theoretical text for dealing with the concepts of "modernity" and "modernization" used in this course. Reading is recommended for those who want to get deeper into the author's (now widely recognized) notion of plurality of modernity (which will be briefly explained in the class).

2. / 24. 2. Traditional Societies and Old Regimes of Afghanistan and Iran: Kinship, segmentary society, tradition, economic and political relations, regime of government (part I)

Compulsory reading:

Barfield, Thomas. 2010. Afghanistan: A Cultural and Political History. Princeton: Princeton University Press. Chap. 1 "People and Places," p. 17–65.

• The chapter presents basic observations on Afghan geography, demography, and social relations, with attention also paid to their historical evolution. It contains not only useful, but also essential and necessary information for thinking about and researching Afghanistan, or, for that matter, dealing with the country's affairs in any other (journalistic, political) way. Even if the amount of information may be overwhelming, try to familiarize yourself with key facts and names, and do not forget to use a map to localize the data.

3. / 3. 3. Traditional Societies and Old Regimes of Afghanistan and Iran: Kinship, segmentary society, tradition, economic and political relations, regime of government (part II)

Compulsory reading:

Manchanda, Nivi. 2020. Imagining Afghanistan: The History and Politics of Imperial Knowledge. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Chapter 3, "The Emergency Episteme of the ‘Tribe’ in Afghanistan," pp. 105-142.

• This chapter presents a critical inquiry into the concept of "tribe" and the history of its application in Afghan society by Western explorers and researchers, typically representing the epistemic stance of the Western imperial powers (cf. E. Said's analysis of Orientalism). The apprehension of the problematic and skewed notions of "tribe" and "tribalism" is essential for grappling with the complex Afghan reality and recognizing stereotypes and false assumptions, which often still circulate in the 21st century. Even if the chapter is long and dense, try to read through it and focus on Nivi Manchanda's key arguments as well as the sources she uses to underpin them.

4. / 10. 3. Traditional Societies and Old Regimes of Afghanistan and Iran: Kinship, segmentary society, tradition, economic and political relations, regime of government (part III)

Compulsory reading:

Hambly, Gavin R. G. 2007. “Āghā Muḥammad Khān and the Establishment of the Qājār Dynasty.” In The Cambridge History of Iran, vol. 7, ed. by Peter Avery, Gavin Hambly and Charles Melville (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press): 104–143.

• This is the last reading of the first thematic bloc, exemplifying the intricacies and complexities of the politics and power struggles of the traditional society (and therefore also the fundamentals of political power). Try to read through it (the next week will be reading-free!). The point is not to grasp all the names and details (although this is welcome); instead, focus on how power is related to violence, how it is distributed, regulated, limited, and stabilized (if so).

Additional sources:

https://youtu.be/uRt_Ojbgg3w Watch the video (or skip through it and watch selected sections) of the coronation of the last Shah (October 26, 1967). Try to focus on the ceremony's aesthetics and grandeur. You may also try to imagine how it felt to Iranians and other spectators in the 1960s.

https://youtu.be/uRt_Ojbgg3w Listen to this short excerpt from the Shah's speech delivered during the celebration of 2500 years of Persian monarchy (شاهنشاهي ايران) in Pasargad near the historical site of Persepolis. Use the subtitles (or your knowledge of Persian) and focus on the titles claimed by the Shah and his framing of the significance of monarchy.

5. / 17. 3. International Politics until the end of World War I and the encounter of Iran and Afghanistan with modern empires (part I)

Elective reading:

This week is compulsory reading-free, but you may like to read this short document issued on October 1, 1838, by the governor-general of British India, Lord Auckland, effectively starting the series of events leading to the First Anglo-Afghan War (Simla Manifesto on Wikisource: https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Simla_manifesto). If so, try to focus on how the British view their own power and position in dealing with the issue, how they justify the steps taken, and what their expectations are.

6. / 24. 3. International Politics until the end of World War I and the encounter of Iran and Afghanistan with modern empires (part II)

Compulsory reading:

Curzon, George N. 1892. Persia and the Persian Question. London: Longmans, Green, and Co. Chap. 1., "Introductory," 1-25.

• Curzon's treatise is one of the basic sources on British imperial politics (as the author is one of its significant actors). Read the introduction and focus on how Curzon characterizes the "Persian question" and why he poses it. Also, how does he characterize and view the British power and interest? (Before, don't forget to look at who Curzon was and in what context he issued the book).

Elective reading:

Abrahamian, Ervand. 2008. A History of Modern Iran. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. "Reform, revolution, and the Great War," 34–62.

• The chapter summarizes the events of the Constitutional Revolution in Iran. Recommended especially for those who have not completed the introductory course on Middle Eastern history and want to gain a basic orientation in these events.

X. / 31. 3. [reading week]

7. / 7. 4. Student Presentations

Details will be provided at the beginning of the semester.

8. / 14. 4. Authoritarian Modernization and Reforms in Iran and Afghanistan (part I)

Compulsory reading:

Kurzman, Charles. 2005. „Weaving Iran into the Tree of Nations.“ International Journal of Middle East Studies 37, no. 2: 137–166.

• Please pay due attention to this text, which will be for us a key to understanding the evolution and emergence of Iranian nationalism and, more broadly, the perception of Iran as a nation. First, spare a moment to think about how the text is composed and how the author manages to build an extensive argument around a single historical artifact of a carpet (this can even help you in writing your own essay, or, for that matter, thesis, or any other text). Second, try to identify in the text the key theoretical arguments about nationalism (i.e., what is characteristic of any nationalism; you can also apply this understanding to other states/nations/regions). Finally, focus on the specific processes and activities through which Iranian nationalism was cultivated and fostered, and on the roles of both external and domestic forces and actors.

Elective reading:

Hassanpour, Amir. 1994. "The Nationalist Movements in Azarbaijan and Kurdistan, 1941–46." In A Century of Revolution: Social Movements in Iran, ed. by John Foran, 78-105. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press.

• A supplementary reading on nationalism, focusing on local nationalism evolving in conflict with the vision of Iran as a unitary state and nation. Recommended for anyone interested in Turkish and Kurdish culture and/or seeking to broaden their understanding of nationalist politics in Iran (which remains highly relevant today).

Abrahamian, Ervand. 2008. A History of Modern Iran. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Chap. 3, "The iron fist of Reza Shah," p. 63–96.

• Comprehensive account of Reza Shah's rule and modernization reforms. Recommended for those who missed an introductory Middle Eastern history course.

9. / 21. 4. Authoritarian Modernization and Reforms in Iran and Afghanistan (part II)

Compulsory Reading:

Bossin, Yuri V. 2004. „The Afghan Experience with International Assistance.“ In Beyond Reconstruction in Afghanistan: Lessons from Development Experience, ed. by John D. Montgomery & Dennis A. Rondinelli, 75–92. London: Palgrave Macmillan.

• Focus on why the subsidies and other forms of assistance were historically important for Afghanistan, and which economic problems they helped to address. Also, how did external powers use the assistance for geopolitical maneuvering and to what end?

10. / 28. 4. Iran: Islamic Revolution and War (part I)

Compulsory reading:

Mirsepassi-Ashtiani, Ali. 1994. „The Crisis of Secular Politics and the Rise of Political Islam in Iran.“ Social Text, 38: 51–84.

• This article is one of the many that aim to explain why Khomeini's faction was the successful one in the struggle for power during the revolution. Focus on the consequences of Shah's policies on the state of the opposition scene in Iran and the key elements of Khomeini's success according to the author.

Shariati, Ali. 2020 [1972]. "Red Shi'ism (the religion of martyrdom) vs. Black Shi'ism (the religion of mourning)." Iran Chamber Society, http://www.iranchamber.com/personalities/ashariati/works/red_black_shiism.php.

• In this influential text, Ali Shariati expounds his novel framing of Shia and its social role. Find out something about the author and focus on the following questions: Through what techniques and connections does the author make the religion politically relevant for the given moment? Are there any traces of other ideas or ideologies? And finally, do you find in the text any points that could lead to friction or controversy in relation to the ideology of the post-revolutionary regime (as you understand it)?

Elective (but strongly recommended) reading:

Imām Khomeini. Governance of the Jurist. Velayat-e Faqeeh. Trans. Hamid Algar. Tehran: The Institute for Compilation and Publication of Imam Khomeni's Works. E-book. P. 7–17.

• This is a basic source for understanding Khomeini's politics and the ideology of the revolutionary regime, even to this day (despite the fact that the text is by no means easy to interpret). Try to find out how Khomeini frames the relation of Islam and the West? What terms does he use to describe it? How does he justify the need for the Islamic government? And by what means should it be established, and on which territory?

11. / 5. 5. Iran: Islamic Revolution and War (part II)

Compulsory reading:

Kurzman, Charles. 2005. The Unthinkable Revolution in Iran. Cambridge: Harvard University Press. Chap. 7, "A Viable Movement: Anti-Explanation."

• Interestingly, Kurzman is skeptical of various structural explanations of the revolution and proposes a provocative idea that may be unsatisfactory to some of our intellectual inclinations but is still worth considering. What is, according to him, the key variable for a revolutionary movement to succeed, and how does it "function"? How does it relate to other explanations? Do you, personally, find it persuasive?

12. / 12. 5. Afghanistan: Political Conflict, and Foreign Interventions after 1978 (part I)

Compulsory reading:

Saikal, Amin. 2004. Modern Afghanistan: A History of Struggle and Survival. London: I. B. Tauris. Chap. 8. "Communist Rule, the Soviet Invasion and Resistance," 187–208.

• This is mostly a factographic overview of the events of the Soviet invasion of the country. Familiarize yourself with the key events and facts. Meanwhile, consider two questions: First, was Afghanistan a good place to run an experiment with a communist government? Second, to what degree was the whole war of the 1980s something the course of which the Afghans could influence, and to what degree was the agency mostly in the hands of the external powers?

Elective reading:

Siddiqui, Azhar J., and Khalid M. Butt. 2014. „Afghanistan-Soviet Relations during the Cold War: A Threat for South Asian Peace.“ A Research Journal of South Asian Studies 29, no. 2: 617–631.

• This article further develops the theme of international relations influencing the Afghan history throughout the period.

13. / 20. 5. Afghanistan: Political Conflict, and Foreign Interventions after 1978 (part II)

Elective reading:

Manchanda, Nivi. 2020. Imagining Afghanistan: The History and Politics of Imperial Knowledge. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. "Introduction," 1-22.

• We have already read a chapter from Nivi Manchanda's book (which I strongly recommend you read in its entirety). I now suggest you close your engagement with Afghanistan by returning to it and going at least through the first few pages of the Introduction, where the author summarizes the lamentable state of the scholarly engagement with the country and the distortions and Orientalizing images that permeate the discourse about it (even more than in the case of other MENA countries).

Elective reading:

Barfield, Thomas. 2010. Afghanistan: A Cultural and Political History. Princeton: Princeton University Press. Chap. 5, "Afghanistan Enters the Twenty-first Century", 272–336.

• This chapter may be interesting for those seeking more information and context of the 2001 US intervention, the subsequent occupation, and the failed attempt at nation-building.

Poslední úprava: Koláček Jakub, Mgr., Ph.D. (28.01.2026)