A History of Iran: Empire of the Mind by Michael Axworthy

Review by Nate Merz

The short:

Iran has been a cultural, economic, and political centerpiece for almost its entire history. Its rich religious history, vast empires, and even its understated poetry all make for a fascinating story. In Michael Axworthy’s A History of Iran: Empire of the Mind, Axworthy looks at Iran from its ever-changing philosophical approach to religion, empire building, and cultural norms.

The long:

 Beginning with the pastoral nomads of the Iranian Plateau, Axworthy works through the nomadic tribes’ eventual creation of confederacies and tribal groupings; namely, the Persians and the Medes. Axworthy follows these groups' expansion and explores the beginnings of Zoroastrianism and it’s pre-religious foundation. The novel speaks of Zoroastrianism’s dualistic philosophies and theologies from its scholars incorporating translated texts to help further illustrate its theology.

The book then works through the Achaemenid Empire and its clash with the Greeks and Macedonians. The eventual cultural mixing of Greek, Persian, and other cultures from the region, due to Alexander's conquests, serve as a major point of importance in the general history of Iran and its approach to foreign influences. 

The book further focuses on the Prophet Mohammed (PBUH), the spread of Islam, and the Arab Conquests with the foundation of the Abbasid Empire. The eventual invasion and subsequent rule by the Mongols and Turks in the 12th-14th centuries serve again as important points in Iran’s history of invasion and foreign influences. Axworthy transitions this to the state of Persia from the 18th century including uprisings, wars, religious schisms, and efforts to modernize in a world that is constantly being encroached upon by Europe. The penultimate event of this struggle is represented in the 1979 Iranian Revolution, which Axworthy explores as a pathway for Iran’s foreign policy today.

To read or not to read:

Absolutely read this. It was refreshing to see a deeper examination of Persian and Iranian culture through history and to learn how even poems from the 14th century can affect philosophies behind Iran’s modern politics. Although the book can be rambly at times, it gives great insight into Iran’s struggle with foreign powers’ intervention, as well as internal cultural revolutions that illustrate its historic and current complexity.